Editor:
Good morning, Idyllwild. We have a problem in our town that I would like to bring to your attention (although I’m sure most of you have experienced a similar event).
The problem is wrong-way drivers and excessive speed in the Strawberry Creek parking lot. Within two weeks, I have been involved in two near-hits that could have resulted in serious injury.
The first incident occurred when I was exiting the parking lot onto Village Center Drive. After looking both ways to make sure there was no traffic, I started to turn left, when all of a sudden, a driver exited the parking lot from the entrance side, turned right into my path, and rapidly accelerated past me, missing my car by what couldn’t have been more than an inch or two.
The second incident occurred by the entrance to the Fairway market. I was driving toward the entrance, ready to make the left turn past the entrance, when a driver entering the lot from the right side of the market, at a very high rate of speed, drove past the front of my car and attempted to turn left against the intended flow of traffic, once again, just missing me by inches.
Neither situation resulted in an accident or injury, this time, but what if the next time it would be a mother with a baby in a stroller, or an elderly person who could not react quick enough to avoid an accident.
It’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” Just because we don’t have a police station or city council doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do something about it. We live in a society and we should all look out for each other.
The current methods of traffic control are not working as intended. I want, as I’m sure the rest of Idyllwild and the tourists that support our town would want, a safer town that we can all enjoy. I don’t have all the solutions, but bigger, brighter and more obvious signage, (maybe a yield sign), would be a good start.
Robyn Worden
Idyllwild
