Tag: collision

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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?”

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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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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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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”

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Freight Trains and Soda Cans

Q: I have a few railroad questions: Where do I stop for a railroad crossing? On crossings without gates, once I’ve stopped for the flashing red lights, can I cross if the train is still not too close? Can I stop on railroad tracks while waiting for traffic to clear? Why can’t I walk down the railroad track?

A: For those of you who sometimes wonder if these questions are real; yes, yes they are. Usually I get questions directly but, in this case, they were passed on to me by an employee of BNSF Railway. They are questions he has encountered, and I intend to answer them. Continue reading “Freight Trains and Soda Cans”

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Race Track – a Distracted Driving PSA

Distracted driving emphasis patrols are happening all over Washington right now, so this seems like a good time to release the latest traffic safety PSA from TheWiseDrive. See how a rivalry between racecar drivers turns to tactics of technology and distraction to keep the title of World’s Fastest Racecar Driver.

 

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Protecting Vulnerable Road Users

Last week I mentioned a law designed to protect vulnerable road users. This law is titled, “Negligent driving – Second degree – Vulnerable user victim”. A mouthful, I know. The title of the law also brings up two important questions: What is negligence? And what is a vulnerable user?

Let’s start with negligence. If you act in a way that creates a potential risk, and pretty much every other human recognizes that it’s a risk, but you’re oblivious to the risk, that’s negligence. It is, according to traffic law, a “failure to exercise ordinary care”. When we look at negligent driving in Washington traffic laws there is an additional component. Negligent driving requires that a person “operate a motor vehicle in a manner that is both negligent” (that seems obvious given the topic) “and endangers or is likely to endanger any person.” You’ll find this language in all three variations of the negligent driving laws. Continue reading “Protecting Vulnerable Road Users”