Got a lead foot? Troopers near Everett have eyes on you
EVERETT, Wash. -- A speed campaign in Snohomish County has troopers cracking down and drivers paying up.
Dave Hey is one of 11,000 drivers pulled over for speeding in the county in the last year -- nabbed for going 76 in a 60.
"I was trying to go around a car and I went too fast," he said.
The campaign is part of a year-long effort to crack down on speeders in Snohomish County -- aimed at cutting down on violent crashes.
Based off of data collected by local agencies, the Washington State Patrol found that speeding was particularly bad on I-5 north of Everett and on I-405 north of Canyon Park.
One third of all traffic stops were on a stretch of I-5 near the Everett scales.
"We're not just kind of willy-nilly going out and working speed wherever," said trooper Kirk Rudeen.
Troopers attributes a 41 percent drop in fatal crashes directly to the crackdown. They say it's so successful, other counties across the country are imitating it -- whether drivers here like it or not.
"I agree with what they're doing," Hey said. "For me, I feel I was an unfortunate victim of circumstance."
Although the program is a year old, they're not stopping anytime soon.
Dave Hey is one of 11,000 drivers pulled over for speeding in the county in the last year -- nabbed for going 76 in a 60.
"I was trying to go around a car and I went too fast," he said.
The campaign is part of a year-long effort to crack down on speeders in Snohomish County -- aimed at cutting down on violent crashes.
Based off of data collected by local agencies, the Washington State Patrol found that speeding was particularly bad on I-5 north of Everett and on I-405 north of Canyon Park.
One third of all traffic stops were on a stretch of I-5 near the Everett scales.
"We're not just kind of willy-nilly going out and working speed wherever," said trooper Kirk Rudeen.
Troopers attributes a 41 percent drop in fatal crashes directly to the crackdown. They say it's so successful, other counties across the country are imitating it -- whether drivers here like it or not.
"I agree with what they're doing," Hey said. "For me, I feel I was an unfortunate victim of circumstance."
Although the program is a year old, they're not stopping anytime soon.
cops found away to pay off all the medical bills for all the K9 attacks.Â
speeders !
They would make more revenue if they gave tickets to the drivers that camp out in the passing lane going 50 mph.
Cops that do this are crooks and should be ashamed. I personally find them disgusting.
They could do this on any part of I-5 and make a fortune in ticket revenue. People speed all up and down the freeway everyday. Nothing new here, just the government out to gouge people. It's all about the money.
Thank you speeders for paying the voluntary tax. You continue to show us everyday how much faster you get down the road with your superior driving skills.
Not just Everett, there are more of them out everywhere just looking for state. Port of Seattle and Normandy Park are 2 other agencies who you never want to deal with.
Pulling people over for doing 64 in a 60 while not on the phone, not swerving, just driving in a strait line going to work is a waste of resources. Everyday I see people flying by doing 80, cutting people off and tailgating but the cops are no where to be found, they are on the side of the road busting someone else who went a few mph over at the wrong time.
I sure haven't seen any evidence of what you're claiming. I routinely go past troopers when I'm going 3 or 4 mph over the limit, and they don't care. They're after the dangerous drivers.
trusty old radar detector, gives you plenty of time to hear them and slow down to 60. This is nothing more than a revenue generation plan. I dispute the 41% drop in accidents, Rediculous assumption, in fact the nuimbers of accidents are way up
year  number of accidents
2007 118782
2008 110442
2009 102940
2010 101831
2011Â 98820
2011 113982
I know for a fact these State Patrol Officers are only looking for another source of revenue generation. I was pulled over on I-5 doing 65MPH during the morning commute. I'm sorry but having traffic stops during rush hour is the worst idea with doing nothing but making traffic even worst. I don't mind the DUI stops or actual police work like solving some old cases. But this so call new traffic campaign is nothing more than a money making ploy.   Guessing the 2 big Winners in this money making scheme will be the State and the Traffic Lawyers.
I doubt you were doing 65. But even then, that's over the limit.
Yeah, I drive 67 between Edmonds and Everett everyday. Been doing it for 10 years and have never been looked at (knock on wood). The difference is probably that I'm not jumping lanes and tailgating the people in front of me. I stick with one lane and go with the flow.Â
I love all the "revenuers" comments!! Keep paying my taxes kids!!!!
@JohnNSeattleÂ
Your facts are based upon your perception. Â The REALITY is that when a WSP trooper writes a ticket, 56% goes to the state education fund. Â Of the 44% remaining, the WSP gets 1% of that while the rest goes to the county which the ticket originated. Â Not a very profitable plan for the WSP.
I have worked around the WSP for years and years and have never ever heard any WSP admin or troopers talk about "generating revenue" for any cause.
It's everywhere,not only Evt,they should do it every corners to catch those speeders !
money-grab, money-grab, what else can it be;
who cares about safety, just give us the fee;
we only prosecute rich people, we let the poor go free;
from your wallet to ours, to fund the next liberal shopping spree!
"Troopers attributes a 41 percent drop in fatal crashes directly to the crackdown."
Are those cops on crack?
I could write this article in one sentence. "In other news, cops are pulling people over."
Speeding on I-5 in Everett? I would like to know where, when, and how because everytime I go through there, traffic is crawling.
Speeding itself is not terribly dangerous if drivers pay attention, understand the physics of the vehicle, and know how to drive within the limits of the vehicle. The problem is people are not paying attention and the state driver licensing testing teaches almost nothing about how to correctly control a vehicle.Â
They should go after aggressive driving, failure to move right, and inattentive driving. Many speeders and aggressive drivers only do so because of the guy who is inattentively camping in the passing lane.Â
They should go after aggressive driving, failure to move right
The failure to move right... is correct.. they need to go after those... after all, the law is to move right, except when passing...
Washington is the most ticket happy state there is. I drive in Wa., Or., Ca., Az., Nm., and several other states and I see more cops on the roads in Wa. than any other place I drive. You would think they have no accidents on the roads at all, yet I am willing to bet our fatalities per mile are just as bad as any other state I have mentioned here. I guess Gregwitch needs to pump up the general fund again.
@LongBeachBum Actually collisions on I-5 in WA are among the lowest in the nation. Collisions are the cause of mistakes on the drivers part. WSP and other law enforcement can only help slow motorists down and remind people to drive safely. There is no cure for stupid though. Fatigue, DUI, Recklessness and just plain inattention cause more collisions than WSP can prevent. Until the driver is removed from the equation you will always have collisions.Â
@LongBeachBum it's called productivity a polite gentleman's way of saying revenue generation. Kirkland and Lynnwood are notorious ticket terrorist
@BuddyHolly From your posts, I get the feeling you REALLY don't like cops...
Follow the rules/law and there is no problem.
I wish the State Patrol would focus on all of the passive aggressive drives in the Left lane of every highway in the state of Washington!!!
@Nogdolan Totally agree. I thought impeding traffic was also against the law. The left lane is for passing (it's not the "fast" lane as sometimes called), and it is NOT for setting what one person believes should be the speed limit for everyone else.
@tats76 @Nogdolan Impeding traffic is against the law, but our wonderful (sarc.) state troopers don't usually pull people over for it. Traffic would move much smoother if they did. Those people that go slow in the left lane drive me nuts. The law basically reads that if you are impeding five or more vehicles, you are breaking the law. Now if it were just enforced, that would be something!
Since there is no minimum speed law in this state, it is kind of hard to address those that are not going the limit, because the limit is the maximum speed for the road, not the minimum..
@tats76Â @Nogdolan(4) It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic. Even if you are doing the max posted speed limit, you are still mpeding the flow of traffic, and it is still a fine.
@tats76 @Glen @Nogdolan Hi there, I just posted the basic law :)
@tats76Â @Nogdolan
Revised Code of Washington - RCW Title 46 Motor Vehicles - Section 46.61.100 Keep right except when passing, etc. 2) Upon all roadways having two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, all vehicles shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, except (a) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (b) when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow, (c) when moving left to allow traffic to merge, or (d) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, exit, or into a private road or driveway when such left turn is legally permitted. On any such roadway, a vehicle or combination over ten thousand pounds shall be driven only in the right-hand lane except under the conditions enumerated in (a) through (d) of this subsection.@Glen  @Nogdolan Wouldn't it be nice if they were held accountable? I'm not sure how slow, but you can (and frankly, SHOULD) get pulled over if you are driving too slow. Which actually happened to a friend of mine, who, bless her, does rival a turtle sometimes when she gets behind the wheel.
Between the two, I prefer people going 5 MPH over than under. Call me a lead foot or what have you, I have enough experience and self-control to handle it.
Yes KOMO, I do have a lead foot. I should be dead of severe lead poisoning due to my right foot. If I'm caught, so be it.
Â
They can rake in tons of money of they supported local cops and did a red light runner operation. I see a MINIMUM of five red light runners every day, to include transit, city/county and commercial vehicles.
Or you know, they're out of money.
Aw, c'mon - show that Canadian license plate!!!
I think its funny when your doing 85 in a 60 and getting passed- At least the WSP arent ever in the southend- Thanks Everett
@tazman99163Â Just wait, you'll get your turn. Â ;p
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@Wildstar There is no "fast lane" or "slow lane" Yes if your going to go 50 in a 60 you should be in the far right lane out of curtosy to other drivers but ALL lanes of the free way are 60 mph if the person was doing 60 then there was no problem here.Â
Shouldn't they be doing more productive work.....like buying multiple cups of coffee at a bikini espresso stand?
While they're at it, can't they give some tickets to those left lane campers? I drive that whole stretch they are talking about and see that so often. It's the law everywhere else - 3 lanes, left lane is the passing lane or 2 lanes, the left lane is the passing lane. I see people go in there and just stay there while it piles up behind them and then those people that have to pass because they are tired of being stuck behind the dork, go into the middle lane a lot of time without looking and either about crash into someone or nearly so or they illegally go into the HOV lane to pass (I actually see this a lot). This causes a lot of near misses or crash booms every day. Get those people out of that left lane - maybe we wouldn't have to speed up cause we're so ticked off with those idiots
Is it really any more illegal to just pass them via the carpool lane, than it is to be driving 80 in a 60? I'm not advocating hanging out in the left lane, people that do that aggravate me as well, but I just find it funny that someone breaking the law driving 80, won't pass someone via the carpool lane because "it's illegal".Â
@Shelly - well, most of the people needing to pass the campers in the left lane are driving the speed limit - at last they don't appear to be traveling that fast as I'm usually going 60 - so it's no more illegal to use the car pool lane or driving 80 although I can think a person driving 80 wouldn't give a ratz patootie either way.Â
@Shelly If you get dinged by the WSP you don't want to make the ticket count any bigger.Â
Ok, so where's the chick on here that told me I was imagining things when I said there were extra patrols on I-5 in exactly this area? I'd like to say I TOLD YOU SO!!!
Don"t speed and you wont help fill the state coffer.
@papoon That make too much sense...
Traffic enforcement has nothing to do with safety.
Zero. Zilch. Nada.
It is all about the Benjamins.
@Howard Beale Very correct Sir. I drive that stretch everyday and the only time the troopers are out are on nice days. If it was really for safety sake they would be out there on rainy days as well.
@Zanshin @Howard Beale Probably they are dealing with incidents on rainy days. Speed traps are what they do when they have nothing else to do.Â
@Zanshin @Howard Beale as well as where people are merging, poorly.  Â