Technology – When it’s not used or ignored

Every 6^th grader knows water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 degrees Celsius. And most people living away from the Equator know ice is slippery. So why is it the Town of Westborough MA does not understand this?

This morning I was awakened to the sound of crunching metal…and car tires spinning on glare ice. I knew it was going to be icy the night before…television weather said so. Apparently my town didn’t pay attention.

Why didn’t my town monitor the weather more closely? Why aren’t they using simply freeze warnings, avoiding issues like this? Aren’t the police out all night, and wouldn’t they have noticed?

I felt terrible for these two cars (a nurse going to work, and a veterinary student off to the emergency hospital). The police said not to worry, the sanders are now out. A little late, I suppose. And a police cruiser is on the way.

A few minutes later, and the sander did come….sliding down the road. I felt even worse for the man in this car. Look closely…the car is off the road. The sander came over the hill, lost control, and tossed the car off the road.

The driver needed medical attention. Another call to the police, and we’re assured help is on the way.

The policeman said it took him an hour to get to the house. The fire department took about 10 minutes.

While all I lost was some sleep and my mailbox post, one car was damaged hitting my mailbox, and the other car will probably be totaled after losing in a collision with the sander. The poor driver was taken away in an ambulance, and I hope he is OK.

Massachusetts recently enacted laws requiring owners to remove ice and snow…is the town exempt? This road is part of a state route…is the state responsible?

There are a variety of technologies available….

From the feds, to local firms, weather forecasts are available. There are road sensors available.

Heck The American Meteorological Society is based in Boston.

Freezing roadways contribute to hundreds of million dollars in damages annually.

Today, in my little town and to be fair in others , a little technology and a little common sense would have gone a long way.