Caution urged when driving in Snohomish County school zones

Many drivers don’t seem tuned in to the fact that school has started, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Rochon said drivers in school zones in the county have been cited for speeding, using hand-held phones, disobeying signs, failing to properly secure children in vehicles and for defective or burned-out headlights.

School zones are marked with signs that are often fitted with flags or flashing lights.

“Hopefully the more we make the public aware, the safer they will be when (driving through) school zones and we can avoid a tragedy,” Rochon said.

Q&A:

Few traffic issues are more contentious than those involving driving in the fast lane on the freeway. How fast is too fast? How slow is too slow?

With this in mind, I brought it up as the first-ever question for my column a year-and-a-half ago. It got so many responses I couldn’t print them all.

It never seems to get old. Here we go again:

David Lindley of Marysville writes: I was wondering who we can contact about getting more signs on I-5 about the left lane being for passing only. I’d also like to see state troopers citing the offenders of this law.

I see it every time I drive I-5. Someone gets in the left lane and either goes the speed limit or under, or they don’t know the law about keeping right unless to pass. It seems as if they think that it is their job to regulate everyone else’s speed. I see it creating a lot of road rage from other drivers who want to either pass slower moving cars, or drive over the speed limit. I have seen cars cutting off these drivers almost causing accidents, with ongoing verbal and hand gestures between each other again creating a dangerous situation on the freeway. Or the slower driver causes such a backup of cars in the left lane that it creates a larger traffic jam than is necessary.

Trooper Keith Leary of the State Patrol responds:

Not only does this impede the smooth flow of traffic when slower drivers are “camped out” in the left lane, it does lead to road rage situations. I have personally observed slow drivers being “flipped off” or cut off and brakes applied to get back at slow drivers who choose to drive in the left lane. Ultimately a collision could be caused due to a driver retaliating against another driver.

We have to use our common sense with this type of law. We are not going to stop every car for traveling in the left lane if they are not passing. We understand traffic is heavy during rush hour and high traffic periods. Troopers are trained and have the discretion when it comes to stopping a car for this violation. We are simply seeking the driver who is backing up traffic on the freeway when the right lanes are open and free of traffic.

Bronlea Mishler, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, addresses the sign component:

We understand that drivers “camping” in the left lane can cause delays and frustration. As you probably know, Washington passed a law in 1997 that requires drivers to use the right-hand lane whenever possible. Exceptions are made for passing, preparing to exit or moving left to allow drivers to merge in from the right.

After the law passed, the transportation department and State Patrol worked together to install signs letting drivers know to “keep right except to pass.” These signs are typically placed at regular intervals along I-5, with a few exceptions.

Studies have shown that in more congested areas, like between Everett and Seattle, drivers tend to spread out across all lanes in an effort to keep traffic moving. That’s why you don’t see any “keep right” signs in these areas. However, it is still against the law for a vehicle to drive continuously in the left lane, below the posted speed limit, if it impedes the flow of other traffic.

In response to concerns about slow drivers in the left lane in the Marysville area, we installed two new signs on I-5 this May that remind slower drivers to keep to the right. The sign for northbound drivers is just south of Union Slough, and the sign for southbound drivers is near the Ebey Slough bridge. In addition to the extra signs, we also rely heavily on the State Patrol to ensure that drivers are obeying the traffic laws.

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