Improving Seattle Traffic

This morning's rush hour commute in the Seattle area included, predictably, numerous Washington State Patrol officers checking peoples' speed with radar. Why aren't more people complaining about the ridiculousness of SLOWING DOWN Seattle traffic? If anything, I would argue that Seattle traffic needs to go faster and drivers become more skilled.

Towards that end, I am proposing the creation of a new political party or organization, whose purpose will be the improvement of traffic in the Seattle area. These will be the initial steps in our process, not in any particular order:

1. Get as many dumb people as possible off the road: people who cannot drive without slowing down traffic or endangering other people. For example:

• left lane campers: drivers who are unable to use multi-lane road intelligently

• creepers: drivers who travel busy roads at 10 mph or less looking for a turn

• blind optimists: drivers who pull out of driveways in a furious rush, without checking for pedestrians and then don't accelerate, causing traffic behind them to have to brake

• anyone driving intoxicated or operating electronic devices in an unsafe fashion

2. Washington state should offer an enhanced drivers license for drivers who get additional training to make them more skillful than the average 17 year old. As an incentive to acquire this higher level of driving skill, only drivers with this endorsement would be allowed to use the passing lane and HOV lane on freeways

3. With the average driving skill level improved, freeway speeds could be raised 10-15 mph in ideal conditions.

4. No vehicle or driver incapable of safe travel at 70-75 mph would be allowed in the passing lane or HOV lane.