Quote:
Originally Posted by DAWN MARIE
Let's face it. There are all sorts of risks involving driving. You could have a seizure or a heart attack as well. So you might as well not drive to be on the safe side.
Runners running against traffic cuts down any major risk involved. Like I've already said...I've not heard of one runner causing an accident in the Villages but have heard of many accidents caused by speeding golf carts. So why don't we eliminate the greater risk by getting rid of the carts? If that's your argument, that makes the most common sense doesn't it?
A cart is NOT going to pull into the path of a vehicle when I'm running. I've already stated that when I see a cart coming towards me with a car on its tail I jump on the sidewalk to give the cart plenty of room (even tho I really don't have to..I'm not that big) so the driver doesn't have to watch me and the car behind him at the same time. Besides all that, a cart does have another option if a car is bearing down on him from behind with an upcoming runner. He can take his foot off the pedal and stay right in the lane until either the runner or car passes...like I said...two seconds.
I've run all over the country and have coached at the HS level for years back home. Again, I've NEVER heard of one instance even when a HS kid caused an accident. I think the problem here really..to be honest...is the fact that golf cart drivers come face to face with an upcoming runner unlike when you're driving a car and they just don't like it. Before, in a car, it didn't matter because the runner was on the side of the road and not in the road so it didn't matter. Now, both cart driver and runner have to share the same territory and the cart drivers are incensed about it.
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Dawn Marie:
Of course there is risk in all we do that is why many corporations have risk managers. The purpose to is deal with risk. The above-stated comments by you imply that the only method to treat risk is to retain it. Certainly you would be correct sometimes such as catastrophic events.
However, we are discussing risk that can be treated or dealt with. The fact is we will never see designated lanes for different users, ergo the multi-modal paths. The decision to build them I'm sure was purely economic not only from the standpoint of actually building them but from the basic premise that the Developer did not want to give up any more property than was necessary (i.e he wanted to build more houses) and would not do a tradeoff.
You have referenced at least three times accidents created as a result of speeding golf carts. I agree they are a problem. and like the diamond lane dilemma they can be dealt with in order to reduce risk and increase safety.
The critical point in this thread keeps getting buried. IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER IT IS CAR TO CAR, CART TO CART ,CYCLIST TO CAR/CART. JOGGER TO CART, ET AL WE HAVE SOME HERE IN THE VILLAGES BRAZEN ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT ITS THE OTHER GUY THAT IS GOING TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. (ZONERBOY) WAS SPOT ON.
It seems logical to me that the diamond lanes were designed for golf carts and not runners.
it also seems that if you are receiving waves from LEO's when you are interfering with golf cart traffic then these guys are not doing their job.