From My Little Corner of the World - STOP Does Not Mean “Slightly Tap On Pedal”

Lately, I have noticed an increased number of vehicles that are not obeying the stop lights, stop signs and yield signs in Ulysses and Grant County.

I live at a fairly busy intersection in town which is close to both the high school and Sullivan Elementary school. At our corner is a four-way stop to ensure that the children walking or riding their bikes to school are protected. However, they can not be protected if drivers do not follow the law and stop at the big red stop signs.

With the traffic from high school students driving to school and parents of elementary school students dropping off and picking up their children, the volume of vehicles in the area before and after school is non-stop. When I have the time, I will sit on my porch and count the number of cars, pickups and other vehicles that do not completely stop at the stop sign. There are others that do not even attempt to slow down, let alone stop! I have counted up to ten in a row that do not make a complete stop. The other day, one car drove through the stop sign, turned toward the school and pulled into the pick-up lane. After picking up their child from the after school program, the driver came back to the four-way stop and drove right through another stop sign!

On nights with school or rec sports or activities, the volume of traffic is high and our drivers need to exercise caution when coming to the stop sign. This is a residential neighborhood with children out playing and some of the resident’s pets out in their yards. It would be a tragedy for a child or pet to be run over by a negligent driver who is simply in a hurry or preoccupied with their cell phone. Think about your children or grandchildren, your pets or your neighbor’s children. How would you feel if someone hit one of them and they were gone from your life forever? Slow down, be aware and obey the traffic signs and signals.

In the country, it is also extremely important to stop at stop signs. This time of year, the crops are getting tall enough that you can’t always see over them and don’t know if another vehicle is approaching the intersection or not. By slowing down as you near an intersection with no sign or stopping completely if there is a sign, you could save not only your life, but the lives of others on the road.

There will be an increasing number of farm implements and trucks on the roads and highways in the coming weeks. These vehicles make sharp turns and frequent turns. Plus, due to the size and weight of these vehicles, the driver can not stop as quickly. Watch out for the harvest equipment and trucks hauling grain if you are on Grant County country roads.

My hope with this column is to make our drivers more aware of their surroundings and what other drivers are doing around you. Defensive driving is important and if everyone will just slow down and pay attention, our roads will be safer. From my little corner of the world, have a safe driving day.