Q: It is really wonderful that so many individuals are so completely unaware of the hazards of not being attentive to visitors, particularly at evening.
The opposite evening after we have been within the automotive 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 carrying darkish clothes, no helmet, and had no gentle or reflectors on his bike. He appeared instantly, out of nowhere, from the left facet of the road, and was using very quick, crossing the road. He didn’t even look, till he heard the tires on our automotive skidding.
Thank God for my spouse’s fast response. Had there been an accident at our velocity of 40 mph, it might have been deadly for the bicyclist.
Chuck Dougherty, San Jose
A: Right here’s some disconcerting information about evening 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 evening.
Whereas autobrakes are usually efficient in stopping crashes, latest analysis exhibits that this know-how isn’t as efficient in darkish situations. An vital a part of the issue is that many automobiles examined didn't have headlights that detected pedestrians in time to stop a crash.
To deal with the excessive proportion of pedestrian crashes that happen on darkish roads, the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security not too long ago began a nighttime check of pedestrian computerized emergency braking (AEB) methods.
Solely 4 of the primary 23 midsize automobiles, midsize SUVs and small pickups examined earned the “superior” ranking. These have been the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry and Toyota Highlander.
Greater than half the automobiles examined earned a fundamental rating, or no credit score.
Within the daylight check, in contrast, 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 six 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 could 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 will likely 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.