Unsafe at any speed?

Drivers in the city of Buffalo these days are facing some very odd times. Let's call it the law of unintended consequences at work.

In late May, there was a simply horrible accident on a Saturday on Route 198, the Scajaquada Expressway. A driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel and drove off the road - right into Delaware Park. One child was killed, and another critically injured. The mother also was slightly injured in the accident. It doesn't get much worse than that.

One of the worst parts of the accident is that we all should have seen it coming. Placing a four-lane divided highway with a 50 MPH speed limit in the middle of a park for part of its run, with no major railings, was a horrible idea. The rest of the highway isn't exactly relaxing, either. There's an extremely short merge lane going west of Parkside, and the on-ramp from the 198 to Route 33 is often backed up and features an on-ramp that can require a cross-over technique through traffic that always looks like it could create an accident a day.

Governor Cuomo wasted no time in taking action. He almost immediately ordered the speed limit reduced from 50 MPH to 30. The Department of Transportation was told to take a long-term look at the situation in order to make it safer for everyone. Can't argue with that premise.But it will be a while for a solution is reached. And in the meantime, driving on parts of Route 198 is downright scary.

Ever drive on a road where everyone is going a different speed? That's what is happening in places. There are some posted signs on spots about the new rules. Some drivers are obeying them as soon as touch the road. Some are slowing down a notch to 35 or 40. Then there are others whostill  are going 50 and above. Granted, I don't drive through the park section of Route 198 much, but the end of the highway by Route 33 feels unsafe.

I have heard that speeding tickets are being handed out, which is good. But it's tough to patrol every inch of the highway at all times of the day or night. It's also tough to break an old habit of hitting a particular speed on a highway, no matter how big the signs are. People have been driving at a certain rate for decades. And others tend to believe they have the Constitutional right to drive at almost any speed they want, a philosophy I've never understood.

Again, I don't want to this conversation to diminish our sympathies for the family involved in the accident by the slightest bit. The way we responded - and will respond - to the circumstances involves is what's being examined here. We can only hope that the DOT does a thorough job of investigating the situation, using, ahem, all deliberate speed. In the meantime, if you see a driver who is a little slower than most cars on Route 198 and looks a little nervous about it, well, that could be me.

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