For sake of safety, turn your lights on

Sometimes you have to wonder.

The days get short, the skies get dark, the rain comes down and we all get loopy.

I was driving at night behind someone when I noticed they were driving in the dark.

By dark, I don’t mean what goes for day around here. I mean real, 8 o’clock night.

Their lights were off.

I flashed my lights on and off at them, two quick flickers.

No reaction.

I drove along for another few miles.

I wondered whether they wondered why I was flashing my lights at them.

Maybe they were scared I was mad at them.

Should I flash my lights again? What is the proper protocol? Is it dangerous to flash your lights at someone twice?

I decided that their safety, and that of every other driver they might happen across, was worth the risk – especially since they were driving a minivan.

I flashed my lights again.

Nothing.

I couldn’t believe it. How could someone get flashed at again and again, and still not notice their lights were off?

Finally, I tried one last time as I turned down a side street.

For all I know, they could still be driving with their lights off.

It brings to mind a question I have about winter driving in the Northwest: Why do people get more careless at this time of year?

Sometimes it seems like a full third of the people on the road drive with their lights off when it’s raining.

Obviously, you don’t need to turn your lights on to be able to see where you’re going.

It’s not about that.

It’s about me being able to see you.

I want to see you when there are sheets of rain coming down, bouncing off the road and drowning my windshield wipers.

Please, please, please turn on your lights so I can see you.

And while you’re at it, stop at stop signs (and GO when it’s your turn), treat blacked-out traffic lights as stop signs and stay in your lane.

It will make all of us safer as we try to navigate our wet, dark and often crumbly roads.

Boats have right-of-way

Question: Why is the bridge on Highway 529 leaving Everett allowed to open for boat traffic during rush hour?

James Young, Smokey Point

Answer: By federal law, the bridges on Highway 529 north of Everett are open to boat traffic 24 hours a day.

The Everett bridges have different guidelines than bridges over lakes because the Snohomish River is a tidal estuary, and its water level changes based on the tide.

Because many vessels are able to navigate the river only during high tide, there are no restrictions on boat traffic.

Generally, there are two high-tide periods each day, but the exact times change depending on the phases of the moon.

Meghan Soptich, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation

Ask us about traffic

Have a question about traffic or street rules around Snohomish and Island counties? We can help find an answer. E-mail Street Smarts at stsmarts@ heraldnet.com.