MIDLAND, Texas — The vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board did not mince words when he provided an update to the fatal crash on 1788 on March 15, saying that people need to take getting behind the wheel more serious.
It was a sentiment echoed by James Beauchamp, president of the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance. Beauchamp said that we need to think before we drive.
"When we get out on the roads and highways and we get behind the wheel of a car, there are inherent chances and risks that we’re going to encounter," Beauchamp said.
A lot of money does go into making physical improvements to our roadways, but Beauchamp believes that the first step to making those roads safer starts with the driver. He said this means not texting or calling while driving, and driving the speed limit.
"If they just do simple things like that, they’re going to improve their chances in a single heartbeat by about 80% of not being in a crash or not being a fatality statistic, and they can do that with a snap of their finger," Beauchamp said.
Beauchamp said that when you're driving, your focus is almost always being pulled in several directions.
"When they get behind the wheel, and understand that you got one million things going on, and your phone's going off, and somebody’s trying to talk to you, but when you’re behind the wheel of that car, you really need to make your number one focus being behind the wheel of that car," Beauchamp said.
When it comes to road safety, all the money in the world will never add up to the value of the person behind the wheel.
"Everything we can do to encourage people to focus on driving is great," Beauchamp said.