Precision driving: Local drivers share driving concerns
I’m encouraged by the steady flow of input I receive from thoughtful drivers. By incorporating your opinions, ideas, and questions within this column, it helps to inoculate your worthy thoughts throughout the driving populace. Please remember to participate in this exchange of information by sending me reflections on your driving experiences.
Reader E.M. shows that he is thinking about driving safety with his suggestion regarding parallel parking behavior. E.M. suggests, “When backing into a parking space, especially on a busy, crowded street, turn on the emergency flashers. The reasons are obvious.” To me, that is creative thinking coupled with precision driving (parking).
There are probably many drivers who don’t even know where the flasher switch is located on their vehicles. Now is a good time to find your switch if you are not sure of its location — using it while parking on a downtown street to alert others of your pending maneuver certainly can’t hurt either, especially if it takes some extra jockeying to park.
W.C. wishes to remind us of a safety issue encountered in parking lots. W.C. expounds, “An area where I find myself on constant alert while driving are parking lots. I am very watchful for drivers who take ‘short cuts’ by driving in the designated parking slots. I’ve had close calls with cars suddenly appearing from between parked autos.”
That is a great observation, W.C. — there is definitely a “free-for-all” environment in parking lots at times. It is a good place to be extra vigilant, due to the mix of pedestrians and vehicles therein — pedestrians who may be children or elderly, and vehicles that may be speeding through the acreage.
Thinking driver and reader of this column, G.F., sites a worrisome behavior that he spots too often: improper turns. He says he is troubled by, “…cars turning left from one arterial into an intersecting arterial, where two lanes of one street can turn into two lanes on the other. I’ve had a few encounters while turning from the outside lane only to have a car turning from the inside lane swing to the outside lane as the turn was made, the diver on the inside being completely oblivious to any car turning from the outside lane. An action that is sure to draw the attention of the other driver.”
I’ve sure groused over that one plenty, G.F., and written about it in the past. It seems obvious, but one must turn into the proper corresponding lane in the situation you describe. On a related issue, one should also turn into the left lane when turning from a single left turn lane to two lanes in the same direction — then signal and move to the right lane. Many drivers make a beeline directly to the right-hand lane.
G.F. brings up another situation, where there is a fine line to doing it right. Per G.F., this behavior, “…involves automobiles stopping at red lights or stop signs, where the drivers stop closely together instead of leaving some space between their cars.”
The reason that there is a fine line on this one, G.F., is that other readers have complained about drivers who leave too much space in this circumstance, cutting down the number of vehicles that can make it through the intersection upon green indication. The suggestion made in driver education classes is to stop behind another stopped vehicle at such a distance that you can see the tread of their rear tires. Closer than that, or farther back, may be too extreme.
A question from G.M. shows that there is still some apprehension over correct use of roundabouts, as she asked about roundabout road rules. One can find detailed data for navigating roundabouts at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/roundabouts/, but I can summarize a bit of it.
First, the “traffic calming islands” that we have in many residential areas are not roundabouts — roundabouts are much bigger in scope. The traffic calming islands are simply designed to slow traffic at otherwise chaotic uncontrolled intersections.
Roundabouts are designed to replace traffic signals and stop signs at higher traffic intersections, improving flow and safety.
The Procedure:
As a driver approaches a roundabout, there will be a YIELD sign. The driver should slow down, watch for pedestrians and bicyclists and be prepared to stop if necessary.
When the driver enters, he/she yields to circulating traffic on the left, but does not stop if the way is clear.
The roundabout will have ONE WAY signs mounted in the center island. They help guide traffic and indicate that the driver must stay to the right of the center island.
Upon passing the street prior to the desired exit, the driver should turn on his/her right turn signal and watch for pedestrians and bicyclists as he/she exits.
For Multilane Roundabouts:
Get in the correct lane early. Observe pavement markings and signs. (For example: Use the right lane to turn at the first right or go straight. Use the left lane to go straight, make a left turn, or make a U-turn). Never pass or change lanes in the roundabout.