Whats Up with Des Moines Transit Buses Turning Left and Hitting People?
According to a report today on NPR, Des Moines transit buses have hit seven pedestrians in the last two years while making left turns. Seven. That seems like a lot. And the most recent accident occurred just this past Monday. The city initially addressed the problem by increasing driver training, erecting warning signs for pedestrians, and forbidding the use of cell phones by bus drivers while on duty. And now the city has taken two additional steps to curb the accidents. Drivers must now honk as they make turns to warn pedestrians and they must follow new routes in the downtown core that do not include left-hand-turns. The second step seems to make sense by eliminating the left-hand-turn danger altogether. The second, however, seems a bit misguided. The honk requirement does nothing to increase a bus driver’s awareness of pedestrians who may be in their path. Rather, it puts the burden on pedestrians to get out of the way if they hear a honk – even if they have the right-of-way in a c
