Editorial

Be careful out there, friends

Thursday, July 14, 2016

If you've taken a look at the Putnam Scanner recently, you'll notice it's been big.

We mean really big.

What's going on, you ask? It's hard to say. The weather's been hot, so people have been agitated and getting in trouble.

But the curious thing has been the increase in the number of accidents, without a lot of major inclement weather to blame.

The thing is, the warm weather that we all like to get out and enjoy also attracts a lot of other people to the roads. And many of those people are on bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles with a lot less protection than the cars, trucks and SUVs most of us are tooling around in.

They deserve our courtesy when we're out on the road.

There are also a lot more construction crews out fixing city, county, state and U.S. roads. These folks are out there trying to earn a living, sweating their tails off and, occasionally, dodging motorists.

They deserve a special form of deference for the dangerous, thankless job they're doing.

Take a case from today's Putnam Scanner. A driver made the turn from U.S. 36 onto southbound U.S. 231. In the process, she forgot about the pipe replacement project and accompanying temporary signal immediately south of 36.

Unfortunately, there was already a truck and trailer stopped there, and she immediately found herself nose-to-tail with that trailer.

The minivan she was driving had to be towed, which is unfortunate. But considering all possible outcomes, she probably got lucky.

What if she had kept going and ended up in a head-on crash with a northbound vehicle in the restricted area?

Worse yet, what if she had hit one of those construction workers?

All we're saying is be mindful and be careful out there.

It's summer. Lots of people are about, some to enjoy the weather, others just making a living.

With the Putnam County Fair just one week away, the situation isn't going to get any easier. Cars, trucks and pedestrians will be coming and going from the fairgrounds all day long.

Watch for those who parked across the road. If you park or live at Edgelea, watch for pedestrians -- especially little ones -- as you drive the streets of the subdivision.

And if you're one of those pedestrians, for goodness sake don't step out in front of a car.

We don't like writing about tragedy any more than you like reading about it.