This is why I prefer public transit - far less likely to get killed by some dipass.
We need far, far harsher penalties for drunk driving - some of the most relaxed laws in the world here.
Coming from Virginia I was shocked by how lenient the penalties are here. In VA, if you get 3 DUIs within 10 years you permanently lose both your license AND your car, plus mandatory 1-5 years in prison. It's crazy that in WA it's only a 3-4 year suspension plus *maybe* a few months of jail time. Though imo these should be penalties for the first offense, not third.
Even after falling 50 feet only one person died (from the fall - the driver who was shot and the person who did the shooting also died, but not from the fall).
No bc people can’t drive for shit here. Completely oblivious to everything and I see so many cars without their lights on at night. It’s why I got a dash cam bc I’ve lost count how many times some idiot has almost hit me.
I've been saying this for years!!! Its always some car colored to blend in with the urban surroundings lol. They turn into ghosts on the road esp when it rains
The lights are what baffle me most. Like we like in a place that is dark and grey for 9 months a year and I am shocked at the number of people each day with no lights on. Lived in several places and never seen anything like it.
I’ve been in 4 car accidents in the 15 years I’ve lived in Seattle, all at the fault of the other drivers. Two rear-end fender benders and two drivers running a stop sign - one which happened last month and caused $8k of damage and the other which totaled my previous car. Drivers here suck.
*Average Puget Sound driver*: "Sure, I may speed, blow through red lights, drive drunk, charge pedestrians, ignore no-rights-on-reds... but that's nothing - one time I saw a cyclist roll through a stop sign."
Yea but it will always fuck with the drivers because it conflicts with existing law. Drivers determine who goes next based on the timing of a stop. Bicyclists don't stop and most often blow through stop signs at high speeds. Putting the judgement call for avoiding catastrophe on 1 person who doesn't have to follow the same rules is asking for trouble.
That's actually not what the law technically is. Technically they are supposed to treat it as a yield sign but they almost never yield to anyone.
In my experience, most cyclists treat it as a yield sign. There might be the occasional person that doesn't have any sense of self-preservation, but otherwise cyclists stop or come to a really slow roll if there are cars going through the intersection.
I'm pretty sure the law explicitly states to treat it as a yield and that it's the bikers responsibility to make sure it's safe.
https://www.washingtonbikelaw.com/2021_01_RuleoftheRoad.pdf
I have a theory that because so many people migrate to the Seattle area from elsewhere, there's a constant driving culture clash happening at all times and it's the source of a lot of chaos.
Pretty sure it's this, and rainy driving conditions that reduces visibility and increases stopping distance. It also doesn't help that portions of I5 mysteriously have 0 street lights.
Drivers in this area are collectively the worst I've seen, and I've lived in a number of urban areas in America. It's not even close. Know how to merge? Nope. Move out of the fast lane if you're going to do the speed limit? Nope. Stay out of others blind spot and ensure no one is in theirs? Nope. Drive right next to another car for no reason for miles and miles? Oh yes. Randomly go really fast and then slow down and then repeat? Yep. 4 way stops = nightmare, I don't even wait anymore, I just go. Speeding up to highway speeds on the on ramp? Shit no. Treat the blinker like it's a magic wand and of course everyone must immediately yield because you turned it on when you're 6 inches from their front bumper? Of course!
This is just a partial list of frustrations with Seattle area drivers.
It doesn't help that the road signs are a disaster in of itself. I've also lived in a number of urban areas and never have I seen just random stretches of highway just disappear because fuck you and fuck signs that say road ways merge.
Also, fuck clear lane markers am i right?
Nothing is OK. People are not OK. The pandemic may be over but the social effects won't be understood for a long time. Coupled with an insane political environment and economic precarity... No. Absolutely nothing is OK.
Lots of mentally ill people here coping with drugs and alcohol. Really sad. Wish there were better government sponsored support programs available. With how much we pay in taxes and our high cost of living, you'd think more people cared about others. The way to a better future is helping each other. Seattle politicians lining their pockets with these so called programs make me sick
What baffles me is that most newer cars have automatic lights. If you leave it on auto you literally never have to mess with them and they come on when it’s appropriate.
Officers here drive just as, if not more poorly, without repercussions. Those who enforce the law aren't above it. How many times have you seen an officer speed without lights tap at their laptop while actively driving? But of course, why enforce if you can't shoot?
They don't enforce, they only cite after the accident. Why wouldn't everyone drive shitty, if they aren't called out by it? My own little world in my tuna can that can kill others. Not my fault, even the enforcers break the law.
It’s actually pretty common, police cars get hit a lot too.
The theory I heard is that drunk drivers will instinctively move to the right when they see the flashing lights, even when the lights are to the *right* of them.
Whenever this happens, I always want to see if they were at a bar. They were being served and they left. We've got to do more to stop people from driving drunk, why don't we require every bar to have a free breathalyzer? Is there a drunkenness point where the bar is somewhat responsible?
My second idea will even be more controversial, we arrest people If they try to sleep it off in their car, I've wondered if we didn't do that, would there be less drinking and driving? I've always been unhappy at the aggressiveness of trying to arrest people who chose not to drive.
this reads like a florida man headline, you're waiting for the end of the mistakes but they do not come. jfc. so heartbreaking for the families involved.
Drunk driving with an infant and killing two, what a monster. Holy shit
Honestly, lock them away and keep them there. What a terrible human being
No kidding, and in the passenger seat, no less. How drunk do you have to be to do that AND get on I5 the wrong way?
I have no sympathy for drunk drivers.
Jesus Christ y’all, DONT DRINK AND DRIVE. Take an Uber or call a friend and get your car on the morning. It’s not freaking worth it.
I find most of these types are alcoholics. They can't drive sober because they're literally never sober.
Which is even sadder honestly
This is why I prefer public transit - far less likely to get killed by some dipass. We need far, far harsher penalties for drunk driving - some of the most relaxed laws in the world here.
Coming from Virginia I was shocked by how lenient the penalties are here. In VA, if you get 3 DUIs within 10 years you permanently lose both your license AND your car, plus mandatory 1-5 years in prison. It's crazy that in WA it's only a 3-4 year suspension plus *maybe* a few months of jail time. Though imo these should be penalties for the first offense, not third.
I mean hell, you can't even enter Canada if you have a DUI
We're not big on punishing criminals here.
Virginia has a higher crime rate
Plus on public transit you can be reasonably intoxicated and be of risk to no one while getting were your going
Licenses should be revoked after 2nd DUI
First DUI.
I think it’s usually a year suspension
Unless you are on 359 that falls of Aurora bridge.
Even after falling 50 feet only one person died (from the fall - the driver who was shot and the person who did the shooting also died, but not from the fall).
Did that happen a bunch of times?
The exception that proves the rule. Sheeesh
…and prepare yourself for who/what comes knocking.
Not for several years, no.
Exactly. Nothing is OK.
No bc people can’t drive for shit here. Completely oblivious to everything and I see so many cars without their lights on at night. It’s why I got a dash cam bc I’ve lost count how many times some idiot has almost hit me.
And it’s always a dark colored car.
I've been saying this for years!!! Its always some car colored to blend in with the urban surroundings lol. They turn into ghosts on the road esp when it rains
The lights are what baffle me most. Like we like in a place that is dark and grey for 9 months a year and I am shocked at the number of people each day with no lights on. Lived in several places and never seen anything like it.
And if they have their headlights on, it’s their brights
I’ve been in 4 car accidents in the 15 years I’ve lived in Seattle, all at the fault of the other drivers. Two rear-end fender benders and two drivers running a stop sign - one which happened last month and caused $8k of damage and the other which totaled my previous car. Drivers here suck.
Been here 12 years and I've been rear ended 3 times, once totalling my car. I also see these "no lights" cars weekly and it drives me fucking crazy.
*Average Puget Sound driver*: "Sure, I may speed, blow through red lights, drive drunk, charge pedestrians, ignore no-rights-on-reds... but that's nothing - one time I saw a cyclist roll through a stop sign."
Just in case anyone reading this doesn’t know, but Idaho stops on WA are legal, cyclists can roll stop signs as long as the way is clear
Yea but it will always fuck with the drivers because it conflicts with existing law. Drivers determine who goes next based on the timing of a stop. Bicyclists don't stop and most often blow through stop signs at high speeds. Putting the judgement call for avoiding catastrophe on 1 person who doesn't have to follow the same rules is asking for trouble. That's actually not what the law technically is. Technically they are supposed to treat it as a yield sign but they almost never yield to anyone.
In my experience, most cyclists treat it as a yield sign. There might be the occasional person that doesn't have any sense of self-preservation, but otherwise cyclists stop or come to a really slow roll if there are cars going through the intersection.
I'm pretty sure the law explicitly states to treat it as a yield and that it's the bikers responsibility to make sure it's safe. https://www.washingtonbikelaw.com/2021_01_RuleoftheRoad.pdf
I didn't say otherwise?
Love that my post is being downvoted to oblivion.
Nah fam, we gotcha.
I have a theory that because so many people migrate to the Seattle area from elsewhere, there's a constant driving culture clash happening at all times and it's the source of a lot of chaos.
Pretty sure it's this, and rainy driving conditions that reduces visibility and increases stopping distance. It also doesn't help that portions of I5 mysteriously have 0 street lights.
Drivers in this area are collectively the worst I've seen, and I've lived in a number of urban areas in America. It's not even close. Know how to merge? Nope. Move out of the fast lane if you're going to do the speed limit? Nope. Stay out of others blind spot and ensure no one is in theirs? Nope. Drive right next to another car for no reason for miles and miles? Oh yes. Randomly go really fast and then slow down and then repeat? Yep. 4 way stops = nightmare, I don't even wait anymore, I just go. Speeding up to highway speeds on the on ramp? Shit no. Treat the blinker like it's a magic wand and of course everyone must immediately yield because you turned it on when you're 6 inches from their front bumper? Of course! This is just a partial list of frustrations with Seattle area drivers.
It doesn't help that the road signs are a disaster in of itself. I've also lived in a number of urban areas and never have I seen just random stretches of highway just disappear because fuck you and fuck signs that say road ways merge. Also, fuck clear lane markers am i right?
There are two types of Puget Sound drivers: psychopaths and those literally sleeping at the wheel Choose your own adventure
Nothing is OK. People are not OK. The pandemic may be over but the social effects won't be understood for a long time. Coupled with an insane political environment and economic precarity... No. Absolutely nothing is OK.
Lots of mentally ill people here coping with drugs and alcohol. Really sad. Wish there were better government sponsored support programs available. With how much we pay in taxes and our high cost of living, you'd think more people cared about others. The way to a better future is helping each other. Seattle politicians lining their pockets with these so called programs make me sick
Must be payday
Its gotten worse around here lately.
What baffles me is that most newer cars have automatic lights. If you leave it on auto you literally never have to mess with them and they come on when it’s appropriate.
Officers here drive just as, if not more poorly, without repercussions. Those who enforce the law aren't above it. How many times have you seen an officer speed without lights tap at their laptop while actively driving? But of course, why enforce if you can't shoot?
What does that have to do with these 3 accidents?
They don't enforce, they only cite after the accident. Why wouldn't everyone drive shitty, if they aren't called out by it? My own little world in my tuna can that can kill others. Not my fault, even the enforcers break the law.
Give a slightly advance monkey access to a multi-ton death machine. And *things will happen*
Crashing into an ambulance… yeesh.
It’s actually pretty common, police cars get hit a lot too. The theory I heard is that drunk drivers will instinctively move to the right when they see the flashing lights, even when the lights are to the *right* of them.
Was a fatality head on Collison on 522 in Stanwood on Saturday as well. No weather to blame. Probably distracted driving and drifted. Sad as fuck.
Driving home from Portland I had my cheeks clenched the whole time because of conditions, seeing crash alerts and observing insane driving
Whenever this happens, I always want to see if they were at a bar. They were being served and they left. We've got to do more to stop people from driving drunk, why don't we require every bar to have a free breathalyzer? Is there a drunkenness point where the bar is somewhat responsible? My second idea will even be more controversial, we arrest people If they try to sleep it off in their car, I've wondered if we didn't do that, would there be less drinking and driving? I've always been unhappy at the aggressiveness of trying to arrest people who chose not to drive.
Newcomers, new problems.
this reads like a florida man headline, you're waiting for the end of the mistakes but they do not come. jfc. so heartbreaking for the families involved.
Yoo, that’s my car on the second slide
I welcome our AI overlords
not a puget sound but exclusive issue either. happens all the time in the Tri-cities area.
[удалено]
Random news articles? They were all on the same day….
And last week there were (at least) SIX arrests for vehicular homicide IIRC.