Musings: Grim memorials warn LI drivers

As I travel across Long Island, I am saddened by the number of roadside memorials that adorn our highways. It is unfortunate that our vehicles have become lethal weapons in the hands of an increasingly aggressive driving population.

Suffolk County, once known for its rural character and uncrowded roads, has become extremely hazardous for both drivers and pedestrians. Traffic fatalities across both Suffolk and Nassau counties have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. It seems that hardly a day passes that one of our roadways is not closed due to a serious collision.

Long Island roads, Newsday has reported, are the deadliest in New York State. Suffolk and Nassau counties rank first and second, respectively, in highway fatalities.

Unfortunately, these grim statistics should come as no surprise. Although alcohol plays a role in many of these accidents, the fact remains that our roads are far too crowded. Due to overdevelopment and an aging transportation infrastructure, our local highways are unable to handle the demands of an overwhelming volume of motorists. Add to that the reckless driving habits of many, and you can understand the reason for the carnage on our roads.

For some unexplained reason, driving according to the rules of the road is no longer appreciated by many Long Island motorists. Like a rite of passage, speeding and passing across a double line have become the new normal.

Although I drive safely, unfortunately, like the dinosaurs, I feel destined to become extinct. I may not be obliterated by a wayward asteroid like T. rex, but I know that my driving habits are becoming a thing of the past.

Driving across Long Island roads has even become a religious experience for me. Each time I strap myself in behind the wheel, I look upward and pray that I reach my destination unscathed. I hope it continues to work.

— Jason E. Hill, Ridge