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Roundabout Refresher

I thought we had this whole round-about thing pretty well managed, but based on the abundance of email I’ve been getting lately I guess that’s just not true. That point was driven home recently by a comment from a reader. In an article about bike boxes, I wrote that we’ll learn how to navigate them “just like the roundabouts that most of us have figured out.”

In response, a reader commented, “Hah! I’m not sure if the author meant that as a joke or not, but you gave me a nice laugh on Monday morning.” Continue reading “Roundabout Refresher”

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U-turns: Mostly Legal, Sometimes Risky

Q: When driving on Meridian Street in the area of the mall, there are now those barriers keeping you from making a left turn. I see a lot of people making U-turns now when they get to the next intersection. Is this legal?

A: Before answering this question I took a drive down Meridian just to make sure I wasn’t failing to remember any “No U-Turn” signs. In Washington, U-turns are generally legal at intersections. The exception, and I’m stating the obvious here, is when there is a posted sign prohibiting U-turns. Continue reading “U-turns: Mostly Legal, Sometimes Risky”

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Drug Categories and their Common Effects

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it would have been helpful to know if someone is impaired by drugs? This drug effects chart can help. Originally conceived in a meeting with local bar and restaurant owners, it was developed to help bartenders servers recognize impairment in customers that used drugs prior to coming into their establishments. Continue reading “Drug Categories and their Common Effects”

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Electric vs. Gas Powered Bicycles

Q: What are the laws on driving a motorized or electric assist bike on the road? Do you need to have a license and insurance?

A: There are actually several different answers, depending on the power source (gas or electric) and the size of the motor. The part about electric assist bikes is the easiest to answer, so let’s start there and work our way up to gas powered bikes. Continue reading “Electric vs. Gas Powered Bicycles”

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Tailgating Problems and Solutions

Q: It seems like tailgating is becoming more of a problem. Do the police ever enforce it?

A: Allow me to validate your perception. Last year in northwest Washington (Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties), following too closely was a factor in 880 crashes. We had a total of 6492 reported collisions in the region, putting tailgating (the most common slang term for following too closely) as a contributing action in nearly one in every seven crashes. I’d agree with you that it’s a problem. Continue reading “Tailgating Problems and Solutions”

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Famous Last Words – Smh.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a new PSA they’ve released as part of distracted driving month. It’s good, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the target audience. I’ll admit that I didn’t get the tagline, which immediately identifies me as not being part of the millennial generation. In case you didn’t get it either, I looked it up. Smh is an acronym for “shaking my head.” If your kid ever texts that to you, it means he is shaking his head in disappointment. Here’s the PSA. Warning: It’s sad.

 

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Distracted Driving at Work

Q: With all the attention on distracted driving lately, it got me thinking of an employee cell phone policy where I work. I like the idea, but where do I start?

A: I know we just addressed cell phones and driving a couple weeks ago, but employer/employee responsibility is a side of distracted driving that doesn’t get much attention. Plus, April is distracted driving awareness month so I feel justified in doubling down on this topic. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, you’ll benefit from a good distracted driving policy. For those who have not yet thought about distracted driving at work, here are a few reasons why this is so important. Continue reading “Distracted Driving at Work”

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Freight Trains and Soda Cans

Q: I have a few railroad questions: Where do I stop for a railroad crossing? On crossings without gates, once I’ve stopped for the flashing red lights, can I cross if the train is still not too close? Can I stop on railroad tracks while waiting for traffic to clear? Why can’t I walk down the railroad track?

A: For those of you who sometimes wonder if these questions are real; yes, yes they are. Usually I get questions directly but, in this case, they were passed on to me by an employee of BNSF Railway. They are questions he has encountered, and I intend to answer them. Continue reading “Freight Trains and Soda Cans”

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Race Track – a Distracted Driving PSA

Distracted driving emphasis patrols are happening all over Washington right now, so this seems like a good time to release the latest traffic safety PSA from TheWiseDrive. See how a rivalry between racecar drivers turns to tactics of technology and distraction to keep the title of World’s Fastest Racecar Driver.