Accidents and Car-Pool Lanes

I am writing in response to the recent article “Car-Pool Lanes Cause 11% Increase in Accidents.” According to the UC Irvine study, most of these accidents are occurring near access/egress areas, and have been rear-end collisions. The car-pool lane on the Costa Mesa Freeway is necessary for efficient traffic flow, and these are problems that need to be solved.

I strongly agree with the much-needed improvements proposed by the Orange County Transportation Commission: separating other lanes with raised pylons, more California Highway Patrol enforcement and the addition of more signs. But the proposals need to be acted on quickly. In addition, much more has to be done to reduce accidents.

I found nothing in the UCI report about the extension of the access/egress areas. Currently the space between this area and freeway exit is only a few hundred yards, hardly enough space for a car traveling 55 m.p.h. to safely merge across three lanes of traffic.

A decrease in speed is almost always necessary in this area and decreasing speed is the largest contributor to rear-end accidents. No wonder this is the Costa Mesa Freeway’s area of most accidents.

I am pleading to the operators of this freeway to improve the access/egress areas like they are doing with the other problems. Cure this and we will be closer to solving our problem.

WILLIAM GAGNON

Huntington Beach