By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I stand corrected! I always thought it was longer. I ended up taking 95 straight through on Thursday and it took me over 5.5 hours to get home, compared to 4 hours flat on Tues morning to get down there.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Tying traffic engineers to a globalized world makes about as much sense as looking for John Birch under my bed. There's criticism and there's pointless repetition of one world order conspiracy theories that's off-topic and beaten beyond the dead horse stage. There are other forums for that stuff.
And I guess it's a good thing I'm in the habit of locking my car doors. The second best way to theft-proof yourself is to drive a manual.
FWIW, my founding fathers babble was about certain speed limits which are set and enforced to make money. They do exist. Visit here sometime, and I can show you one.
The manual thing is very true yeah. I'd be surprised if 10% of the driving population can drive a stick.
I don't lock the fintail's doors, because the previous owner lost the key and I am too lazy/cheap to get a new one. The car is pretty theft-proof just being what it is.
No, but I have met some over the years (unfortunately Bill Gates of Traf-O-Data fame wasn't one of them). My favorite liftee works at the highway department here, so if there's a specific question, there's a chance I could get a response.
Conversationally it can be called... AKA, Federal Highway Monies.
Those in the know can do that thing they do in MEN IN BLACK, where Tommy Lee Jones and the Fresh Prince pull out that "forgetter". All they have to do is go title 9294839583757374 addendum 14.99560 change 1,253-838274.022394858587 and you are hypnotized into complete and utter submission.
You can look in the Legislative Registers for the EXACT titles. I am sure there is a software program that acts like a google conducting FED/STATE/LOCAL/etc., legislative/law searches.
The UPSHOT: States found by the Federal.gov NOT in compliance with items of interest (i.e.,SPEED LIMITS, etc, etc,.) can be denied MASSIVELY HUGE FUNDING for STATE highways and FED Highways that run through or connect with the "penalized" state. !!!!
..."Any state found in noncompliance (defined as having more than 50 percent of its drivers going faster than 55 mph for two successive years) could lose part or all of its federal highway funds. For another thing, since advocates of,the limit justified it on the basis of saving lives, any politician opposed to it found herself or himself painted as favoring more traffic fatalities."...
2) Why are you sitting in the fast lane while the whole world is having to work their way around you to the right? Did your mamma not love you enough, numbnuts?
3) Fast, or slow...be consistent!
4) Let 'em go. No need to race me when I'm just trying to get around your slow [non-permissible content removed]!
5) Stop tailgating me when I'm a) in a line of slow traffic, or b) already going well over the posted speed limit.
If you want to police the roads, become a cop. Otherwise add some sense of courtesy to your daily drive. Everyone will be happier for it!
That's always a good point. Sometimes if a car is far enough down the road based on the speed limit it is reasonable to pull out ahead of them. But if you do, speed up quickly to the limit, don't light your cigarette, talk on the cell phone, chew on your donut, etc., during the accelerate to speed limit mode.
2) Why are you sitting in the fast lane while the whole world is having to work their way around you to the right? Did your mamma not love you enough, numbnuts?
Sounds a little emotional. How fast are they going in the fast lane? The speed limit? Is there lots of traffic moving slower in the other lanes?
3) Fast, or slow...be consistent!
Great point.
4) Let 'em go. No need to race me when I'm just trying to get around your slow [non-permissible content removed]!
Another emotionally high level for the comment. Most people should consider someone wanting to go faster by a lot as good bear bait. That keeps them from giving tickets to someone going only 16 over the limit, e.g. That works well on the KY and OH roads that I drive (greater Cincinnati). In other areas they use the front license plate to ID that this is an out-of-state car and we'll give them a ticket instead of someone from our own state.
5) Stop tailgating me when I'm a) in a line of slow traffic, or b) already going well over the posted speed limit.
This one has some aspects to consider. Did the driver speaking tailgate? Did the speaker pass with emotion around someone daring to hold the driver up? And then get held up by the same traffic the driver they passed already observed?
For b) already going well over the posted speed limit..., did the speaker ever tailgate? What's good for the goose is good for the gander? How did it feel to have a fool tailgating the speaker in this example?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Sounds a little emotional. How fast are they going in the fast lane? The speed limit? Is there lots of traffic moving slower in the other lanes?
Well my philosophy on the left lane is that if a lot of people are having to pass you on the right, then you shouldn't be there. Now, I'm not talking about those left lane bandits that think the road should magically clear for them so they can fly through at whatever speed they please. But if you're holding up the flow of traffic, you really shouldn't be in the left lane.
3) Fast, or slow...be consistent!
Great point.
This one can be a bit tricky. Sometimes people ARE consistent with throttle pressure, which means they might lose a little speed on the up-grade, gain it going downhill, etc. And not all cars are the same when it comes to coasting. And of course, road and traffic conditions change...heavier traffic, curves with less sight distance, etc. And if someone's tailgating me, especially if I'm going over the speed limit, I'll tend to lose a little speed, too.
4) Let 'em go. No need to race me when I'm just trying to get around your slow [non-permissible content removed]!
This tends to irritate me as well. If you're going slow and I want to pass you, just maintain your speed and let me do what I gotta do. However, when someone speeds up, I don't think it's always just to be a jerk. Many people drive in a daze, and don't realize how slow they're going, but when a faster car starts to pass them, they wake up to the fact that they're holding up traffic, and try to speed up to compensate. So in cases like this, they're actually TRYING to be courteous...just not going about it the right way.
As far as tailgating goes, I try not to unless a car is going well under the limit or is driving inconsistently. I consider it an attention getter to reality. The reality is that they need to pay attention to their driving! I do not tailgate those that are at or near the speed limit even if I do wish to go faster.
The pulling-out-in-front-of-someone-no-matter-that-there-is-no-traffic-behind-you-fo- r-1000-feet is an epidemic here. If you are going to pull out in front of me, you better quickly accelerate to at least the speed I am driving...or you can simply take your turn and wait for me to go by. I am not really obligated to slow down for you...If I t-bone you in the drivers door and put you in intensive care for the next 4 months, you will still be ruled at fault, and I will only be upset in that my car was damaged :shades:
And yeah, if scores of people are passing you on the right, you need to change lanes - no way around it.
Cruise Control aka speed control. Use it...it's a great invention especially for consistency and mpg's on flat roads. I love watching people speed by me then a little farther I will pass them. Then they will speed by me again and look at me nasty and when I catch up to them again, I lift up my right leg and laugh at them.
( no dog jokes)
This joyful maneuver further benefits from rolling terrain when the cruise controls of different makes speed up and slow down over a narrow speed range that is different going uphill and downhill!
True ecstasy results when there are one or two 18 wheelers in the mix.
Some people use the cruise control to go to sleep CONSISTENTLY!
Bah, who has time to pay attention to driving?
Almost forgot, what freeway were you on ruking1 at 80? Nimitz, or 280?
I bet after 2 am I 5 speed must be over 90-95 mph. Never worked it, but I did chase people up the Nimitz at 120, in the old 69 440 Dodges.
Good luck to all ans stay safe.
The gene pool needs some more chlorine.
It was SR 85 S/B in the San Jose cluster of exits (heading toward Gilroy).
But I do have some interesting I 280 stories............
I observed several bad t/cs in Co Co cty with horses, and especially deer-car collisions. I hit a deer at night in my patrol car. I am sure others can relate, I just could not stop in time as he came out of the darkness. Most interesting was the nest day I started my beat, and the deer was gone. Most likely someone needed food and carted it off.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
At the same time (hindsight and unaware to us both) a HUGE deer was (from our later perspective) using the van as cover as it decided to come out of a thicket and cross the road behind the van, at the PRECISE moment we were up alongside the van. So out of the corner of my eyes, I saw it and was able to get HEY... out, but a split second later we had wacked this HUGE buck with the drivers side front quarter panel. We didn't have cell phones in those days (yeah I know hard to imagine) so I hoofed it to a telephone to contact the authorities. By the time, I got back the deer had expired. We waited for the game warden. He winched it into the back of his truck and said there was a give away program for such occurrences. Gave the driver a Federal compensation form. Some days later, a local favorite bar offered (free) venison stew at happy hour.....
just so everyone is clear... :shades:
He'll never get a job with the school district if he doesn't follow the dress code. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Hitting a horse that size must have been a very scary and difficult experience. I observed an accident, (I did not have to handle it) on highway 24, where the horse hit the driver side door/fender and the driver was killed. So was the horse.
Obviously you are alive but I bet that was one scary situation.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
Proper courtesy and lane-discipline saves lives!
This week on I-495 morning commute a left-lane hog with a passenger was rear-ended by a speeder , got sideways and drove across the median into opposing traffic.
Now the left-lane-hog and his passenger are dead, and the speeder & driver hit head-on are very injured.
It looked like all 3 vehicles were small cars before the collisions, but
the deceased left-lane-enforcer's car was mostly unrecognizable, crushed from both ends and the top, and was upside down.
Do you have a link to the article? I want to see if they used the words left-lane-hog, left-lane-enforcer's
Sounds to me like the speeder it the one at fault for failing to follow the speed limit and keep an assured clear distance.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
100% correct. Do you think that makes any difference to the left lane enforcer now? :sick:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That speeder should lose their license for life and be charged for vehicular manslaughter.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That's exactlyl right. It could have happened to anyone in any of the lanes where a speeder is out of control and hits someone. The problem goes back to the speeder.
If commute traffic was anything like the west beltway around DC several years ago, there shouldn't have been any speeding other than in the diamond lane.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
In contrast, the overwhelming majority of folks traveling in the #1 lane are left lane campers. The only thing that really distinguishes them are the (relative) speeds they chose. I normally follow a 3 to 6 second (1 mississippi, 2) procedure. If they are not signalling or looking to Keep Right Except to Pass, I am looking or starting to pass on the right.
..."any speeding other than in the diamond lane"...
While the expectation is the diamond or commute lane is the defacto FAST lane, it is really a misintepretation. When the diamond or #1 lane is in operation (commute) the #2 lane becomes by default, the passing lane. You can truly go say 45 mph in a 65 mph diamond or commute lane and be PERFECTLY legal.
The winner was a guy in a WA plated Expedition, late model, pulling a stainless steel trailer with no plates. He'd get to 80-85 when he could, and he would tailgate and use every lane to get around people, most of whom were moving along nicely at about 65 in the left lanes. I don't think there is a less capable vehicle when it comes to speed and handling, especially when pulling a trailer. However, after awhile he started driving normally. He had a passenger...maybe his wifey yanked on the leash :shades:
A runner up was an old man in an Azera going about 45 when the flow was about 65, and he was in the middle lane. This is just as dangerous as going 20 over, for the lane changes and bottlenecks it forces.
Second runner up was a clapped out Sentra that passed me, and I passed it, about 20 times. I didn't vary my speed by more than a couple mph, but he would get up to 75 and then down to 55. Skills!
I kept it to about 65-70, passed at least 10 cars for every one that passed me, and I coaxed 24.8 mpg out of my V8. Sounds fair to me.
For all we know this person was using the left lane to pass and was not camped out in the left lane. So the argument is moot.
9/10 times overwhelming majority of the time, that I go to pass a slower moving vehicle in the right lanes,
Outside of driving in the metro area (which is a different driving dynamic) I would say that 99.9% of my passing is on the left. Last month I took a trip out west (over 3,700 miles of driving) I don't think I made one pass on the right.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The LLC may not have been a LLC.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Wrong again Eli. I don't advocate submitting to reckless speeding egomaniacs by getting out of their way. They cry "enforcement" & try to intimidate others into believing it is discourtious to prevent their selfish way of driving. Doesn't work.
When a guy is camped in the left lane and I am overtaking him, I try never to tail gate so the 3 second rule normally leads me to pass on the right.
Perhaps you might have misread my post or I was not clear. So for example , if I am in the #3 lane overtaking a slower moving vehicle, I pass on the left or in the #2 lane.
Because of the lack of enforcement on LLCing and a myraid of other reasons, it is totally legal to pass on the right.
But we don't know and s/he could very well have been passing someone. I will give the benefit of the doubt and not very possibly falsely accuse someone.
it is totally legal to pass on the right.
Not to sure about your state, but here in IL there is no law stating that you cannot pass on the right. Just that you cannot get off marked pavement to do so.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Because of the Fed highway monies drill, most rules are pretty standardized.It makes very real and practical sense. Why have rules in one state that are perfectly safe and sane, be a killer and totally insane in a close and contiguous state?
We have no ideal why the other car was in the left lane. So until we know for sure let us presume s/he was passing someone else as it does happen.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/08/interstate_495_1.html
or search "2 killed in multi-vehicle accident on I-495 in Westford". Not clear clear if anyone was LLC'ing, looks more like some 21 year old speed-freak...
Read the comments to see some really inconsiderate drivers.....
But the speeder must have been going tremendously fast to contribute to such carnage - I doubt bumping someone going 10mph slower would do all that, but a big speed differential would.
I hope you were ok elias, and I hope none of the victims suffered.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad