When I read Ronald Magarick’s letter to the editor, I had to smile (”Jones Falls needs to be made less crash-prone,” August 19). There is a very simple reason there are so many crashes near the dreaded “Pepsi sign.”
It’s because PEOPLE ARE DRIVING TOO FAST! You can only go so fast around a curve, and then the car starts to go sideways. That makes it really hard to steer.
When you go 50 miles-per-hour, you are also going 73 feet per second. At 60, 88 feet per second. WOW...who knew? Probably not those who hit the wall near the Pepsi sign.
I would also suggest there are nearly as many crashes when the road is dry as wet, again, simply because people are going too fast.
Let Mr. Magarick's "Focus group" look up "centrifugal force." That should be enough.
The next time one drives around the curves on the JFX, by the Pepsi sign, take a glance (quickly) at the Jersey wall to your left. Each black mark was made by the tires of a car that hit the wall. Until and unless people reduce their speed at curves it will never stop.
Finally, Mr. Magarick writes, "The city seems resolved that, "When it rains, accidents will happen." He implies our mayor causes crashes.
What foolishness.
Patrick Francis, Baltimore
The writer is the founder of Roland Park Driving School.
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