To the Editor:
Recently, a Community Voices essay posed concerns about traffic deaths in Whatcom County. Given what I see daily in the county, from the freeway to the streets of Bellingham and the county roads I travel, it is a wonder there isn’t more.
I live on a county road on Lake Whatcom. Because our stretch of road is one of the few straightaways, it is not uncommon to see reckless drivers of all ages behaving with little regard for their fellow neighbors. Passing within double yellow line zones, sometimes even nearly running other traffic off onto grass shoulders is not as rare as one would hope.
When I drive Interstate-5 to Bellingham, the speed limit is 60 mph between Lake Samish all the way through the city to the airport. If one only wishes to disobey the limit by driving 5 mph over, you had better stay in the right-hand lane because many believe it their God-given right to drive 75-plus. Being tailgated by some yahoo flashing his brights and honking is normal in the left lane.
Sometimes the Washington State Patrol has an officer or two on the freeway between Alger and Ferndale. More often none are present even during rush hours. If they are present, they are busy writing tickets. But as soon as the yahoos pass the traffic stop, they resume their obnoxious speeding behavior.
If there were traffic cameras in the 60-mph zone, they would pay for themselves and maybe even freeway repairs. At the very least, people might slow down and think about the value of their own lives as well as others lives and property.
—Michael Waite, Sedro Woolley; Sept. 16, 2026