Q: It is really wonderful that so many individuals are so completely unaware of the hazards of not taking note of site visitors, particularly at night time.
The opposite night time once we have been within the automobile and my spouse was driving, she needed to slam on the brakes and got here inside inches, actually, of hitting a person on a bicycle on The Alameda.
That part of The Alameda is darkish, and the bicycle owner was sporting all dark-colored clothes, wore no helmet, and had no mild or reflectors on his bike. He appeared abruptly, out of nowhere, from the left facet of the road, and was driving very quick, crossing the road. He didn’t even look, till he heard the tires on our automobile skidding.
Thank God for my spouse’s fast response. Had there been an accident at our pace of 40 mph, it might have been deadly for the bicyclist.
Chuck Dougherty, San Jose
A: Right here’s some disconcerting information about night time driving, which is very consequential for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrian deaths have soared almost 80 p.c since their lowest stage in 2009, with three-quarters of those deaths occurring at night time.
Whereas autobrakes are typically efficient in stopping crashes, latest analysis reveals that this know-how isn’t as efficient in darkish situations. An essential a part of the issue is that many automobiles examined didn't have headlights that detected pedestrians in time to forestall a crash.
To deal with the excessive proportion of pedestrian crashes that happen on darkish roads, the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security just lately began a nighttime check of pedestrian computerized emergency braking (AEB) methods.
Solely 4 of the primary 23 midsize vehicles, midsize SUVs and small pickups examined earned the “superior” score. These have been the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry and Toyota Highlander.
Greater than half of the automobiles examined earned a fundamental rating, or no credit score.
Within the daylight check, in distinction, 19 of the 23 automobiles examined earned superior or superior scores of their AEB methods.
For extra data, see: https://go.iihs.org/news-night-pedestrian-aeb
Q: About 6 months in the past, Almaden Expressway was repaved very properly. There was a stretch of 150 ft on one both facet of Camden Avenue that was not repaved. A reader requested you what was occurring and also you mentioned it might be repaved quickly. Why has it not been accomplished?
Stu Goodgold, San Jose
A: A contract was awarded on August 16. The San Jose Division of Transportation anticipates that building will start this fall and paving shall be accomplished within the spring. Intersection enhancements right here will embrace sign modifications, set up of extra left flip lanes in each instructions on Almaden Expressway, in addition to security enchancment for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Search for Gary Richards at Fb.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.