About every four minutes of every day, at nearly all controlled traffic signals in Santa Maria, two and sometimes four vehicles traveling toward each other nervously swerve to avoid a collision. This game of automobile chicken plays out in all controlled traffic signal left turn lanes. This is neither safe nor sane. You and your family remain in danger because there is no identified right of way or path of travel, causing uncertainty, confusion, and distraction for even the most experienced driver.
The easy and low-cost solution to improve roadway safety and increase traffic flow across our city is to eliminate the controlled traffic signal left turn at nearly all roadway intersections in Santa Maria. Each time a controlled traffic signal allows for only the two opposing left turn lanes to move across the intersection, an extra cycle of time is added into the signal timing sequence. This reduces the number of vehicles that pass through the intersection and also requires more time.
Eliminate the left-turn-only sequence to allow more vehicles to travel safely, sooner, and predictably across each intersection. The City Council should legislate safer roads and eliminate left turn signals.
Greggory Follett
Santa Maria
