Category: Road Rules

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Making Tailgating Tickets Automatic

Q: On the topic of tailgating, specifically enforcement: Why couldn’t they use the traffic cameras to watch for this type of activity and then just send out tickets? There should be a way to develop a formula for determining proper distances. And for the open highway, why not develop drones that could do the same thing? With all of the new technology it seems that it should not be too difficult to track and identify tailgaters, at least the more egregious ones. Maybe a project for one of the new technology sector institutions.

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When Tires Stop Stopping

Let’s talk about tires. I recently had a conversation with someone about tire performance and how it relates to the price of a tire. The question was essentially, “Is it worth it to buy expensive tires for my car?” There is a study from AAA that answers that question, but in the process of exploring the question I encountered what I think is even more important – how long you keep your tires on your car.

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Shoulder Driving to Escape a Lineup

Q:  Recently I was pulled over after I drove on the shoulder when I got stuck in a border lineup on the truck route. I was given a warning and was told that it is illegal to drive on the shoulder, even if it is to avoid being stuck in a lineup to a location that I am not going to.  Blaine and other border towns frequently have long lineups not just on the state routes or Interstate, but on local roads next to schools, shopping and businesses. If you get stuck you cannot do a u-turn to escape. What is the law about using the shoulder of a road? Is there any accommodation to local residents who are not intending to go across the border?

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Don’t Get Tripped Up By The Sidewalk

Q: In local parks, sidewalk upthrusts (say, by tree roots) are marked by yellow paint for the length of the walkway re-elevation. That’s terrific. But what about regular sidewalks along streets where there is often a one-inch elevation change from one concrete section to the next? Can we call the city to apply yellow paint to those? Could we simply paint them ourselves in our own neighborhood? Streets often have the same upthrust problems and are a great surprise to bicyclists. Also those pedestrian courtesy outcroppings of sidewalk that shorten their walk across the street (but stop cold the parking lane) – unwary or at-night cyclists ram those all the time; some are painted yellow but most are not. Thank you from a voice of unfortunate experience.

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What’s The Real Speed Limit?

Q: After turning onto Portal Way to go north from Grandview Road the speed limit is 50 mph. Then in about a quarter mile it drops to 35 mph and then in about 50 feet it changes back to 50 mph. At first I thought it was because of the cars driving in and out from the storage units. But after I went back and double checked I saw it goes back to 50 mph before the driveway into the storage units. What’s the point of having the speed drop down to 35 mph? Are we supposed to slam on our brakes to slow down to 35mph only to have to accelerate again back to 50 mph?
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