By Hana Jaber

A lot of students at North Star are terrible drivers; I’m sure we are all aware of that. Students speed, turn into the wrong lanes, and cut through the parking lots. Even at lunch the students drive like maniacs, speeding to get their food and not being safe.

As high school students, we have the reputation of being horrible drivers. At football games, parents complain about how we park, and there always seems to be at least one car that gets hit at games. A lot of the kids here think it’s fun, and “cool” to drive like this. But, let’s be real.

Here are the facts: if you crash your car, and another car wasn’t involved, you can take Stop class to erase your fine, which will probably be driving with negligence. That fine is around $108 dollars, and if it goes on your insurance the cost will double. Taking the $87 dollar Stop class is the cheapest route, but you still have to sit through eight hours of the State Patrol boring you to death. The city might fine you for whatever you hit, because now it’s their responsibility to fix it. If your car is totaled, then you have to either pay the money to fix it or buy a completely new car – and that’s if you or your parents can afford it. If you can fix your car, it will still cost a lot. It could take up to three weeks for minor repairs.

If you crash your car into another car and it’s your fault, then you can’t take a Stop class. It will permanently go on your record, doubling your insurance. Your ticket will most definitely be more than $108, and you might have to pay the city as well. The other car probably has liability, so your insurance will pay for their repairs. If that person is hurt, then insurance should pay for their hospital bills. But if they weren’t wearing their seat belt, or something else is their fault, then the insurance might not pay for it. Then, that person could choose to file a lawsuit, and it gets even more complicated. You might even be hurt, and unless you have amazing insurance, your hospital bills could equal the amount of repairs you need on your car. Not to mention you won’t have a car for weeks because you decided to drive recklessly.

So, let’s be smart about driving, Gators. Let’s be safe on the roads, and be extremely cautious of other drivers. Having a car without dents is cool, not speeding or whipping kitties.

This is an extra important message considering the weather will be changing soon, and the roads will be even more dangerous. No more crashes equals happy students and happy students equals a happy North Star!