The letter from Barbara Mobley (Herald, Nov. 15) implies that all traffic accidents are due to human error, and that faulty or poorly designed traffic signals are never to blame. The issue locally is the confusion related to the lights on Highway 550 near Bodo Park and the mall. The lights for north- and southbound traffic do not turn red at the same time, which is the usual situation that we have all grown up with and become accustomed to. A driver waiting to make a left turn across oncoming traffic may not realize that when their light turns red, oncoming traffic may not be stopping. Someone who has pulled forward into the intersection waiting to turn will most likely go ahead and turn, possibly in front of another car. While traffic signals do not drive cars and directly cause accidents, they are in place theoretically to maximize public safety. The lights should be reset to turn red at the same time for both directions to minimize the risk for confusion and possible fatalities. And then how about some type of traffic control at College and East Second Avenue before a pedestrian gets run over?
Mark R. Walters
Durango
