Thanks to CJ for the photo. For the second time today, SFD and SPD have responded to a crash near the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge. This, too, was reported as a single-vehicle crash, no major injuries.
Not surprising. The change in concrete surface near the apex of that turn causes problems. My vehicle and the one in front of me slid there this afternoon doing the speed limit. Luckily neither one of over corrected and made the situation worse
They should have extended the resurface all the way around the bend. I have new tires, and am not speeding and still get a little shimmy shake on that turn.
It’s just one square patch in the left lane that’s the culprit, the rest of it is fine
I have lost traction more than once in this location.
This is clearly a slick section of smooth pavement that needs attention.
The speed limit is just that. A limit. It is incumbent however, on all drivers, at all times, to operate their vehicle safely for the current conditions; be they traffic, climate, or road surface. It says so right in the manual, so please don’t blame your ‘near misses’ on the city or the road surface.
Well of course. And when we experience it the first time, since it’s not an obvious change in traffic conditions, we then change our habits at that turn. So while you’re dropping knowledge, please tell me how this helps anyone who hasn’t yet? This isn’t rain, or a raccoon jetting into traffic, it’s a poor design on a roadway they had loads of time to fix, and it catches you by surprise the first time. It almost feels like you hit an oil slick.
Slow Down 30mph is the post suggested speed limit and a warning sign indicating slippery when wet.
The increase in accidents since the road work is why people are saying repairing paved surface is needed.
Report this to Find it Fix it every time it happens. Maybe with enough info, they can pinpoint the road conditions and make an appropriate fix.
There is a yellow warning sign there for ‘slippery when wet’ that also shows 30mph. I don’t really see many folks minding that sign.
With all these accidents in the same location ( I remember a few from a week or two ago), does the city get involved to fix it or do insurance companies keep footing the bill for an obvious problem?
Good question! We’ll be paying for it either way. In one case, 100% goes to repair and hopefully reduced accidents. In another case, factor in insurance profit and no fix. And it’s not like insurance rates ever go back down.The road CAN need a repair AND people could take more care driving this area until it’s repaired. Both can be true!
Yes, we nearly skidded on that same patch of smooth concrete this morning in the rain. Feeling that almost-sliding, we wondered whether this might be contributing to accidents in this stretch – then heard about the two accidents in this very place. Yikes. How can the city be alerted to this danger so it can get fixed?
Who remembers what the speed limit is there at that location? Isn’t there a 30 MPH sign around there? Maybe it’s further up. Might be time to put up those warning signs that look like a swervy truck to warn drivers.
Mostly seems like it’s SUVs, trucks, vans that have the most problems there. Higher center of gravity vehicles are more tippy and insecure by their very nature. Yet people drive them like they were sports cars.
Slip sliding the night away..Anyone keeping track of how may cars have lost control and ended up in the ditch or sign in this area in last 12 months?
I’d suggest that everyone start using Find it Fix it for this problem. Report every time you feel that shimmy shake. Report every time WSB has a new accident report. They’ll get the message and the data will pile up making it hard to avoid looking at the situation.
Tens of thousands of cars successfully navigated that turn in the rain today. It’s just like the mysterious “slick” on the other side of the bridge last year that turned out to be nothing but bad drivers.
Driverz learning how ta be drivin’ in the rain again! I predicted the grooved pavement would let driverz test their carz’ adhesion limits at higher speed, and lookit! Lookit! I’m brilliant!
Lots of excuses being made for bad driving. If you’re speeding and the road is wet, you might lose control. If the road is wet and you’re driving too fast to control your vehicle, you’re speeding.
Maybe they should install a couple of those speed camera’s just ahead of where people are having the problem. Now if proves out that it was wet and they were going 40 to 45+ mph, rather than the 30mph, when wet, like sign says. Well then it would be on the drivers.
My late mother would remind me that I always needed ‘to be in control’ while I was driving. In other words she was advising that I had to acclimate to the current road conditions and make necessary adjustments. Many a time she would tell me to slow down, you’re not in control ! If it’s posted to do 35mph and it’s starting to snow, are you going to do the 35mph?
If accidents continually happen at one specific spot, then there’s a problem with the road. Are the drivers likely going too fast for conditions? Probably. Doesn’t mean there isn’t a specific patch on the road that is causing all of these accidents.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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