DOUG DAHL

July 14, 2022July 18, 2024

Driving Suspended on Private Property

Q: Can a police officer give a ticket for driving with a suspended license on private property?

A: There are a lot of things you can legally do in a vehicle on private property that would be clear violations of the law on public roads. Driving suspended is not one of them.

If you were to crack open the chapter on driver licenses in the Revised Code of Washington, the first section you’d find would start with, “No person may drive a motor vehicle upon a highway in this state without first obtaining a valid driver’s license . . .” If you read that closely, you’ll notice it says, “upon a highway.” Based on that, you might conclude that driver license laws only apply while you’re on public roads, and you’d almost be right. But not quite.

July 7, 2022July 18, 2024

Turning into the Correct Lane

Q: Here’s the situation: I’m at an intersection intending to turn left. The road I’m turning on to has two lanes in each direction. Across from me there’s a car that’s turning right (their right), so we’re both turning onto the same road. Since there’s two lanes, can I proceed to turn into the nearest (left) lane, expecting the other driver to turn into their nearest (right) lane? If there is a bump, who is at fault?

A: Sometimes a question about traffic law is really a surface-level question masking a much deeper concern. Maybe you didn’t intend it that way, but I read it as a search for existential meaning, as in, “How much trust should I have in humanity to consistently do the right thing?”

June 30, 2022July 18, 2024

To Pass Or Not To Pass

Q: Could you explain how drivers should handle passing cyclists on two-lane roads with a double yellow? Some stretches go for miles so drivers have to pass them at some point. Honking seems rude but they never pull over to let drivers pass.

A: I agree; honking does seem rude. It’s also not a great idea to startle someone on two wheels. Beyond courtesy, the law only allows the use of the horn, “when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation.” Horns are for alerting people of impending hazards, not for requesting more access to the road (although I imagine there might be times when one goes with the other.)

June 23, 2022July 18, 2024

Stopping For Pedestrians

Q: What is the law for how long you are supposed to stay stopped when someone in a crosswalk has passed in front of you and is near the sidewalk on the other side of the street? I asked this because almost daily I will be behind a car that waits until the person is on the sidewalk on the other side.

A: When I first read your question I assumed that the car you’re behind almost daily is some random different driver each time. When I read it again, I wondered if you’re actually stuck behind the same driver; maybe you both have the same route on your morning commute, and you’re continually in the same situation with the same person. (Now I’m imagining that it’s the same pedestrian too. How far can I take this?) If that’s the case, you could avoid the whole situation by leaving for work a minute earlier, but that wouldn’t solve the underlying question, would it?

June 16, 2022July 18, 2024

On The Verge Of A Merge

Q: Recently I was merging onto the freeway, and as I got up to freeway speed on the onramp I found myself next to a car already on the freeway going about the same speed as me. I slowed down to merge behind the car, but that driver slowed down to be kind and let me merge in front. Of course, that doesn’t work well, but it got me wondering who is supposed to do what in that situation.

A: This isn’t the only question about freeway merging that I’ve received. But it’s the nicest. Others blamed poor merging on millennials, political correctness, hostility, and incompetence. I like that you’ve attributed the problem (at least in this case) to kindness.

June 9, 2022July 18, 2024

U-Turns: Be Careful Where You Attempt Them

Q: At some intersections, and even some mid-block locations, I see no U-turn signs. I thought U-turns were generally illegal, especially mid-block. If that’s true, then why post no U-turn signs?

A: I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “God allows U-turns.” Either that’s a metaphor or God hasn’t gotten through to the law makers in some cities and states. Here in Washington, that bumper sticker and our state law are closely aligned, but that’s not the case in our neighbor state to the south (or some cities in our state).

If you’re an Oregonian visiting Washington, you might think we have a bunch of scofflaws making U-turns wherever we please. And if you’re a Washingtonian visiting Oregon, you might get surprised by a ticket for what you thought was a perfectly legal U-turn.

June 2, 2022July 18, 2024

National Secure Your Load Day

June 6^th is National Yo-Yo Day. When I was eleven I became obsessed with yo-yos. But when you get older you realize you can have a yo-yo, and you can have a girlfriend, but you can’t have both at the same time. You’re probably wondering about a connection between yo-yos and traffic safety. June 6^th is not only National Yo-Yo Day; it’s also national Secure Your Load Day.

Do we really need a day dedicated to securing your load? A better question would be, do we really need National Yo-Yo Day or Applesauce Cake Day (also on June 6^th)? Yo-yos and applesauce cake are kind of silly things to celebrate, but making sure that whatever you have in your pickup bed or trailer is properly strapped down and secure can save a life.

May 26, 2022July 18, 2024

Seat Belts For Dogs

Q: Why is it that adults and kids all have to wear seat belts, but dogs can roam around in a car? Shouldn’t there be a seat belt law for dogs?

A: The only law I’m aware of that specifically requires a dog to be restrained pertains to animals being transported on the “outside part of any vehicle.” It states that animals must be harnessed or in an enclosure. The law, which dates back to at least 1927, was originally in a group of laws about driving livestock to market (cattle had the right of way), pasturing and camping with livestock along the highway (you had to have enough herders to keep the road available for cars) and how to pass a person riding, leading, or driving an animal in the opposite direction (stop to let them pass, and shut off your engine if it scares the animal.) The law was primarily intended for transporting livestock, but we’ve also applied it to dogs in pickup beds.

May 19, 2022July 18, 2024

Window Tint, Oversized Tires, and Dumb Sunglasses

Q: Two questions: Is it illegal to have darkened forward windows in a car? Is it illegal to have oversized tires on a pickup truck such that the tires extend wider than the truck body? I see a lot of these situations and I wonder if they are illegal, and if so, why there isn’t more enforcement. Both situations are dangerous for pedestrians; also, the dark windows make coordinating between drivers difficult.

A: Two answers: sometimes and yes. But you actually asked three questions and your third one is the trickiest. So of course, I’ll start with the easy ones. Window tint and oversized tires have something in common – drivers often make those modifications, at least partly, for style. (If you own a pickup with enormous tires and it’s never been off pavement, I’m talking about you.)

May 12, 2022July 18, 2024

It’s Never Too Slow For A Seat Belt

Q: Is there a speed at which wearing a seat belt isn’t important because I’m going slow enough to where I won’t get hurt?

A: I’m pretty sure that if I answered this question with an actual number there would be people out there who treat it as a rule: “Oh, I don’t put on my seat belt until I’m going at least 13 mph.” You might think I’m joking, but there’s actual data to (sort of) support the idea. Every year the Washington Traffic Safety Commission conducts a seat belt use observation survey. Yep, it’s just what it sounds like. Observers count how many people wear their seat belts, using enough locations and vehicles to get an accurate representation of seat belt use statewide. According to the most recent survey, 94 percent of vehicle occupants in Washington wear a seatbelt, and it’s been at roughly that level since the early 2000s.

How is this relevant? The survey also tracks seat belt use based on road type. The rate on state routes (with generally higher speed limits) is about 95 percent while the rate on city streets (read slower speed limits) is at about 90 percent. County roads fall in between. It seems that some people are, consciously or not, adjusting their seat belt use to the speed of their driving.