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Getting Your Headlights Right

Q: I’m curious to know if there are any standards for car headlights as to intensity, angle and color. When I drive night I see cars which have very bright lights (as opposed to just high beams) and some cars with a range of colors (white, yellow and even a tint of blueness). If you can shed any light (pun unintended), I’d be pleased.

A: We just passed the fall equinox and entered the half of the year when there’s more darkness in 24 hours than light, so this is a perfect time to talk about headlights. As more of our driving occurs during time when headlights are required, you may want to make sure that your headlights are doing what they’re supposed to do. They should of course illuminate the road for you. One thing we don’t often consider with headlights though, is what they can do to help (or harm) other drivers.

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Short-Stopping: Where’s The Line?

Q: I sometimes see drivers at four-way stop intersections short-stopping (coming to a stop well before the stop line). It seems to me like a jerk move; they do it so that they stop before the rest of the drivers because whoever stops first is the next to go through the intersection. Is that legal?

A: I wasn’t familiar with the term “short-stopping” prior to this question, so of course, I Googled it. I learned that along with your definition, it refers to a kind of telecom fraud as well as when a drug dealer infringes on another dealer’s territory. Who knew? I also discovered that lots of people (at least on the internet) are as irritated by it as you are. I’m speaking of short-stopping at an intersection, not the other two kinds.

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Car Seats – Like a Racing Harness For Your Kid

Q: Why are car seats so hard to install? It should be a lot easier than it is. And where do I go if I need some help?

A: I hear you. Something so important shouldn’t be so hard to get right. As adults we wear seat belts, which is as simple as safety gets. Then you have a kid and you need a mechanical engineering degree to figure out how to take them home from the hospital.

Maybe some of you reading this found installing a car seat easy. If so, you’re in the minority. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 59 percent of car seats aren’t installed correctly. In the past I’d have had to include myself in that group. Back when my kids were young I took a car seat installation class and realized I’d been doing it all wrong.

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Traffic Lights Might Be Smarter Than Your Car

Q: Artificial Intelligence (AI) controlling stop lights seems much easier than AI driving a car. I’m not sure whether any are on the market yet, but seemingly AI stoplights could be an alternative to widening roads or installing new interchanges. And they would save fuel and help air quality by reducing vehicle stops and idling. When might we see AI stoplights in Washington?

A: So instead of a robot driving a car, you want robots to tell you how to drive your car? Actually, you’re totally right. Developing AI traffic control signals is more doable than building fully self-driving cars. How do I know that? Because you can drive through cities with AI traffic control right now. One thing you can’t do right now is go buy a fully autonomous car. Yes, there are a few places you can ride in an AI taxi or shuttle, but those are essentially test vehicles limited to specific routes in a handful of cities across the US.

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Country Driving for Urban Folk

Last week’s article was about some of the challenges folks in rural parts of the state face when they encounter all the lane choices on urban freeways. This week I’m flipping it around and giving the urban folks some guidance on driving rural roads. Maybe you’re thinking, “Hey, it’s a rural road. How can there be any issues when I’m pretty much driving by myself?” In 1895 there were only two cars in the entire state of Ohio, and they crashed into each other. That might just be legend, but it’s been published in multiple texts, suggesting that there is no road too rural to have a crash.

You may have heard the advice, “expect the unexpected.” Yes, the statement is somewhat illogical; however there are some things that an urban driver doesn’t expect at home but should anticipate on rural roads.

Let’s start with the biggest one, at least physically: farm equipment. I’ve never seen a tractor in downtown Seattle, but they’re common in farming communities. They’re generally on the road for short distances, moving between farms and fields. While harvest season has the most activity, farming is year-round work, and you can encounter farm vehicles any time of the year.

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Urban Driving for Country Folk

Q:  As a country guy, driving in the big city, I get confused by the diamond lanes and pay lanes and assorted left lanes in the Seattle Metro area. My wife and I travel through there, and we wonder what the rules are for the various lanes.  Can we take our 5th wheel trailer in the diamond lanes or express lanes?  Do RVs follow truck or car laws? How does one get a pay lane pass and what are the costs?

A: Despite having one set of traffic laws for the whole state, driving in Washington can be quite diverse. If you live in a rural community you probably have to leave your county to find an HOV lane, and if you live in an urban area you may have never encountered a tractor on the roadway. This week we’ll help out the country folks with lanes you’ll only encounter on urban roadways, and next week we’ll explain to city folks how to drive in the farmlands.

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Comparing Washington to the World – Impaired Driving

Q: I’m wondering how other states compare to Washington regarding how much alcohol you’re allowed to consume and still drive. Isn’t there a state or two that has zero tolerance? I know some countries also have zero tolerance. I wonder if the law allowing up to .08 BAC or 5 ng/mL for cannabis gives people the idea that driving with some substances is okay, or that we are “safe” within those limits. Why isn’t Washington’s BAC limit lower?

A: Your question brings up a misperception that I see repeatedly; the idea that it’s okay to drive as long as your Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) is lower than .08. I’ll get to the comparisons you asked about in a moment, but if there’s one thing I want people to take away from reading this, it’s that you can be impaired (and get arrested for impaired driving) well below the per se limit of .08.

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Side-By-Side Cycling Vs. Riding To The Right

Q: I have had some vigorous discussions about bike etiquette with my die-hard biking friends. My question is about RCW 46.61.770 “Riding on roadways and bicycle paths.” Section (1) says ride as far to the right as possible if traffic is going faster than the cyclist, and Section (5) says riders may ride no more than two abreast. This seems contradictory to Section (1) for the rider to the left when two are abreast. Can riders ride two abreast on a county highway?

A: Can two opposing ideas both be true? Philosophers and scientists have debated this question; Einstein theorized that it’s a fundamental structure of the universe. But that’s about as far as I go with quantum physics, so let’s start with a look at the law.

Yes, the law allows cyclists to ride two abreast on the road. Actually, if we want to get technical about it, the law sets a limit, stating, “Persons riding bicycles on a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast.”

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The Opposite Of How Roundabouts Work

Q: We’ve all driven through the roundabouts and while I feel like the general idea is to alleviate congestion I cannot help but feel like I’m fighting for a spot before I’m smashed by the oncoming vehicle. I’m curious if there has ever been any official statement or even suggestion on how to navigate roundabouts correctly? I could be wrong but it sure seems like if everyone let the car at the next entrance freely come into the circle (please just go! There is no stop sign!) we’d all move along a little more efficiently. Can you please tell me if the roundabout is set up on basic common sense and common courtesy or is it a kill-or-be-killed system?

A: Oh boy, where do I start? Let’s begin with this: I’m confident that our traffic engineers aren’t out there designing kill-or-be-killed infrastructure. Actually, when it comes to roundabouts, the data show the exact opposite. Roundabouts reduce total crashes by 37 percent, injury crashes by 75 percent, fatal crashes by 90 percent and pedestrian collisions by 40 percent compared to traditional intersections. Beyond safety, roundabouts can handle more cars per hour than a light-controlled intersection, improving transportation efficiency. They’re also more cost-effective to maintain and they still work when the power goes out.

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Expired Tabs, Loud Mufflers and What To Do About Them

Q1: I have noticed that a lot of cars have expired tabs. Is that not being enforced anymore? What is the current fine for not having current tabs displayed?

Q2: Why are the police not enforcing a muffler regulation? I hear muffler-free cars all days sounding off; have things changed?

A: What do expired tabs and loud exhausts have in common? It sounds like the setup for a joke, doesn’t it? I wish I had a good punchline for you. While I’m thinking of one, here’s a summary of the law for both violations:

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