If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If it’s part broke, fix the broke part, not the whole darn thing! That’s common sense!
In five minutes I can show the state Department of Transportation how it can upgrade the cable barriers on I-5 for a very low price and do it quickly.
The crashes on this section of highway, and most others, are caused by inattentive drivers coming up too fast on stopped or very slow traffic. The driver slams on the brakes, skids and loses directional control and goes into the car ahead or off the road to the right or left toward the oncoming traffic.
Upgrades to these cable barriers will stop the errant cars from getting into the oncoming lanes. How can we create attentive drivers?
One way is to install traffic flow sensors in the frequently congested areas. The traffic flow information is sent to a computer which signals a sign up the road somewhere (placed as necessary) when there is traffic congestion ahead. It says “Congestion ahead, slow now,” to, say, 45 mph.
To really get the driver’s attention, install radar units and cameras to record those who don’t slow and stay slow. A fine of $295 for the first violation, $1,000 and a 90-day license suspension for a second violation in two years will wake the motorist up real fast. (Illinois charges those fines for exceeding 45 mph in a construction zone. Guess how often they collect, or should I say, guess how quickly the message got around about Illinois being serious about speed and inattentive driving killing people.)
This won’t happen in Washington because our state is not serious about traffic safety or it would have made it a felony to be caught drunk driving the second time in two years, not the fifth time in 10 years.
RICHARD JAUCH
Camano Island
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