Recent Alaska Shipping News

Jump to section:
Preparing to stop
Coming to a complete stop
Final word
 

Preparing to stop

Making a proper and legal stop whether at a red light, stop sign or otherwise will always start as soon as you know that you will need to stop. The moment that you notice that you are approaching a redlight or stop sign you should begin the process of stopping by taking your foot off of the acceleration if you have not already done so. After that, you need to gently ease into pressing your brake so that you do not stop too far ahead of your intended stopping destination and/or that you do not stop too suddenly.

If you do stop too far ahead of your intended stopping destination, your stop might not be considered to be at the correct position, and you can technically receive a ticket for that. If your stop is too sudden, you can easily cause an accident and end up with a serious injury if you are hit hard enough from behind. Finally, if you are going to turn after you stop, turn your appropriate turn signal on as soon as you begin the process of coming to a stop.
 

Coming to a complete stop

Once you have safely and correctly come to a stop, you must ensure that you make a complete stop. At a redlight this will be very easy – you must remain stopped as long as the light remains red. If you are turning left after the light changes green, you will obviously need to remain stopped until oncoming traffic has cleared, and it is safe to turn.

Coming to a complete and legal stop at a stop sign will seem less clear. Many people will “roll” through stop signs which means they will just slow down considerably and check both ways. Doing this is illegal and can easily result in you receiving a ticket. However, even if you do stop completely and you start driving again too soon, you can still technically get a ticket. So, to simplify it as much as possible, a complete stop will mean both stopping so that your vehicle’s forward motion stops completely to the point that your car will rock back slightly. Then, you must also remain stopped at the stop sign for no less than three full seconds.
 

Final word

Stopping both correctly and legally in Alaska will go a long way in terms of helping you to avoid getting any unnecessary tickets and/or getting into easily avoidable accidents. As soon as you see that you are approaching a redlight or stop sign, you must begin the process of stopping. Do your best to avoid stopping completely too far before a redlight or stop sign as well as stopping too abruptly. Once you have finally stopped completely, remain stopped at a redlight until it turns green and at a stop sign for at least three full seconds.

Jump to section:
Before you turn
During your turn
Final word
 

Before you turn

A three-point turn can be useful technique in Alaska to get yourself turned around on a street or road that does not have enough space for you to make a typical U-turn. Situations that could necessitate a three-point turn could be when you need to turn around on a narrow road in a residential area with cars parked on one or both sides of the road or when there has been snow piled up on the side of a road which will take away space for you to maneuver. Whatever the situation, the most important part of a three-point turn will be for you to do so safely.

Successfully completing a proper and safe three-point turn will begin before you even start to physically turn your steering wheel. Prior to the turn, signal to the side of the road that you will initially be turning onto as you start to slow down to come to a stop. Then, check in all directions and make sure that there is no oncoming traffic or that any oncoming traffic has come to a stop to allow you to turn around. Once you have done this, you can begin your three-point turn.
 

During your turn

You can start your three-point turn by turning your car as far as you can to the left. Then cut the wheel all the way in the other direction and then you can put your car into reverse. While you do this keep your head turned backward to make sure you do not hit anything while reversing. After that, you can cut the wheel all the way to left again and put your car into drive and complete the turn.

For better visualization, you can also think of a three-point turn by thinking of its its other name, a K-turn, because the letter K is the outline of the various directions in which you will be going during the turn. Once you complete each and every step of the turn, be sure to do another quick check in all directions for new oncoming traffic that might not have been in close proximity to your vehicle when you first started the maneuver.
 

Final word

Three-point turns are a very useful maneuver that enable you to turn around on streets where there is not enough room to make a more typical U-turn. When you do make a three-point turn or K-turn as some people call it, always signal and check before you even start the turn. Make the turn slowly and with constant checks in all directions for oncoming traffic. If you need your car transported to or from Alaska, call (907) 331-3100 anytime for a free quote!

Jump to section:
How marijuana affects reaction time
Legal repercussions
Final word
 

How marijuana affects reaction time

Marijuana affects everyone differently. Many factors will affect how Marijuana will impact a certain individual including the exact type of marijuana, how frequently you use it and more. It is widely considered to be a harmless recreational drug. However, it does have some downsides. Marijuana can significantly impact the reaction time of someone who uses it. In fact, once someone has used marijuana their reaction time can increase by over twenty percent.

That is a big deal when it comes to operating a motor vehicle. It can easily be the difference between stopping safely behind the vehicle in front of you and hitting it at nearly full speed depending on the circumstances. In fact, in some individuals, it has been observed that executive function such as focus were also significantly impacted by the use of marijuana. When you momentarily lose focus while driving, in the moment your reaction ability becomes zero. To sum it up, you are putting yourself and everyone else out on the road at unnecessary risk when you choose to drive while you are under the influence of marijuana. It is for this reason that driving while “high” is illegal.
 

Legal repercussions

If you are caught by the police driving while you are under the influence of marijuana, you will face severe consequences just as you would if you were caught drinking and driving. The first time that you are caught driving “high” in Alaska:

• You will lose your license for at least three months.
• You will be fined up to fifteen hundred dollars.
• You will spend at least three days in jail.
• You will have an ignition interlock device installed in your car.

And that is just after your first offense. For additional offenses these penalties will reoccur but will just be much more severe. For example, you could end up getting six months to a year of jail time for additional offenses.
 

Final word

Driving under the influence of Marijuana is obviously something you should never do or even consider. Using marijuana lowers your ability to react as well as to focus. When you pair that with driving, you are just asking for trouble. You could end up getting into an accident, hurting yourself and someone else as well as getting arrested. If you hurt someone else, you will be responsible for damages and face severe criminal charges. If you get pulled over, you will be arrested, have your license suspended, and face a huge fine. In Alaska, or anywhere else for that matter, never drive under the influence of marijuana

Jump to section:
The law regarding studded tires
What your studded tires can do to the pavement
Final word
 

The law regarding studded tires

Now that the winter season has ended in Alaska, so has the threat for serious snow and very icy roads. This means, you will not have a need for studded tires anymore. As a result, it is the law that you must have your studded tires off of your vehicle by April 30th and they must remain off until October 1st.

If you keep your studded tires on beyond April 30th and you get pulled over, you are at risk of being issued an expensive ticket. The ticket for having studded tires on your vehicle in Alaska “out of season’ will cost approximately fifty dollars per tire. You will likely have all four tires studded, so that means it will be a fine of two hundred dollars. However, that does not include applicable fees. These fees can run in excess of one hundred dollars. So, you are looking at a three-hundred-dollar loss each time you are caught in Alaska with studded tires between May and September. Do not be lazy, just make sure you remove your studded tires by the end of April.
 

What your studded tires can do to the pavement

The reason for the law against studded tires in Alaska when the roads are never full of ice or snow is because of the damage that the studs on the tires can do to the roads. When the roads get cracks and potholes as a result of this over time, it costs the state of Alaska money to repair the damage. This law is a measure to keep this damage and the associated cost at a minimum.

Specifically, when you rive with studded tires on a road without snow or ice the studs cause small ruts. These ruts alone are not significant. However, these ruts fill with water and ice, this causes the ruts to expand. This leads to cracks and, eventually, potholes. By keeping these ruts to a minimum through the studded tire law, the state keeps the damage to a minimum.
 

Final word

Studded tires are incredibly useful on snowy and icy roads in Alaska. They will give you much better traction in those conditions. However, it is against the law in Alaska to keep them on your vehicle between April 30th and October 1st of every year. The reason for this is that they can damage roads and cause cracks as well as potholes. If you do get caught with Studded tires on your vehicle out of season, you will be fined fifty dollars for each tire.

Jump to section:
How roadside assistance is useful in Alaska
The different providers
Conclusion
 

How roadside assistance is useful in Alaska

Roadside assistance is any service such as AAA where you can call them for help with issues such as a flat tire, locking your keys in your car and getting your car towed. These things happen occasionally and having someone a phone call away who is an expert at fixing these issues is incredibly handy especially considering these services can be used twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year.

In Alaska, you will almost certainly need roadside assistance more frequently than you do anywhere else. This is because of the long desolate roads without service stations for increments of up to fifty plus miles. It is also because of the harsh winter weather which can leave roads full of snow and ice. This can easily lead to your car getting stuck or stranded and needing a tow. Thankfully, most roadside assistance services will allow you at least two free service calls per year.
 

The different providers

There are several different roadside assistance providers you can choose from. Their services and prices will vary so, choose carefully:

• AAA – Triple A is the most widely used and famous of any roadside assistance program. It has the best network of providers. It also is considered to have the best member benefits. Plans start at $58 per year.
• All State – All State is famous for insurance but many do not know that they also have a roadside assistance program for which you do not need to have their insurance to become a member of. Its best benefit is that it is the cheapest reliable program that you can find with plans starting at $52 a year. They also have a very easy to use app.
• Good Sam – For Alaska, Good Sam might be your best option because it boasts unlimited towing, jump starts, flat repairs, lockout service and fuel delivery. The lockout could cost you in terms of labor. Plans start at $70 per year. This is by far the best plan for RVs and trailers as well.
• BRS – BRS offers the quickest average response time at just over half an hour. They also offer some of the most customizable plans for those with specific roadside needs. Plans start at $65 a year.

Conclusion

When it comes to your safety and comfort when you are driving, you can never be too prepared. That is why taking a proactive step like getting a roadside assistance plan can make all the difference, especially in Alaska. Without a roadside plan in Alaska, you could get stuck on the side of a snowy road for hours and will end up paying hundreds in fees when you could have paid fifty or sixty bucks for a year of a roadside plan instead.

Jump to section:
The advantages of Valet Parking
The cost of Valet Parking
Final word
 

The advantages of Valet Parking

Valet parking is a way for restaurants, hotels and some other entertainment venues to offer a more hospitable experience for patrons. Rather than having to park your car yourself, you will pull up to the front entrance of the business offering the valet service and give your keys to a qualified employee who will park your vehicle for you. When you leave, the valet will then go retrieve your car and drive it right up to the front entrance for you.

The advantages valet parking are simple but very useful. When you choose to use a valet parking service, you will not need to spend any time driving around looking for parking. This can typically save you between five and fifteen minutes which is very helpful if you are right on-time or even running a bit late for a reservation. Valet parking can also prevent you have having to take a long walk to the venue/business and from it later on. Not only is that much more convenient, but it can prevent your hair and clothes from being ruined or spoiled by windy and or rainy weather. Finally, valet parking is extra protection from theft for your car as only the valet professionals will have access to the valet parking area.
 

The cost of Valet Parking

Typically, valet parking will be offered to you at not extra cost. However, some places like Disneyland can charge a small fee between ten and forty dollars for the service. In the case of the Disneyland example, it costs about thirty-five dollars. That might seem like a lot but when you consider the extreme demand for parking there plus the extremely long walk through the large lot, it will seem a lot more like it is worth it.

Regardless of whether or not there is a fee for a particular valet service, you should always tip as long as the service is good, and your car has not been damaged (which is exceptionally rare). You should tip upon receiving your keys as you leave. The generally accepted tip for valet parking is typically between two and five dollars depending on the size of the venue and length of your stay.
 

Final word

Valet parking is very helpful and convenient way that businesses like hotels and restaurants can make your stay more enjoyable and hospitable. It takes the stress and worry out of finding a parking spot as well as removes the possible long walk through the parking lot. Valet parking could cost a small fee and regardless of whether there is a fee or not, you should give a small tip. However, these few dollars will be worth it to make your night or day out that much easier for you and your passengers.

Jump to section:
Where to park to avoid shopping carts
How to fix small dings and scratches
Final word
 

Where to park to avoid shopping carts

Having a rogue shopping cart crash into your car will likely result in a scratch or ding that you will need to spend some money on in order to repair or else you will have to drive around with the unsightliness of that damage on your vehicle. Insurance will obviously not cover it and there will not be anyone to be held liable. Thus, you will want to avoid this as much as you can.

The simplest way to avoid shopping carts making contact with your vehicle is to park where the shopping carts aren’t. That, by no coincidence, is where there also isn’t any or many people. This obvious bit of information means that you should park near the back part of parking lots or as far away from other cars as possible. Where there are other cars, there will be other people and some of them will have shopping carts. Unfortunately, not everyone returns the carts, thus the possibility exists of a rogue cart rolling into your car if you park next to or near other vehicles. This will mean more of a walk to the store entrance, but it will likely be worth the peace of mind.
 

How to fix small dings and scratches

If you do end up with a small scratch or ding on your car from a shopping cart, you might actually be able to repair it yourself rather than paying premium to have a repair or auto paint shop take care of it. You should start by purchasing a repair kit (depending on if it’s a scratch or ding) which you can buy online on a site like Amazon or in-person in a store like Auto Zone.

Once you have the particular kit, open it up and read the instructions. Then make sure that there is nothing additional you need to purchase such as touch-up paint. Once you are sure that you have everything the repair requires, follow the instructions closely and get to work. Repairing the scratch or ding this way will not look as great as if you had it done professionally, but the difference will very likely be negligible as long as the scratch/ding is not that large (it likely won’t be large coming from a shopping cart).
 

Final word

A random shopping cart rolling into your car in a store parking lot is an ever-present possibility. Sometimes it will be completely unavoidable. However, if you park a good distance away from the other shoppers’ vehicles, you will reduce that possibility greatly. If your car does get scratched or dinged by a rogue cart, you can always decide to repair it yourself in order to save some money. You can usually find the appropriate repair kit and touch-up paint online or at an auto store.

Jump to section:
Checking for signs and road markings
Making your U-turn safely
Final word
 

Checking for signs and road markings

When you make a U-turn, you will want to make sure that you do so safely but also legally. In terms of doing so legally, there are several things that you will need to remember. The first is that road signs in combinations with the painted road markings will dictate whether or not you can legally make a U-turn in certain areas. The signs that you need to keep an eye out for will include a no U-turn sign which is simply just a curved arrow that starts on one side of the sign, ends on the other and points down in a circle with a line through it. It may or may not say “No U-turns” as well. Another sign that indicates U-turns are illegal is a sign that simply says, “No turn around”.

As we mentioned, painted road markings can also indicate that a U-turn on a particular stretch of road is illegal. This includes double solid lines or a single solid line. It is also illegal to make a U-turn over a road divider such as a curb. Finally, U-turns are always illegal at railroad crossings as well as on roads with curves that have obstructed views in either direction.
 

Making your U-turn safely

Once you have determined that it is legal to make your U-turn, you will want to be sure that you make the U-turn safely. If you get into an accident while making a U-turn, it will very likely be a T-bone accident which has extremely high potential for serious injury and damage.

Start your U-turn by making sure that the path you will be taking will be completely clear of other cars for the time that you will be taking it. Also, prior to making your U-turn, make sure your corresponding turn signal is on. Ensure that you are as far right in your lane as you can safely and legally be as this will give you a bit more space to safely complete the turn. As, you are making the U-turn, keep your foot on your brake without using it unless it becomes necessary. Finally, do not make a U-turn too sharply as you can end up crossing the curb or divider by doing so.
 

Final word

Making a U-turn is sometimes unavoidable, but it can always be dangerous and can sometimes be illegal and land you with an expensive ticket. In order to make a legal U-turn, be sure that there are no signs or road markings around indicating that it is illegal, that you are not doing so at a railroad crossing, that there is not a curved road with an obstructed view in either direction and that you are not doing so over a road divider. Making a safe U-turn will mean turning on your blinker, checking carefully for oncoming traffic and keeping your foot on your brake while you turn just in case.

Jump to section:
Legality
Environmental impact
Final word
 

Legality

Idling is when your car sits parked with the engine running. Some people may do this out of forgetfulness but in Alaska, many do it because it will allow them to get the interior cabin of the car warm or to keep it warm. So, the question is, how legal is idling in Alaska?

Well, in Alaska idling is legal if you are in your car in the driver’s seat or if you have an automatic starter. The maximum time that you are allowed to idle in either circumstance is twenty minutes. There are other exemptions for things like emergency vehicles but for regular citizens, being in the car in the driver’s seat or using an automatic starter (with no key needed in the ignition) are the only two ways to idle legally. If you get a ticket for excessive idling, expect it to cost over a hundred dollars.
 

Environmental impact

Unfortunately, just because you might be able to avoid legal consequence if you are idling your car properly, it does not mean that there are not other consequences. The biggest of which is likely the environmental implications that idling your car has. Idling your vehicle’s engine can and does cause unnecessary greenhouse gas and air quality emissions primarily in the form of carbon dioxide. These things directly contribute to smog as well as to global warming.

Not only does excessive idling have a serious environmental impact, but it will also hurt your wallet because idling is a great way to waste gas as well. Typically, when you idle you end up using a gallon of gas for every hour that you idle. So, if you idle your vehicle in Alaska for just fifteen minutes a day in Alaska, five days a week, you will be wasting over a gallon of gas a week. If you estimate a gallon of gas costing three dollars per gallon, this comes out to be almost two hundred dollars of wasted gas per year.
 

Final word

Allowing your car to idle has some serious costs for you financially, for the environment and possibly even legally for you. It is legal to let your car idle for up to twenty minutes in Alaska if you are in the driver’s seat or if you have an automatic starter that does not require the key in the ignition. However, you will be wasting a considerable amount of gas as well as causing significant pollution. Do your best to keep your vehicle idling to a minimum at all times.

Jump to section:
Correct and legal use of your car horn
Illegal use of your car horn
Final word
 

Correct and legal use of your car horn

Laws that define the legal use of your car’s horn vary across the country from one state to another. However, they tend to be pretty similar. In general, the vast majority of these laws define the legal use of your car’s horn as when you need to warn another driver of the potential for imminent danger and/or collision. In Alaska, the legal use of your horn is defined as “The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation, give audible warning with his horn, but may not otherwise use the horn when upon a highway or other vehicular way or area.”

What that means in the most basic terms is that you can legally use your horn to warn other drivers of a potential collision with yourself, another car or an object/hazard. For example, if you are driving in the lane next to someone and happen to be in their blind spot and they start to merge into your lane quickly where they might collide with you, using your horn in that situation is completely legal and recommended.
That
 

Illegal use of your car horn

Using your horn to do anything other than warn another driver of a present and potential accident or danger is illegal. This means that if you use your horn to express displeasure after someone cut you off or even if you use your horn to quickly and politely get a driver sitting at a green light moving, it is illegal and you technically risk getting a ticket. However, car horn laws are quite rarely enforced in Alaska as well as in other US states. These tickets almost always only get issued when someone is aggressively leaning on their horn or honking over and over.

Regardless, the penalty for improper use of your horn is no joking matter. In Alaska, if you receive a ticket for you will be fined seventy-five dollars plus the applicable fees. So, if you are caught throwing a fit of anger with your car horn in Alaska, it can easily cost you over a hundred dollars when all is said and done.
 

Final word

Your car’s horn is intended only to signal other drivers on the road of imminent danger that they might not be aware of. This can include when a car is driving to close to yours or when you are driving through an intersection and another car runs the red light or stop sign. Using your horn that way is legal. Any other use is illegal. That includes when you use your car horn to express anger. Illegal uses of your car horn are rarely enforced by police, except when it is excessive.