On The Skids and Off the Rails in Carbon Canyon

As noted here before, it's great to see the work CalTrans District 8 is putting into improving Carbon Canyon Road (State Route 142), including repaving, better drainage, new and replaced guardrails, and new signage.

It has often been pointed out on this blog, however, that, needed as these measures are, dangerous driving in the canyon, which is consistent particularly on weekend evenings, will often not be materially affected by these.

Recognizing funding and staffing, there has to be more of a physical presence by law enforcement personnel if any mitigation in behavior is to happen.  Meetings with a Carbon Canyon committee included discussion of more California Highway Patrol patrols, but there apparently is a lack of staffing and funding for that entity.  When I attended a presentation from a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department official recently, he told the group that there was difficulty in recruiting deputies--whether this is the same for San Bernardino County is not known.

Basically, instances of dangerous driving in the canyon are still regular and concerning.  Official crash statistics are not going to always reflect this, particularly if incidents are not reported, which presumably many, if not most, aren't, especially if the vehicle crashes into guardrails, signs and other objects and can drive off.

In the last several days, there are at least three more incidents that have taken place, demonstrating the continuing problem.  At the middle of the S-curve at the summit in Chino Hills, one of the two or three most common locations for problems, signs, including a new one, have again been hit and damaged.

Just to the west, as the approach to the summit is made at Carriage Hills Road, a car took the first curve there too fast, skidded off the road, tore up some grass along the side of the highway and kept on going.

Then, as noted here last week, a vehicle racing through Sleepy Hollow took a curve too quickly, overcompensated, bounced off a guardrail, crossed lanes and was hit by another car coming in the opposite direction, with more guardrail damage caused in the collision.

All three incidents were caused by drivers going eastbound, as was another fairly recent incident in which a vehicle on the Brea side skidded off a curve, crossed lanes, and plowed through newly installed chain link fence at the old La Vida Mineral Springs property.

Although there was an injury in the Sleepy Hollow wreck, or, at least, an ambulance was on scene, most of the dangerous driving incidents in the Canyon don't involve casualties, but the risk is always there.  It does seem as if more of an effort could be made to have regular patrols, particularly on weekend evenings, so that drivers know there is a possibility that enforcement will take place.

Otherwise, we'll continue to live with regular speeding and risky driving (it happens virtually every night as can be heard by those of us who live on the road) through our neighborhoods and hope that the damage is limited to physical objects and not more people.