Passing Lanes Key to Safety

I’m one of those who “brave the Palmdale 500,” (Times Valley Edition, March 15), with over 17 years of heavy usage of Angeles Crest and Forest highways.

The CHP does not enforce speed regulations “at the most dangerous sections of the roads.”

It enforces them where it is most convenient for them and where most speeding is likely to take place--in passing sections. Not coincidentally, these are not the dangerous sections--even at 80 m.p.h.--because the road is fairly straight and level. Most of those who speed through these sections do so because it is the only opportunity they have of passing slow traffic.

Until September, 1991, this was not much of a problem. Before then, passing was legal the entire length of Angeles Forest Highway. If you wanted to get around someone, it was both easy and safe.

Now that Caltrans has striped the highway with double yellow lines, we commonly get stacks of traffic over 20 vehicles long. This can be so aggravating that some people just get mad and make an unsafe passing attempt. If the CHP wants to target the real problem, they should crack down on incompetent and discourteous drivers who block the road for everyone else.

Caltrans is not much help either. It would be easy to add several paved “rolling” turnouts and reopen certain sections for passing.

MARK SAINT-VINCENT, Littlerock