Tag: passing

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Motorcycles: Passing is not Lane Sharing

Q: Can a motorcycle pass another motorcycle on the right if the riders are not lane sharing?

A:  My favorite motorcycle movie has to be Hot Rod; a film in which stunt man Rob Kimble tries to earn his step-dad’s respect by attempting (and failing) numerous motorcycle jumps. It’s probably the least capable motorcycle rider doing the dumbest riding ever put on the big screen. At the other extreme, there’s The Terminator, who races helmetless through Los Angeles traffic, smashing through chain link gates, jumping his Harley into an aqueduct and outmaneuvering a villain in a truck to rescue the young John Connor.

The common denominator is that both riders take extreme risks on their motorcycles, and both survive. The Terminator survives because he’s an indestructible robot from the future; Rod Kimble survives because the hero never dies in a fictional comedy.

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Does The Law Allow Speeding? No (Well, Maybe A Little)

Q: Over mountain passes and other highways, drivers encounter a sign stating “Delay of 5 vehicles Illegal Must Use Turnouts”. This relates to the law that requires slow-moving vehicles to pull off roadway. The law states a vehicle must pull off to let others proceed if the slow-moving vehicle is traveling at “a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place”. This implies that the slow-moving vehicle could be traveling the speed limit and still be required to let others pass, thereby enabling others to drive above the speed limit and break the law. I understand normal citizens are not to enforce traffic law but I thought it odd there is a law designed to allow others to potentially break the law. What is your interpretation?

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A School Bus Driver’s Perspective

Summer in Washington is like a good nap; amazing while it’s happening but never long enough. One of the first signs that summer is wrapping up? The school buses that are on the roads starting this week. We’ve covered the topic of school buses before (and you can find those articles at TheWiseDrive.com) so I’m not going to repeat myself here. Instead, let’s hear from an actual school bus driver. I had the privilege of talking with a local bus driver and asked him about some of the things he sees, both good and not so good, as he’s driving kids to and from school. What follows are some of my questions (in italics), followed by a loose paraphrase of his accumulated bus-driving wisdom.

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Shoulder Driving to Escape a Lineup

Q:  Recently I was pulled over after I drove on the shoulder when I got stuck in a border lineup on the truck route. I was given a warning and was told that it is illegal to drive on the shoulder, even if it is to avoid being stuck in a lineup to a location that I am not going to.  Blaine and other border towns frequently have long lineups not just on the state routes or Interstate, but on local roads next to schools, shopping and businesses. If you get stuck you cannot do a u-turn to escape. What is the law about using the shoulder of a road? Is there any accommodation to local residents who are not intending to go across the border?

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Leave Room For Bikes

Q: Is it legal to cross the centerline while passing a cyclist in a no-passing zone (assuming there are no oncoming cars)?

A: Let’s start this one out by looking at the no-passing zone law. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) states that “no driver may at any time drive on the left side of the roadway within the no-passing zone.” That would seem to answer the question. But it’ never that simple, is it? The next paragraph says that this section doesn’t apply under conditions found in RCW 46.61.100(1)(b). If you’re not familiar with finding things in the RCW, don’t be intimidated by that jumble of numbers, letters and punctuation. It’s just a way of organizing all the chapters and sections. Continue reading “Leave Room For Bikes”

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Is it Right to Pass on the Right?

Q: Is it legal to pass on the right on two lane streets where there is no fog line and the person in front of you is turning left?

A: I feel like you’ve nearly answered the question for me. In your question you actually listed one of only two situations where it is legal to pass on the right. To quote from the Revised Code of Washington, a driver may pass on the right “when the vehicle over taken is making or about to make a left turn.” We’ll get to the second situation a little later. Continue reading “Is it Right to Pass on the Right?”