Category: Road Rules

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Left Turns and Traffic Jams

Q: Did something change for left hand turners at a signal? I have noticed that a growing number of drivers in Bellingham have decided that pulling into the intersection at a traffic light when turning left is no longer a practice. These drivers are waiting behind the line and then right as the signal is turning from yellow to red make the left turn. What’s up with this?

A: In heavy traffic, trying to make a left turn can result in a lot of frustration. However, pulling into the intersection and waiting for an opportunity to turn is a less-than-ideal solution to a congested traffic problem. Whether it’s a legal solution depends on your interpretation of the law. RCW 46.61.202, edited for brevity, states, “No driver shall enter an intersection unless there is sufficient space on the other side to accommodate the vehicle he or she is operating without obstructing the passage of other vehicles.” We can clearly understand that this law applies when driving straight into an intersection, where backed up cars in congested traffic prevent a driver from making it all the way through. But does it apply to making a left turn? Here’s how the Department of Licensing interprets the law in the Driver Guide : “Drivers must not enter an intersection unless they can get through it without having to stop.” That would seem to mean that even for left turns you shouldn’t pull into the intersection and wait for a gap. But then is goes on to say, “You should wait until traffic ahead clears so you are not blocking the intersection.” Are they only referring to going straight or does this include left turns? Referring again to the RCW, in the section on traffic signals, the law states that on a green light, a driver turning left “shall stop to allow other vehicles lawfully within the intersection to complete their movements.” It doesn’t specify that the driver must stop at the stop line, but I think it would be reasonable to reach that conclusion. Finally, let’s consider how driving instructors teach their students. In a conversation with a local instructor, he said that he and the other instructors he works with teach their driving students only to pull into the intersection to make a left turn if there is a clear path all the way through the intersection. Otherwise, students are directed to wait at the stop line until the road is clear to make a left turn.
Continue reading “Left Turns and Traffic Jams”

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Bicycle Round-Up Part 3

Here’s the long-awaited (or maybe long-forgotten) part three of what I originally thought was a two-part series on bicycle questions.

1. Can a car drive in a bike lane? I sometimes see cars driving in the bike lane to pass a car turning left. Is that legal? How does a car make right turn across a bike lane?

A car is not allowed to drive in a bike lane except when making a right turn. That includes no passing on the right to get around a car turning left.

Now for the tricky part of the question: making a right turn across a bike lane. You may have noticed the variety of ways that bike lanes are marked approaching an intersection. Sometimes the solid white line that separates the cars from the bike riders stays solid. Sometimes it turns into a dashed line. Sometimes it ends completely about 50 feet before the intersection. Continue reading “Bicycle Round-Up Part 3”

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Speed Zones – Where Do They Change?

Q: When a road’s speed limit changes, let’s say from 35mph up to 50mph, does the increased speed limit take effect once you can see the new sign or only after you pass the sign?

A: I was curious about this myself, so I asked a traffic engineer the same question. He began by directing me to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This 800-plus page book is like the Bible to traffic engineers, providing guidance on all aspects of signs and markings on roadways. In the chapter on speed limits, the MUTCD states that speed limit signs “shall be located at the points of change from one speed limit to another.” Relying on the MUTCD, drivers should not accelerate until reaching an increased speed limit sign. I can already hear some grumbling about that answer. Keep reading. Beyond the MUTCD, the traffic engineer also brought up some additional points, including the reasons for speed limit changes and a variation on “speed kills.” Continue reading “Speed Zones – Where Do They Change?”

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Driving Through Disaster

Emergency managers all along the west coast have been preparing for “Cascadia Rising”, an ominously titled earthquake and tsunami exercise that will take place this June. This national-level exercise is based on a 9.0 earthquake, an event that happens in this region about every 200 to 500 years. (The last one was 300 years ago.)

All this earthquake planning got me thinking about driving during an earthquake. The average adult spends about an hour and a half driving every day, and we only have to look around at all the other drivers on the road to realize that when we have an earthquake, some of us are going to experience it in our cars. Let’s consider what that might be like, and how best to respond. Continue reading “Driving Through Disaster”

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Distracted Driving – The Phone is Smart; The Driver, Not So Much

Instead of answering a question this week, I’m going to let you in on a bit of information that could save you $124, or even (not to be too dramatic) your life. During the first two weeks of April, local law enforcement are participating in a national distracted driving enforcement campaign. That means extra cops on the road, looking specifically for distracted drivers. You’re welcome.

Nearly a decade ago Washington adopted our cell phone law, and I’ll admit, at the time I wasn’t fully supportive. Not because I didn’t think cell phones were a distraction, but because I though it would diminish the perception that many other activities drivers engage in are also distractions. Since then I’ve changed my view. I’m not dismissing other distractions; it’s just that phones create a uniquely high level of distraction. This isn’t my personal view; it’s supported by crash data. But, before we look at the numbers, let’s consider the types of driving distractions: Continue reading “Distracted Driving – The Phone is Smart; The Driver, Not So Much”

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Dead End vs. No Outlet – The Roads to Nowhere

Q: Why are some roads marked “Dead End” and some marked “No Outlet?” Is there a difference?

A: One theory is that wealthy neighborhoods petitioned to eliminate “Dead End” signs from their streets because it reflected poorly on the status of their residents. But that’s completely untrue. There’s a manual that traffic engineers use when determining appropriate sign usage. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) specifies that the “Dead End” sign may be used at the entrance of a single road that terminates or ends in a cul-de-sac, while the “No Outlet” sign may be used at the entrance to a road network from which there is no other exit. The sign choice comes down to whether it’s just one road or more than one road with no other way out.

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Fender Offenders

Q: How far can tires legally extend outside the body of a pickup?

A: Sometimes I wonder if when I answer a question I’m unwittingly assisting someone in winning an argument. So I have my own question in response to this one: Are you asking because you want to make sure your pickup complies with the law, or because you made a bet? I’m okay with either option; I’m just curious. Continue reading “Fender Offenders”

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Turn Signals and Turn Lanes

Q: If I’m in a lane that is designated for right or left turns only, do I really need to use my turn signal?

A: The answer according to Washington’s law is, “Yes.” That answer finds it’s support in RCW 46.61.305, which states, “No person shall turn a vehicle or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal . . .” Unlike many of the other RCWs we’ve addressed in Road Rules, this one doesn’t have any exceptions. Even in a designated turn lane, a turn signal is required. Continue reading “Turn Signals and Turn Lanes”

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Bumper Cars and Parking Karma

Q: A driver who was paralleled parked backed up to get more space in front in order to leave, but in the process, bumped into the car behind. The driver got out, looked at the two cars’ bumpers, and drove off. As a pedestrian, I observed this happen and noticed that there didn’t seem to be any damage to the other car’s bumper. Did the driver handle this situation correctly?

A: I suspect that the scenario you described happens with moderate frequency. I know I’ve witnessed similar events, where a driver checks for damage from a parking lot bump, and seeing none, leaves. I’m willing to bet that most people think, “No damage, no foul.” But even though that’s how drivers often handle the situation, it doesn’t make it right according to the law. Continue reading “Bumper Cars and Parking Karma”