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Speed Trap . . . Stuart Levine GSC Highways Fri July 25, 2003

Aug 02, 2003

Speed Trap

Stuart Levine
GSC Highways
Friday July 25, 2003

Walking to school shouldn't be a life-or-death proposition. Sometimes, however, crossing the street to get to class can be deadly. Whether it's kindergartners or high-school seniors, nearly 1,000 people under 20 years of age are killed every year by cars speeding in school zones. While it's a national problem, Good Sam Club Lifetime Member Gary Greer decided the best way to reduce those numbers was to attack it on a grassroots level.

Greer is a 56-year-old retired police officer who can't stand the fact that Arizona has the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities in the country. A Phoenix resident for 30 years, Greer was asked by his neighbors five years ago to help try and slow the rate of these needless deaths. "We were looking for programs to help calm traffic in the neighborhood," explains Greer. "I did a national search on these types of programs and found Keep - Kids Alive Drive 25 (KKAD25) and was able to get a $1,000 grant to get started here. We bought yard signs, bumper stickers and key chains to get the word out."

Keep Kids Alive - Drive 25 was founded not out of tragedy but prevention. Tom Everson, a father of four from Omaha, Neb., began the program five years ago in the Cornhusker State as a reminder to drivers that it's vital - and mandated by law - to drive no more than 25 mph in school zones. "With his background in law enforcement, he's been a wonderful gift in terms of us getting established in the Phoenix area," says Everson. "I provided info on what we were doing, and he's been a conduit in getting police support for the campaign. He's been a point person in pushing things forward."

Traffic can drive the most tolerant of motorists a little batty. Heading to and from work, most everyone tries to find a shortcut or two in order to find a faster and stress-free commute. Often, those shortcuts involve cutting through residential streets instead of major thoroughfares and intersections. And more times than not, drivers retain those high speeds as if they're still driving on the boulevard instead of in a residential neighborhood. "Ninety percent of residential streets are not marked with speed zones, but there's a national standard of 25 mph if nothing's posted," says Greer. "People were going 45 to 60 in those areas." As an ex-cop, Greer is perfectly suited to be a liaison between dealing with police and the community. He understands the needs and regulations law enforcement have to deal with while, at the same time, knows how to make sure the voices of citizens are heard and taken seriously, not brushed aside.

It's been a nice way for a guy who retired at a relatively early age because of leg injuries to use his vast experience. After starting out on patrol, Greer worked his last nine years on the force in the Property Recovery Unit, often teaming up with federal authorities on larger cases.

During the Gulf War of the early 1990s, Greer was part of a team that provided undercover officers and assisted the U.S. Secret Service in apprehending several Middle Eastern men who attempted to purchase Stinger missiles out of Scottsdale.

Though Hondas may travel a bit slower than missiles, the mission of KKAD25 to Greer remains the same: Make sure everyone stays safe and adheres to the law. It may only be a coincidence, but Greer has a theory as to why Phoenix drivers may be predisposed to spending so much time in their car - and thus increasing chances for accidents. Ever spend a July afternoon there? You probably already know why. "During the summer, everybody's in a hurry going from their air-conditioned house to their air-conditioned car to their air-conditioned job," Greer says. "People are always rushing." Not Greer. He knows how and when to take it easy. Kicking back for him means traveling in his 1999 fifth-wheel, a 27-foot Dodge Arctic Fox. It's his third RV over the past 13 years, and each time Greer plunks down for a new model, he makes a little more room for himself. His first purchase was a 19-foot trailer, and then he moved up a 22-footer. An avid camper and RVer for as long as he remembers, Greer enjoys the open space.

Born and raised in Seattle and then moving to Montana, Greer and his family -- which includes a 10-year-old granddaughter - climb aboard every year during Phoenix's scorching summer to travel back to his old stomping grounds. "They call us rainbirds because we go to Seattle in the summer and then watch the snowbirds come in during the winter," Greer says, laughing at the irony. When on the road, he's constantly searching for Good Sam Parks, among the other amenities the Club provides. "We've used Good Sam towing (Emergency Road Service), auto insurance and homeowners insurance," says Greer.

When back in Phoenix, however, he's extremely proud of the fact that he continues to be a driving force in making sure there are more electronic signs around current and future school zones, alerting drivers of the 25-mph law. That, in addition to helping create more speed bumps, radar and motorcycle officers situated around schools, is an impressive accomplishment. As the local guru of traffic safety, Greer is often asked by school districts around town to look at their traffic situations and make recommendations on improving it. He does of all of this, of course, as a volunteer. Well, that's not exactly true. Everson did send him a shirt once as a way to say thanks.

"The nice thing about Keeping Kids Alive is that it lets the bad guys know the neighborhood is active," Greer explains.
And it's Greer's passion to make sure that activity remains fervent in tone ?‰ but below 25 mph.

To learn more about KKAD25, check out its website at www.keepkidsalive.com . . . ☻