Creating barriers to random crashes
Two crashes into storefronts in less than two weeks? Turns out, such incidents are far from rare. As The New Mexican reported earlier this week, vehicle-into-building crashes are a public health concern, with not enough effort put into tracking them or preventing them.
The Storefront Safety Council, a private research group, has been tracking such accidents for the past four years. National Transportation Safety Administration researchers, though, are keeping track of public roads. Most storefront crashes are in private parking lots, as in Santa Fe, so the true impact is unknown.
Even without complete statistics, the council documents some 300 to 400 drivers crashing into buildings each month. That’s on public and private roads, as well as in parking lots. The council estimates that such crashes cause some 500 deaths a year, as well as millions of dollars in property damages. By contrast, federal statistics count 352 deaths in 320 vehicle-into-building crashes from 2010-14. The problem is seriously underreported.
In College Plaza Shopping Center, an 81-year-old woman drove into a cafe on March 2; then, on March 14, a 40-year-old woman ran her car into a clothing store next to the restaurant. Thankfully, no one was killed in either crash. Police think both drivers confused the accelerator and brake pedals. (Other causes can be plain inattention, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or fiddling with an electronics device and being distracted.)
The simplest solution to reduce such accidents is for the managers of shopping centers and other businesses with storefronts is to make changes in their parking lots.
If cars and trucks aren’t “nosing” into spots in front of the storefronts, a driver can’t mistakenly hit the gas and propel his vehicle forward. This would eliminate parking spots but could save money in damages over time. Perhaps instead of parking places, property owners could put up barriers — that’s often a solution anyway — but make them planters, with trees and flowers so they add beauty.
Safety barriers or bollards — those vertical posts — at the end of parking spaces against the curb or sidewalk will stop vehicles from careening into buildings, although it’s important to design them well so they are not ugly.
It’s likely, given the prevalence of such crashes, that building and zoning codes requiring such prevention methods will be built into ordinances around the country, according to the safety council. There are plenty of such barriers around Santa Fe already, as called for in city code.
In Santa Fe, Waterbury Properties, which owns College Plaza, is planning to redouble its efforts to stop such accidents. John Waterbury, principal of the company, told reporter Tripp Stelnicki he is planning to install new bollards: “We’re going to make it impossible for this to happen again.”
Make it impossible, and if possible, make the barriers or bollards attractive. Stubby posts sticking out of the ground don’t have the most appealing look; neither do concrete barriers. Safety comes first, of course. To that end, drivers should take care to focus on what matters — not their phone, or radio dial or even the next errand on the list. Cars and trucks are powerful weapons. They should be handled with care.