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To the Editor:

I continually read letters about dangerous drivers in West Hartford. What I never read about is the dangerous practices of some pedestrians and bicyclists in this town, which contribute to, if not outright cause, accidents in West Hartford.

I have lived in town for more than 20 years. I occasionally ride a motorcycle. My wife runs 30 miles a week on our public roads. I know how callous and dangerous some drivers can be.

But I also live two blocks from Aiken Elementary School and the King Philip Middle School. My neighborhood has become a visual pinball machine of white cones, speed bumps, a roundabout, flashing electronic speed limit signs, flashing crosswalk signs, and various bright yellow warning signs.

None of this is going to stop an unaccompanied elementary school student from running into the street and headlong into a car door (police would have cited the parent if one was present). None of this is going to stop a woman from walking into traffic at Blue Back Square while looking down at her cellphone and getting hit by a car (the woman could have been cited, but town officials decided to spare her the embarrassment). These incidents simply require common sense, not another flashing warning sign.

Every day, I see pedestrians walk across the street looking down at their phones (not traffic), wearing earbuds or headphones to drown out the sounds of approaching cars (not safe), walking against the walk light, sprinting across the street through gaps in traffic, walking outside of crosswalks, walking in the street at night (not on the sidewalk!) wearing dark clothing, with no flashlight or reflective gear. Every day I see bicyclists weaving between cars or riding straight through red lights – even crossing four lanes of traffic against the light on Route 44 during rush hour! – because they are in a hurry and want to get home. Every day, I see people in grocery store parking lots who believe they have the right of way, whether they are in a car or are now on foot. It’s all a recipe for the disasters that we read about all too often.

Pedestrians and bicyclists have rights, but they also have responsibilities. The town and police have done a good job of making our streets safer by cracking down on poor drivers. I hope they will now turn their attention to those on foot or on two wheels who believe they can proceed through life with little or no caution, at great risk to themselves and others, and to the detriment of the reputation of everyone who lives in West Hartford. Courtesy on our streets should be universal.

Lawrence Cook
Fuller Drive, West Hartford