A: Marc: Your point is well taken. While I knew the law well enough to provide the citation, I apparently glossed over the exact language in this instance. My mistake, and I will graciously attempt to be more vigilant.

A: Yes, it is legal for a police officer to stop an ambulance and there are certain limited occasions where it may be prudent to do so--such as if the ambulance has been reported as erratically driven or if it is traveling at excessive speed while not running with emergency lights on. Policy on this would vary from agency to agency, but generally this practice would not be allowed while the ambulance is transporting a patient under urgent circumstances.

A: All of the RCWs regarding turning and moving through intersections have language such as in 46.61.055 (3)(c): "Vehicle operators facing a steady red arrow indication may not enter the intersection control area to make the movement indicated by such arrow." Also, any of the usual allowed turns, such as a right made after coming to a complete stop at a red light, can be limited or prohibited if a sign specifically indicates otherwise, such as "No Right Turn" or "No Turning Between 7am-7pm."

A: RCW 46.61.110 merely requires that a driver "approaching a pedestrian or bicycle that is on the roadway or on the right-hand shoulder or bicycle lane of the roadway shall pass to the left at a safe distance to clearly avoid coming into contact with the pedestrian or bicyclist, and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken pedestrian or bicyclist." There is no specific measurement.

A: The parking RCWs begin at 46.61.560 and describe the places and limitations on parking. The statutes do not, however, provide required techniques such as when to point the wheels or set the parking brake. In the event the car does roll away and strike another vehicle then the regular collision laws would apply including the hit and run statutes under 46.52. This is not to preclude municipalities where there may be more specific parking laws that include how to park and turn your wheels. For safety and driver training, of course, these skills are taught as a preventive measure.

A: The answer is found is RCW 46.37.537, which governs motorcycle equipment. Like so much of the equipment regulation, the basic message of the statute is that the bike must remain or be equal to its stock condition at time of original purchase from a dealer or the factory.

A: Bicycling is always allowed on Chuckanut and any roadway unless specifically prohibited. There are some basic rules requiring cyclist to ride as near to the roadway edge as possible and in single file--look to RCW 46.61.770 and those that surround it. The double yellow lines do not play a factor here---they are controlled by RCW 46.61.130 which does allow drivers to move left briefly for a roadway obstruction as long as there is no danger to oncoming traffic.

A: The answer comes from 46.61.190. This is one of those times where your typical understanding of a yield sign and the reality of driving in different traffic volumes seem to be in contradiction: as you approach the end of a ramp at rush hour, let's say, you know you have more traffic behind you on the ramp because you all were turning on to the interstate from the same traffic signal for example. So drivers behind you are anxious to get on the interstate and traffic may be making full use of the two lanes on the interstate already--I am thinking of northbound at Samish Way or northbound at Iowa. Courtesy would dictate the response you suggest: if possible, freeway traffic would move left to free up the merging lane and space on the right. Clearly this is not always easy and it is ultimately up to the merging traffic to do so safely. Hence the last sentence of the RCW: if...a driver is involved in a collision with a vehicle in the intersection or junction of roadways, after driving past a yield sign without stopping, such collision shall be deemed prima facie evidence of the driver's failure to yield right-of-way.

A: There is no damage amount that triggers the issuance of a citation. Some agencies do issue citations when fault can be determined in a particular collision. However, there could be plenty of occasions where law enforcement would respond and no citation would be issued, such as a car versus deer collision.

A: You pose two separate issues here, and both are a matter of courtesy and driver training more than the law. You are correct that the purpose of a freeway on ramp is to provide entering traffic the opportunity to accelerate and merge at freeway speed. As I have noted in previous responses, sometimes you encounter parts of the interstate that were designed for different speed limits and traffic volumes, and the ramps become more challenging--particularly at peak travel times. As to your second situation, it is true that you are not supposed to slow or brake until you exit the interstate. Again, this is one of those rules that is nice in theory but sometimes difficult to practice as when a long line of traffic is backed up at a stop light or waiting for someone to turn and causing a slowdown. Either way, it is up to each driver to maintain a safe following distance and be aware of what other vehicles around them are doing.