Charging a driver who kills someone while driving distracted with anything less than manslaughter is allowing people to continue this reckless practice. Every time my husband and I drive the roads of Northern New Mexico, we see vehicles wandering out of their lanes while the drivers are looking at their phones. There are also a lot of people speeding, tailgating at high speed and weaving in and out of traffic. The State needs to make traffic enforcement a top priority, and we desperately need consequences for those who ignore the laws and put other people's lives at risk.
It is sickening that young people are now so shallow that it is more important to know who is texting them than it is to arrive safely and avoid killing someone as they drive. That these irresponsible actions have killed anyone, especially such accomplished scientists, should be a mark they have to carry for the rest of their lives. They should be forced to speak in school assemblies about what they've done.
LANL should be revisiting teleworking again. I telework and know others that do, but I've heard the sentiment that some managers make workers go in even when all of their work can be done from home.
I do not recognize Los Alamos anymore. The traffic is insane now. Add to that the drivers that are distracted with their phones, eating, or putting on makeup even. We are better than this! Many people are intoxicated with marijuana too. Nothing is going to fix these things until people start being responsible for their actions and not being all about "me".
There is potentially another issue - DWI on cannabis. Where is the breathalyzer for THC intoxication? I know of a company that makes one and it's proven to not only measure current THC levels, but also metabolites that show how long ago a person imbibed. The company had to move to Canada because absolutely no police or state departments in New Mexico (or any other state with legalized cannabis) was interested. I wonder why?
There is potentially another issue - DWI on cannabis. Where is the breathalyzer for THC intoxication? I know of a company that makes one and it's proven to not only measure current THC levels, but also metabolites that show how long ago a person imbibed. The company had to move to Canada because absolutely no police or state departments in New Mexico (or any other state with legalized cannabis) was interested. I wonder why?
"...The company had to move to Canada because absolutely no police or state departments in New Mexico (or any other state with legalized cannabis) was interested. I wonder why?"
Few states have passed laws that detail objective, legally-tested methods, equipment, and standards for impairment. Colorado has, for example, but their method requires a blood draw. To date, I'm unaware of any US states adopting a legally tested field-administered "breathalyzer" method or equipment that helps cops determine impairment in conjunction with vehicle stops or accident investigations.
Yep, and you won't hear anything about it or see the problem acknowledged because the state created the issue and receives significant tax revenue from sales. Alcohol is bad enough, we didn't need another drug with less DWI stigma to be promoted by the state.
This article has saddened us very much. Can't believe how the traffic had increased so much in such little time. We know Los Alamos as a quiet place but looks like no more. The pictures are hard to look at. Our condolences to the families involved and very much are praying that more stricter rules are are put into action before increase in traffic related deaths.
What I don't understand more than anything is the funding constraints and lack of money available to install life-saving measures. For example, when we are looking at reducing fatalities, median barriers might make a significant difference. The US Department of Transportation research indicates a 97% harm reduction in cross median crashes. While that is not all that is needed, of course, intentionally funding something that is concrete (no pun intended) might be an area of focus when there are some many areas outside of our control such as where there is limited police patrol or areas outside of local police jurisdiction. Having more severe and consistent accountability when people choose to engage in distracted driving will also help. It's complex but action, and funding, is needed.
LANL seems to have millions of dollars for safety paperwork and ritual, but when it comes to actually making real improvements to prevent scientists and lab directors from dieing when traveling to or from work, there is no money to be found. It's all part of our modern accountant and bureaucrat driven system that values procedure and compliance over actual results.
This is well researched and reported, thank you! My question is similar to Terry’s: why aren’t people ticketed for clearly using their phones while driving? A police campaign to cite distracted drivers would surely be more effective at changing behavior than a campaign to trap speeders. (My total guess is that it’s easy for drivers to claim they weren’t using their phones, whereas speeding can be clearly proven.)
As long as a culture of privilege and lack of accountability persists this problem will, too. If I had to pick a place to get in trouble with the law Los Alamos would be at the top of my list, especially if I worked at LANL or for the county itself.
Speed may be an important issue, but all research shows that driver distraction is the single largest factor in driving accidents. All this discussion about speed misses the acceptance we have for distracted driving. Just walk on down trinity or diamond drive and count the number of vehicles that have drivers looking at phones, eating food, or drifting in the lanes. When was the last time a person was cited for distracted driving in Los alamos? One second is all it takes of inattention to drift across a lane.
Charging a driver who kills someone while driving distracted with anything less than manslaughter is allowing people to continue this reckless practice. Every time my husband and I drive the roads of Northern New Mexico, we see vehicles wandering out of their lanes while the drivers are looking at their phones. There are also a lot of people speeding, tailgating at high speed and weaving in and out of traffic. The State needs to make traffic enforcement a top priority, and we desperately need consequences for those who ignore the laws and put other people's lives at risk.
It is sickening that young people are now so shallow that it is more important to know who is texting them than it is to arrive safely and avoid killing someone as they drive. That these irresponsible actions have killed anyone, especially such accomplished scientists, should be a mark they have to carry for the rest of their lives. They should be forced to speak in school assemblies about what they've done.
LANL should be revisiting teleworking again. I telework and know others that do, but I've heard the sentiment that some managers make workers go in even when all of their work can be done from home.
Traffic was so much better in 2020/2021.
I do not recognize Los Alamos anymore. The traffic is insane now. Add to that the drivers that are distracted with their phones, eating, or putting on makeup even. We are better than this! Many people are intoxicated with marijuana too. Nothing is going to fix these things until people start being responsible for their actions and not being all about "me".
There is potentially another issue - DWI on cannabis. Where is the breathalyzer for THC intoxication? I know of a company that makes one and it's proven to not only measure current THC levels, but also metabolites that show how long ago a person imbibed. The company had to move to Canada because absolutely no police or state departments in New Mexico (or any other state with legalized cannabis) was interested. I wonder why?
There is potentially another issue - DWI on cannabis. Where is the breathalyzer for THC intoxication? I know of a company that makes one and it's proven to not only measure current THC levels, but also metabolites that show how long ago a person imbibed. The company had to move to Canada because absolutely no police or state departments in New Mexico (or any other state with legalized cannabis) was interested. I wonder why?
"...The company had to move to Canada because absolutely no police or state departments in New Mexico (or any other state with legalized cannabis) was interested. I wonder why?"
Few states have passed laws that detail objective, legally-tested methods, equipment, and standards for impairment. Colorado has, for example, but their method requires a blood draw. To date, I'm unaware of any US states adopting a legally tested field-administered "breathalyzer" method or equipment that helps cops determine impairment in conjunction with vehicle stops or accident investigations.
Yep, and you won't hear anything about it or see the problem acknowledged because the state created the issue and receives significant tax revenue from sales. Alcohol is bad enough, we didn't need another drug with less DWI stigma to be promoted by the state.
Reminds me of the drive up liquor store windows NM used to have...
This article has saddened us very much. Can't believe how the traffic had increased so much in such little time. We know Los Alamos as a quiet place but looks like no more. The pictures are hard to look at. Our condolences to the families involved and very much are praying that more stricter rules are are put into action before increase in traffic related deaths.
What I don't understand more than anything is the funding constraints and lack of money available to install life-saving measures. For example, when we are looking at reducing fatalities, median barriers might make a significant difference. The US Department of Transportation research indicates a 97% harm reduction in cross median crashes. While that is not all that is needed, of course, intentionally funding something that is concrete (no pun intended) might be an area of focus when there are some many areas outside of our control such as where there is limited police patrol or areas outside of local police jurisdiction. Having more severe and consistent accountability when people choose to engage in distracted driving will also help. It's complex but action, and funding, is needed.
LANL seems to have millions of dollars for safety paperwork and ritual, but when it comes to actually making real improvements to prevent scientists and lab directors from dieing when traveling to or from work, there is no money to be found. It's all part of our modern accountant and bureaucrat driven system that values procedure and compliance over actual results.
Thank you for your work on this article Stephanie, it captures many of the thoughts and concerns that I also have.
This is well researched and reported, thank you! My question is similar to Terry’s: why aren’t people ticketed for clearly using their phones while driving? A police campaign to cite distracted drivers would surely be more effective at changing behavior than a campaign to trap speeders. (My total guess is that it’s easy for drivers to claim they weren’t using their phones, whereas speeding can be clearly proven.)
As long as a culture of privilege and lack of accountability persists this problem will, too. If I had to pick a place to get in trouble with the law Los Alamos would be at the top of my list, especially if I worked at LANL or for the county itself.
Speed may be an important issue, but all research shows that driver distraction is the single largest factor in driving accidents. All this discussion about speed misses the acceptance we have for distracted driving. Just walk on down trinity or diamond drive and count the number of vehicles that have drivers looking at phones, eating food, or drifting in the lanes. When was the last time a person was cited for distracted driving in Los alamos? One second is all it takes of inattention to drift across a lane.