More WA law changes

You post says 'be forwarned' and then it say the laws went into effect Nov. of 2007. Sounds almost as wacked out as the sidecar liscense legislation ...ugh. Oh gee I forgot about all the pre notices and stuff that was told about that...uh, my mistake. NOT
Anyhow regarding the HOV usage stated below. Are motorcycles and or sidecars/trikes allowed in HOV lanes? If no one knows I think any sane person left reading this section about Washington state legislation will probably not be surprised.
Note:
* HOV Lane - 1st time offense $1068.50 (note: the sign posted on the HOV lanes that says $271 is now wrong and DOT is in the process of changing them)
- 2nd offense fine is doubled
- 3rd it is tripled
- 4th your license is suspended for a year! (they are not playing around!)

Ohg and if someone does know please let us all know whether we are from Washuington State or not because some of us may even be follish enough to travel there someday. Of course if the moinutes to THAT meetinmg was not approved yet we will understand from our past experiences here as well.
Oh and who ever happens to respond to this we do appreciate if you were a veteran although we reeeeely do not need to know it.
Thanks in advance for any attempts to form a simple answer to the above although it can be a struggle no doubt.
Sacastically submitted,

Dear Claude (Not Sarcastically submitted),
My post was to be informative to those who may be headed to the Northwest.
Note: "Forewarned"; Is warning those who may not be Washingtonians and as such, not privy to the ever changing laws of said State.
Motorcycles are allowed in the HOV lanes, however many sidecarists who will travel there this year just may have the rig on a trailer. If there are no passengers in the tow vehicle they may be affected by this law.

Simple enough?

Cheers,

Lonnie

Originally written by Hack'n on 1/5/2008 7:45 PM

Dear Claude (Not Sarcastically submitted),
My post was to be informative to those who may be headed to the Northwest.
Note: "Forewarned"; Is warning those who may not be Washingtonians and as such, not privy to the ever changing laws of said State.
Motorcycles are allowed in the HOV lanes, however many sidecarists who will travel there this year just may have the rig on a trailer. If there are no passengers in the tow vehicle they may be affected by this law.

Simple enough?

Cheers,

Lonnie

Thanks Lonnie great info.
No sarcasim in this reply 🙂

Not to quibble, but I believe only the "No TEXTING while driving" portion is currently enforced... they are allowing another five months for people to obtain and use hands-free cellphone devices for talking while driving. Truth stranger than fiction, the law was passed seven months ago, but allowed to languish until the new year...

Story Published: May 11, 2007 at 4:42 PM PST
Story Updated: May 12, 2007 at 4:48 PM PST
AP
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Hang up or pay up: Using your hands to talk on the phone or tap out a text message while behind the wheel of a car will be illegal next year.

Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the measures into law Friday, flanked by children who suffered serious injuries after being hit by distracted drivers.

Under the new laws, drivers who read and compose text messages or talk on a cell phone without a hands-free device could face a $101 ticket. The text-messaging ban takes effect Jan. 1; the cell-phone law will be enforced starting in July 2008.
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/7470007.html

Hands free cell phone devices are required while operating a vehicle (eff. 7/1/2008). Exempts drivers of emergency vehicles and tow trucks, drivers who have hearing aids and drivers reporting emergencies or illegal activities. Secondary enforcement.

Drivers may not send, read or write a text message while driving unless operating an emergency vehicle or reporting an emergency or illegal activity. Not part of record, not given to insurance companies. Secondary enforcement.
http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/bystate/wa.html

Some clarification on the seat belt law and the HOV restriction?

Are they planning on applying the seat belt restriction to sidecars?
How is the HOV law enforced? Is it: "Yes, a single passenger rig can use the HOV" or "No, a single passenger rig is not allowed to use the HOV lane"?

Are bikes w/ sidecars considered the same as a car or are they treated differently? I know that sidecars have to be licensed differently than a regular bike in WA.

Unless recently modified: The Washington helmet law states that all cyclists must wear a helmet unless the cycle has roll-over protection and the all riders are wearing seatbelts. Several bikers have beaten the helmet law in court having bikes with "Crash bars" and/or tall sissy bars and installing (and wearing) seat belts when stopped.

There are few specific rules regarding sidecars in the motor vehicle code.
Seatbelts in sidecars, like so many of Washington's nebulous laws are not addressed as such and enforcement is left to the disgression of local officers and the State Patrol (who implement their own version of the statutes). Kinda depends on who stops you and what mood they're in.

All motorcycles, solo, sidehack and trike, are allowed on the HOV lanes regardless of passenger load or sans passengers. With or without trailers.

Bikes with sidecars and trikes are all classified as "Motorcyles" and are regulated by the Motorcycle statutes. The exception is mopeds and other underpowered vehicles that cannot sustain Highway speeds.

A sidecar is regarded as an accessory in Washington and is not licensed separately (yet).
A motorcycle (pulled) trailer however must be licensed and titled the same as an automobile trailer.

A few privileges enjoyed by the motorcyclists in large are:
First in line at the ferry docks. There are several of these in the State.
Free use of the HOV lanes.
Reduced bridge toll fees.
Reduced ferry fares.
Some varied parking privileges.

Most or all of these privileges are also available in Canada.)

Lonnie

There are changes in the bridge tolls on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Sidecar rigs are now charged as motorcycles.
See my thread on Bridge Trolls in the General section forum for details.

Phelonius

Sorry to steal this thread but reading thru this post reminded me back in '94-'95 when I was living in Issaquah the Washington State patrol were giving bikers tickets for not having a litter back on their bikes or person. Am thinking it was only one patrolman and his wife was a Senator. Guess there was some off the books law that required all vehicles to have litter bags. Several bike shops were printing up plastic bags with advertising on them and we carried 'em in our back pocket.

Now back to the previous subject..sorry!!

o~o

Litter bag requirement was still in effect until recently.

I think I'd carry a ziplock bag with a plastic turd in it
if they still had that law. Apparantly someone challenged
the law and it was removed.

As for me... I'm getting the hell out of Washington state.
I'm sick and tired of a bunch of fargin' Nazi politicians who would
have the police shoot you on sight for your own safety if you violate
some random secret law that they aren't allowed to inform you about.

"You know that there was a thought that you could go at least 5 MPH over the posted speed limit. Well according to the WA. State Patrol, you are now allowed 3 MPH over!"

That's funny, but on this side of the state a member of my family, other folks I know & I myself have all been stopped and either were warned or even actually ticketed for going as little as 1 MILE over the 'limit' (with hefty fines attached & upheld by local traffic court judges at least in my & my family's cases). As with so many other arbitrary, aggressive law enforcement activity in our once great State - it all depends on who stops you.

What was that? Land of the free, home of the brave?

You must live in Lincoln County.
I passed through there on the 3rd of this month on the way home from Canada and picked up a $144.00 ticket about 100 yards out of some pot town there. No posted speed limit on the road but there was a radar trap. Being from Idaho I just paid it like they knew I would rather than go back and have a contested hearing. They tell me that is their only source of revenue, by dry gulching passers through who are from out of the area.

Lonnie

Come to Canada!!!
Our pants do not have enough pockets for all the hands that are in them!!!!!
banks!
municipal government!
Provincial government!
federal government!

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE:
THE OIL COMPANIES!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all, but God come up here and see what it means to be FLEECED!!!!

We're fast becoming a Socialist nation here. Both houses controlled by the Socialist Democratics and working on getting the third leg up in November.

Lonnie

Originally written by Hack'n on 7/15/2008 10:58 PM

You must live in Lincoln County.
I passed through there on the 3rd of this month on the way home from Canada and picked up a $144.00 ticket about 100 yards out of some pot town there. No posted speed limit on the road but there was a radar trap. Being from Idaho I just paid it like they knew I would rather than go back and have a contested hearing. They tell me that is their only source of revenue, by dry gulching passers through who are from out of the area.

Lonnie

Traffic fines and property taxes Lonnie. No industry here in Lincoln County. Thanks for doing your part to take the burden off property owners. ;>) Hey Inland Empire guy- where are you? I'm at Reardan. Lincoln County's biggest speed trap. But only between 7:00AM and 3:30PM. He goes home then. Occassionally one of the reserves is out later and on week ends. Not sure if they work on a comission....