9/19/21 The Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser
After 32 years of driving the beautiful London Road into town, I was thrilled to see the new “Safety Corridor” and “Fees Double” slow down signs that were recently installed. Over the years, our country road had become dangerous because of some drivers .Hopefully, the new signs will help,
However, a recent trip from home to Cottage Grove and back, left me wondering if anyone was paying attention to them. They don’t know that accidents have happened and people have died in that area. Be cautious.
My first scary accident happened a couple of years ago when I stopped to make a left turn onto Reservoir Rd. Rocks from a speeding dump truck took out the windshield on my car. Ouch!
Last month, coming home from Cottage Grove, I suddenly had two cars playing tag behind me. For a few minutes a woman would ride my bumper in her white car while a man trailed her in a black car. Then they would change places at a high rate of speed still trailing me.
Finally, they screeched around me, and seconds later turned onto Reservoir Rd. and immediately turned into a Weyerhaeuser side road where they met a group of several other cars. Whew. Whatever their hurry it was nerve racking and I was glad to get up the hill.
My most recent incident began when I turned right from Reservoir Rd. onto London Rd. It’s one of those intersections that you feel like you’re taking your life into your hands when you turn. I stop at the sign and look left to see if any traffic is coming around the curve from London. It’s a dangerous place because they can’t see me and I can’t see them until the last minute.
All was clear as I turned onto London Rd when the car in front of me slowed down to enjoy the scenery. So, I slowed down too. Suddenly, a blue car came roaring up behind me. He was on my tail and I had nowhere to go. The driver then decided to pass the two of us, going about 80 mph across double lines on a curve! Whew.
He didn’t see the oncoming car in the other lane. The two vehicles missed each other by inches! He could have wiped out lives in four different cars just because he was in a hurry. Scary stuff.
Erratic speed kills, but obeying laws can save lives. If you drive Interstate 5 you know it can be like a speedway. I know that I can get pushed and drive too fast to get out of someone’s way. So here are some reminders from ODOT:
“State statutes give Oregon motorists the following speed zone standards especially on places like I5 and in towns. Other posted speeds will override statutory standards.
- 15 mph - Alleys, narrow residential roadways.
- 20 mph - Business districts, school zones and some residential.
- 25 mph - Residential districts, public parks, ocean shores.
- 55 mph - Most rural highways; trucks on most interstates.
- 65 mph - Passenger vehicles, light trucks, motor homes and light duty commercial vehicles on most interstates.”
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Lately, I have noticed that it is not unusual to be pushed off a lane by vehicles large and small, some going 85 mph. It’s hard to stay calm. So, I try to pick a lane and stay with it. I don’t try to be the fasted car on the road because it’s not a race. The goal is to get home safely.
- Contact Betty by email: bchattybetty@bettykaiser.com
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