Traffic Safety:

Blocking the Sidewalk

It may or may not be legal where you live, but blocking the sidewalk is a bad thing to do.  Many of us pull into our driveway just halfway blocking the sidewalk for whatever reasons:  family get together, a four car family, a wild party, or a simple thing like a contractor parking his big truck to do some work on your home.  Whatever the reason you need to be aware the reason is bad because you are creating a hidden danger, not just an inconvenience.

It Can Be Dangerous

The danger is not there for most of us.  Most of us know how to cross the street, and can handle this simple task of walking around your car to get back onto the sidewalk.  But guess what?  Some of us like to ride bikes, and are not even 10 years old.  Did you know that 20% of all bicycle fatalities last year were riders in the age group of 5-15?  What made these children jump out into the road on their bikes?  P.S. 10 year old boys frequently jump out into streets not even riding their bikes.  When you block a sidewalk you force foot traffic onto the street where other drivers may not be expecting them.  That is the danger.

It's Rude

Besides creating hidden dangers blocking the sidewalk does something else.  It blocks the route for those of us who are not so lucky to walk.  Now a days seniors on their Larks is a common sighting, and believe it or not they can't jump curbs.  There are too many reasons to list why it's rude.  You may want to avoid blocking it to avoid angering others.  If you have heard of the term keying you know it's vandalism.

Parking Your Car

Many of us I believe feel that we are great drivers.  Shouldn't being able to park your car correctly be a key point?  Next time you pull into your driveway make sure you are out of the sidewalk.

Oh, and the other day someone parked so poorly next to me at the grocery store that I needed to include it here.  I parked between the lines fine.  They parked so closely to the driver side of my car, in my lines, that I had to load my 2 year old and myself through the passenger side of my car.  So don't be surprised if my next article is park between the lines!