Our View: Beware of surroundings, keep an eye out on pedestrians

March 03, 2023

So far this year, Guam has had four traffic fatalities — all during the month of February.

On Feb. 7, a driver was killed when his car collided with a trash truck on Route 15. A few days later, a pedestrian in a crosswalk at the ITC intersection was hit and killed by a vehicle.

Then on Feb. 22, at the ITC intersection once again, another pedestrian walking to TakeCare from the ITC Building was killed when a Ford truck made a right turn.

And Saturday, a motorcycle collided with the rear end of a vehicle, which was making a U-turn in front of Chief Brodie Memorial School. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at Guam Memorial Hospital.

On Tuesday, an Untalan Middle School student was injured by a vehicle that ran a red light, police said.

Traffic accidents aren’t uncommon, but the number of fatalities in one month is concerning.

Many accidents are preventable. Stop when the light is red, watch out for crossing pedestrians when turning at a crosswalk and stop when someone is in the crosswalk. It’s the same message all drivers should know: Be alert on the road.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Distractions are bound to happen. Sometimes the decisions made on the road are not well-thought-out.

A solution to reduce distractions at intersections was introduced Tuesday by Sen. Roy Quinata.

His Bill 58 would no longer allow panhandling at public intersections. The bill is supported by Attorney General Douglas Moylan.

Under Guam law, panhandling isn’t allowed, with one interesting exception — panhandling is permitted at intersections with stop signs or other traffic controls, when conducted by individuals who are 18 and over and wearing orange vests with reflective material. Signs are supposed to be placed within 100 feet of the panhandling location and the panhandlers must notify the chief of police about their activities 24 hours in advance.

Banning panhandling is a good idea and will reduce road distractions, but there are also other ways to promote traffic safety. As we start a new month, let’s be mindful of the roads and keep a lookout for pedestrians.

Source: https://www.guampdn.com/opinion/our-view-beware-of-surroundings-keep-an-eye-out-on-pedestrians/article_d726268e-b8b9-11ed-bd9f-ab6762a0c28e.html