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During the spring and summer, people want to be outdoors. It’s great for fresh air, to get out of the house, and most importantly allows for some much-needed exercise.

In LaGrange, we’re lucky to have the Thread, a safe place to walk around where you don’t have to worry about traffic.

However, not everyone lives near the Thread or can make it there if they want to take a jog or walk.

Many instead walk their residential neighborhoods. Some are lucky enough to have a sidewalk, but many do not. When there’s not a sidewalk, that means walkers, bicyclists and joggers are forced to the sides of the roadway, where they have to watch for cars.

If you see someone walking or jogging, we encourage you to slow down. Nowhere you’re going is so important that you can’t hit the brakes and make sure the people around you are safe.

Many times we see people drive recklessly, not slowing at all, when they approach people. For some drivers, even seeing kids or a stroller isn’t enough to slow down, which is crazy. You never know where a kid is going to run. 

Walkers and joggers also need to do their part by staying off the roadway when possible. The Thread is the safest place to park in Troup County, and we encourage you to go there if you can. However, it’s not uncommon for someone to walk around their neighborhood.

We, unfortunately, hear too often about a pedestrian being struck by a car around our county. That should never happen.

With that in mind, we encourage drivers to consider the safety of others when on their way home in the afternoons, or on their way to work in the mornings.

Slow down in residential neighborhoods (and in general) and make Troup County a safer place for everyone.