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Letters to the EditorFriday, September 28, 2007 12:39 AM CDT
Try to set good example; show 'stop' means stop
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I congratulate Wayne Dillow on his Sept. 25 letter, "More drivers ignoring traffic lights, speed laws."

In addition, I rarely see drivers come to a complete stop at stop signs. Drivers coast through, their brake light may blink slightly, then they proceed, sometimes following so closely to the driver ahead of them that they continue through the intersection without slowing down. In effect, two drivers have gone through one stop sign.

Two-lane, four-way stops are even worse. If the driver who is next to go hesitates for a moment, it's open season as to who crosses the intersection first.

I also used to coast through stop signs. However, once children of friends of mine began acquiring their driver's licenses, I became more aware of how careful all drivers should be.

``Stop'' means a full stop. It doesn't mean coast. It doesn't mean slow down if no one is looking or there is hesitation on the part of the other driver.

There are intersections in Bloomington-Normal where police could meet their monthly quota of tickets early each month if they watched how many people abuse this rule of the road.

Please stop completely when you come to a stop sign. It doesn't take much time.

If there is hesitation among the drivers on corners, be courteous and show politeness by signaling the other person to go ahead.

Let's all try to set a good example for younger drivers, not to mention each other. Remember, an accident costs more in money and pain than the time it would have taken to come to a full stop.

Betsy Cole

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Reader comments on this story - 19 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

A prime explosion wrote on Oct 11, 2007 9:14 AM:

" Yeah, I got hit by some ditzy blonde 19 yo on her cell phone on willow. Apparently she was way too cool to stop at the red light. "

Josh wrote on Sep 29, 2007 8:59 PM:

" To the comment before, sarcasm doesn't help matters. I've seen plenty of people roll straight through stop signs like they're not even there. One day they'll hit someone walking across, like me, and they'll start blaming me for it. STOP signs mean STOP. RED lights mean STOP, not keep going. Prime example is probably one of the people who talks a big game, but is one of the ones who does red lights and stop signs. "

To: Josh wrote on Sep 29, 2007 6:56 PM:

" Your comment "To the person who commented at 9:32 am-if it's a four-way stop sign, there isn't a stop light to turn red or green". Exactly the point - don't act like there is. The person who made that original comment was being sarcastic. "

PLEASE wrote on Sep 29, 2007 3:20 PM:

" If you are not able to drive the speed limit and are not willing to move quickly with the flow of traffic through stop signs and stop lights, PLEASE stay off the roads during rush hours. "

Uwing wrote on Sep 29, 2007 12:06 PM:

" Dont worry about it! "

To "Another thing" wrote on Sep 29, 2007 10:25 AM:

" If you see a school bus or any company vehicle for that manner do something unsafe or illegal, report them! "

Haha! wrote on Sep 29, 2007 9:05 AM:

" I'm texting this write now on my iphone while driving through every stop sign I encounter. I have an idea... citizens arrest. "

re wrote on Sep 29, 2007 8:52 AM:

" Just get out of my way and there will not be a problem. "

Otto wrote on Sep 29, 2007 6:38 AM:

" Unfortunately, people such as "A Prime Example" are so busy accusing others than they don't realize they ARE the problem. "

to Lil Johnny wrote on Sep 29, 2007 2:56 AM:

" you say you used to drive an ambulance up and down the streets and wish you had an IED device vehicle? I guess we the people are much safer for the fact that you used to drive an ambulance with your aggressive attitudes. "

li'l Johnny wrote on Sep 28, 2007 6:28 PM:

" TO PRIME EXAMPL::::YEAH BETSY!!! Prime example is precisely the problem. The intent of a regulated highway system is to move traffic as quickly and safely as possible. It is NOT THE INTENT to allow a jerk to just try to get thru every light as fast as possible. In fact the more I think about it, 'A Prime Example' has named himself quite well, I used to run an ambulance up and down the streets in this town, Boy do I wish that I had one of those anti IED device trucks. "

Josh wrote on Sep 28, 2007 1:51 PM:

" To the person who commented at 9:32 am-if it's a four-way stop sign, there isn't a stop light to turn red or green. Think about it. A yellow light means proceed with caution, not SPEED UP TO GO THROUGH, which I've seen a lot of people do. I've almost been hit in the crosswalk a few times by cars who go through clearly red lights, while I have the walk sign. I was crossing Linden and College 2 weeks ago, and a lady in a red car blew the red light going west on Linden-I had the walk sign and had started to cross the street and she looked at me like I was nuts for crossing. I pointed at the light and she just shrugged her shoulders. We've got some real genious drivers in this town. "

Another thing wrote on Sep 28, 2007 1:20 PM:

" Yesterday I watched a school bus run a red left turn arrow turing onto Veteran's from Washington. Nice example!! "

Driver wrote on Sep 28, 2007 10:21 AM:

" I can't believe how many people run red lights in this town. A couple weeks ago, we were trying to turn left at Prospect and Empire (not a safe intersection anyway). It was hard to see because there were people coming from the other direction trying to turn left as well. We waited and just as I thought it was safe, I saw one more little SUV trying to beat the yellow light. Sure enough, he ran the red light. If we would have gone, he would have collided right into us. Hopefully, this person got back to his precious family a few minutes earlier since obviously his family is so much more important than everyone else's family. I see kids and people all of the time barely slow down at stop signs. The other day, I saw somebody make a right turn on red at 4 Seasons. The emphasis on the right turn on red is that you stop first, not just pull out in front of people. "

Eye Roll to Prime Example wrote on Sep 28, 2007 9:54 AM:

" I agree with you wholeheartedly. I dread the 4-way stops by my house because NO ONE seems to understand how they work. You stop first, that means you go first. Don't just sit there, don't wave me through, just GO when it is your turn. And for Pete's sake, drive 45 on Vets. Not 35, not 40. "

to to Prime Example wrote on Sep 28, 2007 9:23 AM:

" after reading your comments I am sure you are the person who was in the lanes next to Wayne and Betsy going 32 miles an hour blocking three lanes of traffic. Prime example had it right when they said run with the flow of traffic. That does not mean sitting at a four way stop sign waiting for the light to green. Oh and as far as the yellow light, if you check the rules of the road yellow means to proceed with caution, not lock up the brakes when half way through an intersection with people behind you, THAT is what causes accidents. Slow moving drivers are a hazard as well as the speed demons. The people who drive slow on veterans parkway should stay in the right hand lane. I do hope you who are guilty of holding up traffic realize this point. "

By the way~~ wrote on Sep 28, 2007 4:27 AM:

" signaling someone at an intersection and an accident happens because you told them to go can cost you a ticket for sending someone into traffic that caused the accident. Don't signal, just take your turn and move on. Be polite in other ways. "

To Prime Example~~ wrote on Sep 28, 2007 4:25 AM:

" Well I hope the drivers bureau makes you take a driving test and you run through a yellow light! Are you crazy? Yellow means the light is going to change to red and normally will do so just as you ENTER the intersection. Yellow does not mean SPEED UP and go like hell. YOU are the very person that causes accidents. They always tell you to keep a safe distance between you and the car in front. Would that be why they have lanes on either side of the middle lane? You can go around you know. I guess since you haven't figured out what yellow means you probably don't know you can go into another lane, you are a tailgater. You probably don't even use your signal to change lanes either. Go get the rules of the road and read them, if you can read, and learn something today. You sure don't understand the lighting system. "

A Prime Example wrote on Sep 28, 2007 2:47 AM:

" anyone who has the time to write a letter to the editor and talk about signaling someone to go ahead at a stop sign, is certainly one of those people who hold traffic up. Betsy are you Wayne a couple of those drivers on Veterans Parkway that think you are being safe drivers by leaving 10 car lengths between you and the car in front of you? I would just about be you are. Well here is advice from a professional driver, you people are the cause of many accidents. By your being too safe you are creating traffic bottleneck that causes accidents, and creates traffic jams. When you come to a 4 way stop, make your stop and take your turn. People who sit at 4 ways waving for the next guy to go ahead, creates traffic gridlock. Oh and Betsy when you and Wayne are on Veterans for crying out loud run with the flow of traffic, instead of sitting at green lights and coming to a screeching halt on yellows, just go with the flow of traffic. Thank You "

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