Letter to the Editor: It’s time to lower the speed limit in St. George’s residential areas

A sign advises motorists to drive with care in a neighborhood in St. George, Utah, Sept. 20, 2021 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News

OPINION — Did you know that getting hit by a vehicle is one of the leading causes of death in children and over 50% of accidents occur within a 5-mile radius from home?

Children are small and often hard to see. They are also easily distracted, resulting in them not paying attention to their surroundings.

As a mom and a member of a neighborhood full of children of all ages, I have experienced the fear of a child nearly being hit by a vehicle.

Because our neighborhood is the only way to access the Virgin River’s Skimboard Park, our streets are heavily trafficked with excited teenagers, tourists and families focusing on a fun day at the river. Countless times these drivers are going well over the posted 25 mph speed limit.

My neighbors and I have also come to the realization that many of these drivers we’ve asked to slow down are in fact going the legal speed limit. 25 mph is just too high for an area where children are constantly playing.

It’s time to work on prevention to keep these children in our community safe.

Submitted by MIKENNA BRANNON, St. George.

Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or news contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them. They do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News and are given only light edit for technical style and formatting.

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