Everything Traffic Safety
Q: Is it illegal to obstruct the view of the driver out the side windows? On my bicycle I have been nearly hit more than once by mail delivery drivers. They have right hand drive and stack mail on a shelf opposite them blocking their view out the left window. When they are making a right turn they can’t see me on my bike and pull out in front of me. If not illegal it’s dangerous.
Q: I know we should always wear our seatbelts, so what should we do if there are more people in a car than seatbelts? Is it a good idea to buddy buckle?
Q: It’s obvious that the police respond to high-crash locations after crashes happen, but do they ever patrol these areas (and most others) to do proactive, deterrence enforcement? I guarantee that if traffic stops were performed and citations written, the driving behavior would improve.
Q: So many times I see people with dogs in the back of their trucks that are not tied in. I have seen dogs fall out of the back and be seriously injured or killed in the past. What is the law regarding having a dog or dogs, in the back of an open pickup?
Continue reading “Dogs In Truck Beds – Illegal or Just Unwise?”
Let’s talk about tires. I recently had a conversation with someone about tire performance and how it relates to the price of a tire. The question was essentially, “Is it worth it to buy expensive tires for my car?” There is a study from AAA that answers that question, but in the process of exploring the question I encountered what I think is even more important – how long you keep your tires on your car.
Q: Do airbags work better than seatbelts for protecting you in a crash? And if they do, shouldn’t the law be that you only have to wear seatbelts if your car doesn’t have airbags?
Continue reading “Seatbelts: Overrated For Cars With Airbags?”
Q: Too often I read or hear about young people involved in serious car crashes. I’m guessing that’s because they’re in them more often than experienced drivers. Why are they crashing more? Are they not getting enough training? What can we do about it?
Q1: At a two-way stop intersection where cross-traffic doesn’t stop, what is the protocol if cars approach the stop signs at different times during heavy traffic, and have conflicting proposed motions? If I am taking a left turn from one stop sign, and waiting for cross-traffic to clear, and a car comes up to the other stop sign opposite me, wanting to go straight, who is required to wait for the other? Would I be required to wait for the opposite car, even though I arrived at the intersection first?
Continue reading “Can You Ever Really Have The Right-Of-Way?”
Q: Why don’t you write about drivers that are too cautious? Numerous times I’ve witnessed drivers that drive 45-50 MPH on the freeway, stop at the top of the ramp before entering the freeway, refuse to turn left against oncoming traffic until the left turn signal light returns, drive 10 car lengths behind another car in a 35 MPH zone, drive 25 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, and stop 60 feet before a crosswalk startling the car behind them.
Continue reading “Can You Be Too Cautious?”
Q: I was driving on a two-lane road and stopped behind a WTA bus that was at a bus stop waiting for a passenger walking fast to catch the bus. A vehicle came up behind me, waited for about 5 seconds, and then passed my car and the bus using the oncoming traffic lane. Was that legal?