Wheels of death

Hawaii seems to have an inordinate number of traffic deaths by wheel. Whether the wheels of mopeds, motorcycles, and loose nuts behind the steering wheel, too many young people are dying on Hawaii’s roads.

It doesn’t take much effort to become a traffic statistic and die on a moped. The state doesn’t require a specific license for moped riders as it does for motorcycles, and based on the consistent number of deaths for both, I’m convinced that a moped riders license test would not matter.

Wheels of death seem to ensnare a disproportionate number of Hawaii young people. What can be done to stop the carnage?

I propose more carnage. Television advertising extolls the pleasures of owning a car, a truck, a motorcycle. Young people are influenced by advertising. Let’s advertise carnage. Even better, let’s teach street and highway carnage in our education system, starting with middle school children.

The schools are a perfect place to show children the results of accidents. Photos and videos of broken bodies, and bloodied, lifeless faces of the injured, dead, and dying, inflicted upon those nearing legal driving age would instill a more profound respect for the privilege of driving responsibly and safely.

Too harsh? Too extreme? Try a program of visual carnage education in half a dozen high schools and measure the results. If traffic accidents involving students in the trial schools goes down, expand the program to other schools.

What’s the harm? Too much violence, blood, and guts for young minds? Please. Do you know what children see on television and in movies theaters?