Troopers are trying the decoy experiment around the state. A Washington State Patrol car stationed in Gorst has slowed drivers by 15 percent, even without a trooper inside. Since July, troopers have planted a marked car at several Gorst vantage points during peak traffic times. When an unmarked car monitored the traffic down the road, drivers' average speed dropped from 48.7 mph without the decoy to 41.4 mph with the decoy in place, Trooper Glen Tyrrell said. The car is actually a decommissioned car that hasn't been stripped yet, Tyrrell said.
Troopers park it at the start of rush hour and come back to take it away at the end.
The patrol backed up the decoy car with occasional troopers out ticketing, to make sure drivers didn't grow complacent about the empty car. A lot of times, we're using live cars. The patrol is trying the decoy experiment around the state to determine if a visible presence deters speeding, he said. It doesn't help with the aggressive driving concerns in Gorst, one of the worst traffic spots in the county. Increase your following distances, allow for errors in others that are marginal, wear your seat belt.