Eastbayri.com

To the editor:

Has there been a head-on collision at the traffic light at the intersection of East Main Road and the end of Turnpike Avenue? If not, it's bound to happen.

Not that long ago, Turnpike Avenue was cut down to one lane of traffic each way to slow traffic down for safety. Yet at the end of Turnpike Avenue at East Main Road there are two lanes and both are allowed to turn right onto East Main Road. Yes, that’s a turn, not a continuation of Turnpike Avenue.

The road leading out of Clements’ Market is also served by this traffic light. Cars in the right lane leaving Clements’ can only turn right onto East Main Road going north. Cars in the left lane can proceed straight onto Turnpike Avenue or turn left onto East Main Road going south. Cars turning right out of Clements’ may have to deal with cars coming from the left lane on Turnpike Avenue turning left onto East Main Road going north. This can be dealt with quite easily.

For cars leaving Clements’ in the left lane, things are much more complicated. If the car in the left lane onTurnpike Avenue has its left turn signal on and is really “turning” left onto East Main Road, the car coming out of Clements’ can make a left turn (left turn signal on) onto East Main Road (left lane) at the same time. If the car leaving Clements’ wants to proceed straight across to Turnpike Avenue (no turn signal), the car in the left lane on Turnpike (left turn signal on) should wait until the car(s) coming across pass(es) and then make its turn left.

The first problem arises when a car in the left lane on Turnpike has its left turn signal on to mean it wants to turn (left?) into Clements.’ For a car coming out or Clements’ going straight to Turnpike, this situation should not present a problem. A car coming out of Clements’ (left turn signal on) thinking the other car’s signal means a left turn onto East Main may end up with a head on collision.

The second problem arises because cars in the left lane on Turnpike are allowed to turn right onto East Main. A car coming out of Clements’ turning left onto East Main may be headed for the same left lane on East Main as a car turning right from Turnpike (usually no right turn signal). Why? Would it not make sense and make this intersection less confusing and safer if signage was put at the end of

Turnpike allowing right turns only from the right lane and left turn or straight (no turn signal please) into Clements’ from the left lane?

Logical use of turn signals would also help!

Joe Barek

Portsmouth