March 2021 – The Wise Drive

March 25, 2021March 24, 2021

How Kids Can Help Improve Your Drive

What if I could guarantee you a 47 percent improvement in the quality of your daily commute? Yeah, I can’t do that, but it would be great if I could, right? That doesn’t mean there’s no hope for a better drive, especially if you’re a parent or you regularly have kids in the car with you. No, I’m not suggesting you leave them home 47 percent of the time.

My kids are adults now, but I still remember that not every drive with the kids was perfect. Sure, we had plenty of drives that involved singing songs together and talking about our day, but there were also the ones that involved lines like, “Dad, his hands are on my side of the seat. Make him stop!” Followed by, “No they’re not. I’m touching the center part. That’s no man’s land.” This inevitably resulted in both kids putting their hands in “no man’s land” and literal hand-to-hand combat.

March 18, 2021March 19, 2021

Parking: Backing in Versus Backing Out

Q: In a parking lot, I observed another driver stop and then back into a parking space. The driver behind him shook his fist because he had to wait. One organization for which I’m a volunteer driver recommends backing in because they say it’s safer to pull out of a space rather than backing out. What are your thoughts about heading in versus backing into a parking space?

A: Let’s start by acknowledging that backing up isn’t natural. For thousands of years we’ve walked forward. If we want to change directions we don’t walk backwards; we turn around. About the only time we walk backwards is when we get the bad end of the deal moving a couch. But in cars, we’re stuck with the design restraints and sometimes we have to back up. It’s less than ideal. Visibility is poor and, unless you’ve practiced a lot, maneuverability is, well, you’ve probably seen someone make nine consecutive attempts at parallel parking.

March 11, 2021March 10, 2021

The Speed Limit on a Freeway Ramp

Q: What is the speed limit on an on- ramp, and when and where does it change? Where I live there is a street that turns into an onramp. This street has a 30 mph speed limit on it. The highway has a 65mph speed limit on it. When and where does that 30 end and the 65 begin?

A: My instinct is to say that onramps are part of the freeway infrastructure and subject to the same speed limits. But once you asked the question I realized that I couldn’t provide you with a law that led me to that conclusion. After searching through state law, the Code of Federal Regulations and the US Department of Transportation’s Freeway Management and Operations Handbook, I still can’t provide a direct quote from the law. That’s not to say it’s not out there, but I haven’t found it yet.

March 4, 2021March 3, 2021

The Best Lane Position for Bicycles

Q: I was driving on a street that had no adjacent bicycle lane but instead had a bicycle symbol and arrows pointing in the direction of travel. A bicyclist pulled into the lane of traffic but instead of staying as far right, near parked cars, insisted on pedaling as near the center of the lane as possible at a leisurely pace, preventing following motor vehicles from passing him. I’m retired and wasn’t in a hurry but can imagine that people on an errand or in a rush might do something foolish and/or dangerous. Was the bicyclist correct or should he have been traveling more to the right-hand side of the lane?

A: To start with, let’s talk about those arrows with a bicycle symbol. They have a name. And maybe you know the name but couldn’t get yourself to put it in print. I don’t blame you. They’re called “sharrows.” It’s a portmanteau of share and arrow. Yeah, silly, like all those celebrity name mash-ups. But their purpose isn’t so silly; sharrows indicate to drivers and cyclists that the road is a preferred cycling route.