Letters for Friday, January 9, 2015

• Night driving dangerous in places • County really must control spending

Night driving dangerous in places

After a recent schedule change, I have been forced to drive home after dark and am reminded of the terrible state of the roads at night. In many places along the highway, the reflectors and/or stripes are completely missing, making it incredibly treacherous even for those of us familiar with where we’re going. Imagine a hapless tourist or newcomer trying to navigate back from a restaurant meal (and glass of wine) in the dark. In the rain, it is nearly impossible to see where you are going at night, so much so that I’m frequently throwing on the brakes, unsure of where the road is going. 

I do not envy those who need glasses to drive (I have 20/20 vision) or have the truck with high beams driving behind them. We have a lot of windy roads. It seems to me that the county should invest in an islandwide assessment of nighttime safety and add reflectors where they’re needed. Some areas are great, and in between there are stretches of completely — or semi-unmarked roads. 

I was witness, on Friday night, to a road accident (which has mysteriously gone unreported in this paper) where some cars slid off the highway in the early evening in the torrential downpour, presumably with some injuries, hopefully nothing more serious. The highway was closed and we were redirected around it on Koolau Road, and it was a white-knuckle ride. DOT, please, for our safety and for the safety of our visitors, please fix the road markings!

Schuyler Griffin, Anahola

County really must control spending

Thank you for your editorial on Jan. 7, “Control of spending critical for county.”

For our mayor and elected council, please consider this approach which is hereby offered for the third time.

Third time’s the charm!

Frank Kelly, Koloa