It happened again Saturday, three more times.

A car crossed the median on Route 309 near Hometown and smashed head-on into an oncoming passenger van.Eleven people were injured.Then, two more crashes within the next 12 hours at the same general location on the same road.More injuries.Week in and week out, it's more of the same on Route 309, which runs 132 miles from the Philadelphia area to Tunkhannock.The section passing through the Tamaqua area is particularly troublesome.It's one of Schuylkill County's busiest highways and known for heavy traffic from West Penn Township to Rush Township.Forty years ago, low medians were installed, separating two northbound lanes from two southbound lanes.But low medians don't stop or prevent head-on collisions.Even stepped-up police presence hasn't been the answer.The crashes have become commonplace despite safety campaigns, lower speed limits, increased monitoring and ticketing, and even aggressive driving warning signage.The collisions along Route 309 continue.Some have taken place at well-known trouble spots, such as Dead Man's Curve, near the former White Diner.But many more, it seems, are happening along the straight-as-an-arrow section of Route 309 in Hometown.Maybe it's time for PennDOT to replace the current low medians with new, 42-inch-high concrete safety dividers, sometimes called Jersey barriers.Many, of course, would oppose such an idea.They're unpleasing to the eye, and business owners along Route 309 might argue that barriers would limit access to their shops and stores and prevent potential customers from stopping in.That might be true. But the status quo is unacceptable.The Route 309 Corridor is a dangerous free-for-all.Cars patronizing Route 309 businesses often cut across four lanes of fast-moving traffic.At times of especially heavy volume, such as "Auction Wednesday," the risk of collisions is elevated.Changes by the state are desperately needed.PennDOT must step up to the plate and take a long, hard look at Route 309 in Tamaqua area.It's become a reality version of the old amusement park bumper cars.Typically, we'd call for something to be done before someone gets killed. But it's far too late for that.Several lost their lives along the highway last year alone.The Route 309 Corridor is an area of growth and potential. But it includes a very dangerous highway that's a threat to all who drive.The time has come to make Route 309 safe.In fact, it's long overdue.By DONALD R. SERFASSdserfass@tnonline.com