Some drivers still don’t get it. There are accidents continuing to happen and there are still vehicles flying through the streets of South Boston, like there were no speed limits. So far, traffic officials and elected leaders to their credit, and in response to urging by the residents who live here have added more stop signs, new high-tech traffic lights, concrete barriers, line markers and even speed bumps. All of these are positive steps and designed to help. But they are apparently not enough, because there are still some drivers who are driving like pedestrians and other motorists don’t exist.
It has become apparent that the only way the message will get out to the scofflaws – the people that only drive safely if they see a cop watching them – is to make the fines so heavy that they hurt bad, with a loss of one’s drivers license for exceeding the speed limit is a first offense penalty.
Last week, neighbors reported that a car went from K St. to L St. by way of E. Fifth St. so fast that he looked like he was seeing how long it would take him to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour. Neighbors yelled for him to slow down and his response was to flip them off, as he sped away. What if a small child or maybe an adult with a cane were attempting to cross the street? Do we really want to see another death caused by a jerk behind the wheel? Complaints of this nature are becoming more common.
Solution: Make adjustments to the traffic laws in the city and let the word go out that if you drive to endanger in South Boston, your wallet will be lightened by a massive fine and you will be without your license for a year. Since nothing else seems to be working, this might be the only course of action that will.
