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Sharks aren’t mindless killers, but reckless drivers are

Sharks aren’t mindless killers, but reckless drivers are

Stephanie Dyer / ADOT Communications
July 29, 2019

It’s Shark Week!

Discovery Channel is back with its annual viewing extravaganza featuring this predator that resides near the top of the marine food chain.

Did you know there were 130 reported incidents of shark-human interaction worldwide in 2018? According to the International Shark Attack File, a scientific organization that compiles data from all known shark attacks, 66 of the shark-human interactions were unprovoked shark attacks, while 34 of the remaining cases were confirmed as provoked attacks.

Since this is an ADOT blog post, you’re probably wondering sharks relate to transportation. Well, as an avid scuba diver who’s been around sharks, I want remind you that sharks aren’t the mindless killers they’ve been made out to be.

But you know who is? The reckless driver.

Just take a look at ADOT's homepage, which displays the number of people killed in motor vehicle crashes year-to-date in Arizona. Nearly all of those traffic fatalities could have been prevented if drivers made the choice to not drive recklessly or impaired, weren’t distracted or had buckled up.

Sure, sharks have rows of razor-sharp teeth. But they won’t harm you if you give them space. Can you say the same about the driver more interested in a group text than paying attention to the road ahead?

Let’s all drive safely, and happy Shark Week!

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