News of Baldwin students getting in car accidents is alarmingly frequent—be it on the highway, Montgomery Avenue, or in our very own parking lot.

According to ScienceNewsExplores, teens are four times more likely to be in a car accident than adults. At Baldwin, 12 out of 22 licensed drivers surveyed had been in a minor car accident, and two had been in a major one.

Eesha Sharma ‘24, recently the victim of a car accident while in the passenger seat, said “it was very nerve-wracking,” and “once the shock set in, it became very distressing.” 

Sharma received a concussion from this crash but did not realize the effects of her injury until she couldn’t focus on her homework. This heightened her awareness of the dangers of such an unexpected incident. 

Sharma said that since the accident, she has “become way more careful.” As a piece of advice to other drivers, Sharma said, “If everyone slowed down a little bit, that would probably prevent a lot of accidents.”

Grace Sheehan ‘23 was in two car accidents while exiting the Baldwin parking lot this past September. Reflecting on the accidents, Sheehan said, “We have so many students and such a small parking lot.” 

She explained that when her accidents occurred, “there were a lot of people around, so there was definitely a lot going on.”  

Mr. Shawn Jordan, the Director of Facilities & Operations at Baldwin, mentioned that while the Baldwin campus is “not ideally laid out for modern cars,” students can stay safe “as long as they pay attention to the speed limit, which is only seven miles per hour.” 

Mr. Jordan said that “a lot of accidents can be avoided if you have your full attention on what is going on around you.” 

This advice applies both on and off the Baldwin campus. Next time you’re out driving, wait to send that next text or respond to that email, because as Mr. Jordan said: “It’s not worth your life.”