Letter: Bluffton drivers need help

Distracted driving in Bluffton isn’t always due to cell phones or audio equipment. Much of it is unfamiliar drivers trying to navigate the area, which in my estimation has some of the worst (or non-existent) signage and lighting.

What is the crime in making street signs that are used throughout the country available on Bluffton roads? Large, white-on-green lettering that can be seen for 300 feet prior to an intersection, and illuminated at night so drivers wouldn’t have to make erratic moves at the last moment. The current ones are minuscule and cannot be seen until one is actually at the intersection, which is usually too late.

Overhead down-lighting on Bluffton Parkway would improve safety, as well as similar illumination by the infamously ill-designed traffic circle. All the plantings and added décor will not help the accident rate at that location.

With the growth of retired persons in the area as well as tourists, I feel that the aforementioned improvements would diminish the accident rate by a considerable margin. Blufftonians must face the fact that we’re no longer a one-horse town, but a well-populated area with major thoroughfares.

This story was originally published March 26, 2016 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Letter: Bluffton drivers need help."