WATERTOWN — Having learned how to operate a vehicle on the streets of Chicago, drivers rarely engage in behavior that surprises me.
You need to develop sharp skills to keep safe when navigating the Windy City’s roadways. Merging into another lane of traffic across a four- or five-lane interstate requires quick reflexes and steady nerves — particularly during Rush Hour.
So I figured I had seen it all when left the Chicago area to move to Northern New York nearly 10 years ago. But a few weeks ago, a motorist in Watertown showed me how wrong I was.
I was heading home from work while driving westbound on Coffeen Street. As I approached the work zone along the bridge over Interstate 81, I noticed a car ahead of me. We were stopped at a red light at College Heights right at the Mobil gas station, and this driver didn’t budge when it turned green.
I gave the car a quick tap on the horn, and the driver moved forward. Then we had to stop at the light right at the bridge under construction.
The driver stayed put for just a few seconds before proceeding through the stop light to cross the bridge. I thought this motorist was lucky that there wasn’t a police squad car nearby because this individual just blew a red light.
But as I watched him swerve leftward to cross over the bridge, it suddenly dawned on me that this driver was going to experience trouble rather quickly. The bridge has been narrowed to one lane of traffic, and our direction of traffic had the red light.
This meant that cars waiting to cross the bridge coming eastbound had the green light, and the driver would be caught in a dilemma. Sure enough, the car came to a stop in the middle of the bridge because there were numerous cars coming from the opposite direction.
The vehicle stopped there for what seemed like a minute or two. Then the driver slowly backed up and stopped right in front of my car.
I grew concerned at this point because there was no telling what this motorist’s problem was.
First the driver doesn’t notice a green light; then the car drives through a red light across a one-lane bridge only to be confronted by vehicles coming at it.
Fortunately (for me, anyway), the driver only stayed in front of my car for a brief moment. The car turned on its right turn signal and jumped onto I-81 going northbound.
At least this motorist wasn’t my problem any longer. I just wished that I had thought of breaking out my camera and capturing some images!
This incident reminded me that the state has implemented a system to catch speeding vehicles through construction zones. The Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement measure was signed into law in September 2021 and took effect in April.
The program makes use of cameras in work zones on state highways and the Thruway. Speed limits are lowered in work zones, and this helps authorities identify those who violate the rules.
I don’t believe the construction zone on Coffeen Street qualifies for the cameras. But it’s good that they are in use on highways where speeding drivers may cause crashes and injuries.
“The New York State Department of Transportation this week is sending warning notices to at least 3,500 drivers for speeding through 176 work zones in the past month. Sixty of those drivers were going faster than 80 miles per hour, said Joe Morrissey, DOT spokesman,” according to a Post-Standard story published May 13 in the Watertown Daily Times. “The New York State Thruway Authority has also clocked someone [going] as fast as 99 mph in a work zone. That agency is sending warning notices to 775 drivers its cameras caught speeding in work zones. The state is sending the first batch of warning letters this week as part of a new pilot program that uses radar cameras to catch people speeding in work zones. The state DOT has 20 cameras to set up along highways in active work zones when highway workers are working.
“The cameras are attached to a vehicle and are not permanent fixtures. The DOT lists possible camera locations for the week on its website. The New York State Thruway has 10 cameras,” the article reported. “For the first month of the program, the state sent warning notices only. That ends next week. If the cameras catch you after May 17, you’ll get a ticket with a real fine. The drivers nabbed so far would have been fined at least a combined $214,000. The fines cost $50 for the first violation, $75 for the second violation and $100 for three or more violations within 18 months of the first one. No points are added to driver records. The state sends notices to New York residents within 14 days of the violation. Notices to out-of-state drivers are mailed within 45 days. If you don’t pay your fines, you will have trouble renewing your registration. In 2021, the state DOT and Thruway Authority reported 378 work zone intrusions, which means a vehicle entered the part of the road closed for construction. More than 50 times, the driver or a worker were injured.”
It’s alarming to consider how recklessly some drivers choose to operate their vehicles. My car weighs about 3,000 pounds — and it’s small. The damage that larger cars or trucks can cause while traveling between 60 and 100 miles per hour is massive.
The message here is: Slow down!
Wherever you’re going will still be there when you arrive.
Observe the posted speed limits through state construction zones because the well-being of others depends upon your consideration of their safety.
Oh, and one more thing. Don’t blow a red light at a one-lane bridge.
It’s less trouble to wait for the light to turn green than back up your car in such a narrow space.
Besides, a really annoyed journalist stuck behind you may pull out his smartphone and shoot some video of you breaking the law!
That is, if he actually thinks about doing his job while at the scene of a crime.
Jerry Moore is the editorial page editor for the Watertown Daily Times. Readers may send emails to jmoore@wdt.net.
(2) comments
You honked your horn to say, duh, the light is green. While you may have been annoyed by the other driver's delay, the situation was not hazardous.
However, it was seriously hazardous when the other driver began moving through the next light, which was red. You didn't honk your horn when you should have honked it long, loud and aggressively. While it alarmed you, you just sat there and watched.
Horns are for bringing attention to hazardous situations and hopefully preventing catastrophes. They aren't for expressing our mundane annoyances.
We need AI robot cameras everywhere. All violations should be punished. That would do two things quick. 1. driving would improve 2. Laws would change.
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