Can increased capacity reduce accidents?

Published 9:00 pm Friday, October 11, 2002

As a private citizen I am surprised by the commercials, featuring the Washington State Patrol, alleging that increasing my gas tax will improve safety on the roads. As the owner of an insurance adjusting company, I am incredulous.

Let me get this straight. Is the Washington State Patrol trying to convince me that by increasing the capacity of roads and freeways, reducing gridlock, thereby increasing the average speed of each vehicle, this will actually reduce the severity of accidents?

I have been investigating and adjusting automobile claims for over 15 years. In that time I have never seen a fatal accident that occurred in stop and go traffic or gridlock. Common sense dictates that when you increase road capacity and the average speed of each automobile, the incidence and severity of accidents will rise. Speed kills, traffic jams do not.

I have no objection to a public agency such as the Washington State Patrol voicing an opinion. However, it irks me when they clearly pander to the emotions and fears of the electorate by deliberately distorting the facts.

The next time I get stopped on the freeway, I hope my friendly trooper will allow me to be as partial with the truth as they appear to be on my TV set – “honestly officer, I swear I was only going 55.”

Snohomish