Street Safety

I wanted to write a little bit on Street Safety. And when I say "Street Safety" I don't mean being able to bring down an attacker, I am talking about allowing your children to play in the road.

I live in a cul-de-sac. I am the center house at the end of the street. My street is shaped like an "L" with my house located at the top most part of the "L". We picked that lot to build our house on because we knew that living on a dead end where there is a huge amount of street in front of the house would be good for when we had children. They would be able to play in the road safely and not have to worry (as much) about getting hit by a car. Right?

Well, not according to my neighbors who think I speed.

Typically, the speed limit in a residential area is somewhere between 25-30 miles per hour. Just like typically, the speed in a school zone is 20-25 miles per hour. Now think about the speed limit in a school zone (which it seems like everyone aside from me zips through because it's too slow for their busy lives) when I tell you my story of strife.

Let me preface by saying that I would never in a million years put the lives of children at risk. Especially when I have my 17 month old daughter in the car with me.

Like I mentioned previously, my street is shaped like an "L". I have to slow down dramatically (I don't exactly know how to speed up dramatically with a 4-cylinder car and a span of 4 houses but that's neither here nor there) to turn the corner. I often come to a stop when rounding the corner to wait for children to clear the road. No problem for me, I am not usually in any kind of a hurry. Then I accelerate to about 22 miles per hour just to slow down again to pull into the driveway. Apparently pulling into my very own driveway is also cause for the neighbors to be angry.

On each of the driveways, there is a lip of a couple of inches. I slow down to about 10-12 miles per hour when I am pulling in. I don't come to a stop because I don't see a need. And children do not typically play in my driveway, just in front of it (and even then not very often).

I actually had a neighbor (well, two of them) ask me to slow down when I pull into my driveway. They think I speed (which I try to never do on side streets). I KNOW I do not speed. I kind of brushed them off while my anger continues to boil and smiled.

So, let me give you a few tips about street safety. I tried looking some up but could only find things about looking both ways before crossing and that is not the situation I am talking about here.

If your children (especially children under 5) play in the road:

1. Make sure a parent is observing
   


• Don't rely on children to police themselves


• Don't expect children to recognize a dangerous situation


• Don't expect children to be able to react quickly in a dangerous situation
  


2. Make sure they know that if a car is coming, they should move out of the way and not assume that it will stop for them


3. Ask your children to not leave large toys they are finished playing with in the road


4. If you think your neighbor is being reckless be polite to them and not accusatory

These seem like simple tips but they quite obviously are not. Remember that if you see a neighbor that you think is being reckless talk to them in a polite manner and tell them why you are concerned. Often times when you see a car driving down the road they can appear to be moving a lot faster when your child is playing in the road then they really are. Keeping a cool head can help you to remain neighborly for the future. I mean, no one wants to live near people they don't like, right?

In the interim, I am waiting for the next accusation and for the threat to call the cops to come to fruition. Until then I think I'll just continue to go under the speed limit and stop for children in the road like I have always done.

Remember, safety starts at home!!