Grassless streets safer for traffic

Sep. 7—The city of Anniston wants to remind all city residents and businesses to not blow their grass clippings and leaves into the street as that practice creates unsafe conditions for motorcyclists and can clog storm drains.

Tana Bryant, Anniston senior code enforcement officer, said it's against city ordinance and any infractions will be dealt with just like any other city ordinance.

"They're given an opportunity to correct the issue before fines are issued on it," Bryant said, "We do give everybody an opportunity to rectify it first."

Bryant said this summer there have been an "awful" amount of complaints.

"We've had people drive by a commercial structure, they'll see somebody that has cut the grass and blown it all out into the street on Quintard or wherever," Bryant said.

Bryant said the clippings can wash into the storm drains and clog them up that creates difficulties for city crews to clean out.

Unlike more complex code violations all the offender has to do is to blow or sweep the clippings or leaves off the street.

Bryant said that it not only poses a risk for motorcyclists but also drivers with bald tires on their vehicles.

"It does exactly the same thing and they'll be sliding all over the place," she said.

Bryant said that some people who mow grass or blow leaves don't know the possible consequences of their actions.

"People don't realize the danger of doing that, they just get in a hurry and they don't realize other lives that could be affected by a simple thing such as grass in the street," Bryant said, "It's very dangerous."

Dave Brandsma, 77, has been riding motorcycles for 20 years and said grass clippings on the roads are "very dangerous."

Brandsma has not crashed due to grass clipping but has known cyclists who have.

"When I've ridden alone or when I've ridden with a group we normally avoid it when possible."

It is, he said, "hazardous."

Brandsma said if a cyclist can't avoid the grass he recommends not to accelerate or brake because, "if you do it will put you down."

"Particularly its fresh grass clippings that are still moist makes it very hazardous," he said.

Leaves are also a danger.

"More often people have trouble with fresh grass clippings, but I have also experienced wet leaves on the street that can do the same thing, it's really slick," he said.

Brandsma said that some grass mower folks simply just don't know the dangers of wet grass on the highways and byways.

"They don't know and normally when you cut grass you don't mow the clippings back to the center of where you're cutting, Brandsma said, "You usually discharge them away from the center and when you're cutting in a ditch it's probably easier just to throw it out on the road than mow it to the center of the ditch; then your cutting the clippings twice," he said.

Brandsma said he sees more grass clippings in rural settings.

"I've seen it more commonly when we've gone on trips towards Chattanooga, the country people don't think nothing of it," he said.

Staff writer Bill Wilson: 256-235-3562. On Twitter @bwilson_star.