Neighborhood Safety

Neighborhood safety is the responsibility of everyone: drivers, pedestrians, and residents. According to the King County Roads Services Division, drivers in residential areas drive at an average speed of 33.8 miles instead of the limit of 25 mph. Drivers of every age, not just teenagers, are guilty of speeding. Some possible reasons for this is that drivers feel comfortable enough in familiar residential areas to drive faster, or outsiders who speed through residential roads as “shortcuts” to get to arterial roads.

To make residential areas safer for everyone, especially children, and to avoid traffic tickets, drivers should keep these safety tips in mind:

1. Driver slower; increasing speed by just a few miles per hour can be devastating in the event of an accident, and it doesn’t really increase arrival time by a significant margin

2. Avoid using local streets as shortcuts to arterial roads; many residential areas have uncontrolled intersections and children or pets nearby, which can make it difficult to stop in an emergency, such as if a child ran into the street

3. Remember to obey all traffic rules, even if it seems like no one else is around or it wouldn’t matter if you ran a stop sign

4. Yield to pedestrians, even if they cross in an unmarked crosswalk.

Parents have a special responsibility to teach their children to stay out of the street and to be wary of cars. When riding bicycles, children should be supervised and always wear helmets and other protective gear, if necessary, such as reflective lights. If children walk or ride to school, parents should supervise or make sure they have a safe way to get to school. Setting a good example as a safe driver is the best way to teach children to drive responsibly when they eventually get their driver’s license. Residents who notice damaged or missing traffic signs or especially bad road conditions, such as potholes or overgrown trees, should contact officials such as the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Most importantly, drivers need to remember to slow down and drive safely for the good of everyone, including themselves.