Month: July 2023

Q: I was on a state highway and saw what I thought was a stop sign posted on the side of the road, not near an intersection. As I got closer, I saw that the sign actually said “shop” and was in front of a store. Other than the change from ‘t’ to ‘h’ it looked like an official stop sign. Is that legal?

A: There’s a line somewhere between clever marketing and criminal behavior. Remember the Fyre Festival? That was the once-in-a-lifetime music festival on an island in the Bahamas with luxury accommodations, gourmet meals, and a line-up of famous bands. Sounds like catnip for influencers, right? In reality, attendees were housed in disaster relief tents with rain-soaked mattresses, served pre-packaged cheese sandwiches, and the bands didn’t show up. That kind of misleading marketing gets you a six-year prison sentence and 26 million dollars of restitution.

Continue reading “Illegal Traffic Signs”

Q: Do electric cars have a sound added to them? I heard one drive past me the other day and it sounded like something from Star Wars.

A: In 1886 the Benz Patent Motor Car made its debut as the first car powered by an internal combustion engine. Ever since then, nearly every car you’ve encountered has had a similar inherent safety feature: they’re noisy. Particularly for pedestrians, the engine noise generated by a car is an effective warning. Before you even see a vehicle, you can make a decent guess about how close it is, how fast it’s going, whether it’s approaching or moving away from you, and even how big it is.

Continue reading “Your Car Sounds Like a Spaceship”

Q: I have an old car with broken air conditioning, and I’ve found that driving with the windows down hurts my ears (and I’m concerned with long-term hearing loss). I assume people with convertibles might suffer this same issue. Is it legal to wear earplugs while driving? And if so, do you recommend anything in particular?

A: Assuming you’re not willing to keep your windows up while driving (and I understand why you might not – a closed-up car on a summer day can get unbearably hot,) I feel like there’s not a perfect answer to this question. It’s a trade-off between long-term hearing loss and immediate driving safety.

Continue reading “Driving with Earplugs”

Q: How do you properly adjust your side mirrors? I think most people adjust them so they can see the side of their own car, but I read something years ago where you should adjust your mirrors outwards which will more effectively cover their blind spot. Is there a recommended method?

A: Yes, there is a recommended method. In fact, I know of two recommended methods. Now that’s a problem, isn’t it? There’s also a method that’s not recommended but frequently employed.

Continue reading “Adjusting Your Mirrors”

We’re hours away from our most patriotic day of the year, so here’s one from the archives for anyone planning to fly the flag on a moving vehicle.

Flags on Pickup Trucks – Can You or Can’t You? (Or Should You?)