Kailua is overrun with folks walking, gawking, bicycling, Segway-ing, etc. Accidents do happen.

Many times people will linger on the curb, studying their cell phones, then mindlessly step out into a pedestrian crossing.

Such distraction has a threefold potential: The car behind you might rear-end your vehicle when you must stop quickly. The person in the crosswalk might be hit. The vehicle coming from the opposite direction might drive through the crosswalk with people still in it.

I slow my vehicle at crosswalks and hit the hazard lights until I am sure of the intention of people entering the street.

This gives the guy behind me a chance to react, the people on the curb a “Hello, what are you going to do here?”, and the person coming in the opposite direction the notification that there is a potential problem.

Unless I am unwittingly causing another distraction, I will continue to drive this way, hoping that it might save someone’s life.

Pamela Monahan

Kailua

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