Drivers stretch ‘winter rules’ too far
PRECISION DRIVING
Bill Love
Auto Columnist
When golfers play games in winter or early spring, they often accommodate adverse course conditions by implementing a set of “winter rules.” Often, vehicle operators have a similar winter ritual.
In golf, courses or clubs sometimes post a sign stating, ”Winter rules in effect today.”
Generally, this means that golfers may improve their lies in certain areas of the course affected by ravages of winter. This action is usually restricted to fairways.
A problem exists, however, in that golfers typically play by their personal interpretation of these rules, improving their lies in bunkers, water hazards, or even moving a ball from the fringe to the putting surface. Drivers afford themselves a similar self-gratification when applying certain winter rules to driving.
Winter rules are not a part of the 34 rules of golf – they are simply provisions adopted by local courses. Similarly, I know of no winter-specific rules in our Uniform Motor Vehicle Code, except mandatory chain use when posted in mountain passes.
Still, drivers take liberties during winter conditions that are incompliant with normal rules of the road. For instance, when it is icy, drivers may find it prudent to roll slowly through a stop sign when traffic is clear. In this way, they can avoid being an obstacle when conditions won’t allow traction to get going easily. Under the proper circumstances, a police officer may even understand this reasoning – but don’t blame me if that’s not the case.
As with golf, though, allowing exceptions to the rules will usually get out of hand.
The old, “take a mile if given an inch” adage applies – as a result, I see driver behavior that can only be explained by the fact that drivers are stretching their winter rules.
The following are seven sins of winter driving that I have repeatedly witnessed.
The 20 Mph Safety Attempt
Sure, we need to slow down according to certain adverse winter road conditions, and there are many times that the speed limits are too fast for those conditions. But driving 20 mph everywhere once the first snow has fallen? I find that a bit of overkill in the quest for safety, but it seems to happen. If you are that fearful of winter driving, you should seek alternate transportation.
The 20 mph because of chains, but in left- lane oblivion? OK, if you need chains to get out of your side street, and insist on leaving them on when reaching bare roadways, then 20 mph is about right. When doing this, however, please resist your normal habit of traveling in the left lane blocking other vehicles.
The Perpetual Left-Lane Domination
In winter, even more vehicles than normal seem to dominate the left lane. I realize that the normal 11-foot lane width may be reduced by a foot due to snow buildup, but trust me, your 6-foot-wide vehicle will still fit there. Remember, in any season, if you are not overtaking a vehicle, about to turn left, or moving left to allow a merge, and you are in the left lane, you are screwing up!
Center-Line-Cheating-on-Turns Tactic
I really don’t have a good explanation for this one, but I’ve sure been victim of it repeatedly this winter. It usually occurs when a vehicle is going 20 mph in the left lane, and I am rolling past them in the right lane during a right-hand curve in the road. With unfortunate regularity, I have to ready the horn and/or an escape route to the right as the driver on my left attempts a sideswipe. To those offenders: the center line applies even in the winter.
Centering Vehicle-on-the-Line Habit
I suppose the roots of this winter driving rule-stretch lie in the aforementioned narrowing of the right-hand lane. Even though there is still room in both lanes for vehicle travel, some drivers take it upon themselves to turn two lanes into one. They center their vehicle directly over the line dividing the two lanes for travel in the same direction, effectively keeping all those behind them at bay.
The Delayed-Turn-Off Maneuver
This is when a driver wants to survey the parking lot or street thoroughly before turning to it, without regard for traffic wishing to continue on the departed road. These drivers leave the rear of their cars hanging in the lane they just turned out of, blocking all who were behind them. Here’s an idea: survey the situation before or as you turn, allowing yourself to keep rolling.
No-Vehicle-Close-Enough-to- Warrant-Waiting Syndrome
For no explanation I can conjure, more vehicles back out of driveways, or pull out of side roads and parking lots in front of me without sufficient distance in the winter over any other time. They may be stretching that winter rule where you don’t stop because you might lose traction. The problem is that you can’t effectively use that rule when another vehicle is upon you.
I’ll be glad when winter is over, and I can try to figure out what makes people drive crazily in the spring and summer.
Readers may write to Bill Love, c/o The Spokesman-Review Auto Section,P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or you may contact him via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
