There are only two weekends of summer driving left this year, as most of our big road trips end after Labor Day. It’s a great time to remind drivers, especially those who are towing things, of their responsibilities.
This is not the first time that I have discussed this topic, and it likely won’t be the last. But after what I experienced over the weekend on a trip to the Long Beach Peninsula, I had to speak up.
Washington law is clear. Slow-moving vehicles on two-lane roads need to move over when safe to do so, when going under the speed limit, and when there are five or more vehicles stuck behind you. I thought this was common knowledge. I assumed any driver would be aware of this law. It applies to any slow-moving vehicle, and I’m not talking about farm equipment.
This applies to buses, semis, and people towing things. If you are hauling a trailer or have a fifth wheel attached, this law applies to you. It applies if you’re towing a boat. It even applies if you’re nervous behind the wheel on a windy road, and you’re going under the limit and have a caravan stuck behind you.
You are required to pull over and let the other cars pass. I spoke to a Washington State Trooper about the law a few years ago.
“A slow-moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in a line, shall turn off the roadway whenever sufficient area for a safe turnout exists, in order to permit the vehicles that follow to proceed,” the trooper told me.
20 miles behind a trailer on US 101, going 20 under the limit
Why am I mentioning this?
I was stuck behind a pickup truck hauling a large trailer for over 20 miles on southbound US 101, heading south of South Bend to the Long Beach Peninsula. We were going 20 miles an hour under the speed limit consistently.
The driver and his Arctic Fox had plenty of safe places to pull over to allow the two dozen cars behind to pass, but it never happened.
As the trooper told me, “These are things that the driver pulling that fifth wheel or towing, or even driving large semis, needs to be aware of before they head out on the road, because in essence, they’re creating a traffic environment that is unhealthy for those traveling with them.”
If you know this stretch of road, there is virtually nowhere to pass legally and no passing lanes. It was infuriating.
But then I checked the Washington Driver’s Guide. There is no mention of our state’s slow-moving vehicle law. Even the towing section of the guide, Section 4-19, makes no mention of it.
So maybe it isn’t common knowledge.
No signs, no awareness, and drivers are making dangerous moves because of it
I also noticed that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) had no posted signs about the law along this entire section of US 101. I asked WSDOT if that would be something it might consider. I did not get an answer, but it is looking at the issue.
So why does this really matter? It only cost me an extra 15 minutes on a three and a half hour drive. No big deal.
But what I saw on the return trip yesterday is why this is important. I was stuck behind another slow-moving vehicle, this time an RV.
The frustration from the other drivers led to very risky attempts to pass. Car number one in line was riding the RV’s bumper and veering out into oncoming traffic to look for an opportunity to pass. This driver was pushing into the red for road rage. He then made a risky pass and moved on.
Not getting over, as required, can lead to other drivers making dumb and dangerous moves behind the wheel.
So, if you’re heading out this weekend and going slow, be sure to check for a line of cars behind you. Pull over when safe. It lets others pass safely. It brings down the temperature of other drivers. And it is the law.
Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.