State Patrol: With fewer cars on the road, Washingtonians seem to feel the need for speed

Please stop driving like a NASCAR racer, one Washington State Patrol trooper pleaded after the apparent lure of open roads seemed too much for some to resist this week.

Troopers across the state are seeing people traveling at notably high speeds, according to Sgt. Darren Wright, a State Patrol spokesman.

“We’re seeing very high, exceptionally dangerous speeds,” he said.

And it isn’t just one type of driver involved, either. He said, from his experience, speeders can be old, young, male, female — “it’s all kinds.”

In Cowlitz County this week, Trooper Will Finn has clocked two drivers in separate incidents racing past him in particularly big hurries: one at 122 mph and one at 133 mph. The latter got a $436 dollar ticket for speeding and could have gone to jail for reckless driving, Wright said.

In the Snohomish area, Trooper Heather Axtman tweeted, “I just want to make an announcement. The speed limit has NOT changed! So driving 127 mph or 120 mph in a 60 mph zone will definitely get our attention and we will be able to introduce ourselves to you! So, please stop driving like you’re a NASCAR racer.”

Wright said he understands that after years of congestion and weeks of quarantine, people might feel a need for speed, but driving that fast brings exponentially more dangers.

“The higher the speed, the more risk of injuries and death and, with nobody else on the road, the more likely for deer and other animals to be out. High speeds are very, very dangerous.”

So, please, Wright says: Back off the gas pedal.