Anti-Tailgating Plan Snarls Traffic:

Road crews painted dots 80 feet apart and posted signs telling drivers to stay at least two dots -- 160 feet -- from the vehicle ahead, based on the traffic safety principle of being at least two seconds behind another vehicle when going 60 mph.

Long backups developed Saturday, the day after the program began, when drivers slowed down because of heavy traffic and continued to maintain the two-dot separation, although that much distance was not necessary at slower speeds, said Lisa Mordock, a Transportation Department spokeswoman.

Apparently those Washington drivers actually read and try to obey the signs in front of them. I imagine this was a surprise for transportation officials, because I'm sure they counted on no one reading the signs or noting the large dots in the middle of the road. I can imagine the meetings this morning: "Who are all these morons who took this to heart!"

Of course, they can read and follow instructions, but they apparently exhibit absolutely no commonsense.

Meanwhile, drivers around here still haven't fully started reading all of the signs on the western terminus of the Bay Bridge, where the lane reconfiguration is very clearly marked. At least once a week, some idiot slams on his brakes in the second-to-right lane and insist on changing over a lane, despite repeated assurances, both on signs and painted on the road, that his lane will remain "HWY 101."