It's the Locals in Sullivan County that really have poor driving habits

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com "Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"    It's the Locals in Sullivan County that really have poor driving habits Stay Off the Roads in Sullivan County-If You Want To Live! Part II by Ruby Pixman One of the worst of these potential deathtraps is on Route 52 along the eastern approach to Jeffersonville In my previous column I questioned the safety of the pair of newly-installed traffic circles in Liberty.  I argued how the flawed design of these circles, not bad driving, invites traffic accidents. However, throughout the rest of Sullivan County, actual and potential accidents are clearly the result of poor driving habits.  One of my major peeves involves just plain laziness on behalf of drivers! The county, being both hilly and rural, has many two-lane roads that twist and turn, often providing treacherous sharp curves for motorists to traverse with their cars.  Its common practice here that as drivers approach such a bend, instead of cautiously hugging the outer rim of the road, they often veer toward the center, and sometimes cross over the solid dividing line and into the left lane-a danger to oncoming traffic.  Such drivers are just too lazy to stay on their side of the road.   Since this practice occurs year-round and not just during tourist season, I can only assume that these dangerous actions are largely performed by locals.  Since police can't be present at every dangerous curve, the best solution is the installation of traffic cones or other devices that prevent cars from entering into unwarranted territory. One of the worst of these potential deathtraps is on Route 52 along the eastern approach to Jeffersonville.  The road turns sharply to the right and blocks any view of oncoming traffic.  Along the right side of the road is a trench.  If a driver encounters another care in the wrong lane, he or she is forced to collide with the on-comer or sharply turn to his right.  That insures that he or she will end up in the trench, possibly with deadly consequences.  This blind curve is a perfect spot for installing traffic cones or even more permanent devices. Another major problem is the outright defiance of the laws banning drivers' cell phone usage.  One remedy is for the county to earn a reputation as a place where police frequently enforce the law.  The best place to catch such would-be felons is along Route 17, a wide road where it would be safe and easy for police vehicles to be parked for the purpose of surveillance.  I'm not a big fan of constant police presence, but once a few arrests are made and word gets out, the deadly practice of cell phone conversations will greatly decrease.  And speaking of Route 17, this is a situation that constantly baffles me.  There are signs posted along the roadway indicating that 55 mph is the state speed limit, which presumably means that driving above that limit is illegal in the entire state.  Yet within short distances of such signs are other postings that indicate the speed limit to be 65 mph!  Which one of the two contradictory posted limits is the actual number?  It seems to me that if someone is stopped for going above 55, he has a good court defense, since the 65mph limit is simultaneously posted on the same road! Sadly, this county has a long history of doing the best it can for getting nothing of a constructive nature accomplished. Probably none of these traffic situations I've pointed out will ever be addressed, unless possibly someone is seriously hurt or killed.  I'm still hopeful, however, that traffic safety will take precedence over costs and that solutions will be provided.  Such precautions can save many lives here in Sullivan County!                                                                          ##

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Do Traffic Circles in Sullivan County Make Driving More, Not Less Dangerous?

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com

"Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"

  

Do Traffic Circles in Sullivan County Make Driving More, Not Less Dangerous?

Stay Off the Roads in Sullivan County-If You Want To Live!

by Ruby Pixman

In other crowded areas of the nation, like New Jersey for instance, outdated circles have either been replaced with traffic lights and overpasses, or have undergone safety design improvements.

There was recently an article posted on hudsonvalley.ynn.com concerning a local dangerous intersection and its deadly consequences.  I was beat to the punch, for I was prepared to post a column dealing with similar driver-related problems in Sullivan County. 

The roads in Sullivan County can be very dangerous, particularly in the summer months.

A few years ago, two traffic circles were erected in Liberty, each separated by less than one mile. They were constructed in response to observations that many drivers were speeding dangerously through the town's main thoroughfare, State Route 52.

As reported in the local news, these circles were designed to slow down traffic by forcing drivers to be more cautious as they enter the circles. 

However, traffic circle intersections cause much confusion, mainly because drivers don't know who is supposed to yield to whom as the various spurs are encountered.  So, to avoid possible accidents, slowing down is a necessity. 

In other words, highly-dangerous traffic circles as envisioned by some town officials SHOULD be more dangerous to achieve the goal of getting drivers to slow down!  Never mind that there are alternate ways to achieve the same safety goal WITHOUT making the roads more dangerous.

One such tried and proven method is through the installation of traffic lights.  Being automatic and passive in nature they safely regulate traffic, almost entirely eliminating faulty decision-making by drivers, greatly reducing the probability of collisions.

Another proven method is to use police force to regulate traffic and issue citations when warranted.  When word of that approach becomes well-known drivers tend to slow down.

I suspect that neither of these sensible approaches were adopted because it costs money to install and maintain traffic lights and police patrols have to be paid. 

Traffic circles, by comparison, once installed may bear little in maintenance costs. It therefore seems evident that saving money, rather than lives was the main reason for installing those monstrosities!

In other crowded areas of the nation, like New Jersey for instance, outdated circles have either been replaced with traffic lights and overpasses, or have undergone safety design improvements.

Yet, in Liberty, the national trend toward eliminating circles was ignored, leaving drivers with new versions of traffic circle deathtraps. 

Sure, one of the circles, the nearest to the Route 17 intersections looks pretty with its enclosed lawn and colorful flags, but that's no consolation for drivers who are involved in serious accidents due to traffic circles' built-in confusion factor.

The other Liberty circle, closer to the downtown area forces the approaching driver to stop before entering, then look left for oncoming traffic, and then look right for cars entering at the next intersection. 

Need to traverse 180 degrees to the opposite side of the circle?  

Watch out because just before you get there, a sidewalk juts out into the road, forcing you to veer sharply to the left to avoid driving up and onto the pedestrian walkway. Instantly watch out for oncoming traffic approaching you from the left lane, appearing as though you're about to be hit you head-on! 

It was a stupid decision to save money by installing the Liberty traffic circles and they should be removed before someone gets killed!

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