By Mark Rosman
Millstone Township’s elected officials who wanted feedback about the situation on the community’s roads got what they wanted and more after I posted an article on a Millstone Township Facebook page recently.
That article by Examiner staff writer Matthew Sockol, which you can read in today’s newspaper, reports comments that were made by members of the Township Committee during a recent meeting.
At that meeting, officials noted there have been several serious accidents in the community in recent weeks. They called on motorists to pay strict attention to all traffic regulations.
Here are some of the comments that were posted on the Millstone Township Facebook page after I placed a shorter version of Sockol’s article online a week ago:
• I have lived in this beautiful town for about 10 days. The roads here scare me. I am being tailgated every day!
• The two deaths that happened on Route 524 a couple of weeks apart (occurred) when both people hit a huge tree; the tree did not jump out in the road so how did it happen? Both accidents happened on beautiful clear sunny days; everyone needs to slow down and put their phones away.
• As a resident off Stillhouse Road, there are a lot of blind spots, especially on the soccer field side crossing over … There are telephone poles that create blind spots on the eastbound side, high grass and signs sometimes … Many times it can look clear and when you look toward the left and then the right, (then) a car is on left …
Or don’t forget, there is a winding road on the westbound sided before Stillhouse Road, so if you look right and then left, you better look right again before crossing because what you did not see before is now coming right at you … and bam!!!! Happens all the time, you need to do a three check …
• Was just tailgated this very morning at 8 a.m. on Millstone Road after turning off Stagecoach Road on my way to the Millstone Township Elementary School to drop my son off. No regard for the reduced speed in the school zone!! I thought he was going to take my rear end right off!
There are cars turning in and out of the school at this hour and it is nearly impossible to exit the elementary school parking lot to oncoming traffic, so slow down!!! Incidentally, when attempting to exit the elementary school to make a left turn back onto Millstone Road, if there is another car attempting to exit right, this creates a very dangerous blind spot created by the other car, which could potentially lead to a nasty crash!
I repeat, slow down please for the sake of my children and your own!! It would not hurt to have a police presence in the area at that hour to direct traffic!
• I agree with all the above comments with an addition … people, please slow down in developments, too … There are walkers, bikers and runners. What makes people think it is OK to drive 40 mph and above in a development?
As a runner who runs correctly (traffic coming toward me), I am horrified every day I am out there. On many occasions I had to jump on the grass to make sure I was not hit. This happened just yesterday. It is very scary and disheartening especially when I see kids in those cars.
Millstone Township does not have its own police department; the municipality is covered by the New Jersey State Police and it is not realistic to believe the state police are going to be a constant presence on the community’s roads looking for speeders and drivers passing other motorists improperly.
Driving in Millstone Township is more like the honor system, with the safety of all dependent on each other. Judging from the comments made on Facebook, not everyone subscribes to the Golden Rule.
All anyone in this rural municipality can do — and ask non-residents to do — is to pay attention to what they are doing behind the wheel and to proceed with caution at intersections and well-known traffic trouble spots.
The problems on the roads are not all being caused by Millstone residents, but it does appear that residents are bearing the brunt of many inconsiderate drivers.
Mark Rosman is the managing editor of the Examiner. He may be reached via email at gmntnews@gmnews.com
