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Comments
40mph on 405 South of 520 would be a miracle. We dump off 90 at MM 13 to go up to Cougar Ridge passing the highest price Chevron uphill from Matthews. The last time I drove by it was 4.45!
Brakes don't last long up there either. The Bellevue Police are everywhere with Radar. Construction is rampant. Issaquah isn't much better.
SW WA = Ahhh! " Fewer hills to climb, nary in the ditch, just hit the gas in the SOB"
The Bellevue speedtrappers are lowest common denominator, not very creative or effective, just milking some cash flow. They are always at the same places, often at the same times. They do not patrol dangerous places, simply rather places where speeding is most frequent.
I have some family on the SW WA coast...the city itself is kind of iffy and the locals can look like extras from 'Deliverance', but it is rarely a bad drive, yes.
I watched some of the left laners on my recent drive to Nashville. Again the dominators who are aggressive drivers expecting others to get out of their will stay in the left lane. Will the WSP ticket them for driving 80 in the left lane in a 70 zone? Or will it be okay for them to stay in the left lane above the speed limit?
Or will they learn better manners and move in an out of the left lane only when needed to pass? That is a characteristic of the driver wanting to get somewhere in a hurry.
I think the state patrol may be hoist on their own pitard with this publicity move.
This is like the signs which popped up in our area several months ago showing a truck and a long arrow for the car passing to go far in front before pulling back into the lane in front of the truck, implying that the cars cause accidents by cutting in front of the trucks too closely!!! Indeed. The trucks are the ones who don't leave assured clear distance in front of the cars they pass. Some of them whip that trailer back over... I would estimate the ratio of accidents caused by truckers at fault would be 10 to 1 compared to cars doing something causing the accident especially if the truckers are not violating the law to be complicit in causing the accident.
For example, I can take you for a short drive through the major 6-7 year reconstruction of I75-I70 interchange and two interchanges east as well as the roadbed between. The speed is 55 with narrowed lanes, varying lane wiggles, and rough areas. Want to guess the average truck speed through that dangerous zone. Oh it's two lanes and cars and other trucks do drive in the left lane at 55.
Traffic web cams: roll over dots north of Dayton, look for I70 @ I75. Look at I70 East and West cameras.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
80 in a 70 is about where the tickets start. If a person is going 65 in a 70, staying in the left lane where they have no logical right to be, and making the 75mph flow of that lane bottleneck or aggressively pass on the right...they need to move right, no way around it. Their presence in the faster lane is just asking for road rage or an accident. Driving like this isn't tolerated in places that value roads, cars, and driving.
I'd say the LLC is as much of a "dominator" when they start holding up several cars in their little game of traffic deputy. It's a good way to get cut off, brake checked, or worse.
I won't argue about the trucks...I love when one of them tries to pass another truck going 1mph slower, going up a hill, and then creates a half mile long bottleneck behind them as now two lanes are going 10mph under. They deserve to be cut off when they pull that crap.
More in Want to Save Gas? Yield the Left Lane! (The Driving Woman)
I have no problem with moving right if a faster car is coming up behind me...but I don't see myself as a deputized traffic cop. It seems the same people who say driving is a "privilege" and not a "right" think they have a "right" to drive in any lane they please no matter the flow of traffic in that lane. Lane discipline should be a key chapter in drivers ed.
I am guessing that attorneys are going to have great time with this.
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And overtaking on the right is permissable in S.C.
Passing on the right is legal here in NY, however I am not a fan. I was trained in places where lane discipline was important, and I'd also like to reduce the element of surprise for the driver I am passing.
One of the interesting phenomena that I see or hear is the driver who camps in the left lane, but gets irritated by people who pass on the right.
It's also interesting to take an arial view of many limited access 3 lane highways - just about everyone drives center/left. The right lane is empty. My theory is that no one wants to be seen in the "slow" lane.
While its not exactly what you are looking for there is a street by me that has a 45 MPH limit for cars and 35 MPH limit for trucks and buses and signs stating that trucks and busses must keep to the right.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Keep Right is fine, but when the SL is the same for all lanes, nobody in any lane is allowed or authorized to exceed the SL. That being said, what is legally wrong with being a LLC when doing the SL? Expecting the LLC to move right so others can go faster than the SL tacitly authorizes and blesses the Speed Demon's driving. :mad:
Seems like Washington started enforcing the solid white line between HOV and adjacent lanes recently to try to keep drivers from entering or leaving the HOV lane unless they were in a permitted merge spot. I'm not sure that all that many people know that a solid white line means no crossing into the other lane in most states.
I am also not sure if the folks that lay those paint lines down really understand its symbolism. If they do they either trust or know it will not be enforced. I see many examples where the solid white line is structurally mis used or mis applied.
And that is exactly the problem with many drivers who think they have the authority to control traffic. In Washington state, driving in the left lane is wrong. Going the speed limit does not trump the "keep right except to pass" law.
The passive-aggressive LLC drivers who insist on staying in the left lane no matter what their speed are breaking the law just as much as the speeders. And no, I'm not talking about when all the lanes are jammed.
We've argued this before in this forum and I doubt if any of the LLC "speed limit enforces" will change their minds. At least they can see that they are legally wrong in some states.
Besides, with all the road rage crazies out there... why risk it??? Take a deep breath, swallow your pride, and move over. :shades:
The statute in question:
"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic."
The phrase that will be argued is "when it impedes the flow of other traffic."
Since the speed limit in essence places a limit on how fast traffic is allowed to go, the LLC proceeding at the speed limit is not impeding the traffic flow any more than the law already does. It is impossible that a LLC traveling at the speed limit is a greater impedance than the speed limit itself. The only way a LLC could be in violation is if they were traveling below the posted speed limit.
It will also be a simple matter for the LLC to argue that the flow of traffic in the right lane was below the posted speed limit, so they moved to the left lane in order to go faster. This is specifically allowed in another part of the statute.
The WSP has a legitimate concern, just doubt how effective this approach will be.
That is quite odd. And is one of the stupidest things that a person can say/type. If you're getting passed on the right, that means you're "camping out" in the left lane! Get your [non-permissible content removed] over to the right and stay the heck out of faster motorists' way! :mad: It's simple. :sick:
And, personally, I don't perceive it being any more dangerous passing on the right than passing on the left. If the driver being overtaken doesn't check his surroundings (and signal) before changing lanes, it doesn't matter what side you pass him/her on.
The statute in question:
"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic." ...
And therein lies the problem. The ignoramous LLCs for some reason don't understand the concept of "impeding the flow of traffic." The flow of traffic has nothing to do with what the posted speed limit is. In fact, if I recall from reading it yesterday, the S.C. statute even states something to the effect that it's illegal to impede the flow of traffic irrespective of what the speed limit is. What that means, LLCs, is that you don't get to play wanna-be state trooper/pacecar driver! If the speed limit is 65 and traffic is flowing at 80MPH, you don't get to just jump out and block people just to slow them down!! Otherwise YOU are breaking the law just as much as the speeders!!! :mad: So, as was said, swallow your pride and get the hell out of the way or gird up your loins, speed up, and "go with the flow!"
... It will also be a simple matter for the LLC to argue that the flow of traffic in the right lane was below the posted speed limit, so they moved to the left lane in order to go faster. This is specifically allowed in another part of the statute. ...
That would be a very weak argument. Most laws clearly state that if your are being overtaken in the left lane, you must move right. It's one thing to slowly be making progress toward passing the traffic in the right lane. It's something entirely different to be camped out one bumper ahead of the traffic on the right. Get the hell out of the way already!
People without law enforcement credentials (can't recall seeing any TC squad cars out there :P ) are also not authorized nor allowed to uphold speed limits nor perform rolling roadblocks.
People simply need to embrace lane discipline. It works in other places.
See, that's the interesting thing... for so many people this is a "pride thing." Somehow, you passing me means that you won something, or beat me somehow. I'll tell you that the only passer that irritates me is the guy that comes up behind me and I'm in the RIGHT lane...
As you said, those who don't get this will probably never get this...
One thing that the "the limit is the limit" folks would enjoy is the mayhem caused when you get three folks doing the same speed across a highway... the backup is tremendous (and illegal too).
The "flow was slower to the right" argument may be weak, but it is not without merit. The only way an officer could make the judgment that someone is cruising the left lane and impeding flow is to follow for a while and witness other drivers go around the LLC on the right. That could not happen if the officer was stationary. If during that time the LLC along with the officer passed a few cars in the right lane, that supports the situation specifically allowed in the statute. If the flow of traffic in the right lane is below the speed limit, anyone is allowed to use the left lane to go faster than that flow. Strict compliance with keep right would compel the LLC to continually weave back and forth between lanes. Something I think the law hopes to avoid. If the officer were to admit that he or she doesn't remember if they passed cars in the right lane, their testimony is undermined. If the officer recalls that the right lane was open and available continuously, it puts them into the position of having to justify citing the LLC and not the other cars that were in the left lane and necessarily exceeded the speed limit to overtake the LLC. Lastly, if there is traffic in the right lane traveling below the speed limit and a driver or two passes the LLC traveling at the speed limit, that would be a particularly aggressive move, and the officer is again in the position of justifying why they did not cite the aggressive drivers. The only argument I see would be that they considered the LLC to be more of a hazard than the aggressive driving.
Of course, I may be wrong in anything I have said so far.
Like I said, attorneys will have fun with this one. Obviously there is a legal right to use the left lane by anybody. This will be a case of figuring out the acceptable exercising of that right.
BTW - if I am overtaken while in the left lane regardless of how fast I may be going, I don't have a problem moving over and letting the other driver go along their merry way. If the right lane is clogged a bit, I'll wait until an opportune moment to move over. I'll even speed up a little to get by the slower traffic. I may not understand why the other guy needs to be in a hurry, but that's his deal, not mine. I do often cruise the left lane so to speak, but generally only if the right lane is not open and the flow of traffic in the right lane is below the posted speed limit. I really don't mind moving over if someone wants to go faster.
>And that is exactly the problem with many drivers who think they have the authority to control traffic.
Speeders are aggressive in their mindset and somewhat paranoid when they think others who are in the lane are trying to "make" them go the speed limit or consider themselves "speed limit enforces (sic)." If they're going over the speed limit they should just "Take a deep breath, swallow your pride,"... and slow down to the speed limit and don't tailgate.
Ironically I've been in the left lane (always doing the speed limit or over) and when the other lanes are heavily filled I've had the aggressive paranoic drivers tailgate as if they have somewhere to go. If they get around by forcing me with their aggression to fear for safety and move over sometimes having to squeeze in, then they move up 200 feet and tailgate the car ahead of me.
A somewhat related example was a trucker who had sped by between Louisville and Nashville somehow ended up behind me as we came into Nashville on a two lane strip that is heavily traveled in both lanes. He tailgated me at the speed limit.
There were hundreds of cars ahead in the same lane, so I don't know where he thought he was going, other than he was in a hurry as witnessed by his earlier passing many miles back.
I believe he thought "Buick," out-of-state driver, what can they do!!! The 800 number on the back of the trailer didn't work. So when we were at friend's house, unpacked, and settled in, I looked up another working number on the internet for the trucking firm and called the company very irate about being tailgated for no reason. The dispatcher also was very interested. I gave him all information and told him what a _fool_ his driver was, using different words and asked if I needed to talk to the manager of the company. He assured me it would be handled.
Too bad aggressive tailgaters don't have an ID number on their cars other than the hidden info of the license registration (hidden since Clinton signed a bill to protect it as not public). It used to be possible to request info from state agency for plate registrations.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Ah! That explains it all. :sick: Yes, you have a right to be in that lane. NO!! You don't have the right to impede faster drivers! And if you're that anal/afraid over fast drivers, take down the plate number and call the cops. What do you want people's personal info for? So you can go to their home and give them a good talking to? If an LLC showed up to my door to chastise me, the only thing he's gonna get is a bat to the face!
Besides, how do you know whether or not the driver has a woman in labor in the back seat? A child having an asthma attack? Or any other problem that would require a hasty speed to a medical facility? His/Her house is burning down and need to find out if the family made it out safely? Anything. You don't know why he's in a hurry, and it's not your business, either. Just get out of the way.
A woman in labor in the back seat of a tractor trailer? An asthma attack? If your asthma's that bad you won't pass the physical for a CDL.
He was clear enough that the traffic was solid. Where was the truck going to go if he pulls over? He'd just start the same game with the next guy. Surely you've seen such behavior before.
In reality someone who isn't driving inappropriately or in an aggressive manner wouldn't be concerned that the public information of their vehicle registration is available. Remember it was until Clinton signed a bill demanding that the states do as he wished or they would lose some federal money.
On the other hand with the attitude of some of the aggressive drivers these days perhaps it's best that the people who are going the speed limit or above are protected from further aggression.
I saw a funny one this morning. Morning traffic on outskirts of Cincinnati now has a 55 construction zone with three lanes shifted for several miles. There are always are some people who feel that the morning traffic is a playground for their aggressive driving. A little bright red sports car driven by a lady found herself being motioned to the median by a state patrol officer with his motorcycle. I didn't realize the OSP was that inventive. Oh for the record, I was in the right lane and middle lane at 55 to 60.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The LLC may, depending on the mind set of the Agressive Driver, provoke the Agressive Driver, but it is the AD's own personal decision to lose his cool and drive with rage. Rage development is caused only by the rager's decision to be a rager.
The well adjusted, mature person is not intimidated to develop Rage. Road Rage is a driver's tantrum because he thinks he's being controled by the LLC. By definition, the Agressive Driver and Road Rager is to be dishonored and left to ride the bus.
The Pasee should never speed up when being overtaken by the Passor.
The LLC'rs I follow usually stay stuck on the SL using Cruise Control.
If you taunt someone and that someone gets mad, the rage is not entirely the fault of the recipient of the bad words. No surprise some don't hold the LLC to any level of accountability though, it's a lifetime attitude for many. But you always keep right except to pass, have never exceeded the limit or broken any traffic law set by the competent and honorable people who make such decisions, so it's all good.
Leaving a highway today. Off ramp feeds into a lightly travelled service road. Off ramp has a yield sign at the bottom. Highway is separated from service road, which runs parallel, by a wire mesh fence.
I get into the right lane and put a signal on, preparing to exit.I am doing about 50-55, and slowing. I see a car on the service road, doing about 25-30. There is clearly no conflict, and I should actually end up in front of him, with no conflict, because of the speed differential and the length of the ramp...
Until he looks over, sees that I am getting off, and floors it, hits the horn, and attempts to ensure that I did not get off IN FRONT of him!
The old cloverleaf design for one heavy interchange here usually has people merging on who don't watch what the cars coming up in right lane are doing for through or exit. So if you try to slow so they can merge in front, they are oblivious to your effort to make it safer--in other words they don't look over in their mirror to see that you're slowing to merge over behind them.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,