Sunday Morning Blog

August 07, 2005

Driver Courtesy on Cape Cod's Roadways

A couple of recent editorial page letters to the Cape Cod Times have me a tad riled. In question, is whether or not “driver courtesy” does more harm on our local roadways than good. Granted, there are instances where waving a person out into traffic is inadvisable (when blind to oncoming traffic, or in multi-lane roadways). However, a little courtesy would not kill you people.

The anti-courtesy letter writer complained of nearly plowing into the rear of people stopping to let others out of side streets and parking lots. If you are nearly rear ending people you are either: (a.) following too closely, (b.) driving too fast for surrounding conditions, (c.) not paying attention to the conditions ahead of you, or (d.) all of the above. Put down your cell phone and pay attention.

A year and a half ago, I took a trip to Oregon. When I returned, I spoke of my amazement at the west coast drivers' courtesy toward pedestrians, cyclists and fellow drivers. In Oregon, as a pedestrian, you always have the right of way. Here on Cape Cod, the pedestrian only has the right of way if there is law enforcement present. I have had difficulty walking (or running) across Route 6A on numerous occasions. This is a forty-five mile an hour roadway at its safest, yet people speed up to fifty when they see that you may attempt to cross their paths. Cape Cod drivers are just plain self-centered and rude.

Speed limits are just as much for traffic flow as they are for safety. Here on the Cape, we habitually speed along in places that we have deemed safe straightaways. We fail to aknowledge that we are the first to complain when trying to pull out onto that same roadway from a parking lot or side street and the traffic is flying at us too quickly to safely enter. In the summer, in-town traffic is regularly moving along at stop and go pace, yet nobody wants to let anyone out. Drivers act as though that one car length will be the difference in their days. It is painfully obvious that nobody wants to give an inch. Patient and kind drivers are definitely in the minority here. What we need is a lot more courtesy and a little more enforcement of our safety laws. Unfortunately, it will take more than a few small voices to make this happen.

Posted by capecodcyclist at August 7, 2005 03:42 PM