YES, new cars are safer.

[rox]

Well, it's been a month since the wreck that knocked the utility pole and streetlight out in front of my home. This morning they finally put the new streetlight up and this evening another drunk driver hit the pole and broke it again. This driver had no airbag but he did have his seatbelt on. Once again, the driver suffered no injuries and walked (staggered) away from the wreck where he was booked by the State Police for DUI. I wonder how long it will be before I get my new streetlight this time. The power company puts up a new pole and connects up the electric wires and the phone company repairs the phone wires immediately but we must wait on the light.

I tried putting reflector tape and reflectors on the pole but the drunks keep hitting it anyway. Maybe if the road was straighter......

Tallyho- your stories are incediable! See if the can at least put in a brighter light. Is it a rual highway? If it wasn't that rual perhaps a nice speedbump further up the highway to slow em down a bit, although i msut say i do hate speed bumps. Gee can you get them to move the pole back farther in towards your property? I am sure with so many hits you ahve probably already thought of all these ideas. The ditch is probably the problem isn't it? If it wasmore level the drivers might have been able to swerve back on the road, with the ditch the ditch just sucks them in and they are not able to maneuver. Well it is hard to feel sorry for them because drunk or sober they were not driving safely.

 

[Defective]

I'd say the pole needs to be reinforced. That way the drunks stand a better chance of being taken off the road permanently...

 

[jimmer2880]

I like the ditch. I bet that keeps them from coming into his yard more. If it were flat, they'd simply loose traction and go into a lateral spin through the yard.

 

[tallyho8]

Yes, the ditch slows them down and guides them into the pole. The pole stops them before they can drive down the road further and hit someone headon.

There must be a simpler way to get drunks off the highway.

 

[GinNB]

As far as I know, the driver's insurance is billed for the cost of replacing poles, repairing guardrails, etc.

$1000/pole in these parts. Never hit one, but I'm quite careful when burning around them. Fire can get inside an old pole and be bloody hard to put out, even with a hose and lots of water handy.

 

[Tig]

The pole is obviously a "drunk magnet". Ask them to move it across the street.
If they won't move it, try painting it cammo.

 

[Defective]

Maybe set up a web cam aimed at the pole.

 

[KubotainNH]

I'd go with boulders by the road if the terrain allows. Nothing like a huge rock to stop a car.

 

[tallyho8]

I'd go with boulders by the road if the terrain allows. Nothing like a huge rock to stop a car.

They don't have a boulder within 500 miles of my house and the highway department would probably frown on it anyway.

 

[Rara Avis]

They don't have a boulder within 500 miles of my house and the highway department would probably frown on it anyway.

You can have as many boulders as you want in Vermont...They're free...you just got to come get them...