September 2021 – The Wise Drive

September 30, 2021July 18, 2024

Pocket Bikes – Not Even Close To Legal

Q: My son just told me he got a ride from a friend on a mini-motorcycle. It’s got a 49cc motor and looks like a regular motorcycle but much smaller. Are those legal? And if so, is there an age requirement for them? My son and his friend are 14. (And they weren’t wearing helmets.) If they’re not legal, how upset should I be about it zipping around the neighborhood?

A: Those are commonly called pocket bikes, and the answer to your first question is a big nope. They’re not even close to legal. But the people who sell them will answer in their marketing material that they are, and we’re both right. It’s just that we’re not answering the same question. I’ve assumed you want to know if it’s legal to ride on the street. The companies that sell them are just letting you know it’s legal to own one (and you’re welcome to ride it in your yard). Dig into the fine print, and they’ll recommend you check your local laws before riding them on the road. However, that’s just a way to avoid the real answer. In every state that requires motor-driven cycles to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and I think it’s all of them, pocket bikes are not street legal.

September 23, 2021July 18, 2024

Getting Your Headlights Right

Q: I’m curious to know if there are any standards for car headlights as to intensity, angle and color. When I drive night I see cars which have very bright lights (as opposed to just high beams) and some cars with a range of colors (white, yellow and even a tint of blueness). If you can shed any light (pun unintended), I’d be pleased.

A: We just passed the fall equinox and entered the half of the year when there’s more darkness in 24 hours than light, so this is a perfect time to talk about headlights. As more of our driving occurs during time when headlights are required, you may want to make sure that your headlights are doing what they’re supposed to do. They should of course illuminate the road for you. One thing we don’t often consider with headlights though, is what they can do to help (or harm) other drivers.

September 16, 2021July 18, 2024

Short-Stopping: Where’s The Line?

Q: I sometimes see drivers at four-way stop intersections short-stopping (coming to a stop well before the stop line). It seems to me like a jerk move; they do it so that they stop before the rest of the drivers because whoever stops first is the next to go through the intersection. Is that legal?

A: I wasn’t familiar with the term “short-stopping” prior to this question, so of course, I Googled it. I learned that along with your definition, it refers to a kind of telecom fraud as well as when a drug dealer infringes on another dealer’s territory. Who knew? I also discovered that lots of people (at least on the internet) are as irritated by it as you are. I’m speaking of short-stopping at an intersection, not the other two kinds.

September 9, 2021July 18, 2024

Car Seats – Like a Racing Harness For Your Kid

Q: Why are car seats so hard to install? It should be a lot easier than it is. And where do I go if I need some help?

A: I hear you. Something so important shouldn’t be so hard to get right. As adults we wear seat belts, which is as simple as safety gets. Then you have a kid and you need a mechanical engineering degree to figure out how to take them home from the hospital.

Maybe some of you reading this found installing a car seat easy. If so, you’re in the minority. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 59 percent of car seats aren’t installed correctly. In the past I’d have had to include myself in that group. Back when my kids were young I took a car seat installation class and realized I’d been doing it all wrong.

September 2, 2021July 18, 2024

Traffic Lights Might Be Smarter Than Your Car

Q: Artificial Intelligence (AI) controlling stop lights seems much easier than AI driving a car. I’m not sure whether any are on the market yet, but seemingly AI stoplights could be an alternative to widening roads or installing new interchanges. And they would save fuel and help air quality by reducing vehicle stops and idling. When might we see AI stoplights in Washington?

A: So instead of a robot driving a car, you want robots to tell you how to drive your car? Actually, you’re totally right. Developing AI traffic control signals is more doable than building fully self-driving cars. How do I know that? Because you can drive through cities with AI traffic control right now. One thing you can’t do right now is go buy a fully autonomous car. Yes, there are a few places you can ride in an AI taxi or shuttle, but those are essentially test vehicles limited to specific routes in a handful of cities across the US.