Dear editor:

On the bright sunny morning of Sept. 13 at about 8 a.m. while driving to work, I needed to lower my visor due to the bright rising sun obstructing my view.

I was eastbound on Line 5 coming up to Concession 2.

When I stopped at the intersection, to my shock and horror, I was the second person at a crash scene where someone had driven the same route moments before me but obviously did not see the stop sign at the intersection.

They drove full speed across Concession 2, T-boning a northbound vehicle.

The homeowner at the corner was already on the scene checking on the two drivers.

One driver was standing beside the road and appeared fine but the other was painfully crawling out of his overturned vehicle.

There was debris strewn all over the road. I quickly called 911 and stayed to warn oncoming traffic to slow down. I remained there until the police and paramedics arrived.

Concession 2 is busy in the morning and is a popular a shortcut between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls.

I stood on the edge of the road and waved my arms at passing cars, hoping to warn on-coming traffic to slow down.

I almost become a victim as well as a young woman completely ignored my warning and drove full speed through the debris, sending pieces flying in all directions.

I had stepped way back and was lucky to not have been hit by anything. I can’t be sympathetic if her car sustained some damage.

My husband and I have lived in the area all of our lives and know the dangers of speeding cars on the concessions and people not stopping at the crossroads.

We have lost a best friend and an extended family member this way. Before it was a four-way stop, I was T-boned at Creek Road and Line 3 by a driver who drove through the Line 3 stop sign.

Fortunately, we were not seriously hurt but our vehicle was a write-off.

I have witnessed cars driving right through these rural stop signs and luckily not hit anyone – but wonder if they were even aware of what they just did?

When driving on any of the concessions and even Creek Road, I always slow down and watch for other cars when nearing an intersection, wondering if those cars will stop.

I advocate and suggest that on each crossroad we need to:

• Install larger stop signs with flashing red lights.
• Add four-way stops.
• Add rumble strips to warn drivers they are approaching a stop sign.

I know I have read about these suggestions in newspapers many times before and with more traffic due to increases in population, wine-tasting tourists and bike riders can we revisit the problem and make it a municipal election issue?

Karen Ediger
NOTL