With a new year comes new students, staff, and challenges. One of such challenges being the influx of new drivers.

The Lakeland parking lot is known to produce a hectic rush of traffic. The parking lot has gotten so bad that there is an Instagram account highlighting students’ poor parking jobs.

According to Lakeland’s armed guard and head of security, Officer Hatcher, there are an average of four accidents in the parking lot each week.

There are a few rules that one must obey in order to utilize the school parking lot, “You’re putting a bunch of teenagers in charge of 4000-pound death machines,” states Officer Hatcher. “We must go slow; we must be cautious; it is chaos out there.”

It is a well-known fact that something is bound to go wrong when teenagers are given any responsibility. The risk of a severe incident is only made more significant when they’re given the tools to do so.

In the late ’80s, a young woman was surfing on top of a car in the Lakeland parking lot during a basketball game. All was well, and spirits were high until the car briefly paused, and the young lady fell off the car. Startled, the driver slammed on the gas, believing it to be the break, fatally running the young woman over.

Coach Tim Kiefer, a Lakeland fitness and conditioning instructor, was a young witness to this tragic event.

“From my perspective growing up, this was a wakeup call to the entire community to consider the ramifications of our actions as teenagers or even adults,” recalled coach Kiefer.

As teenagers, it is easy to forget that death is a very real part of life, and incidents such as this can occur anytime without warning. Officer Hatcher promised that such a tragic incident would never happen as long as he is in charge of the parking lot.

Hatcher’s second rule is regarding parking permits. You absolutely must have a parking permit in order to park in the school parking lot. Not only do the funds help support our school, but the permits also help identify whose car has been in an accident or even possibly spot intruders. In order to acquire a parking permit, you must fill out a form found in the office and pay a ten-dollar fee.

Whether it be speeding, drifting, or even failing to use a parking permit, all these things not only compromise your safety but the safety of every student at Lakeland high school. With this all in mind, let’s try and make this year an amazing and safe year for everyone.