Reducing the speed limit and shortening passing lanes (as ODOT did recently) do not reduce the accidents.  What they really do is increase the dangerous passing and road rage.  Having driven from Eugene to Florence weekly for work I can tell you that inconsiderate drivers who refuse to pull to the side to let faster traffic pass are are huge problem.  I asked a deputy once on KPNW's Wake up Call, why they don't enforce the "obstructing the flow of traffic" law.  His answer, "because the person passing unsafely gets a bigger ticket".  He acknowledged the road rage this causes and said it leads to reckless driving which is a much larger fine.  Hwy 38 from Scottsburg to I-5 is much safer because there are so many passing lanes that the 80 mph big pick up's blowing black smoke can safely pass.  16 would be much safer had Kitty and her litter mates not shut down the "West Eugene Parkway".

Labels: moderation: safe