It really isn’t a matter of if, but rather when. It’s not a matter of if someone will plow their car into a deer over the next few months, but rather when.

The Dallas County Commission said recently it is looking into the possibility of purchasing a herbicide machine to help control the growth along the sides of county roads; specifically that of the ever-present Johnson Grass.

Now, we will admit we did not know the name of the grass, or the extent of the growth problem until staff writer Josh Bergeron compiled his report for Sunday’s edition of the Times-Journal.

Again, it is not a matter of if, but when.

The growth along the rights of way of some of Dallas County’s roads is impressive, if not unbelievable. Grass as tall as people, in places, threatens to creep over the road way, continuing to impede drivers’ vision of what might be hiding behind the next patch of grass.

It is not a matter of if, but when.

County engineer Coosa Jones said the county only has the capacity to cut the rights of way along the county roads a total of three times each year. Considering the amount of rain and heat we’ve had this summer, that might not have been enough for the month of August, much less the entire year.

But what can they do? There is only so much time, so much manpower and so much equipment to throw around. It is simply a battle the county is waging and a battle they cannot win.

The county is smart in looking at innovative ways to control the growth along the rights of way because it is a safety issue for those who live and travel along the hundreds of miles of county roads.

The investment would be thousands of dollars, but in the long run it would save money and increase safety for residents and visitors to Dallas County.