No, I am not talking about a type of sushi here… I am talking about drivers that do NOT come to a complete stop at stop signs and when they are turning right on red.

I see it all the time.  And according to Police, they see it too!  I am from Upstate New York orginally, so I had never heard of a “California Roll.”  To me, it sounded like something I would choose when I stand in line at the sub shop!   But I later learned it’s just a name for a bad driving pattern… and it’s named after California drivers, who are famous for doing it.   Rolling through the stop sign or red light.

Did you know, you are not only suppose come to a complete stop at a stop sign, but you are also supposed to stop at the stop bar…. then pull forward…. look both ways… and only go if it’s safe.   How many drivers do you think do that? Not many!!

I always find it interesting when I see accident scenes at four way stops.  How can that happen? Nobody is going fast… so there should be plenty of time to realize you could crash… right? I guess not.  I just don’t get it.

At a four-way stop, police say you are supposed to let the person to your right go first.  That’s how a four way works.  If we all did this, there would be some kind of order.  But instead, it’s who can skip through without having to wait. 

The rules of the road are there for a reason.  Share your thoughts and tell me your stories.  I am sure many of you have one (or two, or three, or four…..)

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Someone posted a comment on my blog about something I recently covered.    It’s called “due care.” 

What it means is that drivers must use care when driving, and if they don’t… they can be responsible for breaking the law or the cause of an accident.

I recently went out with the North Las Vegas Police and watched them give out warnings to drivers at the intersection of Cheyenne & Losee.   It was unbelievable!!  Laws broken every minute, literally!  Many of them blamed on drivers not using due care.

For example:

Yes, you can use the shoulder area if the road is wide enough and there is not a painted line… BUT you can’t go speeding southbound down Losee passing everyone as you try to get to the light at Cheyenne.  You must use due care.  Take it slow, watch for other vehicles and drive defensively.  That–  is due care.

 If you were to look up due care it would say:  the care that a reasonable man would exercise under the circumstances.

Shouldn’t we all use Due Care? I think it would make our roads much safer

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I have returned from a trip to Cabo, Mexico.  It was fun.  The sun, the pool, etc. etc.  But I did notice our shuttle drivers went a little too fast, boy it was scary! 

Cabo is building up more and more. I bet that place explodes in like 10 years.  More and more resorts are going up along the beach.  It’s a beautiful place.  And it seems like the sun is always shining! 

There are not many roadways.  Mostly a main road, then several small ones.  The main road is crazy though! I can only imagine there are some nasty accidents on that road if two vehicles hit head on.

We talked with our shuttle driver quite a bit on the way back. He says gas prices are up there too, slightly, but not only is that causing a headache, the quality of gas there is bad too.  He says he can totally feel a difference in the way his vehicles drive.  Especially the vans and SUV’s they use for airport transportation. 

He joked and said when he fills up, he doesn’t know whether to pump it in his car or drink it!   Oh boy.

I would definitley recommend Cabo though.   If you take Mexicana airlines you can get a nonstop flight both ways.  You do need a passport.  But the flight is only 2 1/2 hours! 

Book a shuttle ahead of time to get you to and from the airport.  Make sure to ignore the people trying to sell you time shares, and if you stay near Cabo San Lucas plan a half hour shuttle ride to your resort.  Most likely your resort will have everthing you are looking for!  You can even get an all inclusive package so you never have to leave! 

If you travel into town, it will cost you about 15 dollars for a cab ride.  You can pretty much make a deal with the driver on what you are willing to pay.  There are many different restaurants down there.  Plan ahead though, it’s easier knowing where you want to go.   It’s such a quick and easy trip for those of us that live in Southern Nevada.  

And the best part,  it’s cheap!

 Just make sure to buckle up in the cab and on those shuttle rides!!!

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Horses on the road.  Yes, in a city as big as Las Vegas, we still see people that ride horses for transportation.   Many times you will see this in North Las Vegas or in the Northwest part of the valley. 

So a viewer asked me…. are they allowed in the road?  

Well, here’s the answer.  There are no clear cut laws on this, but basically, police say horse riders must follow the same rules of the road as bicyclists.

Pedestrians have the right of way.  You must walk your horse across the cross walk. 

And, most importantly, police say you MUST pick up after your horse!!  If you know what I mean!

I know a lot of horse lovers in town, and we want every one of them to be safe. 

I received many emails from people after I aired my What’s Driving You Crazy?! segment on this. 

Susan from Pahrump made a good point!  She says, “Not just here, but all around the U.S. people are using their horses as A means of transportation. Why? The increase of fuel stops alot of us from doing alot of the things we used to enjoy. If you need A loaf of bread and the store is only A couple of miles away it is more fuel efficient to hop on your horse instead of in your car. ”

I love it!

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I’m sure we have all thought about this one!   

 You are driving along and you get to a section of roadway that is really wide… but it’s only striped one lane down the middle.

Meanwhile, cars are zooming past you. 

Some are all over the place. 

And others are driving down the middle. 

You think to yourself, “is this one lane or TWO?”

Well, here’s the deal.  It is CONSIDERED one lane.  BUT, if the lane is wide enough to accomodate two cars side by side, safely, without leaving the roadway… it is permissible.  That is according to both North Las Vegas Police and Metro. 

I wanted to share that with you.  A co-worker recently asked me that question and it’s something that crossed my mind in the past as well. 

I can only imagine… it’s crossed yours too!

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A viewer from Las Vegas is extremely frustrated with all the signs posted at intersections.  

Garage Sale signs, For Sale signs, Liquidation Sale signs… etc.  

The viewer feels this should be illegal.  He says it’s not only an eyesore, it also impairs proper vision when driving through the intersection.  He feels posting at sign on a STOP sign should be against the law. 

I agree, and guess what.  It is!

(more…)

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I received an email from a 10 year resident of Las Vegas.  She wanted to know why the I-95 is referred to as Northbound and Southbound…. when it clearly goes Westbound and Eastbound in some parts.   So, I have an explanation.

 First…. I’m surprised a 10 year resident is calling it I-95.  It’s actually a U.S. Highway… so it’s called U.S. 95.   That’s okay… common mistake. 

Did you know… odd numbered highways are Northbound and Southbound and even numbered highways are Westbound and Eastbound?  That is WHY we use the descriptions that we do. 

U.S. 95, for the most part, runs Northbound & Southbound… but form Rainbow Blvd. to Charleston Blvd… it appears to run Westbound and Eastbound.  That’s where the confusion comes in! 

Read this.  I found it helpful.  If you good the highway numbering system, there are many articles you can read and learn from.

Wait… there’s more… here’s some information I found on the numbering system as a whole.  I found it very enlightening! 

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Oh boy, I didn’t realize what a complicated and HOT topic this was!  I covered the issue in a recent What’s Driving You Crazy?! segment, and I received several calls and e-mails after it aired.

There are different rules & laws depending on what jurisdiction you are in.  So here’s the break down:

(more…)

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Just in the last week we have reported on two rollovers…. one on U.S. 95 near Durango and another on Cheyenne near Allen Lane.   This morning we showed an accident at the airport connector.   The car hit a light pole, knocked it over, and that pole fell below to the road and hit another car!   How!? Why? Do we all really need to drive this fast??

 I know I talk a lot about rollovers and how they amaze me.  Many of you have posted comments saying… it’s easier to do, than it seems.  But… really?   You have to admit… you must be going pretty fast.  

So here’s my new question.  Why does everyone drive so FAST?  What purpose does it serve?  Are you late? Are you rushing to Target? What?  

I look forward to hearing your comments!  Post away! :) 

And… Drive Safe!

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This week I did a “What’s Driving You Crazy?!” special report on who paints the lines on county roads.  We found out that there is only a crew of FOUR people in charge of this.  Last year they painted almost 7,000 miles of roadway!  They cover all county roads from Logandale to Sandy Valley.

Here are the links to the stories:

Part One

Part Two

Many people ask, why only four people? How can that possibly be? Clark County says it obviously comes down to funding.  The Public Works Department shares a budget with METRO and UMC… so in the end… it receives the smallest piece of the pie.  Only about 2.4 percent.  

Each year, every department hands in a budget with its personnel and equipment needs.  It goes to management, then to the County’s Department of Finance.   The Department of Finance takes in all the information and makes a priority list for the county’s annual budge.  This list then goes to the Board of County Commissioners for approvel.  Many of the decisions depend on the County’s projected revenue for the upcoming year. 

So for now… the County is stuck with using only one Maintenance Supervisor and a crew of three to work with him.  They also only have one paint truck.  And one new machine that helps seal those RPM’s (Raised Pavement Markers) down to the road. 

 Here’s some information that can help you.  I know many of you see spots of concern around the valley, here are some numbers you can use to report a faded line, ghost line, an area that needs a school crosswalk, etc.

 Clark County Traffic Operations Division:  702-455-7544
( The county is in charge of county roads and the 215 Beltway west of the I-15)

North Las Vegas: 702-633-1264

Nevada Dept. of Transportation: 702-385-6504

Henderson: 702-267-3099

 City of Las Vegas: 702-229-6276

** But remember, make sure you leave your name and number if you get a message!  They want to be able to call you back and update you on the issue.  Sometimes the issue you have is not in their jurisdiction too.  So they want to call you and give you the correct number.  

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