Winter weather hit us early this year, not even allowing drivers to enjoy all of November without a snowstorm.
And with each first snow comes the first case of snow driving. The Indiana State Police reported numerous vehicles slid off the road and crashed across the region.
This serves as the perfect time to remind people about the necessity of driving safely in bad weather. The state police were quick to remind me that “it is driving behavior that causes crashes, not the weather.” If the weather is too treacherous for you to drive safely, don’t drive at all.
In particular, I want to encourage drivers to take a small extra step to ensure safety for all motorists during the winter weather season: turning on your headlights.
Driving in the snow and the rain the past week, I noticed numerous vehicles driving dark. While those drivers probably would not have been aided by the light – you could still see the road – it puts other drivers at risk.
Remember, headlights are necessary in bad weather to be seen, not to see. My rule of thumb is that if I am using my windshield wipers in any way, the lights should come on.
Ron Galaviz, state police spokesman, said state law actually requires people to turn on their lights if visibility is less than 500 feet. While people likely aren’t ticketed frequently for this, it is a reminder of its importance. He said some people forget to turn on their lights because they are used to their vehicles turning them on automatically at night.
Those sensors, however, might not activate when the lights need to be on during a noon snowstorm, for example. Galaviz said motorists should get in the habit of turning their lights on manually.
A concerned resident also alerted me to the fact that when some vehicles run their daytime lights, their taillights do not function.
Although Galaviz was uncertain whether this was the case for every model, he said drivers should ensure they can be seen in all directions.
Signal reduction
After an extensive study, a traffic signal appears on its way out – much to the delight of numerous readers of this column.
The city traffic engineering department will turn the signal at Fairfield and Kinsmoor avenues to flash all day beginning Tuesday. Readers asked for this change in July, at which point the city began studying the intersection.
The city now believes the signal is no longer warranted, meaning traffic on Kinsmoor will have to stop at a flashing red light – accompanied by stop signs. The signal on Fairfield will flash yellow.
If the flashing signal works properly for 90 days, expect the city to remove the signal permanently.
Radio Sage
This week’s audio question comes from Wade Holbrook, who asked about the intersection of Maplecrest Road and Lake Avenue/North River Road. The segment originally aired Friday afternoon on WOWO and can be found online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
