KOMO News (Seattle) reports that “accidents along that I-405 corridor were up 55 percent since the new express lanes were implemented last year” according to WSDOT data. The station adds that “most of the collisions happened right beside the express lanes in regular freeway lanes” during peak-use periods and 80 percent were “fender-benders.” A WSDOT official tells the station that bad weather conditions during the first three months of express lane operations contributed to the spike in accidents, and accident rate has dropped since then.
