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Second Weekend Crash in Two Weeks Creates Long Delays on Speedy Sprain Brook Parkway.
WPCNR TRAFFICA. News and Comment by John F. Bailey. May 19, 2024:
I usually do not cover accidents.
But I and hundreds of southbound drivers yesterday were backed up by the second serious accident in a week on the weekend.
It happened again to me and hundreds of drivers for the second consecutive week.
A serious accident in the left lane northbound last week created a long backup in both directions last weekend. On my return journey to White Plains from Peekskill yesterday, Saturday it happened again: a serious accident backed up the Sprain from the I-287 exit southbound north to the Eastview exit where I diverted.
It’s dangerous out there.
The Taconic and Sprain Brook Parkways are notorious for the aggressive speeding and passing at high speeds by many drivers going as high as 25 miles over the speed limit and passing at high speed motorists ahead of them. I have to assume that the Saw Mill, the I-684 and I-287 are subject to the same “Cowboys” maneuvering in and out and around cars they feel are driving too slow and holding them back.
I rarely see such menaces to other drivers pulled over.
The Westchester roads subject to highly dangerous traffic extends to cities like White Plains.
In White Plains, we drivers have to not only be alert for U-turns on Mamaroneck Avenute by motorists blatant making a “U-ie” when they miss a turn or want to go back the way they came.
We drivers must also be alert for aggressive pedestrians jaywalking in the middle of Mamaroneck Avenue and other streets heads in their cellphones, leaving us to see them even when the pedestrians are wearing dark clothing. The walkers in White Plains are overenergizing the streets of White Plains, but they are using all of every street as if they have the right of way all over every street using it as one big crosswalk, by the jaywalking in the middle or anywhere they want to all along the blocks .
I am no personal injury lawyer, but by White Plains tolerating such trends as U-turns, and out of control jaywalking, (also aggravated by pedestrians using a crosswalk and starting to by stepping into a cross walk when cars are making right turns and have the green light), if I as a driver do not see a jaywalker and I hit them, the city could be sued for liability for not enforcing against jaywalkers. The city needs to pass a no-jaywalking ordinance if it does not already have one. Let alone the driver hitting a jaywalker with a vehicle and sued in a civil suit.
Driving in cities and major county roads is no longer safe. Too many drivers are violating speed restrictions by 15, 20, 30 miles over the limit and more and playing NASCAR by passing recklessly often very close to clipping the car they are cutting around.
You drive at the speed limit in this county you have to look in your rear view mirror to spot one of these cowboys coming at you with frightening speed (no shot at stopping) and it freezes you.
Just a friendly observation, hoping that “honchos driving too fast,” as Jan and Dean called them in their great ode to the California State Police, Freeway Flyer, would slow down for their own safety, you have no shot if you misjudge your passing cut-in. You get clipped, flipped and you go fly into oblivion.
Pedestrians!
Please! You have to curtail your jaywalking habit. Cross at the corner at a cross walk. Even if you’re impatient. Just tell your date you do not want her to get hurt. Also what happened to wearing white at night? Do it to be seen crossing streets legally.
As White Plains and other cities and town apartments open and fill up, the streets will be like New York City-ized.
There needs to be police on the beat to write jaywalking and crossing cars and u-turning cars.
We need some traffic control initiatives not only on moving violations like U-turns, but jaywalkers, and crosswalk violations when cars have the light to turn.
I do not need official statistics.
I see the violations.
I see them every time I drive in to White Plains, or put on my NASCAR crash helmet, fireproof suit and activate my perimeter radar to drive the Taconic Parkway (on weekends particularly), The Sprain I-684, hope I see the “honchos” before they make a slip.
Be careful out there.
More careful.
