Tag: speed limit

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Is The Right Lane Always The Right Lane?

Q: My friend and I have a disagreement. On a 3 lane highway with very light traffic, which lane should a 60 mph driver choose? I say the far right. My friend says the middle. My reasoning is because if I’m going 65 mph and need to pass the middle lane driver, I am required to pass on the left. Meanwhile, the right lane is wide open and it’s discourteous for the 60 mph car to be camping out in the middle lane. Slower traffic keep right, correct? My friend says the middle lane is a thru lane and if you’re going the speed limit, it’s fine to be there. The second part to this question: There is a 60 mph car in the middle lane. I am going 65 mph in the right lane. Do I pass him on the right? Or should I pass on the far left?

A: First of all, if 60 mph is the speed limit, why are you openly admitting to speeding in a question to a traffic safety guy? I’ll do my best to set that aside for a moment to answer the question. Continue reading “Is The Right Lane Always The Right Lane?”

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School Zones – What Does “When Children Are Present” Really Mean?”

Q: I always wonder about what “when children are present” on school zone signs means. Does that mean just during school hours or any time you see children? Also does it apply during school hours during the summer vacation (and how are we to know the vacation times?)

A: I thought this would be easy to answer, but it turns out that reading the law about school zone speed limits confuses as much as it clarifies. There’s a good reason many school zones are getting updated with flashing beacons instead of the “when children are present” plaque. But let’s get back to the question.

Continue reading “School Zones – What Does “When Children Are Present” Really Mean?””
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Slow Scooter on a Fast Road

Q: The speed limit on Mount Baker Highway is 55 mph. Often in the mornings I am stuck behind a person driving a scooter with a max speed of 40. Sometimes they drive on the shoulder, more times they drive in the lane. This creates an unsafe environment as speeding trucks and cars quickly approach and have to slam on their breaks to avoid a collision. Are scooters allowed on Mount Baker Highway?

A: I agree with you about the danger of slow-moving vehicles on high speed limit roadways. Speed differential (the difference between the speeds of vehicles traveling on the same section of roadway) creates all kinds of mayhem. Continue reading “Slow Scooter on a Fast Road”

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Why are there school zones without schools?

Q: Why do School zones exist in areas with no school nearby? I have noticed locations on Fraser Street and Orleans Street where it says school zones yet there are no schools nearby. In both of these locations the nearest public school is over a mile away and numerous roads exist closer to the school that aren’t designated school zones.

A: Not that I don’t trust you, but I drove out to the locations you described, and I couldn’t find any schools nearby either. At first I was as puzzled as you, so I reviewed RCW 46.61.440, the state law regarding school zones. I discovered that school zones come in two flavors. Most frequently, school zones are the 20 MPH areas found on roads that border a school. These zones extend up to 300 feet from the edge of the school property. As drivers, we all are (or should be) familiar with these school zones. Continue reading “Why are there school zones without schools?”

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Who Sets The Speed Limits?

Q: Who sets speed limits and how are they decided?

A: Should we start with the science or the politics? Let’s start with politics, since that gets us on track to answer the first part of the question. Because speed limits are enforceable laws, they are set by elected officials. At the state level, RCW 46.61.400 defines the speed limits for city streets at 25 MPH, county roads at 50 MPH and freeways at 60 MPH. However, the next few sections of the RCW specify situations where state and local officials can adjust speed limits as appropriate. In Whatcom County, for example, our statutory speed on county roads is 35 MPH. For our local roads, the elected officials with authority to change speed limits are the members of a city or county council, which, if I recall correctly from my high school civics class, make up the legislative branch of our local government. I just point this out for the folks who feel the need to criticize a speed limit during the issuance of a speeding ticket. The police are part of the executive branch; they enforce the laws, but they don’t get to make them. As part of the issuance of the ticket, the officer will give the offender an opportunity have a day in court, our judicial branch, and tadaa! We’ve included all three branches of government in this article. Continue reading “Who Sets The Speed Limits?”

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Speed Zones – Where Do They Change?

Q: When a road’s speed limit changes, let’s say from 35mph up to 50mph, does the increased speed limit take effect once you can see the new sign or only after you pass the sign?

A: I was curious about this myself, so I asked a traffic engineer the same question. He began by directing me to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This 800-plus page book is like the Bible to traffic engineers, providing guidance on all aspects of signs and markings on roadways. In the chapter on speed limits, the MUTCD states that speed limit signs “shall be located at the points of change from one speed limit to another.” Relying on the MUTCD, drivers should not accelerate until reaching an increased speed limit sign. I can already hear some grumbling about that answer. Keep reading. Beyond the MUTCD, the traffic engineer also brought up some additional points, including the reasons for speed limit changes and a variation on “speed kills.” Continue reading “Speed Zones – Where Do They Change?”