OPINION: My uncle was injured in a car accident. Milwaukee must address reckless driving.

Three weeks ago, my uncle Barney Gilmore was struck as he was leaving church on the city’s north side. The car that hit my uncle's SUV flipped over and caught on fire. Witnesses said a female passenger in the vehicle fled on foot. The driver of the car was injured, but that’s all we know because the police report has not been released yet.

My 86-year-old uncle was left trapped and unconscious in his SUV. He spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and a week in a nursing facility. The medical team at Froedtert Hospital said my uncle was “fortunate” not to be paralyzed. After being struck by an uninsured driver, what does "fortunate" really look like?

Meanwhile, the city of Milwaukee's answer to reckless driving is to waste thousands on frivolous gimmicks. Have you seen the custom-designed reckless driving mobile utilizing an old Ford Ranger adorned with traffic cones? It wouldn't be so bad, but to add insult to injury, it cost a cool $88,000.

You read that right. "The Moving City," is supposed to be visual art to help raise awareness but it resembles a display more suited for a high school homecoming parade rather than a deterrent. The vehicle looks like a cross between the ambulance from the Ghostbusters movie and Barney the Dinosaur. Honestly, don't we already know enough about how deadly and destructive a problem reckless driving is?

The city's spending on this "art" highlights its preference for endorsing feel-good, ineffective initiatives over implementing stricter measures. Despite the millions of dollars allocated toward traffic calming measures, including bump-outs, speed humps, roundabouts, speed monitors, billboards and yard signs, the problem persists.

He was fortunate? My uncle suffered fractured neck, lots of pain.

My Uncle Barney suffered three fractures in his neck, a broken left collarbone, a deep laceration on his right leg, cracked ribs, months of physical therapy, hospital visits and the fear of ever driving again. When I asked him if he planned to get another car, he answered quickly.

“I'm done. It's too crazy out here for me," he said to me from the nursing home nearly three weeks after he was struck on his driver’s side.

Mayor must go bold or get out of way: Playing it safe not curbing reckless driving.

While the details of the accident are sketchy, my uncle’s last memory before everything went black was a car coming directly toward him at a high rate of speed, “zigzagging” across several lanes.

When he regained consciousness, he was in a neck brace and connected to an IV in an emergency room at Froedtert.

“They told me I was lucky. The way he hit me, I could have been paralyzed,” he said.

Driving in Milwaukee is traumatic. And there's no end in sight.

City residents are deeply troubled by the widespread issue of reckless driving. Despite this, city officials and law enforcement face challenges in effectively addressing this matter.

Implementing stricter measures, such as towing unregistered vehicles, imposing substantial fines and enforcing jail time for those who endanger innocent lives, is crucial to improving the situation. More enforcement also needs to be added to tackle reckless drivers in stolen vehicles who hit and injure others. Rarely a day passes without experiencing anxiety as someone passes me on the right, runs a red light, tailgates or almost hits my vehicle. I’m not alone.

Reckless drivers and car thieves often believe that they won't face serious consequences for their actions, at least until someone gets hurt. Some of them openly smoke marijuana with their windows down, weaving in and out of traffic and playing a game of chicken.

Do you think anyone who exhibits this kind of behavior cares about a feedback sign that shows how fast you are driving? The cases keep coming and the consequences are worse.

On Aug. 26, Tai Rosa Perez, 38, was driving north on South Muskego Avenue in Milwaukee at 5:41 a.m. when a stolen SUV with two occupants traveling south on South Muskego Avenue lost control and struck her head-on at a high rate of speed.

Perez sustained multiple injuries and was transported to a hospital, where she later died. The driver and passenger of the speeding SUV fled the crash scene on foot and remain at large, according to Milwaukee Police. The engine of the stolen SUV was found 175 feet away from the vehicle.

Kiomara Avila ― a first cousin of Perez's, who said they grew up together like sisters ― said Perez was an exceptional person who was an exemplary mother and aunt. Driving on Milwaukee streets is traumatic. If Milwaukee wants to try something different, they should look to our neighbors to the east in Shorewood.

Shorewood shows a path for Milwaukee to follow: Get tough

Shorewood police are strict about traffic violations. They have increased their presence from Capitol Drive to Estabrook Parkway. While the police say they target violations at stop signs and traffic signals, their efforts are much more strategic.

Motorists who operate a vehicle without a valid license plate or with an expired registration, exceed the speed limit to navigate a yellow traffic signal, fail to yield to pedestrians, execute an illegal turn or neglect to utilize a seatbelt, are subject to traffic stops and subsequent citations.

I know from first hand experience. A few years ago, while driving through Shorewood, I glanced down at my phone while a Shorewood officer was behind me. I didn’t pull off right away when the light turned green, so he let me get two blocks before his flashing lights went on. He ended up citing me for failure to wear a seatbelt.

Interstate projects pointless: Buses and bikes beat the I-94 expansion.

When I went to court, the room was full of people who were stopped by what seemed to be the same Shorewood traffic officer.

Imagine if Milwaukee tried that.

I’ve witnessed Milwaukee police drive right past cars with no plates. There have been several videos posted showing those who commit the most egregious reckless driving offenses taunting the police and begging to be chased by them. The police did nothing. With no fear of being stopped, why would a violator have any incentive to drive better?

County Executive Crowley signs legislation to eliminate fatal injuries

Last month, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation to combat reckless driving. The "Vision Zero" policy seeks to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes by 2037. The legislation signifies one of the eight prerequisites established by the U.S. Department of Transportation for Milwaukee County and its 19 municipalities to qualify for substantial federal funding.

The dollars are intended to redesign and reconstruct the county's most hazardous intersections and roadway segments. The completion or ongoing progress of the remaining seven requirements paves the way for eligible entities to apply for funding. Milwaukee County has already secured nearly $2 million in combined state and federal funding, explicitly designated for enhancing multimodal safety and curbing reckless driving.

Despite implementing various traffic calming measures in the city this year, we are still on track to reach the same number of fatal crashes as in previous years. In 2022, 77 people were killed in fatal crashes, while in 2023, the number decreased to 75. Up to this point in 2024, 50 fatal crashes have occurred, with nearly four months remaining in the year, according to the Milwaukee Police Department traffic safety units.

Before Crowley signed the legislation, he also discussed his fear of driving in the city and the fact that his daughter would be driving soon.

In Milwaukee right now, having a loved one driving anywhere, especially during certain times of the day, is scary.

I imagine Crowley’s fear of his daughter getting behind the wheel is the same fear I have for my uncle, daughter, wife, friends and family when they drive in the city. We all want our loved ones who drive on these streets to come home safely. But unless we adopt a more punitive approach, nothing will change.

Unfortunately, if nothing changes, we may all be 'fortunate' to get home to our loved ones.

Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on X @jecausey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: OPINION: Driving in Milwaukee is dangerous. Need road safety measures