Routes 903 and 309
Two of the most crash-prone highways in the Carbon-Schuylkill area continue to be a concern.
Route 903 between Jim Thorpe and Blakeslee is fairly straight and heavily traveled.According to state police at Fern Ridge, 45 crashes on Route 903 were investigated already this year.One of those took the lives of two teens heading home from cheerleading practice.Many say speeding and tailgating are the most common cause of crashes on the roadway, largely straight and fairly level, but heavily traveled.The road has been targeted for aggressive driving enforcement.But police can't be everywhere.The same story is true in Tamaqua area, where Route 309 is a recurrent trouble spot.It's one of Schuylkill County's busiest highways and known for heavy traffic from West Penn Township to Rush Township.As with Route 903, Route 309 sees its share of tailgating and speeding.In Hometown, the four-lane highway is lined with businesses.Drivers sometimes cut across all four lanes.The crashes have become commonplace despite safety campaigns, lower speed limits, increased monitoring and ticketing, and even aggressive driving warning signage.At times of especially heavy volume, such as "Auction Wednesday," the risk of collisions is elevated.And it seems the crashes happen along the straight-as-an-arrow section in Hometown.Some have suggested PennDOT replace the current low medians with new 42-inch-high concrete safety dividers, sometimes called Jersey barriers.But 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.Ultimately, responsibility for traffic safety rests with drivers.Speeding and tailgating are symptoms of a larger problem.We're living our lives too fast.We live in a day when motorists seem to be in a hurry to get from point A to point B.The best remedy for Route 903 and 309 is for drivers to slow down.In fact, that's good advice for motorists traveling on roads everywhere.Focus on the road ahead.Avoid distractions of cellphones and text messages.Don't tailgate. Keep a light foot on the gas pedal, and just slow down.By Donald R. Serfass |