Aug. 3, 2004

It seems that a lot of letters in the Readers Forum lately have been about traffic problems, traffic policy and bad driving behavior. This seems to suggest that there are a lot of questions, confusion and ignorance out there regarding traffic at the Lab. One answer to this could be training regarding traffic at the Lab.

Most of us had to take ergonomics training because so many of us use desks, chairs and computers at the Lab. Very many people also drive on Lab property and roads and use Lab parking. Since there are definitely safety issues involved, training might be in order. It could cover such things as what to do at a guard post (including removal of helmets when asked), how to manuever through the posts on Pajarito Road (including those yield signs), what traffic laws, regulations and policies are in effect when driving on Lab property, which roads are Lab property, who enforces laws and policy on Lab roads and parking lots, and all sorts of other issues that may be unique to the Lab or at least unfamiliar to people who come here to work (even if only for the summer). It also could cover some of the basic points of defensive driving - not just obeying speed laws and the like, but how to stay alive when people are not (letting speeders pass; pulling to the side to let other vehicles pass if you are travelling slower than they are). It also would be important to cover sharing the road with bicyclists. Such a course could even include brief video clips of proper procedures. If everyone were required to take short training on this topic, it should clear up a lot of questions and complaints, and just maybe could make driving at the Lab a little safer.

--Richard Stead