Questions, answers, and salient thoughts

When it comes to driving, bad behavior can offend, injure, or even take the life of a fellow driver. Following drivers’ legal guidelines with precision, however, creates harmony and safety on the streets. Let’s look at some examples.

•J.G., of Colville, recently wrote to me inquiring, “One of my pet peeves is drivers who IGNORE signaling their intentions. Are there rules of the road for this? Or better yet, an RCW?”

J.G., there is a rule and an RCW (Revised Code of Washington) governing signal use, and obviously you are offended by other drivers’ noncompliance. In fact, if everyone used his or her signals, I bet that you would be a more serene vehicle operator yourself.

Our Washington Driver Guide states the rule requiring signal use at least 100 feet before making your move. Even more authoritatively, RCW 46.61.305 specifies in section (2), “A signal of intention to turn or move right or left when required shall be given continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet traveled before turning.”

So there you have it, J.G., the use of signals to inform other drivers of your impending turns is not a choice, it is the law. Unfortunately, as we all know, having a law doesn’t necessarily mean all people will comply — many choose to break the law.

J.G. also asked about the headlight-dimming requirement. I’ve covered it before, but it bears repeating, so more drivers might be cognizant of it. The rule in Washington is that you must dim your high beams (or other bright running lights) within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 300 feet when behind another vehicle.

When speaking with J.H., of Spokane last week, I learned of an incident that caused injury to a friend of his. Sadly, his friend’s accident occurred as a result of another driver breaking the law — happily, his friend is still alive.

J.H.’s friend was driving home with his wife one dark and rainy night, on a narrow, winding road. The two saw headlights ahead, and the driver moved to the right to pass the oncoming vehicle safely.

Well it turned out not to be a safe bypassing after all, because the “oncoming” vehicle was parked on the wrong side of the road, headlights on, getting his mail. The problem with this manifested itself when the space J.H.’s friend used to make the bypass was a deep ditch containing a large stump!

The driver and his wife suffered numerous injuries, and a badly damaged vehicle. Please remember, it is illegal to park on the wrong side of the road, facing traffic. Applicable RCW 46.61.575 reads in part, “…every vehicle stopped or parked upon a two-way roadway shall be so stopped or parked with the right hand wheels parallel to and within twelve inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable to the right hand edge of the right hand shoulder.” I’m sure J.H., his friend, his friend’s wife, and others would appreciate compliance with this law.

How Did This Happen?

Local road construction makes me wonder. I wonder how a decision is made, for example, to end a major arterial at a strip-mall parking lot. I’m referring to the curtailment of Regal northbound at the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center. That four-lane arterial dumps directly into the parking lot, where you hazardously cross the exit for the McDonald’s drive-thru, and come to a halt at the Everyday Gourmet.

I’m just speculating, but it must take some superior lobbying, or a close relative in charge of the decision, to get your mall plopped right in the middle of a major thoroughfare.

Truckers

In my roadway observations, big-rig operators are consistently the best group of drivers. The sheer miles logged by these 18-wheel jockeys require them to be good or perish.

This was made evident again last week when a semi followed me at about a 10-second distance on a two-laner for over 75 miles. I maintained a steady 63 MPH, and so did he. That sounds simple enough, but it rarely happens, since most drivers are unable to hold a steady speed over a distance and thorough varying terrain.

I sure appreciated him — a more normal scenario would be for the vehicle following me to catch me, tail gate, and refuse to pass. I hope he appreciated me too, as a more typical case would be for the vehicle in front of him to vary its speed enough (like trying every speed from 49 to 66) to finally force him into a difficult pass.

Thanks to these professional drivers who drive with precision.