OUR VIEW: Be safe and smart on roads

Most of us have gotten used to, or at least have put up with, the feeling of damp clothes and cloudy skies. The idea of rain doesn’t seem to matter that much. However, in light of recent events, we want to encourage students, faculty, staff and community members to travel safely while the rain persists.

We understand the feeling of stress lurching up and tightening the chests of many students as finals approach and the end seems around the corner. Many of us seem to be moving more quickly than need be, eating cereal 30 seconds quicker, mapping out the fastest routes to the computer labs and sneaking in showers at 2 a.m. to catch an extra five minutes of sleep.

Although this recent crash in Sardine Canyon did not involve speeding, we want to take this time to stress the importance of caution, especially with what seems to be never-ending rain. We offer our condolences for those who have been impacted by this recent tragedy and sadly, this offers us a reminder of what a routine drive can turn in to.

Most of us understand those moments where you forget to take all of the necessary precautions while driving. And at the risk of sounding like a high school driver’s ed teacher/football coach, rain can drastically increase dangerous road conditions. As the rain builds on the roads and visibility decreases, driving familiar territory might not feel so familiar.

So while we, USU students, face another semester’s end and with the bittersweet victory of finals week around the bend, we ask students that in between studying and finals, to be safe on the road.