By: Diane Benjamin
When you have a loved one being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance minutes count. I was a passenger in an ambulance eight years when my husband shouldn’t have lived – but did.
I was in Bloomington yesterday. I was at the stop light southbound on Hershey waiting for the light to change to turn left on Oakland. A Bloomington ambulance appeared using lights and sirens northbound on Hershey. When it approached the red light the driver activated the very loud horn in addition to lights and siren.
Did the vehicles on Oakland stop? No they didn’t.
The ambulance had to come to a full stop and proceed carefully. Obviously the driver had seen this before. I saw the same thing eight years ago. Some drivers are oblivious to emergency vehicles.
The siren was loud and so was the horn. Is it really too difficult to see and hear emergency vehicles? Radio too loud? Talking on a phone?
Maybe this is why people keep dying at Route 9 and Leroy Lexington blacktop. The road had rumble strips, flashing “stop ahead” signs, and stop signs with posts wrapped in red. People keep running the stop sign anyway. Maybe drivers need huge STOP painted on the road numerous times to get their attention.
In a few weeks we will celebrate America 250. This country was founded on the belief people can govern themselves. If anyone is driving too distracted to yield to an ambulance or stop at stop signs, they aren’t capable. Do better.
I see the same problem here in Tennessee! Ambulance fire or police the people ignore the sirens. Part of the problem is some people have the stereo so loud I can hear it sitting next to them. No way they can hear sirens!
I have been wondering too about what you wrote and also the reckless driving and speeding. I was about run off the road yesterday twice by speeding vehicles and those who want to change lanes immediately when putting on their blinker instead of waiting for a gap. Rabb by Heartland to Towanda and Towanda by the dealership are one of the worst. I do have this by a reliable source in the medical profession that this town has a meth and cocaine problem and maybe that is the issue, they are hopped up on that. A person was killed in front of Farm and Fleet because a guy ran a stoplight and was later found to be hopped up on cocaine.Also, how many are driving with a suspended license?
There are too many poor drivers in Bloomington-Normal. How many times do you see people run red lights on Veterans’ Parkway? When the lights change, you will often see a couple more drivers go through on red. Not a nanny state guy, but I approve of traffic cams assigning tickets to those drivers. JK
Add to that how many people are driving that can’t read or speak English just look at the latest semi and bus deaths caused by someone driving those big rigs that couldn’t speak or read English one would have to think that it’s possible that you have the same people driving cars.
I agree that there are many poor drivers in B/N. I have seen two drivers, in separate incidents, disregard emergency fire trucks that had lights and sirens running per protocol. Bicyclists do not always follow the rules of the road. Thanks to the drivers who are great at defensive driving to avoid more needless accidents and injuries.
1. Drivers are wearing listening devices in addition to being distracted with cellphones. IE, headphones, earbuds.
2. Drivers are talking in the phone and not paying attention to their surroundings, careless of other drivers, emergency vehicles, pedestrians, and surrounds.
3. Drivers today simply freezeup when confronted with most unknown situations, such as emergency vehicles. Versus moving to another lane/shoulder and allow them to pass.
4. Lack of empathy is another cause. Many just don’t care, they have places to go and are already late!
5. Loud exhausts…between cars, trucks, and motorcycles with after market exhausts (cans, pipes, tuned headers and exhaust, straight pipes, diesel turbos, or lack of exhaust) many times if your traveling with windows lowered to enjoy the weather, earplugs are required due to the extreme decibel levels. Not to mention the occasional bass thumping of some stereos.
So I can only imagine the difficulties faced by EMS when traveling through traffic.
Does law enforcement even enforce exhaust laws, ordinances, noise ordinances anymore? Let alone the crazy motorcycle riders.
@Matthew
The answer to your last question is no. They have no desire to enforce traffic laws. The southbound left turn at Main St and College Dr has had a red light running problem the entire time I’ve lived here and I’m sure even before that. I’ve lived here for 14 years now and I’ve never seen anyone pulled over there. 30 MPH actually means 40 or the driver behind you will be so close they can tell you what you had for breakfast by the smell of your flatulence. I’ve been forced out of my lane into oncoming traffic by a postal vehicle that refused to merge properly. And rural drivers are no better. Same issues with speeding. 55 MPH actually means 65 or more. And forget rolling stops. There’s a stop sign by my house that I’ve seen people full speed blow through. Trucks, tractors, utility vehicles.
Let’s face it. Getting to Walmart to buy more Twinkies and Diet Coke are more important than you or I being alive. Not only to other drivers, but to government as well. Yet another reason I’m doing my dead level best to get out of this state.