DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709110007

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Editorial

                                            LENGTH:   36 lines

SAFETY SLOW DOWN

Commissioners who oversee the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel outlawed passing on the 17-mile span this week. The ban will take effect as soon as the double yellow lines can be painted.

We applaud them for bowing to public pressure to ban the deadly practice on the narrow, two-lane span.

Unfortunately, the commissioners took this action reactively rather than pro-actively. The bridge-tunnel is more than 30 years old, and the dangers inherent in allowing cars to pass on that shoulderless roadway were apparent to everyone who has traveled between the Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach.

With a little foresight on the part of officials, the five people who perished on the bridge-tunnel Labor Day weekend might have been spared. That accident was the deadliest in the history of the crossing.

``It's not going to solve everything, but hopefully this will be a major step in making the bridge-tunnel safer,'' said James K. Brookshire, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District on Tuesday, referring to the new traffic regulation.

Brookshire is right on both counts: This is a major step in bridge-tunnel safety, but it certainly will not solve all of the safety concerns associated with the span. To be effective, the new no-passing rule needs to be coupled with lower speed limits on the entire bridge-tunnel.

As was pointed out in Saturday's newspaper, the difference between traversing the span at 55 mph and at 45 mph is just over four minutes. Hardly worth the risk of life and limb.

We urge the commissioners to lower the speed limit on the bridge-tunnel before there are more horrific accidents. And we remind motorists to drive with care, especially on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

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