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”

Speed Zones – Where Do They Change?

Q: When a road’s speed limit changes, let’s say from 35mph up to 50mph, does the increased speed limit take effect once you can see the new sign or only after you pass the sign?

A: I was curious about this myself, so I asked a traffic engineer the same question. He began by directing me to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This 800-plus page book is like the Bible to traffic engineers, providing guidance on all aspects of signs and markings on roadways. In the chapter on speed limits, the MUTCD states that speed limit signs “shall be located at the points of change from one speed limit to another.” Relying on the MUTCD, drivers should not accelerate until reaching an increased speed limit sign. I can already hear some grumbling about that answer. Keep reading. Beyond the MUTCD, the traffic engineer also brought up some additional points, including the reasons for speed limit changes and a variation on “speed kills.” Continue reading “Speed Zones – Where Do They Change?”

How Much Traffic Enforcement Is Enough?

Q: You say that the Whatcom County Target Zero Task Force has a vision to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2030 but what is being done to achieve that goal? Every day I see worrisome traffic infractions – speeding, tailgating, texting, passing in no-passing zones; but I seldom see a police presence. 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 and send a message that driving is a privilege, not a right, and with that privilege comes serious consequences for flouting the law?

A: Even edited to half its original length, this two-part question still conveys the passion of someone that wants to see a change in driving behavior. And for good reason; in 2014 Washington lost 462 people in fatal crashes, and over 2000 people were seriously injured. The data for 2015 isn’t complete yet, but it may be even higher. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. Clearly, this is a serious issue. Continue reading “How Much Traffic Enforcement Is Enough?”

Classroom – PSA (Not for the faint of heart)

Over in Ireland they’re willing to break your heart to convince you to drive safe. It’s hard not to get a bit choked up on this one. Definitely not one of those cheesy crash PSAs; this one has a compelling story line and solid production values. I’m not sure it needs the extra bit of shame at the end; the images make the point just fine, thank you.

Bonus: The soundtrack features an amazing acoustic cover of “Sweet Child of Mine”.

Do Red Cars Get More Speeding Tickets?

Drivers around the world have endorsed the “red cars get more tickets” theory for years. The common item missing from each version is a substantiated fact. Some of the reasons for the supposed disproportionate numbers of tickets issued to red cars seem plausible. Some are outright ridiculous.

Of the more believable explanations, one offers the idea that red cars are more noticeable due to their bright color, and catch the attention of police officers more frequently. This sounds well-founded, and I suspect most people would accept this rationale.  However, according to color experts, the most perceptible colors reside toward the middle of the color spectrum, such as yellow and bright green. Red sits on the low end of the color spectrum, making it one of the first colors to disappear from our vision in non-ideal lighting situations.

My favorite quasi-scientific myth proposes that red actually looks faster than other colors when it moves. Relying on convoluted, out-of-context “scientific” principles, proponents of this theory believe that just as an approaching siren changes its audible pitch, a red car changes its color intensity, making it appear to travel faster than its actual speed. This theory has at least two flaws. Our ears hear an audible difference in approaching and departing sounds because sound travels relatively slow. Light travels so fast that the speed of even the fastest car wouldn’t affect how we perceive the color of the car. And this maybe the most obvious problem – What about the other colors? Even if we could perceive a variation in color because of the movement of a vehicle, that alteration would affect every color, making the theory irrelevant.

The most comedic reason I’ve heard that red cars get more tickets comes from the belief that police officers have converted the pool hall game of snookers into a traffic enforcement contest. Since the game of snookers has more red balls than any other color, officers must cite a disproportionate number of red cars in order to get a high score.

A more practical approach to explaining why red cars might get more tickets involves looking at what kinds of cars get painted red. How many red sedans and mini-vans can you spot driving down the highway? Now how about red sports cars? I suspect that if lots of light-weight, high horse-power cars are red, we might see a higher percentage of red cars getting tickets.

But even that theory is suspect. Maybe red cars don’t actually receive more tickets. According to one study, red cars account for 14 percent of all cars on the road, and receive 16 percent of issued tickets. While that study does show a slight disadvantage toward red cars, the numbers of cars sampled was small enough to make a two percent difference insignificant.

Probably the best way to determine if law enforcement officers prefer to issue tickets to red cars would be to ask them. As opposed to the variety of reasons why red cars might get more tickets, officers responded unanimously, essentially stating, “We issue citations for violations, not colors.” Rather than spend time and energy trying to decide which car color will most frequently go unnoticed by traffic cops, drivers might have more success avoiding tickets if they chose to obey traffic laws.