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 […]| The Wise Drive
Q: At a freeway on-ramp, is it illegal to merge early by driving across the white lines before the lanes merge, or is it just discouraged? If it’s illegal, what law would you be breaking? A: You won’t find any law in the Revised Code of Washington called, “Driving across the white lines to make […] The post Early Merging vs. Washington Traffic Law appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
Q: As a Class A commercial driver, I see a lot of drivers failing to maintain sufficient distance from commercial vehicles. I don’t think they understand the risks involving in being too close. Does the law require that drivers leave more room around big commercial vehicles compared to other cars and trucks? A: In an […] The post Making Room for Commercial Vehicles appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
School zone "when children are present" signs mean when kids are crossing, about to cross, or walking along roadways—not inside buildings.| The Wise Drive
Q: With all this great weather I’ve been thinking about getting a scooter, something like a Vespa. Is that basically like a moped, or do I need a special license? A: I’m not going to try to talk you out of getting a scooter, but there’s more to think about than good weather. You probably […] The post Is it a Moped or a Motorcycle? appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
If where you look is where you go, then it’s pretty important to look in the right direction. That’s not just good advice, there’s science to back it up. The post Road Craft – Target Fixation appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
Driving barefoot is legal, but is it smart? Well, it's better than wearing the wrong shoes, but probably worse than wearing the right shoes.| The Wise Drive
Q: When is it legal to use your horn? Or maybe I should ask, when is it not legal to use your horn? Some drivers use their horn for a lot of things that aren’t emergencies. A: There’s a debate about whether the Road Runner from Looney Tunes says “beep beep” or “meep meep.” In […]| The Wise Drive
Road Rules2 days ago| The Wise Drive
Q: If you spend much time driving in rural areas you will encounter animals on the road. How should you react to animals in or near the roadway? A: Here’s a trivia question: What animal kills the most humans in the US? If you answered shark or bear, you’re not even close. It’s other humans. […] The post Avoiding Animals appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
My fellow cyclists, I want you to live. From conversations I’ve had with bike riders and observations on the road there’s a question a few cyclists aren’t asking, and they should. It goes something like this: “Is it okay to ride my bike facing traffic?” That’s a hard no. I’ll get to the law in […] The post Riding the Right Way in Traffic appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
Horn use isn’t simple: required for safety, banned for most other uses, and only sometimes protected as free speech. Honk wisely.| The Wise Drive
Q: A news site has an article about it now being illegal to have a license plate frame on your vehicle, and the author thought the cars she saw being pulled over were because of license plate frames. What’s the problem with license plate frames? This seems like the laws are going too far. A: […] The post Don’t Hide Your License Plate appeared first on The Wise Drive.| The Wise Drive
Q: I drive through an intersection, almost daily, that has two left-turn lanes, while the cross-street they turn into has three lanes. There are some dots curving through the intersection that seem to suggest that the inside left-turn lane can choose from the two left-most lanes, and outside left-turn lane should go to the furthest […]| The Wise Drive
Q: The law requires registration and license plates “to operate any vehicle on a public highway.” Does this mean that electric bicycles need to be licensed in Washington State? Also, in the quote above I note the word “highway”. Does that include city streets and county roads? A: Here’s a paradox. A bicycle is both […]| The Wise Drive
Q: I saw an electric unicycle on a city street violating various traffic laws. I looked up what I saw online, and some of these unicycles have top speeds of over 50 mph. Do you have thoughts on wha…| The Wise Drive
Q: How can a police officer know if a driver is impaired by drugs? With alcohol there are roadside tests like walking a line, and a breath test. Are there similar tests for drug impairment? Alcohol…| The Wise Drive
