Tag: Road Rules

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Navigating Through Construction Zone Signs

Q: Are there any requirements for the use and/or placement of signage to warn drivers when construction affects the flow of traffic? Who is responsible for setting up the signs?

A: Oh yes, there are requirements. Pages and pages of requirements. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which Washington has adopted as its rule book for signs, signals, road markings has nearly 200 pages devoted to what it calls Temporary Traffic Control (TTC). That’s the official term for signs used during construction or other scenarios that require a short-term change in traffic patterns, such as a crash that blocks traffic or a truckload of salmon that spills onto the highway. Continue reading “Navigating Through Construction Zone Signs”

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Can I Get a DUI On My Bike?

Q: With the upsurge of breweries in town I have seen more clearly intoxicated bike riders leaving local breweries. Is there a rule about riding your bike while intoxicated?

A: This is a great example of, “Dumb is not the same as illegal.” In Washington, it is not a crime to ride a bike while drunk. The Revised Code of Washington specifically addresses this issue, making it clear that the role of law enforcement is limited, in most instances, to offering assistance to the impaired cyclist. Some states make it a crime to cycle impaired, but not us. In ascending order of intrusiveness, I’ll list the options available to an officer who encounters a drunk cyclist. Continue reading “Can I Get a DUI On My Bike?”

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How To (And Not To) Handle Tailgaters

Q: What is the best way to deal with tailgaters without rewarding them for their dangerous behavior?

A: By “reward” I’m assuming you don’t mean a trophy or a ribbon. Does getting out of the way of a tailgater feel like rewarding them for their behavior? If so, let’s change the question a bit. How about this: What is the best way to deal with tailgaters so that I am more likely to have a safe outcome? Continue reading “How To (And Not To) Handle Tailgaters”

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Speed Versus Survival

Q: You say that the Whatcom County Traffic Safety Task force has a vision to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2030 but what exactly is being done to achieve that goal? Every day, as I drive around the county, I see worrisome traffic infractions but I seldom see a police presence or “speed traps”. I am constantly harassed by aggressive drivers who seem to believe speed limits don’t apply to them or are just an annoyance. The recent spate of fatal accidents caused by irresponsible drivers is frightening. I know that at any time I could become a statistic. Isn’t it time to get tough with those people and send a message that driving is a privilege, not a right, and with that privilege comes responsibility and serious consequences for flouting the law? Continue reading “Speed Versus Survival”

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Learning to Merge

Q: How are drivers supposed to merge onto the freeway? It seems like most drivers in Bellingham expect to merge into traffic immediately when they enter the on-ramp instead of getting up to speed and “zipper-merging” near the end of the on-ramp lane. Entering drivers seem to think its their right to merge into traffic before getting up to speed and expect other drivers to slow down or change lanes to make room for them, creating hazardous conditions for all drivers in their area. What is the law?

A: With increased summer-time traffic, along with more freeway lane closures as road crews maximize the good weather, summer is the season of merging frustration. Although, as traffic has increased in the Northwest, any day can include merge-induced headaches. We might be able to alleviate some of those headaches if we could all agree on the best way to merge. Whether it’s merging onto the freeway from an on-ramp, as this question poses, or merging due to a lane closure, research shows that there really is a best way. Continue reading “Learning to Merge”

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What To Do About “The Wave”

Q: Would you please address the fact that politeness should not trump correct driving rules? I appreciate that people in Bellingham are usually so polite on the roads, but this can also drive me crazy at times. There are so many times that the other driver on the road has the right of way, but stops and tries to get me to move first by waving me on.

A: I’m all for polite and courteous drivers. The last thing we need on the road are drivers that take every perceived error from other motorists as a personal insult and then react as if defending five generations of their family’s honor. That being said, the most polite thing a driver can do is follow the rules of the road. Think of traffic rules not just as a law put in place by the government, but as a shared set of values that drivers rely on to understand each other. Some drivers, intending to be polite, violate these shared values with “the wave”. Continue reading “What To Do About “The Wave””

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Why are there school zones without schools?

Q: Why do School zones exist in areas with no school nearby? I have noticed locations on Fraser Street and Orleans Street where it says school zones yet there are no schools nearby. In both of these locations the nearest public school is over a mile away and numerous roads exist closer to the school that aren’t designated school zones.

A: Not that I don’t trust you, but I drove out to the locations you described, and I couldn’t find any schools nearby either. At first I was as puzzled as you, so I reviewed RCW 46.61.440, the state law regarding school zones. I discovered that school zones come in two flavors. Most frequently, school zones are the 20 MPH areas found on roads that border a school. These zones extend up to 300 feet from the edge of the school property. As drivers, we all are (or should be) familiar with these school zones. Continue reading “Why are there school zones without schools?”

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Left Turns and One Way Streets

Q: Can you turn left from a two way street onto one way street at a red light after stopping?

A: As strange as it feels, yes you can. There are a few scenarios provided in state law that permit a driver to proceed after stopping for a red light, even while the light remains red. Most of us are familiar with the “free right”, a term not used in the law, but nearly universally understood to mean making a right turn at a red traffic light, after stopping for the light and waiting for an opening in the cross traffic. A free right is usually allowed when turning right onto a two-way street, or when turning right onto a one-way street that is carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn (obviously). There are some intersections that prohibit a right turn on a red light. These intersections have signs that read, appropriately, “NO TURN ON RED”. With the new bike boxes on Bellingham streets, we’re seeing a few more intersections in our community that don’t allow right turns on red lights. Continue reading “Left Turns and One Way Streets”

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What’s a HAWK, and How Does It Work?

Q: More education appears to be needed regarding the “HAWKS” on Alabama Street. Two days ago, two police officers in Bellingham patrol cars were observed traveling in opposite directions on Alabama. They both stopped at an activated hawk and were each first in line in their respective lanes. Once the hawk began flashing red and the pedestrians had cleared the crosswalk, the officers remained stopped until the hawk entered the OFF mode. Should they not have proceeded once the crosswalk was clear and the hawk was flashing red?

A: Clearly, if some of our local officers are unsure of how to proceed through HAWK signals, the message of navigating the HAWKs has not penetrated deep enough into the community. The City of Bellingham has some great HAWK-related resources on their website, but I’ll try another way of explaining it that helps me remember what to do at a HAWK. Continue reading “What’s a HAWK, and How Does It Work?”

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How Dark is Too Dark?

Q: How dark can window tint be on a car?

A: Maybe it’s about the heat. Maybe it’s about the style. Maybe it’s about the privacy. Whatever the reason, many people choose to tint the windows on their cars. Proponents of window tint point to several benefits; big surprise, I’ll start with safety. Window tint is a thin plastic film that goes on the inside of the glass. In a crash, this film can hold together broken glass that would otherwise fly through the car. By design, auto glass breaks into small chunks that are less likely to cause injury compared to jagged shards of glass from, say, a residential picture window, so while the tint film may help, it’s not as significant a safety feature as it first seems to be. Continue reading “How Dark is Too Dark?”