Tag: cars

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Turn Signals and Turn Lanes

Q: If I’m in a lane that is designated for right or left turns only, do I really need to use my turn signal?

A: The answer according to Washington’s law is, “Yes.” That answer finds it’s support in RCW 46.61.305, which states, “No person shall turn a vehicle or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal . . .” Unlike many of the other RCWs we’ve addressed in Road Rules, this one doesn’t have any exceptions. Even in a designated turn lane, a turn signal is required. Continue reading “Turn Signals and Turn Lanes”

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Crash Safety – A Visual History Lesson

Over the past decades we’ve seen huge reductions in fatalities from traffic crashes. Lots of factors account for the improvement: better laws, shifts in driver attitude and behavior on impaired driving, improved road design and major technological leaps in vehicle engineering. Take a look at what happens when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashes a 1959 Chevy BelAir with a 2009 Chevy Malibu.

Once you get past the fun of watching all the broken car pieces fly around in slow motion, take a look at how the crash impacts the space where the driver sits. I love vintage cars, but that ’59 BelAir didn’t do so well. IIHS has some more pictures on their website, as does this site.