Editor,
After living off Sage Height Drive for the last three years I’ve noticed a common problem, people are either too eager to get to Winnemucca or too eager to leave.
With a perfect view of the 35 mph stretch of Highway 95 coming into town, I’ve noticed a common theme: Winnemucca Police Department, Humboldt County Sherriff, and Nevada Highway Patrol all have their hands full making sure people saw the 35 mph signs.
To be fair, I frequently walk my dogs and children on the trail paralleling the highway, and from my kitchen window I notice many vehicles oblivious to the posted speed. I am not certain that this is indeed a speed trap that helps fund the local and state legislative bodies, but it makes me wonder how concerned we are as residents and law officials that vehicle operators abide by the posted speed.
I see daily stops by officers and some days multiple officers loop this section of road, often making multiple stops at the same time. Unfortunately, I haven’t even seen the same level of concern in school zones when I drop my daughter off for school in the mornings.
All of this makes me wonder if as a community we might better prevent these frequent speeders and help a few out-of-state folks enjoy coming into town by a better warning system. To me, putting some speed cuts in the road, installing an over-roadway flashing light, or maybe just putting up a big orange sign that alerts complacent drivers that it is indeed 35 mph and to take it serious. Likewise, the warnings for school zones.
I feel this could be achieved at a minimal cost and could predictably free up our law enforcers to be in a better position to help our community in the event of an unpredictable catastrophe.
At the end of the day... What’s our concern? That we commit valuable law enforcement time to mundane traffic stops, or that we recognize a reoccurring problem and consider a solution?
Joe Malsam
Winnemucca
