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How To Celebrate Secure Your Load Day

Instead of answering a question this week, I have a question for you. Can you name an event that happened on June 6th? Depending on your interest in history, you might answer that it was the day of the Great Seattle Fire in 1989, a memorable event in Northwest history. (In naming it “great” I’m sure they meant big as opposed to better-than-good.) Or you may bring up D-Day in 1944, a day that altered the outcome of World War II. The classic rock fans might remember that June 6th of 1965 is the day the Rolling Stones released “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” an anthem for a generation (or two). Continue reading “How To Celebrate Secure Your Load Day”

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Seat Belts: Everybody’s Wearing Them (Almost)

Q; I’ve seen a lot of commercials reminding us to wear seat belts lately. Is that really still a problem? Doesn’t everyone wear a seat belt now?

A: You’re close. Almost everyone in Washington buckles up. Seat belt use in Washington is at about 95 percent. That’s seven points higher than the national average. Given that the use rates are so high, it seems like we could call it a win and move on. However, there is a caveat. (There always is, isn’t there?) Continue reading “Seat Belts: Everybody’s Wearing Them (Almost)”

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Roundabout Refresher

I thought we had this whole round-about thing pretty well managed, but based on the abundance of email I’ve been getting lately I guess that’s just not true. That point was driven home recently by a comment from a reader. In an article about bike boxes, I wrote that we’ll learn how to navigate them “just like the roundabouts that most of us have figured out.”

In response, a reader commented, “Hah! I’m not sure if the author meant that as a joke or not, but you gave me a nice laugh on Monday morning.” Continue reading “Roundabout Refresher”

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U-turns: Mostly Legal, Sometimes Risky

Q: When driving on Meridian Street in the area of the mall, there are now those barriers keeping you from making a left turn. I see a lot of people making U-turns now when they get to the next intersection. Is this legal?

A: Before answering this question I took a drive down Meridian just to make sure I wasn’t failing to remember any “No U-Turn” signs. In Washington, U-turns are generally legal at intersections. The exception, and I’m stating the obvious here, is when there is a posted sign prohibiting U-turns. Continue reading “U-turns: Mostly Legal, Sometimes Risky”

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Drug Categories and their Common Effects

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it would have been helpful to know if someone is impaired by drugs? This drug effects chart can help. Originally conceived in a meeting with local bar and restaurant owners, it was developed to help bartenders servers recognize impairment in customers that used drugs prior to coming into their establishments. Continue reading “Drug Categories and their Common Effects”

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Electric vs. Gas Powered Bicycles

Q: What are the laws on driving a motorized or electric assist bike on the road? Do you need to have a license and insurance?

A: There are actually several different answers, depending on the power source (gas or electric) and the size of the motor. The part about electric assist bikes is the easiest to answer, so let’s start there and work our way up to gas powered bikes. Continue reading “Electric vs. Gas Powered Bicycles”

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Tailgating Problems and Solutions

Q: It seems like tailgating is becoming more of a problem. Do the police ever enforce it?

A: Allow me to validate your perception. Last year in northwest Washington (Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties), following too closely was a factor in 880 crashes. We had a total of 6492 reported collisions in the region, putting tailgating (the most common slang term for following too closely) as a contributing action in nearly one in every seven crashes. I’d agree with you that it’s a problem. Continue reading “Tailgating Problems and Solutions”

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Famous Last Words – Smh.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a new PSA they’ve released as part of distracted driving month. It’s good, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the target audience. I’ll admit that I didn’t get the tagline, which immediately identifies me as not being part of the millennial generation. In case you didn’t get it either, I looked it up. Smh is an acronym for “shaking my head.” If your kid ever texts that to you, it means he is shaking his head in disappointment. Here’s the PSA. Warning: It’s sad.

 

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Distracted Driving at Work

Q: With all the attention on distracted driving lately, it got me thinking of an employee cell phone policy where I work. I like the idea, but where do I start?

A: I know we just addressed cell phones and driving a couple weeks ago, but employer/employee responsibility is a side of distracted driving that doesn’t get much attention. Plus, April is distracted driving awareness month so I feel justified in doubling down on this topic. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, you’ll benefit from a good distracted driving policy. For those who have not yet thought about distracted driving at work, here are a few reasons why this is so important. Continue reading “Distracted Driving at Work”