The Wise Drive

Q: My question is inspired by a near-miss I had with a Tesla driver on the freeway that barged in front of me moving toward the exit, driver on a cell phone with no hands on the wheel. Why doesn’t the law prohibit driver assistance technology from the misnamed “autopilot” all the way down to cruise control in congested conditions?

A: The problem with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is right there in the name: the driver. And in the case of Tesla, the branding. How do you get away with naming your product “autopilot” or “full self-driving” when your product is, by its own description, not full self-driving or an autopilot? Tesla’s driver assistance system is better than many, but despite repeated promises from Elon Musk, the cars still don’t drive themselves.

Continue reading “The Problem With ADAS”

Q: Having recently traveled to Europe it drives me crazy that people here don’t understand signaling in a roundabout. I was taught to signal my intent to exit a roundabout, but 99% of people using roundabouts in Washington don’t signal at all. Perhaps some signage would help?

A: So many traffic questions that I receive, especially about roundabouts, are prompted by trips to Europe. Based on the traffic fatality rates of most European countries, we do have a lot to learn from them. Although, I was once a passenger in a van going from the airport to my hotel in Rome, and the lines on the freeway meant nothing. We were six vehicles wide on a four-lane highway. When it comes to impaired driving, pedestrian safety, speeding, and roundabouts, we could take some lessons from the Europeans. But maybe we don’t learn freeway driving from the Italians.

Continue reading “Signaling in Roundabouts – Again”

Q: I went to a business and was blocked from parking in a handicapped spot, even though I have a placard. The owner said they had it blocked off for an event. Later I reported it to the police. They said they’d talk to the business owner, but I feel like they’re blowing me off. How do I get the police to write the owner a ticket?

A: Sometimes the law doesn’t say exactly what it intends to say. In my first sentence I’ve already criticized law makers and made a giant assumption. Off to an inauspicious start.

The law is clear that it’s not legal for a person without a state-issued placard or special license plate to park in a spot reserved for people with disabilities. Blocking off that same spot with something other than a vehicle though, well, the Revised Code of Washington seems to leave out an important part. The paragraph titled “Inaccessible access” (a bit of an oxymoron) makes it a parking infraction to “block, or otherwise make inaccessible the access aisle located next to a space reserved for persons with physical disabilities.” Oddly, blocking the space itself without blocking the access aisle would seem to be permitted. I presume that wasn’t the intent of the people who wrote that law.

Continue reading “When Can Police Write a Ticket?”

Q: I often ride my bike on a route that takes me across an arterial street. I have a stop sign and cross traffic does not. I’m good with waiting for a gap in traffic, but sometimes a car will stop to let me cross. This is polite, but should I go? I’m concerned it’s dangerous because it’s not a move other drivers expect.

A: We should start with the law. That way you’ll know right up front that it’s not much help, at least if you’re riding within city limits. And to be clear, I’m talking about this specific situation. As you know if you read this column regularly, I feel strongly about the connection between traffic laws and safety.

Continue reading “Polite But Maybe Not Safe”

Q: There are some intersections, usually in neighborhoods, that don’t have any traffic control: no stop signs or yield signs. How are you supposed to handle those? Who yields to whom? And how do the road engineers decide when to use stop signs, yield signs, or no signs?

A:  What if, instead of limiting uncontrolled intersections (ones without signs or signals) to neighborhoods, we pulled out the signs and lights at intersections all over our cities? What would happen? Mayhem? Anarchy? You might be surprised.

Continue reading “Do We Really Need Traffic Signs?”

Q:  Horns are supposed to be safety equipment, right? When everyone honks their horn locking their cars, is this misuse of safety equipment? I’m thinking of a neighbor that honks their horn multiple times every time they park. By law, should car manufacturers be using a different sound so that we still pay attention to horns? When I hear a horn now, I just figure it’s somebody parking their car.

A: You’re so close to being right about this. Yes, a horn is intended to give an audible warning to other drivers “to insure safe operation.” The law states that drivers “shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway.” Those last four words are what you’re missing.

Continue reading “Car Horns: Safety Equipment or Security System?”

Q: My neighbor has been driving a tiny pickup that doesn’t have a license plate. It looks like the kind of truck you’d see driving around inside a factory. I don’t think he has a driver license. Is it legal to drive those on public roads?

A: I’m going to change your question a little bit to make this easier. The answer to your question is, “It depends.” Let’s reframe it as, “Is it legal for my neighbor to drive his vehicle on public roads?” And the easy answer is, “Almost certainly no.”

You might occasionally see a tiny truck on the road. These are usually imported from Japan and called kei (short for keijidōsha – Japanese for light vehicle) trucks. Because they were never built for the US market, they don’t meet the federal safety standards for motor vehicles, and it’s not legal to register a vehicle that doesn’t meet US safety standards for use on public roads.

Continue reading “Tiny Trucks Still Require License and Registration”

Q: If a cop is driving their police car home, but they aren’t on duty, can they make a traffic stop? And can a cop from one city make a traffic stop in a different city?

A: Why does this sound like it’s not just a theoretical question? The short answer: yes, and yes. At least since 1983 and 1985, respectively. But don’t take my word for it. The Washington Court of Appeals and the Revised Code of Washington provide the source material.

In 1982 a Lynnwood police officer asleep in his home at 2:30 am woke up, looked out his window, and saw someone prowling around his neighbor’s car. The officer went out, dressed only in a pair of pants, identified himself as a police officer, and attempted to arrest the prowler. Skipping ahead in the story, the Court of Appeals was faced with the question of whether an off-duty officer has the same authority to make an arrest as an on-duty officer. In 1983 the court concluded, “We are convinced that he does.”

Continue reading “Off-Duty Traffic Stops”

Q: I see cars going what looks like at least 25 mph in the alley behind where I work. That seems too fast to me. Is there a speed limit for alleys? And if there is, why isn’t it posted?

A: Everything has its limits. The maximum speed for the Saturn V rocket was 25,000 mph. The maximum speed of a Bugatti Chiron (the fastest production road car) is 305 mph. The Mitubishi Mirage (the cheapest car available in the US in 2023) tops out at 105 mph. Maybe you think I’m not taking your question seriously, but it’s quite the opposite.

The Revised Code of Washington has a set of default speed limits for various types of roads. City streets are 25 mph, county roads are 50 mph, and state highways are 60 mph. That’s the starting point, but you’ve driven on roads with other speed limits. If the default limit isn’t appropriate for the design of the road, local authorities can specify other limits.

Continue reading “Speed Limits in Alleys”

Q: I read your column on pedestrians being required to use the sidewalk when one is available. Is there any law about cars not being allowed to block sidewalks? As a runner, I am continually running out into the street to go around all the cars parked in driveways that hang back enough to block the sidewalk.

A: If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit. Wait, no, that’s the wrong phrase for this situation. I wish I could come up with something as clever as Johnnie Cochran did; a phrase burned into our cultural psyche (at least for anyone exposed to the news in the 90s), so memorable that drivers would no longer park their vehicles on the sidewalk.

Continue reading “Blocking the Sidewalk”