Speeding, reckless driving pose hazards

You’re driving in the slow lane on Main Street, maybe a tad over the posted 25 mph speed limit when someone barrels past you only to be stopped by the red light that was just a quarter mile ahead of you.

It doesn’t seem that people got any better at driving over the past two years of the pandemic, with most indicators revealing the exact opposite.

There have been several wrecks in the last two weeks that backed up traffic.

A collision on Feb. 7 resulted in Kingsbury Grade being closed for two hours after a driver was reportedly passing on the double yellow line and hit a slick spot, causing his vehicle to roll over.

Trooper Charles Caster said that ice on the road might have been involved in the collision that sent one person for treatment with nonlife-threatening injuries and resulted in one driver’s arrest for suspected impairment.

The fifth wreck to snarl traffic in Carson Valley in five days backed up northbound traffic on Highway 395 past Stephanie Way on Feb. 11, affecting the evening commute. The collision was reported at around 3:30 p.m. near the intersection with South Sunridge and involved a sedan and a sport utility vehicle.

Traffic was still slowed nearly 45 minutes later, prompting motorists to turn onto Genoa Lane and up Jacks Valley Road to avoid the congestion.

Around three hours later on Feb. 11, traffic was backed up again at Highway 50 at the Clear Creek interchange after a vehicle hit the wall and came to rest in the travel lane around 6:54 p.m. It as hit by a second vehicle and the highway was closed for more than an hour.

No one was transported as a result of the wreck.

Speeding and reckless driving are two of the most common complaints received by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

On Valentine's Day, Douglas County announced that Lisa Malof and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Advisory Council donated $10,000 each to purchase new radar trailers for the Sheriff’s Office.

“The Radar Trailers are deployed almost daily by our Citizen Patrol members in areas where speeding complaints are received or where Sheriff Office personnel deem there is a need,” sheriff’s officials said.

Both trailers are calibrated for accuracy to show drivers their speed as they approach.

“If the vehicle speed is exceeding the posted and programmed speed limit, red and blue lights and the vehicle speed flashes, advising the driver to slow down,” officials said.

One of the trailers will be mainly in East Fork Township, which includes Carson Valley and southern Douglas County, while the other will be located at Lake Tahoe.

Residents who believe there is a speeding problem may call Citizen Patrol at 775-783-6466, to request that a radar trailer be set-up in their neighborhood.