BRATTLEBORO — I believe Daniel Cohen had good intentions in his letter, yet he used a disrespectful phrase - “mindless caution” - to describe Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland's caution about lumping all the accidents of the last two years.
Patrick Moreland and the Brattleboro Police Department have been working daily with traffic safety and other folks. Traffic safety is a legally complicated subject, and there isn't anything mindless about it.
There are three things the police department can do once they have a formal complaint with a license-plate number.
1) The police can track down who owns the vehicle and call them to find out who was driving the vehicle at the time. They can talk with the person about their version of the incident. At this point, it is that person's word or your word.
2) The police can forward the complaint to the state motor vehicle department if they believe there might be an issue with the driver's visual or mental clarity.
3) The police may refer the matter to the state's attorney for prosecution if there is enough evidence and/or witnesses to build a case of criminal intent against the driver.
Individuals and traffic-safety groups can send copies of their formal complaints to the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, the governor's office, and or the state legislative Traffic Safety Committee. Doing so will ensure someone on the state level is paying attention to what is happening here in Windham County's community.
Pedestrians cannot use hand signs to signal - it is considered directing traffic. As cyclists, we are supposed to use hand signals for turning and stopping. Many cyclists in this area either do not know their hand signals or do not use them.
Times have changed. We need to be more aware of sharing the roadways and educating the public about traffic safety.
As a cyclist, I use the roads daily and have seen the mindlessness of motor-vehicle drivers. I have taken steps to attach cameras to the back and front of my bicycle. It will help with the legality of putting in a formal complaint as an unbiased witness.