November 2020 – The Wise Drive

November 26, 2020July 18, 2024

When The Passenger In The Car Has A Warrant

Q: What is the best thing to do to avoid being identified by police if I’m a passenger in the vehicle? I have a warrant and don’t want to go to jail.

A: I’ve never been in your situation, and I can’t imagine the chronic stress you’re dealing with when so much of your mental energy is consumed by worrying that each time you leave your house your end destination might be jail. However, I have met people who were in your circumstances, and some of them have said it was a relief when they finally got arrested because they no longer had to live in fear of getting caught, so let’s start there.

Your warrant isn’t going to go away on its own. All you’re doing by avoiding it is delaying the inevitable. My first recommendation would be to contact the court that issued the warrant and pay the bail, post the bond, file a motion to quash the warrant or turn yourself in. But you didn’t ask for that answer.

November 19, 2020July 18, 2024

Breaking The Law To Avoid A Crash

Q: Okay, here’s a hypothetical scenario: I’m driving down a road with a double yellow center line, when a kid chasing a ball runs into the street and my only way to avoid him is by going into the other lane. Obviously I swerve to avoid the kid, but is it legal to break the law to avoid a crash?

A: Back in 1984, the Ghostbusters responded to paranormal events in their Ectomobile, a 1959 Cadillac ambulance conversion, modified for busting ghosts. The moment they got their first call the Ectomobile rolled out of the converted firehouse, siren whining and blue lights flashing. And even though the siren is only allowed on authorized emergency vehicles and the blue lights are limited to law enforcement vehicles, that’s not what got the Ghostbusters in trouble.

November 15, 2020July 18, 2024

World Day of Remembrance 2020

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDR) is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year.

It is a high-profile global event to remember the many millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads and to acknowledge the suffering of all affected victims, families and communities – millions added each year to countless millions already suffering: a truly tremendous cumulative toll.

This Day has also become an important tool for governments and all those whose work involves crash prevention or response to the aftermath of crashes, since it offers the opportunity to demonstrate the enormous scale and impact of road deaths and injuries, call for an end to the often trivial and inappropriate response to road death and injury and advocate for urgent concerted action to stop the carnage.

On World Day we too pay tribute to the dedicated emergency crews, police and medical professionals, who deal daily with the traumatic aftermath of road crashes.

For the past several years in Whatcom County, we’ve held a World Day of Remembrance ceremony. This year, because of COVID-19, we were unable to gather together. Still, we want to remember those who have been killed in traffic crashes and honor the emergency workers who are called upon to respond. This video captures the words and actions of leaders and responders in our community:

November 12, 2020July 18, 2024

Homebuilt Trailers – It’s More Than Just Knowing How To Build

Q: I’ve been wanting to get a teardrop trailer, but they’ve gotten really hard to find this year, what with everyone deciding that the middle of a pandemic is a good time for more outdoor activities. If I can’t find a trailer I was thinking about building one. If I do that, how do I get it registered?

A: Are you a “letter of the law” type? Or do you exist happily in gray areas? How you answer that might determine which of the following steps you adhere to in your trailer building process. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that you disregard the rules or skip legal requirements. It’s just that when you’re building your own camping trailer there’s a step that’s not required, but you might regret skipping it later.

November 5, 2020July 18, 2024

Driving With Your Parking Lights – Is That a Problem?

Q: When I started driving in the early 1960s, parking lights were to only be used when the vehicle was stopped. Today, with driving lights and LEDs around the headlights, the distinction of parking/driving lights is blurred (in my opinion). How could someone distinguish if a newer car is driving with their parking lights on, or driving lights? Is it an issue? Or legal to drive with the parking lights on?

A: This started as a “when” question, but it’s going to get, at least partly, a “where” answer. You mentioned that when you started driving in the early 1960s, parking lights were only for when your car was stopped. Given that I was conceived in the final month of 1969, I’m of no help by way of personal experience. Instead, I dug into the archives to see how our laws on parking lights have changed.