Month: August 2023

Q: Is it lawful for police vehicles to exceed posted speed limits without having their emergency signals activated?

A: Years ago in a former career I was a freshly minted deputy sheriff, ready to protect and serve, and set a good example of safe driving. I made a commitment to always follow the speed limit. It did not take long to discover that a few other drivers I shared the road with did not have that same commitment. My commute to work included a good stretch of freeway driving, and you can guess what would happen (but I’ll tell you anyway.)

I’d see a car approaching in my rear-view mirror and know the moment the driver figured out they were about to pass a patrol car. The nose of their car would dip as they hit the brakes and moved to the right lane behind me. After several cars stacked up, another one would come up in the passing lane and do the same thing, but now there was no room to move to the right. Eventually we’d have a convoy of cars traveling exactly at the speed limit.

Continue reading “Speeding Police Cars”

Q: Are there rules for where no-passing zones have to be placed? Is it just totally to the discretion of traffic engineers or are there regulations to follow? I ask because I find it rather odd that not all intersections are worthy of a no-passing zone.

A: If it turns out that the determination for no-passing zones was “just totally to the discretion of traffic engineers” would that be a bad thing? I’m wondering, who else would you prefer made that decision? Your barber? Your retirement planner? The quarterback from your favorite team? I have as much interest in watching a football game with team rosters made entirely of traffic engineers (I’m sure they’re great, really) as I do consulting with a roomful of NFL players on what zone to set up (assuming we’re talking about road design and not defensive strategies). Generally, I’m a fan of letting the pros do what they’re good at.

Continue reading “No-Passing Zones”

Q: Who has the right-of-way if one direction of traffic has a “right turn yield” and the opposite has “left hand yield on green”? People always act like they have the right-of-way going in both directions, often nearly causing crashes.

A. In life (and in driving) we’re in an ongoing pursuit of understanding. At the same time, perfect understanding is unachievable. A Sisyphean task, to be sure. I lead with that in order that we might have grace and patience for the people we share the road with when they fall short of understanding how to properly yield the right-of-way.

Continue reading “Dealing with Dual Yields”

Q: Is it legal to have a strobe light on the front of your bicycle? In my experience, the strobe light is distracting and dangerous, and cyclists need to realize that while the driver is distracted by the flashing light, everything else disappears. Like a moth to a flame, drivers are drawn to flashing lights and nothing else.

A: Do you want to be noticed, or do you want to be understood? I know, it sounds like some faux-philosophical question posed by an aspiring Instagram influencer. Really though, it’s a question about lights.

Continue reading “Flashing Headlights (on Bicycles)”

Q: In a construction zone with a speed limit of say 35 mph, where the speed limit is normally 55, once through the construction when does the speed limit change back to 55? Is it at the “end road work” sign, or not until you see the next 55 mph sign, which could be miles away?

A: Somebody just read the last part of this question and thought, “come on, miles away? You’re just being dramatic.” Not necessarily. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Traffic Manual specifies where speed limit signs should be prominently located “for maximum awareness.” It includes the places you’d expect: when the speed limit changes, at major interchanges or intersections, and at state and city limits. Oh yeah, there’s one more on the list. In rural areas, speed limit signs are spaced at 10-to-20-mile intervals (for maximum awareness.) No, that’s not a burn on WSDOT. There’s a science to proper sign placement, and they know what they’re doing.

Continue reading “Construction Zone Speed Limits”