gmhTODAY Fall 2022 | Page 27

About five years ago I was hit by a drunk person who didn ’ t like to obey the traffic signal laws among others . It was her second time driving impaired and running into things , and I was sent to the hospital on a board . Nobody told me to stay out of her way , not even my closest friends or family .
Many years before that , when I was a mere twenty-something , I got in the way of another person in a car who didn ’ t obey the traffic signal laws and found myself just a half-step away from seeing the light ( not a traffic signal . The other light )
As I walked in the crosswalk , this person sped through a left turn with no regard for signals , other people , laws , or anything other than their own destination . All I saw was a flash pass in front of me as my hand hit the driver ’ s door mid swing . I stopped in the middle of the lane , looked at the flash as it sped down the road , and noticed people in cars on every side of me with their mouths wide open as though they ’ d just witnessed something unbelievable .
With school back in session , and even when it ’ s out , the people in cars who don ’ t obey the traffic laws really should start . Perhaps we need more consequences for “ running reds ” and “ rolling rights .” I ’ ll throw the people who speed through neighborhood streets in the mix too . Unless you have a flashing light and siren , your destination is not nearly as important as injuring another person , or worse — killing them .
At the end of my investigation , I learned that the traffic signals have specific names : stop signs and red lights . What I also learned is that they are not put in place to purposely annoy people in cars or make them late . They are there to keep people — in cars , on bikes , or on foot — safe . And most importantly , stop signs and red lights are not suggestions . Not even close .
Just a year ago , I was one of those people in a car at a traffic signal — signs to be specific — when I noticed another person in a car approaching the intersection . I had a hunch he wasn ’ t going to obey the traffic signal laws . A little boy was walking in the same direction as the approaching car . As the car reached the intersection , the boy stepped off the curb and into the crosswalk . I shouted at the kid to get back on the sidewalk . He almost started to cry .
My conclusion is that not everyone drives with care or compassion for others , so those that do should always be aware of them . We should remind pedestrians that some people in cars consider their destination more important than others , and to remain vigilant . However , the most important conclusion is that only harsher consequences for people in cars who disobey the laws will ever reduce the level of chaos we all are forced to live with . We should ticket , fine , and suspend licenses when necessary , as if our lives , and the lives of those we love , depend on it .
Just then , the car rounded the turn with no regard for the sign , the child , or anyone else . The boy and I looked at each other as though we ’ d just witnessed something unbelievable .
“ Sorry for shouting ,” I told the little guy . He nodded as if to say , “ no problem , that was close !”
“ Please look both ways and always pause if cars are nearby before walking into the street .” I basically told him to stay out of the way of people in cars who disobey traffic signal laws .
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