Washington driving lesson · Parking and Transporting
Leaving your car: brake, doors, children, and animals
A 3-minute lesson from the Washington course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Parking isn't finished when the car stops. Set the brake, check for bicyclists before you swing the door open, and never leave a child or animal behind. Washington makes leaving children in a car a crime at specific ages.
Know the rule
Always set your parking brake, especially on a hill.
Opening your car door with the hand farthest from it. It turns your body so you see approaching bicyclists and keeps the door from opening too quickly.
If no one nearby has access to the vehicle, law enforcement may immediately remove children or animals by any reasonable means. The officer or agency isn't responsible for damage to the vehicle.
You're dashing into a store for two minutes and your 14-year-old wants to stay in the car with the engine running for the heat. That's a crime: a child under 16 can't be left unattended with the motor running. Turn the engine off or bring them in.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
It's a crime to leave a child of what age unattended in a parked vehicle at all, regardless of the engine?
Under 16
Under 10
Under 8
Under 12
Answer: Under 12
It's a crime to leave a child under 12 unattended in a parked vehicle, period.