Editorial: Take a cue from accident, drive more safely

Tragedy enveloped us this week when we heard that 24-year-old Jared Jenkins — a Bonny Doon native now living in Santa Cruz — was killed in a drunken-driving accident near Bakersfield.
Jenkins attended Bonny Doon Elementary School and spent time in the San Lorenzo Valley Middle School homeschool program before becoming a student at Santa Cruz High School and later San Diego State University.
He was killed when a friend who had been drinking drove off the road late at night and rolled the truck they were riding in. A vibrant 24-year-old’s life was snuffed in an instant.
An accident like this snaps us into reality, once again, and reminds us of how common drunken-driving deaths are in our own area. The long history of young people in San Lorenzo Valley being killed in alcohol-related accidents is absolutely tragic.
But why does this happen?
A few drinks, perhaps a foolhardy attitude and a mountainous road.
In SLV and Bonny Doon and even parts of Scotts Valley, it’s likely that all three of those factors are present every day.
With schools back in session this week, we urge drivers to make a conscious decision to protect our children and young people by choosing to drive sober. The tragedy of a young person being killed in an alcohol-related accident is worth the cost of a cab ride for yourself or a drunken friend.
With children walking to and from school, it’s doubly important that drivers, sober or otherwise, take special care along the roadways. Children walking home from school are especially vulnerable to traffic because they might be goofing off and not paying attention. As drivers, we all must pay attention.
The Zayante Fire District recently put a sign at the end of its driveway reminding us that children are on the road. Let’s take it to heart.
This academic year, even if you are not in school, make a conscious effort to drive safely around children and to not drink and drive.