I am extremely pleased to see the issue of speeding receiving some well-deserved attention. Driving too fast affects almost everyone in the Village, whether you drive, ride (including motorcycles and golf carts) or walk or work alongside the road. My strongest frustration is with those who constantly drive faster than the speed limit, or faster than conditions merit (weather and weather-related effects on road conditions).
I think any effort to bring this to the attention of Village folks is well worth the time and effort. In our neighborhood, we have a segment of road that is straight for about one thousand feet (unusual in Arkansas and the Village, I know). For many drivers, the temptation and enthusiasm to drive faster there is more than they can contain. I get it…driving fast is fun! I enjoy it as well, but I think more discretion needs to be applied to where we should do this. I have tried to remind our neighbors and others driving on our road to slow down by posting a bright orange “Slow” sign next to the road, but to little avail. Cars just keep whizzing by in the form of blurs out my front door. It’s probably the same story in other areas and neighborhoods in the Village as well.
I am certainly not trying to be unfairly critical, but my worry is that one day a car backing out of a driveway, or a man, woman, or a couple walking their dog (or just walking), or grandparents walking with their grandchildren, or some golfer in a golf cart, or someone walking across the street to check their mailbox are going to be hit by a speeding vehicle. How devastating that would be. I can’t hardly bear the thought of it. I just want to live in a safer neighborhood, and if we can all practice a little more restraint, we can have safer neighborhoods. I understand that pedestrians also have a responsibility in this, but they are at quite a disadvantage, so the onus is on us drivers.
Without meaning to make this a lecture of sorts, and understanding full well that I am also guilty of speeding from time to time, I still revert back to my father, who early on taught and reminded me that as a vehicle driver, I am responsible for every passenger in the vehicle I am driving…and 50 plus years after I received my driver’s license, I still remember that fact every time I get behind the wheel. I also understood early on that I was partially responsible for those lives I encountered driving down the road or highway, and with the sobering realization that there was often only a few feet separating me and my passengers from the other oncoming vehicles in the other lane. It was obvious to me that my decisions behind the wheel had far-reaching and enduring consequences for other people besides me.
Having said all this, I would recommend that any publicity put forth include these truths and appeal to the human life preservation aspect of safety on our roadways. I wouldn’t necessarily expect this to translate directly to signage because of the excess verbiage, but it might find appeal in a written narrative in further efforts to bring this concern into discourse and hopefully favorable response in the public square. Maybe for signage purposes, something along the lines of “Slow Down, Save Lives” would be worth considering.
Thank you Mr. Unger for your efforts in addressing this critically important issue, and for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
Regards,
Jeff Olson
HSV
Cover image: Fountain West Gate – Hot Springs Village
I have people come right on my bumper while I am going the speed limit. Some, have passed me at night on a double yellow line.
I will say, you really have to pay attention to the speed signs because on DeSoto going toward the West Gate you see a sign that says 30 and before you know it, it drops to 20, or goes to 40 and then it drops to 25. Sometimes hard to get back down to 25 that fast, especially when going down a hill. But, I totally agree that some go way too fast; especially small trucks.
I have been guilty of speeding as well. I am trying harder to catch the speed limit signs and abide by them. I do however have issues with people going twenty miles under the speed limit. Most of my appointments with doctors are in Little Rock so I am learning to leave three hours early due to this and Little Rock traffic. A girl’s gotta do what a girls gotta do.
I think we should have speed cameras all over the village, without notice of their whereabouts. The rights of obeying the law and protecting public safety far outweigh the rights of people complaining of privacy issues. Just slow down and your picture won’t be taken.