OCR Text |
Show Road Signs Target Practice Costs State Thousands, Endangers Lives Citizens of southern Utah, it seems, have taken up a pastime that Is costing the State of Utah approximately $50,000 annually. We refer1 to target practice with small arms on the signs placed along state and federal highways for the purpose pur-pose of aiding the motorist and protecting the citizenry. Shyrl Chamberlain, Hurricane, state road sign and calnt supervisor for division flvei in southern Utah, Indicated that the most destrucUve locaUon for mutilation of signs by guns occurs In Iron County. The stretch of road that far outshines any Is from Cedar City to the Iron Mines In western Iron County. Not only is this the worst stretch of road In this district dis-trict for the destruction of road signs In this district, but it Is the worst stretch of road In the entire en-tire state. For Instance, at the Desert Mound-Iron Spring Junction a sign which was put up nine months ago, on Tuesday of this week had been destroyed to the point where It requires replacing. replac-ing. A close Inspection of the sign revealel a total of 147 holes from gun shots plus two or three blasts from a shotgun. As Chamberlain explained a 30-lnch target should be sufficient suffi-cient for anyone to hit and doesn't does-n't say much for the person who, with rifles or shotguns, has to select a target of this size. Each sign represents an Investment In-vestment with the state for approximately ap-proximately $10. The signs are designed and constructed to last for several years. However, be cause of such practices they must be replaced on an average of better than once a year and they also become completely un-usable. un-usable. Within District Five of the state road commission, which in-, eludes approximately 1200 miles of road from Nephl on the north to the Utah-Arizona line on the south, the cost Is certainly out of proportion with the rest of the state, Chamberlain said. Within this district alone $12,-260.72 $12,-260.72 was spent for the replacement replace-ment of signs during the last fiscal year. This la for the cost of the signs alone and does not Include the labor and vehicle necessary to replace the signs. The destruction of signs Is a problem throughout the state. In the spring of 1956 In Washington Wash-ington County a vehicle was hit by a bullet fired at a road sign. In Fillmore when signs were re. placed recently bullet holes were found In signs within the city proper and In Cedar Canyon someone had gone so far as to place a stick of dynamite behind a road sign bringing up post, sign and all. Not only does shooting at signs cost the state a lot of money for replacement but it also becomes highly dangerous to residents of the area. Along the route to the west several bullet holes were found in signs within 500 yards of the city that had actually been fired in ti.at direction. Residents on the Leigh Hill north of the highway are really in a precarious position with signs a little further west showing show-ing indications of a number of shots fired in their direction. The state may Impose a $199 fine on anyone caught shooting or otherwise mutilating road signs. The state also offers a reward re-ward of $100 for Information leading to a conviction for sign destruction. Chamberlain asked the cooperation cooper-ation of citizens in maintaining these signs. If properly respected signs will last for several years and the state would be saved a tremendous expense through the cooperation of the citizens. |