LETTER: Poor driving can lead to pedestrian deaths

Editor,

Thank you for giving the issue of pedestrian fatalities front-page coverage.

After five years of crossing the intersections you mention, my inference is that fatalities could not result mainly from pedestrians crossing illegally. Let us focus instead on driver behavior.

You could claim they may not spot pedestrians, but then why do so many honk loudly in clear sight of the walk sign lit up as if we shouldn't even be there? This problem has been the most acute when crossing south at the light at the University Hospital main entrance on Lomas Boulevard, with vehicles jumping out from the north side and making a left. It has also been acute when crossing north at Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard, with vehicles from Yale Boulevard at lunchtime making a right onto Central Avenue in an unbroken stream on red.

I am not surprised, then, that the rate of pedestrian fatalities in New Mexico is well above average. In my 15 years crossing, even in California, I have not encountered this level of driver arrogance. Third World manners come to mind.

Let us forbid vehicles from making a right turn on red at these intersections and install more green arrows for left turns, instead of shaming pedestrians wrongly with performance counters.

Arun Ahuja

UNM student