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It’s National Fall Hat Month. And Child Passenger Safety Month.

September is National Child Passenger Safety Month. It’s also National Chicken Month, International Update Your Resume Month, National Piano Month, and about thirty-five other reasons to celebrate. Even the blueberry popsicle declares September as its month. And don’t get started on specific weeks and days. Cheese, skyscrapers and telephones all have their own day. Add them all up and September has 130 supposed holidays. Some of these are patently ridiculous – National Meow Like a Pirate Day? What? That doesn’t even make sense. But if you have kids, care for kids, like kids or even just begrudgingly admit that they are our future, this month has an important message. Plus it’s a good time to address changes to the law.

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The Right Way to Signal Right (on a bike)

Q: What is the correct hand signal for a right turn when riding a bike? Do you extend your left hand up or your right hand out?

A: Yes. At least according to the law. But before we get to that, let’s agree that signaling, no matter how you do it, whether you’re on a bike or in a car, is one of the bare minimum behaviors that we commit to practice when we’re on the road. If you’re not signaling, you’ve not only violated the written law; you’ve also violated the unwritten rules that define how other drivers will feel about you as a fellow human. Signals help other drivers understand our intentions, making driving more predictable and safe. Not making the effort to push on that little lever on your steering column or extend an arm is essentially like telling everyone else on the road that you think you’re too special to play by the rules. Okay, enough preaching. Back to the question.

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When Medical Issues Impair Driving

Q: Might you know if there is a state law regarding driving after having a stroke? Is there a restriction on a driver license for a period of time after having a stroke?

A: This is a tricky one. You’ll understand why at the end. I don’t know of any law that specifically prohibits a person who has had a stroke from driving. That make sense; strokes come in many varieties and not all of them affect a person’s ability to drive. So let’s make the question broader. If you experience a health event that negatively affects your driving, are you still allowed to drive? There are two parts to this answer: what the law says about your own driving, and what the law gives the Department of Licensing (DOL) authority to do.

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More of When to Stop for a School Bus

Q: I’ve received a few questions about stopping for school buses in various non-traditional scenarios, like these: Do I have to stop for a school bus pulling out of a parking lot when I am driving on the road? What do I do if a school bus puts its stop paddle out at an intersection when I have a green light?

A: We’ve covered the basics of when to stop for a school bus in a previous article, so if you’re in need of a refresher you can find here with the clever title, “When to Stop for a School Bus.” But not every scenario matches the basic descriptions found there, so let’s dig into some core principles of school bus laws.

I’ll begin with the first sentence of the law on encountering school buses: “The driver of a vehicle upon overtaking or meeting from either direction any school bus which has stopped on the roadway for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school children shall stop the vehicle before reaching such school bus . . .” and goes on to say it applies when the red lights are blinking and the stop sign is extended. That’s the default – you have to stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off kids. The next few sentences provide a limited list of scenarios where drivers don’t have to stop, but mostly, if you encounter a school bus loading or unloading kids, you have to stop.

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Cannabis Won’t Make You More Sober (Yep, Some People Think That)

Many times I’ve referenced data showing that more than half of all traffic fatalities in Washington involve an impaired driver. When stated without more context, it’s easy to reach a false conclusion about impaired driving, and here’s the myth: If half of all fatal crashes involve impairment, lots of people must be driving impaired. In reality, few people drive impaired, and a recent survey of Washington drivers confirms it.

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Where Not To Park

Q: I thought there was a rule that required people to park at least 20 feet from stop signs, but I often see cars parked much closer. Is there limit on how close you can park? If there is, how far away is it?

A: There is a limit. In fact, there are lots of limits around parking. Some of them just help the world spin smoother (like not parking in a loading zone), but most of them have an actual safety function. Before we get into the details though, let’s take care of some terminology. The law that includes parking near a stop sign is called, “Stopping, standing, or parking prohibited in specified places – reserving portion of highway prohibited.” Within the law, the terms “stopping”, “standing” and “parking” each have a specific meaning.

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Cycling on the Freeway

Q: I thought it was legal to ride my bike on the freeway, but I don’t ever see people doing it. Can I ride on the freeway, and if I can, is there some reason nobody does it?

A: Back when I was 15, there was a girl I liked that lived about 15 miles away from me. Not having a driver license, I hoped on my bike and rode to her house on a route that included a five mile stretch of I-5. A few months later I got my driver license, and that was the last time I rode my bike on the freeway. Until now. To properly answer this question I had to do some research, so I grabbed my bike for a round trip between Blaine and Bellingham on I-5. How’s that for commitment to your questions?

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Speed Limits in Construction Zones

Q: How slow should one drive while traveling in road construction areas (marked with orange signs, cones, and flags) if there isn’t a construction zone speed limit posted?

A: In Washington it seems like the four seasons are fall, winter, spring, and road construction. Last week I was nearly landlocked by all the construction projects happening between me and where I was trying to go. I’m not complaining; these projects needed to happen. It’s just that when reliably dry weather only lasts for a few months, lots of road construction projects get crammed into a short amount of time. With so many road projects in the works, it’s almost inevitable that we’ll encounter them in our routine driving.

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Cannabis Consumption When Your House Can Drive

Q: I live in an RV and I’m a cannabis user. I’m trying to abide by the law, which says that you can only use cannabis in a private location, which for me is my home. But my home is a vehicle and I don’t want to get a DUI. Can I use cannabis in my RV legally?

A: I’ll begin by thanking you for your effort to keep your cannabis consumption within the bounds of the law. But if you’re only allowed to consume cannabis at home, and your home can drive on the road, what do you do? I appreciate your concern, so I’ll start by putting you at ease; this isn’t actually the problem you think it might be.

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Hearse in a HOV Lane

Q: There is a national story circulating about the driver of a hearse who, when pulled over for traveling in the HOV lane, said he thought it was okay because there was a body on board. It was not okay, but he got off with a warning largely because of his unique excuse. However, I took a look at the RCWs and I don’t see anything in them that prevents you from doing that here. A morbid, but interesting possibility . . . Would it be legal in Washington?

A: Okay, this might get a little metaphysical, so chant your mantra, find your center, or do whatever you do before asking the big questions about life. Before we get to the deep questions though, I’d like to point out that the stakes are about to get higher for HOV violators. On July 28, the new HOV law takes effect. Actually, the law is the same, but the penalties got steeper. In addition to the original fine of $136, legislators have added an additional $50 for a first offense and $150 for a second offense in a two year period. There’s also a $200 add-on for anyone that uses a “dummy, doll, or other human facsimile” in the passenger seat to try to fake out the cops. That adds up pretty fast; if your second offense includes a faux human, you’re looking at a $486 ticket.

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