Month: August 2024

Q: Do the cars on my side of the road need to pull over when an emergency vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction? Are there different rules for two-lane vs multi-lane? How about if there’s a median?

A: I’d like to believe that when we see an emergency vehicle approaching with lights and siren, we all want to do the right thing. But as I’ve experienced, and likely you have too, when an emergency vehicle does appear, not all drivers do the same thing, which suggests that we don’t know what the right thing is.

Continue reading “When to Pull Over for Emergency Vehicles”

Q: At what point does speeding go from an infraction to a crime? 20 over? 30 over? Double the posted speed limit?

A: Are you ready for a Latin lesson? Don’t worry; I don’t know Latin either, except for a few terms in the Revised Code of Washington. And we’re only going to look at one: prima facie. It means, “at first sight” or “based on first impression.”

If you’re a fan of TV legal dramas, you may have heard a character talk about prima facie evidence as if it means they have a slam-dunk case. And if that’s your understanding of prima facie evidence, you’d be forgiven for being concerned about a particular Washington law about speeding.

Continue reading “When Speeding Becomes Reckless”

Q: This time of year there are a lot of tractors driving on roads near farms. Is it legal to pass a tractor in a no-passing zone?

A: The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius once said, “The impediment to action advances action. That which stands in the way becomes the way.” This quote has been popularized by modern stoic writer Ryan Holiday as, “The obstacle is the way.” Being a fan of stoic philosophy, I’ve been asking myself, “If the obstacle is a tractor, and I’m in a no-passing zone, how does the tractor become the way?” Maybe Marcus meant it as a metaphor and I’m taking it too literally.

Continue reading “Passing Tractors in No-Passing Zones”

Q: Can you get a DUI while driving a riding lawn mower on the road?

A: You’ve got the law, and then you’ve got the interpretation of the law. The law would appear to be the easy part, so let’s start there. In Washington, “A person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, cannabis, or any drug if the person drives a vehicle within this state” and is impaired. Pretty clear, right?

But wait, you might ask, is a riding lawn mower a vehicle? According to the law, a vehicle is anything that can move on a road and can transport people or property. That’s a broad definition. There are a few minor exceptions, but riding lawn mowers don’t make that list.

Continue reading “Impaired Driving on a Riding Lawn Mower”

Q: I was on a two-lane road, stopped behind a transit bus at a bus stop that was waiting for a passenger walking fast to catch the bus. A vehicle came up behind me, waited for about five seconds, then passed my car and the bus using the oncoming traffic lane. Were they in the wrong? In the right?

A: Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “It’s not given to people to judge what’s right or wrong. People have eternally been mistaken and will be mistaken, and in nothing more than in what they consider right and wrong.” With all respect to Leo, I’ll wager he’d have made an exception if he’d ever driven a car.

Continue reading “Rules and Philosophy for Passing a Bus”