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The Myth of the Above-Average Driver

Instead of starting with a question this week, I’ll start with an answer: Ninety-three percent. Here’s the question: How many American drivers believe they are above average? When drivers were asked to rate their driving ability compared to an average driver ninety-three percent of us thought we were better. You don’t need a statistics class to realize that since only half of any group can be above average, many of us misperceive our driving ability. Continue reading “The Myth of the Above-Average Driver”

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Getting High, Getting a DUI, Getting Help

Q: Now that we’ve had a few years of legalized marijuana, do we know what impact that has had on impaired driving?

A: Before I answer that, I’ll point out that understanding traffic data is complex and we can’t always draw accurate conclusions from one set of data. But let’s look at one set of data anyway, because it’s pretty compelling. This chart covers traffic fatalities involving marijuana impaired drivers from 2011 to 2016. That gives us three years prior to legalization and three years since legalization. Continue reading “Getting High, Getting a DUI, Getting Help”

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The Trouble With Exit 250

Q: Who has the right of way when exiting northbound from I-5 at Old Fairhaven Parkway; the turning lane trying to get on the on-ramp or the vehicles at the stop sign up the road on the off-ramp?

A: Based on the emails I’ve received about this location, lots of people have opinions about who has the right of way, and they don’t all agree. These emails include stories of angry honking, excessive hand and finger gestures, near-crashes, and a general sense of confusion by people trying to do the right thing, but not knowing for sure what that is. Continue reading “The Trouble With Exit 250”

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Different Symbols – Same Meaning

Q: In downtown Bellingham at certain corners of sidewalks there is one of two symbols. The first is a circle in green with a person standing next to a bicycle. The other is a circle in red with a line through the circle showing a person on a bicycle. What do these mean? Does the green one mean that a bicyclist is allowed to ride on the sidewalk, but must get off at the corners? Does the red one mean no bicycling on the sidewalk whatsoever? They are confusing signs since the two seem to be saying two different things; Please explain. Thanks.

A: You’d expect that if you saw two different signs, each of them would have a different meaning. That’s probably where the confusion lies. These two signs each take a different approach to explaining the same law. If we start by examining the law, both the signs should make more sense. Continue reading “Different Symbols – Same Meaning”

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New Distracted Driving Law Now In Effect

As of yesterday, Washington drivers have a new set of rules to follow regarding distracted driving. In the lead-up to the implementation of the law, you may have been bombarded by messages from the state and news stories from your favorite media outlets about the details and consequences of the new law. If you were on a media fast for the last couple months, let me be the first to welcome you to the current era of distracted driving law. This week’s topic might lean a little too far toward the technical side of things, but this new law will affect the current behavior of, based on current data, about 70% of the drivers on the road (you know who you are), so we may as well dig in and understand the new rules. Continue reading “New Distracted Driving Law Now In Effect”

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What Makes a Safe First Car?

Q: My daughter is about to get her driver’s license, and I want to get a vehicle that’ll keep her safe. What do you recommend?

A: Let’s start by agreeing that new drivers are some of the most dangerous people on the road. If we love our kids (of course we do), we want to put them in the safest vehicle possible for their first driving years. It turns out that it’s not easy to choose which car is the safest. Continue reading “What Makes a Safe First Car?”

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The A-Pillar Problem

Q: I recently had a close call with a pedestrian. I looked both ways before pulling into the intersection, but he seemed to appear out of nowhere, right in front of my car. How is that possible?

A: Back when I went through driver’s ed . . .  I know this sounds like a setup for a story where I teach the next generation about life by telling them about walking to school up hill both ways barefoot in the snow, but its’ not; stay with me. Back when I went through driver’s ed we were taught about blind spots. We know blind spots are the areas just behind the driver, on either side of the car, where a car, bike or pedestrian could be invisible due to a poorly adjusted mirror and a failure of a driver to turn and look. Continue reading “The A-Pillar Problem”

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Should School Buses Have Seatbelts?

Q: Why are there no seatbelts in school buses, public transit buses, or private transportation vehicles like charter buses? In regard to these transportation types, we still seem to be in the “let ‘em fly” era, when car occupants – kids and all – were just loose cargo going every which way in the event of a crash.

A: You just brought up a four billion dollar question. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, the good news for seatbelt advocates: In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that commercial carrier buses (the ones you hire or buy a ticket to ride on) would be required to have seatbelts, starting in 2016. The rule only applies to new buses, and does not apply to public transit buses or school buses. Continue reading “Should School Buses Have Seatbelts?”