Once again, I managed to avoid an accident by a hair”s breadth at the “Y” intersection, the very dangerous intersection where Highway 53 ends at Highway 20. For some reason, the people going east on Highway 20, who sit stopped at a stop sign waiting for traffic to clear, do not seem to understand that the people going west, coming down the big hill and due to turn left onto Highway 53 to Clearlake, have the right-of-way.
This has happened so many times that I anticipate that the people sitting at the stop sign on Highway 20 due east will treat the stop sign like a flashing yellow traffic sign, meaning stop-and-go.
Sure enough, coming from Williams and turning left onto Highway 53, with left-turn lights flashing well in advance and the lights on (as always), I was actually in the intersection in my left turn when the two cars sitting at the stop sign started driving right into my path. Only my knowing this intersection and anticipating this saved me from an accident.
Many accidents have happened at this intersection. This intersection is the only one I have encountered in all my 37 years of accident-free driving where I have to anticipate an accident in order to avoid it. I cannot think of another intersection that needs a traffic light more.
Inger Grape
Kelseyville
