May 2021 – The Wise Drive

May 27, 2021July 18, 2024

Bicycles – Sometimes Vehicles, Sometimes Pedestrians

A: Are bicyclists who use crosswalks when crossing a road considered vehicles (which must yield to road traffic) or are they considered pedestrians (to which cars must yield) because they are in a crosswalk? In our community this is an issue where paved recreation trails cross busy roads. There are no signals at these crossings.

Q: Bicycles – the chameleons of traffic law. Sometimes they follow the rules for cars; sometimes they follow the rules for pedestrians. So here’s a simple guideline to figure out which rules generally apply. Treat bikes on the road like vehicles and bikes on a sidewalk or crosswalk like pedestrians.

May 20, 2021July 18, 2024

How Far Right Do I Have To Go to Keep Right?

Q: My question is about driving on limited-access freeways such as I-5. I try to drive as consistently as possible. On a three lane freeway, my understanding is the left lane is for passing, and the other two lanes are general purpose, which I’ve always understood to mean one lane isn’t supposed to be faster than the other. Typically I’ll drive in the center lane. The right lane usually goes slower but not always. Is there a legal requirement that says if I’m in the center lane with others passing me on the right, I must move to the right? If not, is it a courtesy I’m not aware of?

A: First off, I appreciate your intention to both do the law-abiding thing and the courteous thing. I think sometimes we overlook how driving courtesy can make the world a better place. And I can understand how you’ve reached the conclusion that the left lane is for passing and the other lanes are “general purpose”, despite that not actually being correct.

May 13, 2021July 18, 2024

Yielding at Uncontrolled Intersections

Q: I’d like to know who has the right-of-way at an intersection with no stop signs. In this case, it’s an urban collector street that crosses a short local street with cul-de-sacs at each end. I have argued that the urban collector street has the right-of-way because it crosses a street with dead ends, so it doesn’t matter about the person to the right having the right-of-way.

A: Sometimes what feels right in your gut doesn’t align with what’s actually in the law. I think you know where this is going. Before we get to the answer though, you mentioned that one road is an urban collector. Maybe we should be clear about what that means.

May 6, 2021July 18, 2024

Replacing a Worn Out Seatbelt

Q: My seatbelt seems to be wearing out. The buckle doesn’t always work right and the belt has some frayed spots on it. Are there any rules about replacing it? Can I just go buy one a used one from a wrecking yard?

A: I’d like to begin by acknowledging your regular seatbelt use. You didn’t come right out and say it, but a seatbelt doesn’t get worn out if no one ever pulls it out from its retractor. So after years of doing the right thing, your seatbelt is showing some wear.