Better traffic law enforcement needed
Never in my life have I written to the editor to ask for a letter to be printed. The tragedy with young Skyler Kim prompts me to do so now. To the parents and relatives of Skyler, I give you my heartfelt sympathy. To the driver of the vehicle, I can only imagine how you feel and I also give you my sympathy. To the rest of Juneau it is time to wake up. Even though this seems to be a genuine accident, there is the potential for more to come.
In all my years, I have never seen such a group of really bad drivers as is in Juneau. I live in the valley and am constantly amazed at the drivers' behavior from Egan Drive on toward the glacier. Where the road turns from two lanes to one lane is at best terrifying. The speed limit is 40 mph and people in the right lane insist on high speed to merge left instead of common sense. I have often wondered why the city police cannot patrol this area. They could write tickets all day long. But then I think, what good would that do when our glorious court system lets offenders off with a "Now sonny, don't do that again."
What happened to fines and jail time? What happened to the traffic cop? What is a person's life worth? What good is a $750 fine and 30 days in jail if the judge suspends $700 and 28 days? If the fine is $50 and two days in jail, enforce it. If the fine is $750 and 30 days, enforce it! The biggest problem with drivers is there are no consequences for bad driving.
You probably won't get caught and if you do the judge will let you off. Is it any wonder people ignore the laws? This is not a case of ignorance of the law, rather choosing not to abide by the law.
The stop sign means stop, not slow down a little. The red light means stop, not see how many cars can get through before an accident occurs.
Wake up Juneau before more tragedies occur! Get rid of the "Me First" attitude.
Andy Ritzman
Juneau