Tag: tires

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What’s the Point of Fenders if They Don’t Cover Your Tires?

Q: Is anything being done about trucks with tires that stick out past their fenders? I’m pretty sure that’s not legal. Why are people allowed to do that?

A: It’s not that the law allows people to drive around with tires that project past their fenders; it’s that some people chose to do it anyway. Washington law is clear about the need for fenders and mud flaps. There are actually two laws that address the issue. The Revised Code of Washington states that, “no person may operate any motor vehicle . . . that is not equipped with fenders, covers, flaps or splash aprons . . .” It goes on to state that fenders and mud flaps must be as wide as the tires and extend to at least the center of the axle.

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When Tires Stop Stopping

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.

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Fender Offenders

Q: How far can tires legally extend outside the body of a pickup?

A: Sometimes I wonder if when I answer a question I’m unwittingly assisting someone in winning an argument. So I have my own question in response to this one: Are you asking because you want to make sure your pickup complies with the law, or because you made a bet? I’m okay with either option; I’m just curious. Continue reading “Fender Offenders”

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Winter Driving Review

As I watched my neighbor scrape ice from her windshield I realized it’s probably time to review the topic of winter driving. Mount Baker ski area has opened, the freezing level is dropping, and we’ve already had some flooded roads. Here comes winter.

If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone from Minnesota about winter driving, you’ve probably heard the ridicule about how Washington doesn’t have a “real” winter. And that’s exactly the problem. In wintery parts of the country people prepare for the inevitable ice and snow. Here we often get caught off-guard by a storm system that blows in, makes a mess of things, and then melts away two days later. And unlike places that stay frozen for weeks at a time, we have weather that fluctuates between just below and just above freezing, creating the slippery hazard of a thin layer of water on top of a layer of ice. I’ve seen a parked car slide off the road in those conditions. Continue reading “Winter Driving Review”