School About to Start. Be Careful Out There

School Daze, school daze....

The morning (and evening) rush hour almost guarantees that at least some people will not be on their best behavior and the next week, with our schools adding traffic and complexity to the mix, should provide plenty of examples. Be careful out there as the usual suspects, some pictured above, start their fall panic, dropping off and picking up kids at our schools and getting themselves to and from work (or whereever) on time. Of course, also watch out for the high school students who are texting their way to the High School while driving a 5,000 lb lethal weapon.

Big issues I see are inattention (texting, other distractions), speeding, and making careless left and right turns into parking lots, especially along Bloody Lane (aka Diamond Drive) between Orange/Sandia and the Lemon Lot, where several cyclists have been hit by right hooks. Be careful out there, stay alert, scan traffic and watch for clues as to other people's actions, and take a Traffic Skills or Cycling Saavy class to learn bike handling skills, including instant turns and quick stops. That stuff really works in a pinch.

Questions? Contact a local LCI. 

If you are one of the parents, why not try putting the children on shoe leather or bikes if reasonable, or if not reasonable, on the Atomic City Bus.  Will help reduce traffic and cut our carbon emissions.

And on a lighter note or two...