2 wild car accidents within a week in the same stretch…

Submitted by juwanna-blomie t3_z8t4q6 in rva

I live on Dumbarton in Lakeside. In the last week, there has been 1 crash where a driver left the road got on the sidewalk and somehow go so far off the road they were practically on my lawn, and neighbors lawn. And took some shit out. If my car was parked it would’ve been banged up. This is actually the 2nd time this happened, the first they took out a speed limit sign(lol) and a large planter.[

This morning, just now, I hear a loud bang, there is trash EVERYWHERE on the road. Can’t tell how many cars involved but there’s a whole ass wheel on the ground. The speed limit here is 35mph. The first accident the person was going like 70 apparently. Idk what happened today but this is ridiculous. I may get crap for this but I’m not a slow driver, that being said I don’t speed outlandishly, and I haven’t had a moving accident in over 5-6 years, maybe more.

It’s baffling to me that people can drive so fast AND so dumb, on a rainy day.

What can be done to make sure proper precautions are being implemented, maybe more speed traps(this kills me to say cause I hate cops but a 35mph residential road isn’t the place to drag race)? One day its my light post, the next my car, a month from now I’ll be bringing my trash cans in and get pulverized by some asshole doing 70 because they thought they were Ryan Gosling in Drive.

Any tips?

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FalloutRip t1_iydfs44 wrote

The simplest solution for you for the time being (assuming you own the property) is to go buy some nice sized boulders and line the front of your yard with them. They are surprisingly effective at protecting property from stray cars.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iydg3jn wrote

I don’t own, although, I feel like the landlord won’t mind much, considering they have to repair the lightpost someone smashed into…

Also we’re like 2-3 accidents away from having a car in our living room.

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FalloutRip t1_iydgw8a wrote

In that case, I would get a quote or two prepared from some local companies and bring it up with the landlord. It's a much more appealing proposition than losing your property investment to it.

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twelvesteprevenge t1_iyd3ssj wrote

It's not like there aren't cops posted at Stoneleigh all the time but people don't pay attention or care. There's a plan to take Dumbarton down to two driving lanes and add bike lanes to make it less attractive as a passthrough to and from Staples Mill; that'll probably do the trick.

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em6891 t1_iydawp1 wrote

What's more amazing about Dumbarton is that there aren't more accidents.

Literally every single day on the way to and from work, I've got someone flashing their lights behind me or honking at me because I'm only going 37 on Dumbarton.

On Monday, i was turning left off of Dumbarton onto Woodrow and i had a driver pass me on the left, so going into the opposite traffic, to avoid waiting behind me just about 30 seconds. Meanwhile I'm waiting to turn because there are cars going in the opposite direction, so I'm just waiting my turn when this driver goes around me almost causing multiple accidents.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iydbdr2 wrote

That plus the people that want to act like assholes when cars pull into their driveways on the road. Like, “oh look at this asshole going home!” Wtf are we supposed to do? 40mph Tokyo Drift up my inclined driveway? So now I put my turning signal on WAY before I turn in, just so they know to leave the lane now if they are those kinds of ppl.

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Chickenmoons t1_iydq8ei wrote

Worth pointing out the fatal accident on the East side of Lakeside avenue a few months back where a car was T-boned killing the driver. Traffic needs to be slowed down on that road in a big way.

I really don’t understand why Dumbarton/Azalea needs to have lanes as wide as I64. I mean it dead ends into Staples Mill and Laburnum so it doesn’t really connect anything major or even industrial areas like Hilliard (which also is a massively overbuilt road). I’d like to see some large traffic circles on Dumbarton at Impala, Cottage and Hermitage and just eliminate those stop lights. Add another roundabout on the other side of Lakeside avenue. Some sidewalks and protected bike lanes (preferably with Jersey barriers) would be great too as well as pedestrian bump outs. It’s just a massively overbuilt road that feels like it’s a 55 mph zone and changing signs to 35mph and even stepped up enforcement doesn’t change that one bit.

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rattylight t1_iydwozi wrote

For real! I also live on a main road w/ a 35 MPH speed limit. Even slowing down ever so slightly just to pull off into my street parking spot gets me honked at and folks speed off. What am I supposed to do? I give plenty of warning, but I guess I'm such a nuisance apparently for not going 60 MPH and stopping on a dime.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iye26er wrote

I’ll amend this post for the city parkers: I just got flicked off for properly putting my turning signal on and parking on 2nd st where only 1 lane was open. Apparently this cunt didn’t believe I’m allowed to park in the city…

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Tayl44 t1_iydjccf wrote

This has been my experience on that road. Not pulling into a house but turning right, a literal few seconds, and people freak out. I can’t imagine living on that road and having people pissed off.

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Sabz5150 t1_iye2qge wrote

>Wtf are we supposed to do? 40mph Tokyo Drift up my inclined driveway?

Not go up like its your first time behind the wheel. I feel you but too many people tend to stop to half the speed of smell and then Farmer Brown it like they are parking an aircraft carrier.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iye3j7f wrote

Yea but that’s not always the case. I whip into my driveway (at around 10mph) for this reason, but at a certain point, you gotta accept that diff people have diff cars and driveways. Someones Miata takes an incline diff than a Jeep. That being said, if you have a massive dualie truck and you drive up inclines like you just learned how to drive you should be ordered to donate your vehicle.

Edit: to add, to someone going 35 mph, slowing down to 10mph is a drastic difference, so I think ANYONE who doesn’t have this more calm perspective will be upset about a 25mph slowdown.

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Sabz5150 t1_iye6e0a wrote

>That being said, if you have a massive dualie truck and you drive up inclines like you just learned how to drive you should be ordered to donate your vehicle.

I'm the biggest, loudest motherfucker here! Nobody can stand in my way! Roll Coal!

Is that... is that... a RAILROAD CROSSING!?!?!?!?

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jodyhighrola t1_iyd4621 wrote

>What can be done

Contact your elected officials, have others do the same. That's all you can do.

>Any tips?

Build a moat

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iyd4f84 wrote

Maybe I should just build a sweet kicker ramp so speeders can fly over the house and land in the cushy grassy yard safely. I’ve literally never felt the need to do anything like this before and I lived on 2 major roads in a FAR more populated city with a LOT of accidents as well. This street is like a death trap lol.

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jodyhighrola t1_iyd6k9q wrote

Lots of awful road design here. Zero enforcement of traffic law. Emboldened smooth brained drivers

A cocktail for fuckery.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iyd98iy wrote

I have, with my own two eyes, seen a car run a blatant, solid red through an intersection, there were no other cars just me and this person, with a cop across the way, saw the cop speed up, follow the car and then just let them get on the highway and carry on with their day.

Meanwhile, one day pulling out of my parking space in a 25mph residential street, I “cut off” a cruiser going ever so slowly, and they stopped me and grilled me about it.

Seems like they only care if it personally adds to or takes from their day.

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10000Didgeridoos t1_iydcwbq wrote

At Horsepen and Monument the other day, a car in front of me made a left turn on red a solid two seconds after the light changed. Like we got to the front of the left turn lane when it turned, they paused for 2 seconds, then went anyway as the cars coming straight who now had green almost hit them. It wasn't even close.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iydecwm wrote

Insane. Yea I’m from Miami, so lots of accidents, lots of crazy drivers, generally higher speed limits. But you see FAR less of that going down in such popular areas, let alone areas that are KNOWN to be monitored heavily by police. People here drive this way because they KNOW they can get away with it 9/10 times.

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dreww4546 t1_iydf9os wrote

I always wanted a moat and drawbridge, but not sure I'm zoned for it.

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jodyhighrola t1_iydkfol wrote

If you build it, then code enforcement can't reach you. It's time to fortify.

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Danger-Moose t1_iyd3e8i wrote

The traffic calming changes on Dumbarton should help lower the speed by reducing the amount of road available. Also, they routinely do speed traps on Dumbarton - but more would be great.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iyd3xyf wrote

I hope so. I still see people borderline try and run bikers off the road here. They need to just have those traps pinned from the little bridge over the tracks and then right on Westlake or something because these are the points where they start speeding (right off the highway) and slowing down because of the light or traffic or to take a turn.

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Chickenmoons t1_iyd7827 wrote

As posted further up Henrico is looking at modifying Dumbarton. Also contact your County Board member, they have been responsive to recent complaints about traffic issues in Lakeside. Here’s what Henrico has online about it: https://henrico.us/projects/dumbarton-study/

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ReindeerPoopRVA t1_iyd3g3j wrote

Reach out to Frank Thornton on the Board of Supervisors, as well as Steve Yob who is the Deputy County Manager in charge of these issues. Express your concerns and a desire for increased safety measures along Dumbarton. Express these every single month until things change.

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wagonboss t1_iyejx2g wrote

This morning was a few cars, involved a house. No one died, but definitely a result of speed.

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BubbleWrapGuy t1_iydabzz wrote

Not very attractive, but you could install bollards close to the road if you're worried about a potential accident ending up in your living room.

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suki21693 t1_iye7nmx wrote

Nobody goes 35 mph on a road as wide as Dumbarton. That said, nobody should be going 70 almost anywhere.

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iye8iyx wrote

I mean, I hover between 35 and 40, and like I said, Im typically on the higher side of speed limits, but once again, KNOWING how many cars I see pulled over, I don’t see the purpose in going too much faster. 45 maybe if you don’t realize, but 50 is too fast and you have any road awareness you should be able to realize this.

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RVA_Lakeside t1_iydgwpq wrote

Live right off Dumbarton and can't stand that road. Either somebody driving in the left lane going 34 mph because they have to turn in their neighborhood 1.7 miles up the road or as you said people driving dangerously at 60 mph weaving in and out of traffic. Where's the happy medium?

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juwanna-blomie OP t1_iydhmb8 wrote

Honestly at this point, and I say this with much nuance as a more aggressive-leaning driver, I think I’m going to start erring on the side of extreme caution here. It seems people on this road are too stupid to think while driving. So if I just be the most predictable basic bitch in the road with my signals on for half a mile, sure I may get flicked off or honked at, but maybe someone doesn’t have to go to the hospital, or someone elses car doesn’t get totaled. Or mee-maw bringing the trash in doesn’t get clipped.

Believe me when I say, I get what you’re saying with the happy medium, but I don’t think it can be achieved on this road, at least not how it is now. Been here 2 years now and it seems to have only gotten worse.

Despite CONSTANTLY seeing police pulling people over. I mean if you were a thief, and you know SO MANY PPL get caught stealing from Lowes, would you still steal from that Lowes?

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Sabz5150 t1_iye35uk wrote

>So if I just be the most predictable basic bitch in the road with my signals on for half a mile, sure I may get flicked off or honked at,

The secret to avoiding rage is signal BEFORE braking. If you brake before signaling you are doing it WRONG and will piss people off.

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BlueXTC t1_iydo9gl wrote

Steel U bollards where you set your trash can, preferably 2 at the top of your driveway either side. 4ft in the ground ft above. Paint with glow in the dark yellow paint.

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