Road Rules – Page 22 – The Wise Drive

March 18, 2021July 18, 2024

Parking: Backing in Versus Backing Out

Q: In a parking lot, I observed another driver stop and then back into a parking space. The driver behind him shook his fist because he had to wait. One organization for which I’m a volunteer driver recommends backing in because they say it’s safer to pull out of a space rather than backing out. What are your thoughts about heading in versus backing into a parking space?

A: Let’s start by acknowledging that backing up isn’t natural. For thousands of years we’ve walked forward. If we want to change directions we don’t walk backwards; we turn around. About the only time we walk backwards is when we get the bad end of the deal moving a couch. But in cars, we’re stuck with the design restraints and sometimes we have to back up. It’s less than ideal. Visibility is poor and, unless you’ve practiced a lot, maneuverability is, well, you’ve probably seen someone make nine consecutive attempts at parallel parking.

March 11, 2021July 18, 2024

The Speed Limit on a Freeway Ramp

Q: What is the speed limit on an on- ramp, and when and where does it change? Where I live there is a street that turns into an onramp. This street has a 30 mph speed limit on it. The highway has a 65mph speed limit on it. When and where does that 30 end and the 65 begin?

A: My instinct is to say that onramps are part of the freeway infrastructure and subject to the same speed limits. But once you asked the question I realized that I couldn’t provide you with a law that led me to that conclusion. After searching through state law, the Code of Federal Regulations and the US Department of Transportation’s Freeway Management and Operations Handbook, I still can’t provide a direct quote from the law. That’s not to say it’s not out there, but I haven’t found it yet.

March 4, 2021July 18, 2024

The Best Lane Position for Bicycles

Q: I was driving on a street that had no adjacent bicycle lane but instead had a bicycle symbol and arrows pointing in the direction of travel. A bicyclist pulled into the lane of traffic but instead of staying as far right, near parked cars, insisted on pedaling as near the center of the lane as possible at a leisurely pace, preventing following motor vehicles from passing him. I’m retired and wasn’t in a hurry but can imagine that people on an errand or in a rush might do something foolish and/or dangerous. Was the bicyclist correct or should he have been traveling more to the right-hand side of the lane?

A: To start with, let’s talk about those arrows with a bicycle symbol. They have a name. And maybe you know the name but couldn’t get yourself to put it in print. I don’t blame you. They’re called “sharrows.” It’s a portmanteau of share and arrow. Yeah, silly, like all those celebrity name mash-ups. But their purpose isn’t so silly; sharrows indicate to drivers and cyclists that the road is a preferred cycling route.

February 25, 2021July 18, 2024

Traffic School and Your (Not-So-Good) Driving Record

Q. Will a driving course help eliminate a poor driving record in Washington?

A: Yes, but probably not in the way that you’re hoping for. Generally, once you already have a poor driving record it’s too late for a driving course to directly impact your record. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. Now, if you’ve done something in the last fifteen days that will result in a future damaged driving record, you might have some options, which I’ll get to in a bit.

We often have a mindset that more experience makes you better. But that’s not always true. When I was a kid, I took a year of piano lessons, and I remember learning to play exactly one song. My lessons coincided with the release of Star Wars, and the only thing I wanted out of piano lessons was to play the Star Wars theme song. In the years that followed I continued to plink away at that one song, but didn’t learn another one.

February 18, 2021July 18, 2024

Skip The Scary Public Service Announcements

Q: If you want to stop driving drunk, or speeding, or texting and driving, or not wearing a seatbelt, why doesn’t the government make more videos like what I watched in driver’s ed? You know, the ones with the graphic car crashes. That’ll get their attention.

A: I’ve heard variations on this question from plenty of people, and while the motivation to improve driving behavior is commendable, the approach is misguided. You might be asking yourself, “But if the approach is misguided, then why did driver’s ed classes use them and why has the government made so many traffic safety commercials with car crashes?” The short answer is, we were wrong.

February 4, 2021July 18, 2024

Right-Of-Way And The Right Thing To Do

Q: At an intersection, where the flow of traffic in question does not have a stop sign, and there are several cars flowing through it, does a pedestrian have the right to step off the curb to cross as long as it does not cause an “immediate” hazard? Who has the right-of-way?

A: I’ll get to the actual answer in a moment, but I want to lead with this: Don’t hit the pedestrian. Yep, you already knew that, I know. My point here is that there is the right-of-way, and then there’s the right thing to do.

We often talk about who has the right-of-way, but that’s really a distortion of the language in our laws. The law doesn’t define who has the right-of-way; it states who must yield the right-of-way. Maybe that sounds like two different ways of saying the same thing, but there is a difference. Think of right-of-way as something floating out there in the universe that you can never take for yourself, but you’re free to give to someone else. Okay, now it sounds like I’m writing a new age self-help book. But the point still stands.

January 28, 2021July 18, 2024

Front License Plates: Are They Necessary?

Q: Has the Washington State law changed about vehicles displaying front license plates? In our area I have noticed a substantial number of vehicles without front plates. Some will have the plate lying on the dashboard and many seem to be newer, expensive models. Has the law changed or is it simply not being enforced?

A: Have you ever committed a minor traffic violation, like maybe you forgot to signal when you made a right turn, and then realized that there was a police officer right behind you? And maybe, if you’re lucky, you experienced this: the red and blue lights come on behind you, but when you pull over the patrol car zooms past. If so, you just got a glimpse of one enforcement demand taking priority over another.

January 21, 2021July 18, 2024

Burnouts – Which Law(s) Do They Break?

Q: I’ve seen plenty of long, black tire marks out on county roads that look intentional. Once COVID struck and the freeways were empty I even saw a 360 degree burnout on the freeway. That can’t be legal, but what law is it breaking?

A: Let me tell you about Cars and Coffee. The title is so on the nose it hardly needs explanation, but I will anyway. These are events in which automotive enthusiasts drive their show-worthy cars to a parking lot where they drink coffee, socialize and admire each others’ cars. In the few that I’ve attended (as a visitor, not a show car owner) they’ve been fun, casual events with some interesting cars.

However, and you knew there was a however, despite the “no burnouts” rule at every Cars and Coffee event, when it’s over and time to leave, there is sometimes a guy (it’s pretty much always a guy) that does it anyway. And as often happens when a car has more power than the driver has skill, some burnouts turn into crashes. When that happens, you’ll have a swarm of young men all with phone in hand, sprinting toward the car to capture the failure in close-up so they can put it on the internet. It’s like live-streaming karma.

January 14, 2021July 18, 2024

Getting Around a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Circle

Q: There is a neighborhood I drive through that has something I’d describe as little roundabouts, much smaller than a regular roundabout, in several intersections. It’s like they took a normal intersection, put a concrete circle in the middle of it and filled it with plants. Do I have to go around the circle to make a left turn, or can I just turn left in front of the circle? It’s such a tight turning radius if I go around the circle in my truck.

A: The intersection you just described goes by a few different names. The Washington Department of Transportation calls them Neighborhood Traffic Calming Circles, so we’ll go with that, but I’ll shorten it to NTCC because the full name is a mouthful. (Can you have a mouthful when your words are in print?)

If you had a time machine and you traveled back to Seattle at least ten years ago, then you could turn left in front of a NTCC. Of course, if you had a time machine, I think you’d find a better use for it than turning left in front of traffic circles. In a moment I’ll explain why it used to be allowed in Seattle, and why it’s not now.

January 7, 2021July 18, 2024

Age and Driving – Knowing When It’s Time To Stop

Q: My parents are getting older, and I’m wondering, how do I know when it’s time for them to stop driving?

A: If you’re a fan of the Guinness Book of World Records, you might have heard of Johanna Quaas, the world’s oldest gymnast. She turned 95 this year and still has a parallel bar routine that would make some of the show-offs on muscle beach reevaluate their life goals.

I mention Johanna to make the point that age itself isn’t the limiting factor in driving, or any other life activity. It’s all the things that go along with age. That might sound like two ways of saying the same thing, but I don’t think so.