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Owning a dog can be very useful especially due to the security it can provide to its owner. However, it can also harm if not properly taken care of by their owners.
In a Valley Center neighborhood, residents are getting scared and concerned because of the continuous occurrence of dog attacks in the place within this year.
A miniature horse was attacked by four pit bulls last January 31. Meanwhile, two dogs were killed last March 11. After a week, a woman chased away pit bulls that were trying to bite her horse.
It was reported that these dogs were spotted running to the direction of the San Pasqual Indian Reservation after the incidents occurred. It was claimed by the tribe that the dogs are left by their owners in the area since they are no longer capable of handling them.
Although the victims in most of the attacks are animals, residents are now equipping themselves with guns and stick so that they will be protected from a possible attack.
Aside from doing such, people should also avoid staring a dog in the eye, or approach a dog that is drinking or eating. Dog owners should also take good care of their pets so that the occurrence of an attack may be prevented.
A road accident recently happened last March 29, 2009 at the intersection of Hoover Street and Jefferson Boulevard about a freshman student who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The victim was Adrianna Bachan, 19, a student at the University of Southern California.
The morning the dreadful accident happened, Bachan, along with another male student, Marcus Garfinkle, were walking in a marked crosswalk. That’s when both of them were hit by a dark-colored car. Garfinkle got stuck on the car’s hood so the car stopped and a passenger got out and removed him and then drove away. He survived the accident but is in critical condition while Bachan was pronounced dead at a hospital.
After I have read this news, I felt some anger, thinking that, how can someone just flee after causing someone harm.
Those people should have stopped and helped the victims. It is possible that they are scared because they know that they have violated the law, but they should face the consequences of their actions.
Furthermore, a person has a duty of care to others, meaning, he/she should prevent others from being harmed or injured. And besides, even if there’s no such written law, as a human being, it is in our nature to help someone who is in need, especially if that someone is seriously injured and dying.
Let’s just hope that the perpetrators will be apprehended to give justice to the victims and to their families and friends who have been greatly affected by the incident.
Inarguably, seatbelt is one of the most efficient auto features to prevent car accidents. It has dramatically reduced fatalities and serious injuries to car occupants.
Over the years, authorities have been creative in finding ways to minimize, if not eliminate, incidents of car accidents.
The “Click it or Ticket” campaign is a road safety drive aimed at getting all Californians to buckle up while inside their cars. It emphasizes the need to wear seatbelts at all times not only because it is provided by law but ultimately for safety reasons.
If properly fastened, seatbelts will prevent passengers from sustaining further injuries. It is particularly useful in rollover accidents to prevent car occupants from being ejected out of the vehicle.
The participating counties include Upland, San Bernardino, Claremont and Chino. The local authorities will launch awareness programs sending “buckle up” message to motorists. The campaign also includes a statewide enforcement program participated by the officers of the California Highway Patrol.
In places where seatbelt use is strictly implemented, the fatality rate in car accidents has decreased. In Upland, for instance, where authorities aggressively enforce this law, no case of death in car accidents since September 2007 has been reported.
Under California laws, violators of seatbelt law have to pay a fine of between $105 and $126 for adult occupants and between $365 and $436 for children.
The Office of the National Safety gathered that seatbelt use in California was about 95% in 2008. By this campaign, authorities hope to bring the percentage to a hundred.
The recent spate of road related accidents in a San Diego suburb has alarmed not only the authorities but ordinary citizens, as well.
Jennifer Luther who had been pushing for roundabout installation at Pomona and Adella avenues and Seventh Street had been successful in her quest. Last March 1, a temporary roundabout was installed at the intersection where the three roads meet.
The intersection is regularly used by students in going to school and by motorists coming from San Diego. Seeing the danger it brings to school children, residents made persistent requests to city officials to address this threat.
The authorities acted on the request and began working on improvements on the traffic situation. The city officials considered five options before considering roundabout installation as the best solution.
The roundabout is aimed at slowing down traffic in the area. Consequently, vehicles need not stop or make left turns. By installing a roundabout, residents hope for a reduced number of accidents.
The roundabout has been temporarily installed for a period of 6 months. At this trial period, traffic levels will be monitored and free and safe movements of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians will also be checked.
For Luther who lives near the intersection, she hopes that car mishaps and pedestrian accidents would be minimized. Luther’s effort is just one instance on how community members can help in making the roads safer for everybody especially for children.
