HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-TSAC-rpt.pdf 1
The Traffic Safety Committee of the Town of Lexington, would like to take this
opportunity to relate to you the problems associated with the growing number
of requests made through the Lexington Board of Selectmen for traffic markers;
particularly for "Go Slow Children" and "Caution Children" signs We are not
unmindful of the fact that all parents are constantly striving to make Lexington
streets as safe as possible for their children, but we suggest that before re—
questing still another sign you consider the following
FIRST The Committee would like to stress the fact that the streets and
highways were made for vehicular traffic and not for the youngsters to play
upon and it is the duty of the parents to see that children do not use the street
or the highway as a playground,
SECOND The engineering of the streets and intersections or the design of the
motor vehicle is not what is basically wrong in our motoring society, but
actually, our major problem is the human element that is placed behind the
wheel of the automobile. We know for a fact, that many operators fail to fasten
their seat belts, drive over the speed limits, fail to stop for red lights and
stop signs, fail to see vehicles coming from the left and right and generally
operate on the theory that IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME. It is this human element
of either inattention or other human frailty that creates most automobile and
pedestrian accidents.
THIRD If every operator obeyed every sign and rule of the road and drove as he
should, the 55,000 traffic deaths in the year 1972, on the highways of the U.S.A. ,
would most probably have been cut by at least 95% and there would be no need for
the law enforcement officer
FOURTH With these thoughts in mind, we must remember that the average motorist
does not pay heed to many or most signs on the highway, particularly so when we
erect too many of the same type signs. For example, if every street in Lexington
had "Caution Children" signs, and many now do, the signs would lose what little
- z -
effect they may have in the areas that should have them.
in conclusion, the Committee in its professional opinion must point out that,
outside of the psychological effect of a false sense of security given to the
citizen requesting these signs, they have little, if any, real value in the
safety of our children We would also like to point out that over the years,
because of public pressure upon local government, we already have erected an
excess of these signs as can be witnessed by any motorist driving on our
-highways.
Even though in the future, we will continue to give our attention to the
citizen requests for signs, we would much rather have each and every citizen
drive his or her vehicle with the knowledge that at any moment on any street
a child could run onto the highway and we strongly recommend that every mother
and father constantly impress upon their children the importance of traffic
safety and that each and every citizen rely upon his own senses and not upon
signs for safety
cc: Traffic Safety
Committee Members
WARRANTS FOR "GO SLOW CHILDREN" SIGNS & "CAUTION CHILDREN"SIGNS
The minimum warrant for GO SLOW CHILDREN & CAUTION CHILDREN signs is
satisfied when any two of the following conditions exits
1 ) There is hazardous horizontal or vertical alignment of
the roadway
2 ) Vehicular traffic volumes exceed 100 vehicles per hour
in any one hour
3 ) The 85 percentile speed of vehicular traffic exceeds
30 miles per hour
4 ) A school crossing, playground, etc is within 500
feet
5 ) There is no well-defined gravel or paved sidewalk on
the street
6 ) There are physical obstructions such as closely spaced
large trees along the edge of the roadway
7 ) Go Slow Children sign is not warranted when speed is set by
Speed Zone signs
CITY (TOWN)
STOP SIGNS
$TRRFT STOPPED DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AT INTERSECTION OF
This is to certify that the installation of stop signs at the intersection
listed above meets at least one of the following warrants as set forth in the
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices of the Department of Public Works,
Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
(check applicable warrant(e))
C Intersection of a less important road with a main road where
application of the normal right-of-way rule is unduly
hazardous (two cross-type accidents in a one year
period would be considered unduly hazardous)
0 Unsignalized intersection in a signalized area.
[D A combination of high speed, restricted view, and serious
accident record indicates a need for control by the STOP
sign.
This is to further certify that the street listed above under "Street Stopped"
carries the lesser volume of traffic at this intersection.
ATTEST
CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF SELECTMEN
(CITY CLRRK)
HED-889