Hometown Problem

In my home town there is a problem that affects people’s everyday lives. The problem is that there is not a traffic light in the center of town at the main intersection. The intersection is the busiest intersection on the main street through town. At this intersection there are people taking right turns, left turns, and going straight all into oncoming traffic in three different lanes. It is the scariest intersection in my town and the most dangerous.

 I personally have been in a car accident at this intersection while trying to make a left onto the main street from the intersecting street. I was in the left hand lane to take a left and was inching out after I came to a stop and was clear to my left but out of nowhere a BMW comes and doesn’t see me and gets their car side swiped by my front end. Even though they came out of nowhere I still was technically at fault according to the police. My accident was not half as bad as some of the others I have seen happen there.

               I work at a daycare that is right by this intersection so while I am out with the children on the playground I get to watch with a great view all of the car accidents that happen there, and so do all the children. I see at least one or two car accidents happen there roughly about every couple months which is way too many accidents to happen in the same spot for the town to not take some sort of action in helping the safety in this area. How many accidents need to happen at this one dangerous intersection before the town decides to put a light there?

 People argue that if we put a traffic light there in the center of town it will ruin the “small town” feel. I say who cares about the small town feel I would rather be able to safely make turns at that intersection then preserve the towns “small town” feel. Isn’t the safety of the community more important than the atmospheric image it is trying to preserve?