Month: July 2024

Q: I am confused as to why the speed limit signs going into and leaving town are often not across from each other, meaning, I guess, that going one direction it is okay to go 50 mph, while in the other direction the limit is only 35.

A: I’m confused too. Especially since you use “often” in your description. Now that you’ve brought it to my attention, I’ve been paying attention to speed limit transitions, and the ones I’ve come across have all lined up, more or less. But that doesn’t mean they’re not out there, somewhere. As the alien hunters say, absence of proof is not proof of absence.

Continue reading “Same Road, Different Speed Limit?”

Q: Here’s the scenario: I’m on a multi-lane arterial intending to take a left turn three blocks ahead. Cars ahead of me that are also turning left have filled the left turn lane and backed up into the two-way turn lane for almost three blocks. Do I pull in after them in the two-way turn lane, or do I drive up to the left turn lane and stop with my blinker on waiting for the turn lane to empty out? Can I travel through an intersection from one two-way turn lane to the next if I haven’t traveled 300 feet?

A: You’ve asked me to choose between two options, neither of which I can recommend, because both violate the law. I’ll propose that this is a false dilemma, as there are other legal options, but I suspect that you’ll find them unsatisfactory.

Continue reading “Left Turns in Growing Cities”

Q: I recently drove from Blaine to Kelso and back on a weekend. Other than downtown Seattle, the average speed on I-5 was 80 mph in both lanes, and there were vehicles passing me by. Twice, a motorcycle blasted through weaving between cars at over 100 mph. I’ve not experienced this kind of freeway driving in Washington before. Is this commonplace now?

A: What does it say about our driving culture that the part of your question I find hardest to believe isn’t the 100 mph motorcycles; it’s that you drove almost the entire I-5 corridor in Washington and only had slow traffic in downtown Seattle. My experience has typically been traffic jams starting near Olympia and continuing to Smokey Point. However, we’re not here to talk about slow traffic.

Continue reading “How Bad is Freeway Speeding?”

Q: I’ve noticed that very few Teslas display front license plates. And on further revue I’ve noticed other brands and types of passenger cars, mostly compacts, don’t either. I don’t know of any exception to the law that would apply to these vehicles. Just wondering what your take is on this issue.

A: Before I besmirch the good name of Tesla owners, I thought I’d gather some data and see if it confirms your assertion. I conducted an informal observational survey, and my results are as follows: Seventy-one percent of Teslas had a front license plate. Ninety-three percent of non-Teslas had a front license plate. It would seem that Tesla owners, as a group, are more inclined to violate the law that requires a front license plate.

Continue reading “Your Car Influences Your Behavior”