Category: Road Rules

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Stop, Don’t Stop

I recently encountered this pair of signs while driving through an unfamiliar area.

Let’s count all the ways this is so wrong:

  1. Conflicting directions: Do I stop? Do I never stop? Is this a quantum physics problem where matter can travel multiple paths simultaneously as long as it’s not being observed (by the police)?
  2. Too many words: The first time I drove through the intersection I actually didn’t have time to read the small print. I was too busy looking for cross-traffic to focus on all that text. All I read was, “Stop – No stopping any time.” I had to go through the intersection a second time to read it all. (And a third time to pull over and get a picture.)
  3. Distracting: Intersections have more crashes than any other part of the road system. Signs should be about safety. If you’re worried about people trying to sell their cars, put that sign somewhere else.
  4. Confusing: Should I run the stop sign if I’m trying to sell my car? What does this sign pairing want me to do? I was driving a rental car at the time so I’m pretty sure I was supposed to just drive straight though (not really.)

It’s rare that we encounter traffic signs this absurd, which is a credit to the traffic engineers who almost always get it right. But not this time.

And I should point out that this wasn’t local (which you probably figured out from the clear blue sky and the high desert terrain.) So don’t be teasing our local traffic engineers about this.

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The 100 Deadliest Days

I generally like to keep this weekly column somewhat light-hearted when possible; this is not one of those weeks. Recently someone emailed me with a request for information about teen drivers. Without even looking at new data I can tell you the basics; young drivers (age 16-25) make up 13 percent of the driving population but are involved in 31 percent of Washington’s fatal crashes. And right now it’s peak season for teen driver crashes.

We’re one month in to what is often referred to as the “100 deadliest days,” the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The summer months get this grim moniker because of the increase in fatal crashes involving teen drivers during this timeframe and, despite decreases in traffic volume (which you’ve probably noticed has recently been picking back up), this summer we have reason to be concerned. Since Memorial Day, eight drivers in the 15 to 19 age range have been involved in fatal crashes in Washington, the most (tying 2018 and 2016) in the last seven years.

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Speeding – Everybody’s Not Doing It

Q: I’ve heard that because of Covid-19 the police aren’t doing traffic enforcement. That seems problematic. Lately there has been less traffic on the roads but I’ve heard about way more people speeding. What’s being done to stop all the speeders?

A: Maybe you’ve read the headlines: traffic volumes are down; vehicle speeds are up, and speeding crashes are nearly a pandemic in themselves. I’ve read them too; like the guy in the Corvette doing 192 mph (yes, that’s not a typo) on Highway 2 last month. You might start to think that most people on the road are speeding. But is that really true?

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Emergency Vehicles and Chinese Sports

Q: I was driving north on a road with two lanes in either direction plus a center turn lane. A fire truck was headed south with emergency lights on. All south bound traffic was yielding to the right of the road, stopping until emergency vehicle had passed, and then continuing on their way south. Suddenly, drivers in both northbound lanes came to a complete stop to wait for the emergency vehicle in the south lane to pass. My question in this scenario: does the northbound traffic have to yield in this manner to southbound emergency vehicles?

A: A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit China. I was working for an education company, so naturally we visited some schools. While on a university campus I recall seeing a dozen or so empty basketball courts, while in an open space right next to the courts at least 50 people, each balancing a ball on a racket, moved in unison following a leader, executing what looked like a mix between tai chi and tennis exercises. I later learned that I had been watching taiji bailong ball, also called roliball. It struck me that if this same campus was in the United States, I probably would have seen the basketball courts full of players, each making their own moves, while the roliball field was most likely empty. If you’re wondering where I’m going with this, stay with me.

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In Trouble for the Wrong Thing


Q: I was given a citation for failing to stop at a traffic signal. What happened was I was making a left turn at a four-way intersection; I entered the intersection on green and waited for a safe time to turn. The light turned yellow and I turned while the light was yellow. The officer says I ran the stop light claiming it was red. Can I fight this in court and how is this likely to turn out?

A: In the 2016 short film Alibi, Dalton Stone is accused of committing a murder. He’s innocent of that crime, but here’s the problem: His alibi would include confessing that he was having an affair with his brother’s wife. Basically, he got in trouble for the wrong thing. He’s not guilty of what he’s arrested for, but that doesn’t make him innocent.

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Buses, Merging and Kindness

Q: I know transit buses have a right-of-way when entering traffic from a bus stop. They have a special yield blinker light that they illuminate separate from the left turn signal. I saw a driver use the yield blinker when entering the freeway. Do I have to yield to a bus merging onto the freeway? Legally is the question. I always try to not be a danger/nuisance when large, slow vehicles are trying to deliver children, goods and other things I can’t imagine not having in my life.

A:  Just as a matter of survival, it’s always wise to yield to buses. Maybe it’s not always the law, but it is the rule of lug nuts. If you’re not familiar with that rule, it states that in any given collision between two vehicles, the one with the most lug nuts wins. Using the word “wins” in the context of collisions is admittedly crude, but you get my point. For anyone concerned with their own well-being, the rule of lug nuts should be enough. I appreciate that you went beyond that and also have concern for the people (and goods) onboard big vehicles.

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You Should Signal In Roundabouts (But Is It The Law?)

Q: I’m wondering about the rules for signaling when your car is exiting a roundabout. I rarely see people do this and so I went to the WSDOT website. The written instructions don’t mention signaling nor do the drivers in the instructional videos signal when exiting. Do you know why this is?

A: Do you want my opinion, or do you want the law? I just asked a dumb question; of course you want the law. But I’m going to give you my opinion anyway. I think you should signal your intention to exit a roundabout. However, as we all know, there is a big difference between “think you should” and “required by law.” Are you required by law to signal in a roundabout? That’s where things get tricky.

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Blocking The View

Q: Is there a rule or law about the distance of visibility delivery trucks must leave for motorists entering a road from adjacent roads when they are parked delivering goods? I’ve encountered delivery trucks that block the view of oncoming traffic making it difficult to pull onto the highway without cutting someone off.

A: I’ll start with what I already know: Obstructed views contribute to traffic crashes. Obvious? Yes, but also supported by data. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) studied various contributing factors to collisions in intersections and confirmed what is clearly evident. But they were able to express it in a percentage. In an analysis of a nationally representative sample of 787,236 intersection collisions, turning with an obstructed view contributed to 7.8 percent of the crashes.

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Don’t Hit The Tow Truck – A Bare Minimum Driving Requirement

Q: So I was wondering, y’all write about things that are important, what about the Slow Down Move Over Law that NOBODY seems to adhere to? The reason I ask is because I am a tow truck operator and I was hit by a taxi cab while working. Drivers need to be aware of this law to increase emergency crew safety.

A: Let’s establish a minimum expectation for the emergency and work zone law: if you crash into a tow truck you’re doing it wrong. Actually, let’s establish a much higher expectation – that drivers know and follow the law.

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Biking – It’s Not What It Was When You Were Seven

Q: Does a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk have to get off of their bicycle when crossing a road with a signal? Or can they just ride straight across at cycling speed in the crosswalk if the light is green? Corollary question – can a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk ride faster than walking speed? I had a bicyclist riding against traffic on a one-way street on the sidewalk try to ride directly across in the crosswalk, in front of turning traffic. On top of it all, she was in the business district.

A: Most of us learned to ride a bike when our age could be measured in single digits. When you’re seven, advice like “always ride on the sidewalk” and “get off your bike when crossing the street” makes good sense. A beginning bike rider is pretty wobbly; not someone you want at the edge of a lane of traffic or crossing the street. The trouble with advice to our seven-year-old selves is that it doesn’t age well.

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