New Efforts to Control Crazy Teen Driving In Parking Deck
Gate Debates: Juniors Ayana Ellison and Annabelle Sarkissian are among the many North students getting used to traffic control rules and regs in the North Atlanta parking deck.
North Atlanta is famous for its 11-story building with great views and various luxuries not found at other schools, including its infamous student parking deck. However, NAHS is also known for the insane driving habits of its students, a hazardous behavior that takes place every day in the school’s parking deck. Extreme speeding, messy parking, and overall recklessness are all problematical issues that administrator Meredith Kaltman hopes to eliminate this school year.
Among American teens, crazy driving has always been an issue. At North Atlanta the prior year was a bad one for driving and during the year there were five wrecks in the parking deck, not counting the myriad of countless minor scratches or dents. Kaltman has already implemented preventative measures that are designed to minimize accidents. Kaltman mentioned that there is now a security guard in the parking deck from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The security guard ensures drivers have parking passes and that students are parking in their designated slots. Beyond this measure, the parking deck is soon to have upwards of 20 speed bumps designed to slow drivers down. “We’re doing all we can to create a safer space,” she said.
Beyond these measures, there also are gates on the entrances that will allow for a more orderly exit from the parking lot.
Despite all of the actions being taken, many students are unsure if any of these new measures will make a difference. NAHS has a history of implementing new changes each school year, and oftentimes they disappear after one month of school, and the students go back to their troublemaking. “I don’t know if they will long term enforce the new policies, but it looks like they are really trying this year,” said senior Ryley Batson. “I don’t think they understand that students will be bad drivers no matter what; if they put in speed bumps, we’ll just go around or hop them.”
Despite not knowing if these new measures will work, Kaltman is on the case this year and is actively trying to improve the current situation. Students and administrators will have to work together in order to turn the current crazy chaos into a peaceful, hopefully car wreck-free place.
