FAIRFAX, Ohio — Speeding cars are a growing concern for one Fairfax resident, who said he believes it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
Mike Flischel came to our latest Let's Talk event at Madisonville's Element Eatery.
He lives off Watterson Road in Fairfax and said people often drive well over the 25 mph speed limit. He said drivers often speed down the hill just before the Watterson Road and Bancroft Street intersection.
“People don’t realize that when they come across this curb, they’re going about 35, 40 miles an hour and they won’t stop," Flischel said.
WATCH: We clocked several drivers going more than 10 mph over the speed limit on Watterson Road
He said it's often a challenge to pull into and out of his driveway.
Friday morning, we used a handheld radar gun to check how fast drivers were traveling on the road. We clocked several cars going at least 10 mph over the speed limit.
Flischel said he's worried it could lead to a crash.
“I don’t want no one losing their life coming out of their driveway, and I can see it happening," Flischel said.
Fairfax police told us they conducted a week-long traffic study on both lanes of Watterson Road last October.
According to the study, the average speed in both directions was below 25 mph, with an average of 19.77 mph in the southbound lane and 23.51 mph in the northbound lane.
However, police clocked maximum speeds of 62 mph in the northbound lane and 63 mph in the southbound lane.
Fairfax police said there have been only two crashes near the intersection over the past three years.
Police said they have explored possible solutions. They said a stop sign is not an option under the Ohio Manual of Traffic Control Devices. Police also said installing speed humps may not address speeding issues and could create hazardous conditions for motorcyclists and bicyclists.
Instead, police said they've rotated a speed display sign through the area and increased patrols.
“When you see a cop, you’re going to slow down," Flischel said. "When you see a radar thing, you’re going to slow down. But then after that, they just speed up and down no matter what.”
Flischel said he appreciates that some work has been done. However, he said he wants to see a long-term solution put in place.
“I just don’t want nobody to get hurt," Flischel said.
