Everyone is responsible for keeping roads safe

The following commentary is from an editorial that appeared recently in the Vancouver, Wash., Columbian. It does not necessarily reflect the views of The Spokesman-Review editorial board.

For many motorists, nature’s signature showpiece in Southwest Washington is state Highway 14. It’s like Interstate 84 on valium. Instead of whooshing drivers through the Columbia River Gorge with little time to enjoy the views, Highway 14 allows drivers to slow down and savor the experience.

Unfortunately, the road’s popularity has resulted in traffic problems. Type A commuters, laid-back sightseers and deadline-driven truckers try to blend their disparate interests and survive together. The winding, often wet road has become especially dangerous in a 15-mile stretch in west Skamania County, from the county line to North Bonneville.

We’re glad progress is being made in reducing this problem. The safer conditions were triggered by a $150,000 commitment from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, which designated the special Cape Horn Traffic Safety Corridor. The initiative includes extra police patrols, better signs, public education and minor engineering work.

The progress is quantifiable. Since the corridor designation began on May 12, Washington State Patrol officials say there have been 37 percent fewer injury collisions than in the same period last year. There were 14 collisions on this stretch of road from May 12 to Aug. 24.

Motorists have seen new signs notifying them of danger points and warning of extra enforcement patrols. Later this month, one of those aggravating, clattering but lifesaving “rumble strip” trenches will be etched into the road to warn drivers who stray from their designated lanes. And at Beacon Rock, a repainted crosswalk and better signs will be added this year.

It’s important to remember that government is not the sole source of solutions to traffic congestion on state Highway 14. We salute the special corridor designation, but we know that an even more effective “crackdown” is applied by motorists themselves. As Highway 14’s reputation for danger grows, and as enforcement patrols become more visible, drivers become part of the solution. Personal responsibility becomes more powerful than any government action.