FAMILY TIME: A Mother's Reflection on Safety Along Kirkland's Roads

DRIVING HOME from Kenmore on Juanita Drive last week, I passed under a banner promoting an upcoming event. I read it as I drove past, then after probably only a second, looked back to the road to see that the car in front of me was stopping to turn.

I hit the brakes and as I prepared for an uncomfortable (but safe) hard stop, the thought flashed through my head that instead of slamming on the brakes, I could just swing out into the shoulder and pass on the right. In that split second, though, I realized I couldn’t see all the way around the car and decided to stop.

A moment later, a pedestrian stepped out of my blind spot on the shoulder. I breathed a sigh of relief. Had I swung into the shoulder I would have either hit the pedestrian or caused him to dive into the ravine off the side of the road to avoid me.

The two fatal accidents in Kirkland over the past several days -- one on Juanita Drive and the other on Rose Hill -- are tragic reminders of how terribly permanent consequences on the road can be. As a mom, it scares me to think about what can happen in the blink of an eye. We spend so much time in the car, rushing from place to place, that it’s easy to forget what a powerful and dangerous piece of machinery we are operating.

Perhaps it’s a sign of our times. I’m reminded of my husband’s grandfather, who loved music but refused to listen to the radio in the car because he thought it was too much of a distraction. Today, we’ve got complex entertainment systems, phones with e-mail and texting, drink holders, GPS devises -- all kinds of things. Some might make us safer at times, but others that distract us physically and mentally from the job of safe driving.

I was in an accident in January. I was stopped with my blinker on, waiting for a break in oncoming traffic to turn onto a side street. Thankfully, I had two hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road. When we were hit, I didn’t see it coming. Suddenly, I heard a bang and the screech of scraping metal. I could feel our car being pushed forward into on-coming traffic in spite of the fact that my foot was still on the brake. My reflexes kicked in and I was able to hit the gas, turn the wheel and drive out of the way.

Nobody was hurt, but the realization of what almost happened stays with me. What would have happened if I had been checking my GPS, talking on the phone, texting, changing radio stations, sipping a drink, or any of the other many things I am regularly tempted to do while driving? What if I was over tired or had had even a small glass of wine with dinner? Would I have been able to get control of my car so quickly?

I am generally a pretty careful driver, but I know I was lucky. I could have been distracted when we were hit and the consequence might have been dire.

IN THE WAKE of this past week’s tragedies, and with summer in mid-swing, it’s a good time to recommit to road safety. As parents, we are not only chauffeuring precious cargo (often amid more distraction than the average driver, I’m guessing) and interacting with everyone else on the road, but we are also modeling road safety for our kids.

There are really so many rules of the road to remember – and I’m no expert, nor am I a perfect example of safety. But here are a few things I see all the time that make this mom cringe:

• Texting and Cell Phones We all know that texting and talking on the phone are no-nos. Easier said than done, though, right? These sources of constant communication have become so ingrained to our very way of life it can be hard to stop while we’re in the car. I know – I used to talk on the phone in the car all the time. I always felt confident chatting on my cell. But then I started noticing that most of the time when people cut me off or made minor driving blunders, they had their hand to their ear. Then we were rear-ended and the thought of what would have happened if I’d been on the phone made me change my tune. 

• Passing on the Right Passing on the right is also against the law here in Washington. But, I see people do it all the time – especially on Juanita Drive, which I drive nearly daily. It’s easy to understand why people would want to pass on the right – especially on a two-lane road where a car that needs to turn across traffic can back up cars behind considerably. However, that’s precisely why it’s dangerous. On Juanita Drive, and on streets all around the area, there are bikers, pedestrians, parked cars, garbage cans, delivery trucks and more using the shoulder of the road.

• Walking with Traffic Here’s the one that bothers me the most. Unlike bikers and drivers, walking pedestrians are supposed to walk on the left side of the street – against traffic. That way, when you are walking along the street, you can see what’s coming toward you and protect yourself if necessary. However, I see people walking, jogging – pushing strollers, even – with their backs to traffic all the time. Please don’t trust drivers to keep you safe. Please, please walk facing oncoming traffic so you can take responsibility for your safety and get out of the way if you need to.

Thankfully, Kirkland has been a leader in protecting pedestrians through the PedFlag program, where flags are provided on either side of more than 70 crosswalks throughout Kirkland for pedestrians to carry while crossing crosswalks. According to the city of Kirkland website, the program was started after two pedestrian fatalities in 1994. Someone had seen a similar program in Japan and suggested Kirkland give it a try.

The city determined that drivers seem to stop earlier for pedestrians using the flags, so the program has expanded through the city – and to many communities beyond Kirkland. I must say that as someone who moved her from Chicago, where crosswalks are merely used as a suggestion of where people may want to weave through traffic if they’re on foot, the flags do seem like an elegant reminder to cars of the meaning of the crosswalk.

It’s dangerous out there – whether you’re behind the wheel, a passenger, biker or pedestrian. So, as we get out and enjoy the ever-changing summer weather, let us all take a moment to reflect on what we can do to keep our loved ones and the strangers around us as safe as possible.

For more information on the rules of the road, check out some of these resources:

• Kirkland Pedestrian Flag Program: http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works/Transportation___Streets/Pedestrian_Flags_-_FAQs.htm.

• Washington State Department of Transportation bike and passenger laws:  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/walk/Laws.htm Washington.

• State Driver Guide: http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/guide.html.