Dear Editor,

I am a Clanton resident, and I would like to shed some light on what is steadily becoming a very serious and dangerous problem.

My husband and I, with our two daughters, live on Trilliam Lane, which is the entrance and connection to Trilliam Luxury Apartment Homes.

There is basically a four-way intersection at the entrance and exit drive of the apartment homes. In addition to this, Highway 31 is a busy four-lane highway in that area.

In 2008, there was a fatal crash involving a car and a motorcycle, and I fear that if positive changes aren’t soon made, there may be another.

Drivers are not paying attention with good focus. I’ve been sitting at a stand still in the turning lane, waiting on northbound traffic to pass by, so I can make the left turn into the apartment community and almost been struck head-on by northbound traffic merging too soon into the turning lane.

Most of this traffic is merging into the turning lane to then turn left onto the side access road to Walmart Supercenter.

People are not paying attention and also are merging illegally. This has happened to me on more than one occasion. I’ve had people get right up on me head-on in plain sight before they realize that they’re about to hit me! This has even happened with an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer truck merging to turn onto the side access road to Walmart.

In closing, this area of Highway 31 has just become too large of a busy and active highway not to have a traffic light of some kind at such an intersection, whether it be a fully functional traffic light or a caution light. It is very much needed now!

In the meantime, maybe some traffic signs, different and bolder outlining of the turning lane and/or police presence would help.

I truly hope someone else doesn’t have to lose their life for this to gain the attention it very much deserves. Clanton residents deserve a safe entrance to their (our) homes.

Amanda Oaks, Clanton