Everything Traffic Safety
Q: Is it illegal to obstruct the view of the driver out the side windows? On my bicycle I have been nearly hit more than once by mail delivery drivers. They have right hand drive and stack mail on a shelf opposite them blocking their view out the left window. When they are making a right turn they can’t see me on my bike and pull out in front of me. If not illegal it’s dangerous.
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?
Continue reading “Does The Law Allow Speeding? No (Well, Maybe A Little)”
Q: I know we should always wear our seatbelts, so what should we do if there are more people in a car than seatbelts? Is it a good idea to buddy buckle?
Q: Would you please explain the reason why the right turn onto the freeway on-ramp must yield to the left turning vehicle? Example: Bakerview and I-5 southbound on-ramp.
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.
Q: If the legal limit for getting a DUI is .08, how can someone get a DUI if they blow less than .08? Wouldn’t they not be legally drunk?
Continue reading “The Difference Between Drunk and Impaired”
Q: This week we have a couple questions about kids in vintage cars: I have a 1939 Packard, which of course has no seatbelts. I’d like to be able to give my grandkids a ride in the car but without seatbelts I can’t install a carseat. Is it legal to let a child under 12 ride in a car without seatbelts?
Q: The distracted driving law has an exception for commercial drivers, but what is the definition of that? I drive a box truck used for construction. It’s registered in the company name and has the company name all over it. I have a regular driver license. On any given day, I receive a minimum of ten calls from the office or customers and make about the same number of outgoing calls. Yesterday, I pulled to the side of the road five times to talk on the phone and twice a cop rolled past to see if I was in need. For the other calls, I was able to use the headset or sent them to voicemail, much to the chagrin of the callers. Am I considered commercial or not?
Continue reading “Distracted Driving for Commercial Drivers”
Q: It’s obvious that the police respond to high-crash locations after crashes happen, but do they ever patrol these areas (and most others) to do proactive, deterrence enforcement? I guarantee that if traffic stops were performed and citations written, the driving behavior would improve.
Q: So many times I see people with dogs in the back of their trucks that are not tied in. I have seen dogs fall out of the back and be seriously injured or killed in the past. What is the law regarding having a dog or dogs, in the back of an open pickup?
Continue reading “Dogs In Truck Beds – Illegal or Just Unwise?”