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Editorial

Drive safely!!!

Posted 9/17/21

This past spring and summer was an exciting time. After months of quarantine protocols and mask wearing recommendations, things at least for a time, became more lax. In a return to some of the summer …

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Editorial

Drive safely!!!

Posted

This past spring and summer was an exciting time. After months of quarantine protocols and mask wearing recommendations, things at least for a time, became more lax. In a return to some of the summer traditions, drivers have been out on the roads going to various events or just to see friends and loved ones.

While data on motor vehicle accidents from this year are not yet compiled, it certainly seems like there have been an increasing number of them in recent months, especially serious ones. We had a story on Tuesday’s front page about a head-on accident injuring four people, and there was a fatal two-car accident in Liberty earlier this week.

Each accident is of course its own situation, but there are certainly steps we can take to mitigate the likelihood of them occurring.

For example, leaving distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you is always a good idea . You never know when a deer might jump out and someone will brake suddenly to avoid a crash … and then bam … a completely avoidable rear end collision takes place.

And don’t forget to brake for weather. We all know how treacherous snow and ice can be, but even with rain, hydroplaning can occur. Visibility – especially with fogged up windshields – is also limited during storms, especially when it's pouring at night. So be smart – drive slow.

Intersections are also places of concern, especially if there is no light or four-way stop to guide drivers. In these situations it is best to be courteous and alert. All you can do is be a defensive driver, so just in case someone does something they shouldn’t at an intersection, be ready to adjust.

And of course, speed and distracted or impaired driving kills. Texting and driving or driving under the influence is a recipe for disaster. These acts not only put yourself at risk, but they also risk the safety of others. No text message is that important to lose your life over.

As for speeding, make sure you give yourself enough time to get somewhere, and if you’re running behind, pull over and call your employer or friend to make them aware that you ran into traffic, etc. As long as that isn’t a regular thing, they should be more than understanding.

Lastly, the rut is almost here. For those of you “not in the know,” that is deer mating season when the bucks chase the does. White-tails will be more active, and if you haven’t noticed, we have thousands of deer here in the Catskills. So be on alert because as they say, “if you see one, more are likely to follow.”

We hope everybody drives carefully and enjoys the abundance of events taking place this weekend.

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