Author: DOUG DAHL

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Bikes in Crosswalks

Q: When I approach a pedestrian crosswalk and someone is sitting on their bicycle with the intent to ride it across (as opposed to walking it), am I required to stop?

A: Basically, yes. The law requires drivers to treat cyclists in a crosswalk the same way they do pedestrians. RCW 46.61.235 groups the terms “pedestrian” and “bicycle” together, making it abundantly clear that any requirements that apply to drivers stopping for crosswalk occupants include people on feet and on bikes. Continue reading “Bikes in Crosswalks”

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Sex and Intoxication

Sex and intoxication. Did that get your attention? If so, this article is probably not what you think it is. We’re focusing on the less salacious but still very important issue of a person’s biological sex as a significant factor in alcohol impairment; a big deal when it comes to impaired driving. Rather than responding to a single question, this article is prompted by conversations I’ve had with people about impairment levels and driving. Continue reading “Sex and Intoxication”

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Driving From Private Property to Public Roads

Q: If I leave a parking lot that is private property and a sign on the property says right turn only, can I get cited for make a left turn, even if there is no oncoming traffic?

A: Yes, but I think I understand where you’re coming from. Outside of a few criminal violations like DUI and reckless driving, traffic laws are not usually enforced on private property. There are a few exceptions, which I covered in a previous Road Rules article. However, it’s a little different when the private property meets the public roadway. At a minimum, the law requires drivers coming from a private road or driveway to yield to traffic on the public road. Continue reading “Driving From Private Property to Public Roads”

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Brake Checking – Dumb and Dangerous

Q: I am seeing more and more brake checking going on. People doing the brake checking feel they wont be responsible at all if they get rear ended. That’s usually the case, but when you brake check aren’t you also an aggressive driver at that point?

A: For those who are not familiar with the term “brake check”, I’ll start by explaining it. In this scenario, it’s not the regular inspection of one of the critical safety system in your car. Instead, we’re discussing a driver who tries to dissuade a tailgater by slamming on the brakes. Continue reading “Brake Checking – Dumb and Dangerous”

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Watch Out In The Intersection

Today’s PSA is actually just an excerpt of a longer PSA from the city of Spokane. (Click here for the full version)  This PSA is the typical local traffic safety video: footage of the local community, a pleasant narrator, an educational message, and simple production. The cheerful narrator led me to believe this would be a bunch of happy shots of people successfully crossing the road. I was wrong. Here’s eleven seconds to prove it:

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Slow Scooter on a Fast Road

Q: The speed limit on Mount Baker Highway is 55 mph. Often in the mornings I am stuck behind a person driving a scooter with a max speed of 40. Sometimes they drive on the shoulder, more times they drive in the lane. This creates an unsafe environment as speeding trucks and cars quickly approach and have to slam on their breaks to avoid a collision. Are scooters allowed on Mount Baker Highway?

A: I agree with you about the danger of slow-moving vehicles on high speed limit roadways. Speed differential (the difference between the speeds of vehicles traveling on the same section of roadway) creates all kinds of mayhem. Continue reading “Slow Scooter on a Fast Road”

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Planes vs. Cars – What Can We Learn?

Q: I’ve read that the fatality rate per mile traveled on a commercial plane is much lower than it is when traveling by car. Are there things we could learn from the airlines on how to make our roads safer?

A: There are numerous resources comparing commercial airline safety with driving, and every one of them reaches the same conclusion you stated in your question: Commercial flight is safe. Really safe. In the last seven years no one has died on a US-certificated scheduled commercial airline. Looking back, in 1924, at the dawn of the commercial flight era, airline fatalities were at one death for every 13,500 miles traveled (or 7407 deaths per 100 million miles). In 1960, commercial airlines had a fatality rate of 44 deaths per 100 million miles. In 2015 US airlines flew 7.6 billion miles with a total of, you guessed it, no fatalities. Continue reading “Planes vs. Cars – What Can We Learn?”

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What To Do If You Hit A Sign

Q: Say you slide off the road in ice and snow and you take out a directional traffic sign (curve sign.) I think it would be the right thing to do but it is necessary to report this? And, to whom?

A: I love that this question is posed as a hypothetical, but then includes such a specific detail as what type of traffic sign was (hypothetically) struck. It’s like when you go to the doctor with an embarrassing medical question and say, “Hey doc, I have this friend who was complaining of a burning sensation . . .” Maybe it really is a reader’s curiosity and the question just happened to come up during an icy stretch on our roads. Continue reading “What To Do If You Hit A Sign”

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Cycling and Texting – Legal, but Foolish

Q: I see bike riders, in traffic, riding with their cell phones up to their ear. Shouldn’t they have to follow the same no-cell-phone laws that vehicle drivers do?

A: “Should they” and “Are they required by law” are two different questions. Despite some drivers refusing to admit it, we have data to show that using a cell phone while driving increases the likelihood of a crash. Talking on a phone has similar crash rates to drivers with a .08 blood alcohol level. Texting while driving has crash rates more like a driver with a .20 blood alcohol level. Continue reading “Cycling and Texting – Legal, but Foolish”