Thank you for this. It should be shocking to everyone that the simple steps you undertook to ponder what happened isn't automatically done by a municipal government every time a death occurs. Official acceptance of dangerous design is the real crime.
It's shocking how many memorials you see when you are aware what a teddy bear or a white bike by a sign/post means. Thanks for doing the groundwork to highlight the dangerous design. I hope they are able to get bollards into this intersection now. No one else should have to die (and no one should have died in the first place).
Also, this Watson Rule is kind of crazy and a good example of bad incentives. "If you kill someone with another DUI, we can charge you with murder" after they've been charged with a DUI. IMO the people who got a DUI in the first place probably aren't taking the consequences seriously enough and think more about the convenience of driving vs. likeliness of getting caught.
Yes, I did not know much about it. Totally insane thing to have on the books. But apparently it is fairly normal! I may do a bit more digging on a future article for that one, but honestly, it is kind of depressing. I would love to read a deep dive on it I guess.
Thank you for sharing this story. Sadly, these types of tragedies are all too common and poorly publicized. Just another indication of the need for 1 billion bollards!
As a resident of South Orange County I was also deeply troubled by the recent tragedy as I have stood in that exact spot and been worried about the safety situation at that intersection. It is clear that structural modifications such as those you suggest would be helpful. But as you also mention, nothing is as critical as changing our drunk driving laws. I am an advocate strict regulations that require a breathalyzer to be installed in the car of anyone who has ever been in a single DUI incident. It is possible to do this. I have no problem taking away a license but unfortunately people will drive anyway. Thank you for writing about this critical problem and sharing the funding detail.
I agree that we need to reform the DUI laws, but even requiring installation of a breathalyzer can be illegally evaded. I knew the victim of this crash below, and the murderer was required to have an interlock until 2030. He used a company vehicle instead. Fixing streets is a must in addition to DUI reform.
I know that it is possible to evade the law. But I think every car should be equipped with a breathalyzer. I realize this is far fetched and not an easy sell. But how many people have to be killed before we take the problem seriously. I think we are way post the point of thinking people will self-police themselves.
Thank you for this. It should be shocking to everyone that the simple steps you undertook to ponder what happened isn't automatically done by a municipal government every time a death occurs. Official acceptance of dangerous design is the real crime.
Thanks, Chuck! Agreed. And when I go to the local city meetings, still the thing I hear 90% of the time is concerns over parking...
It's shocking how many memorials you see when you are aware what a teddy bear or a white bike by a sign/post means. Thanks for doing the groundwork to highlight the dangerous design. I hope they are able to get bollards into this intersection now. No one else should have to die (and no one should have died in the first place).
Also, this Watson Rule is kind of crazy and a good example of bad incentives. "If you kill someone with another DUI, we can charge you with murder" after they've been charged with a DUI. IMO the people who got a DUI in the first place probably aren't taking the consequences seriously enough and think more about the convenience of driving vs. likeliness of getting caught.
Yes, I did not know much about it. Totally insane thing to have on the books. But apparently it is fairly normal! I may do a bit more digging on a future article for that one, but honestly, it is kind of depressing. I would love to read a deep dive on it I guess.
Thank you for sharing this story. Sadly, these types of tragedies are all too common and poorly publicized. Just another indication of the need for 1 billion bollards!
Thank you. Yes, it seems these stories pop up and are quickly forgotten. Hope we can make a change. Hear hear to 1 billion bollards!
As a resident of South Orange County I was also deeply troubled by the recent tragedy as I have stood in that exact spot and been worried about the safety situation at that intersection. It is clear that structural modifications such as those you suggest would be helpful. But as you also mention, nothing is as critical as changing our drunk driving laws. I am an advocate strict regulations that require a breathalyzer to be installed in the car of anyone who has ever been in a single DUI incident. It is possible to do this. I have no problem taking away a license but unfortunately people will drive anyway. Thank you for writing about this critical problem and sharing the funding detail.
I agree that we need to reform the DUI laws, but even requiring installation of a breathalyzer can be illegally evaded. I knew the victim of this crash below, and the murderer was required to have an interlock until 2030. He used a company vehicle instead. Fixing streets is a must in addition to DUI reform.
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/goucher-college-student-killed-by-suspected-drunk-driver-in-towson/
Yes, for sure. And I think fixing streets is actually legislatively easier and more feasible. At least here in California.
I know that it is possible to evade the law. But I think every car should be equipped with a breathalyzer. I realize this is far fetched and not an easy sell. But how many people have to be killed before we take the problem seriously. I think we are way post the point of thinking people will self-police themselves.
Thank you, Loredana. Yes, and those restrictions on DUIs etc would all have to come from the state. I do not see things changing there anytime soon.