Improper Passing and Turning Are Major Causes of Car Accidents

Staying in your lane of traffic reduces the risk of accidents. It’s true that you may strike the car in front of you if you drive too closely, or could be rear-ended by the car behind you even if you are following the rules of the road. When you leave your lane of traffic, though, that is when the problems escalate. Many Vancouver, WA accidents occur when drivers change lanes, turn at intersections, or turn to leave the highway to go into a store, business, other location.

When is a driver liable for improper passing?

Drivers can be held liable if they cause an accident while passing for several reasons, including the following:

• The driver is not allowed to pass. Many roads prohibit passing. Indicators that you cannot pass include double lines separating your lane of travel from oncoming traffic. Signs may say “No passing.” It is generally illegal to pass at railroad crossings, in tunnels, and on bridges. Drivers should normally only pass if the drivers in front of them are traveling too slowly. Drivers should not pass if the drivers in front of them are going at the speed limit.
• The conditions do not warrant passing. Drivers should not pass in curves. They should not pass if the traffic conditions (including lighting and visibility) prevent the driver from seeing a safe distance ahead. Drivers should avoid passing if it is snowing or raining heavily.
• There is construction. During road construction, the number of lanes may be reduced. It may not be safe to pass because there is equipment or machinery in one of the lanes. The roadway surfaces may be different. For example, one lane may be asphalt while the other is gravel.
• The driver does not pass correctly. Drivers who pass on the left should:
  • Signal that they are passing so the cars behind the passing driver understand you are shifting lanes.
  • Make sure they have enough room to complete the pass and merge back into the same lane of travel.
  • Check their blind spots, the lanes to their left, and the cars behind them to make sure no other vehicles are trying to pass at the same time.
  • Use extra caution when traveling on a two-lane road where passing means entering the oncoming traffic lane
  • Return to the same lane when the pass is completed when there is enough room to move back into the initial lane.

Drivers should be extra-careful when passing multiple cars. It is never a good idea to weave in and out of traffic too much.

Drivers who pass improperly on the left will be fined if the vehicle they are overtaking is a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or moped. There are additional rules for passing a pedestrian, a bicycle, anyone riding an animal, or anyone “using a farm tractor or implement of husbandry without an enclosed shell.”

Can you pass a car on the right in Washington State?

You can, but not if it means entering the shoulder of the road to pass another car. Washington permits passing on the right:

• When the vehicle on their left is making or getting ready to turn left
• If the driver is on an unobstructed roadway that has two or more lanes of travel
• It is safe to pass

When is a driver liable for an improper turn?

Many severe injuries and deaths occur when a driver makes an improper left-hand turn. Right-hand turns are usually safer, but car accidents do occur when turning right, too. The main danger with both types of turns is that the driver may strike a vehicle in the oncoming lane of travel. Turning accidents also kill or seriously injure pedestrians and bicycle riders who are trying to cross the street.

Some turns are illegal. Other turns are unwise and negligent, even if they are not illegal. Generally, in intersection accidents, the driver who is turning left does so at his/her own risk.

Illegal turns include:

• Making an illegal U-turn. These turns can only be made at certain intersections. When they are made, drivers must still make the turns in a reasonably safe manner.
• Illegally turning left. Drivers can generally turn left unless there are signs prohibiting left-hand turns. Drivers can never make a left-hand turn if the traffic light has turned red.
• Illegally turning at a red light. Even though Washington permits some right turns on red, the driver must come to a full stop before turning.

Drivers should also signal when they are making a turn and what direction the turn is.

There are several Washington laws that apply to safe turns, including a law on the “Required position and method of turning at intersections.”

• Right turns. The approach and the turn should be “as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.”
• Left turns. The driver should approach the turn in the farthest left-hand lane available. The turn should be “made to the left of the center of the intersection and so as to leave the intersection or other location in the extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction as the vehicle on the roadway being entered.”
• The statute also regulates two-way left-turn lanes. At some intersections, traffic moving in opposite directions can make left-hand turns at the same time, before the rest of the traffic can move forward. Drivers who are not turning should proceed slowly through these types of intersections. Drivers who are turning should not attempt to “beat” another car off the line in order to turn.

Drivers turning at an intersection or off the road into a business, parking lot, or other location should make sure there is no oncoming traffic, there is room to make the turn, and that the light is not going to change while they are in the intersection.

Turning can be especially dangerous for trucks

Drivers of trucks need to be extra careful making right-hand turns because trucks make wide turns. Truck drivers who are turning need to check their blind spots and make sure they have enough room to make the turn without steering into other lanes of travel.

Contact our attorneys today

At Philbrook Law, our Vancouver, WA car and truck accident lawyers have been fighting for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders since 2005. We investigate the cause of the accident, conduct discovery to determine the position of the defendants, negotiate settlements with your consent, and try cases in court. We work with your doctors to understand your diagnosis, the treatments you need, and your long-term pain and suffering. We have a strong track record of successful settlements and awards. To speak with an experienced trial lawyer in Vancouver or Battle Ground, WA, call us at 360-695-3309 or fill out our contact form. We represent personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis.