Highway 17 is infamous for its single-vehicle accidents

QHighway 17 traffic was stopped dead again Tuesday morning. Can’t we get a wall of shame for the individuals causing this mayhem? Totally preventable. — Steve Burke, Santa Cruz

A Tell us more.

Q Traffic absolutely cratered for 30-45 minutes while CHP and other great first responders got a pickup that had rolled multiple times off the road. According to the CHP, this was another single-car crash, a daily problem on 17.

Love Caltrans, but the guys are making the road so beautifully smooth and safe with their repaving that cars are going faster.

Something has to change. This has gone on for years. People need to think about the inexcusable loss to all others on the road when this nonsense happens. By the way, the poor guy behind me got rear-ended by a truck during the incident, as well.

Anyone who gets in these single-car accidents is responsible. Whether driving too fast, distracted by their phone, or because of crummy tires — it’s preventable, and the driver’s fault. They should give us back all the time their irresponsibility consumed.

— Steve Burke

A About 3 out of 5 crashes on 17 involve solo vehicles, usually going too fast on the curves, or not giving enough space between them and traffic ahead. That’s why the speed limit is 50 mph on much of Highway 17 between Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, but too often, the speed limit is ignored. A downside of smoother pavement is that drivers tend to drive faster.

Q I leased a car, and after 4 1/2 years, terminated the lease and returned the car to the dealership. About six months later, I started receiving toll notices from the Los Angeles area for that car.

When I got the first one, I replied on the notice that I didn’t have the car any longer and sent it back. But the notices continued coming, about twice a week. With the second one, I wrote a letter saying I no longer had the car, giving them the date it was returned to the dealer and suggesting they contact the company to find out who had the car now.

After sending about four letters, I started writing “refused” on the envelope and sent them back unopened. I eventually stopped receiving them.— Lauren Friedman

A That was a creative way to get rid of those pesky notices.

Q I received a notice from Los Angeles over illegal parking. I had to pay the fine before they would hear my appeal. They did refund my money fairly promptly when the appeal was successful. Good luck to others who have gotten similar notices. — Fred Wood, Sonora

A It’s good your appeal worked.