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Stop means stop. Period.
To the editor:
I would bet good money that auto accidents are up in 2010 in Haverhill.
I see most drivers just not adhering to the laws of the road.
Stop signs are just a "suggestion" for cars to stop, even when it's not a four-way stop sign.
Five years ago people would slow for yellow and stop for red traffic lights.
Now it's run fast through yellows and slow through red stop signs that just changed ... seconds ago.
At any of the stop signs in Bradford, 80 percent of the cars do not come to a stop; at best they do a 5 mph crawl. This is I know for a fact.
It's not just in Bradford. It's happening in every section of the city. I was almost hit on my bicycle more than once this summer.
Giving tickets could be part of the answer to the town's financial troubles. It would increase children's safety and it would decrease auto accidents.
I do see the police looking for speeders — as they should — but the real problem is with people not stopping.
Some of the lights are not always timed and stagged with other lights and that cause the drivers to lose patience. But that is not an excuse to drive through stop signs and lights.
Let's not address the small stuff like not using signals, passing on single-lane roads or tailgating. Let's go after the big offenders — many do not live in our town.
Just an idea to make our city better.
Brian DeMatteo
Haverhill
