Quote:
Originally Posted by OldDave
Terri, I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I don't live there yet, so I cannot answer it. What I can tell you is that a significant number of people on this site get their dander up if you even suggest anything about TV isn't perfect. I continue to be amazed by that.
This question isn't worth a response? Then why did you respond. And why are you folks rude to someone who is obviously new and considering moving here.
We spent last June renting a house there. That is our only trip thus far. My understanding is that is the slowest time of the year. What we found was some pretty heavy traffic in a few areas, but mostly pretty light. There were a couple of things that were difficult. First and foremost the roundabouts or traffic circles. These in themselves are a good idea. They are prettier and less city-like than signals. But for some reason they are two lane circles. My guess is the traffic is heavy enough in the winter to justify it. The biggest problem I saw was that in most areas, you were allowed to make a right turn into a neighborhood from the left lane or the right line. But there was no indication that you had to turn from the right, as opposed to going straight. There are signs showing this, but they really don't make sense. I don't see any way to safely turn right from a left lane if the traffic in the right lane goes straight.
I don't know what happened in that accident. Someone mentioned the paper, but I didn't find anything in the on-line version. I will say that overall my wife and I were surprised at how fast many drivers were going both on the streets and the cart paths. For a community designed to be relaxing and enjoyable, I'm not sure why everyone was in such a hurry.
If I had to speculate on driving safety in TV, I would point to how tightly so many people are packed into the area there. Also, I've read a lot of comments here about snow birds causing some problems because they don't get used to driving here. I don't know if there is any validity to that.
As to the safety of older drivers, most of the research I've seen points to older folks as actually being safer and having less accidents. Of course there is always the person who should no longer be driving that runs over someone or hits gas instead of the brake. My feeling is that is one of the real reasons for all the golf carts here, so those people can get around, without driving a 4,000 pound car. Of course it seems there are a great many golf cart accidents, but the injuries generally seem much, much less serious.
Finally I would say during our month there we heard of no serious accidents and have heard of very few on here in the two years I've been reading it. It sounds like this was just a very bad week. Again, I don't know what happened Sunday.
Best of luck Terri.
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I defend the curt answers above because we have an enormous pride in living here and because it hurts to have someone say we drive unsafely because we are older.
It is clearly a dangerous place to drive during the high season and our population is increasing rapidly.
AND people bring with them different ways of driving. I think some people who have taken public transportation a lot in their lives are not as comfortable or as skilled as the farm boys who have driven since they were ten or twelve...and some folks are used to living in heavily congested areas and drive like race car drivers. AND some people look at stop signs and yield signs as only suggestions.
I welcome you to this wonderful place that is now my year 'round home and I ask you and every other person who drives here to be careful, familarize yourself with the way roundabouts work, don't exceed the speed limits, drive defensively and cautiously. Many people who I have grown to love are out on the roads including my love of 50 years.