• Traffic Safety Traffic Safety I read the letter “Traffic Safety” by John Edson in the February 1, Garden Island and couldn’t agree with him more. My husband and I often comment on the fact that the local drivers are
• Traffic Safety
Traffic Safety
I read the letter “Traffic Safety” by John Edson in the February 1, Garden Island and couldn’t agree with him more. My husband and I often comment on the fact that the local drivers are becoming more like Asian motorists—driving on the offensive—while others are like European drivers that hang on your tail.
We often ask ourselves: “Where are they hurrying to on this small island?”
Then, Monday morning, I read in The Garden Island about the three young people who had either been killed or critically wounded almost in front of our door. The police thought speed had something to do with it. My husband and I live on Poipu Road, more precisely or right next to it. It is a nice road; wide and straight, with well-defined shoulders suitable for biking. There are no potholes and no distractions that I am aware of. It is probably one of the most well-maintained roads on the island and least hazardous.
We often sit on the front lanai admiring the mountain view. However, conversations are sometimes difficult when some cars and many pickup trucks rev up their engines as they zoom by at speeds that are certainly exceeding the limit by 25 or 30 miles per hour. The speed limit is clearly posted—25 miles per hour for it is a well-populated residential/tourist area. Sometimes we hear screeching tires when brakes are hit hard to avoid hitting cars attempting to cross Poipu onto Pe‘e Road. Sometimes there are dull thuds. This intersection needs four-way stop signs instead of two since the cars traveling east and west see a wide open road and don’t slow down for cars traveling north and south.
I almost forgot to mention that there is a small police station not more than 50 yards from the intersection. However, not once in the three years we have lived here have we observed anyone being stopped for speeding. We have however, been stopped for sobriety checks when we were on our way to a party, never on the way home.
Today we passed the site of that terrible accident Poilu Road accident. It was easy to spot for three clearly distraught ladies were erecting a roadside shrine. Our first reaction was to stop and offer our sympathies but we decided to leave them alone in their grief. It was heart wrenching nonetheless.
Some residents have suggested that these roadside shrines be removed but we think that they are grim reminders of what can occur when people are reckless. In the meantime, the little Poipu Road shrine has been growing as a number of cars continue to stop in remembrance of three ruined lives. The question is, when are we going to stop letting our children commit suicide behind the wheels of cars? Let’s enforce the rules before any more die.
Ada Koene
