"Isn't it illegal to drive with your rear window completely obscured like that? "
Only if the car is not equipt with a right side mirror.
This law dates back to the nexus of cars being oemed without right side view mirror. Of course for a very long time all cars have left and RIGHT side view mirrors.
This is also true about turn signals no matter how maddening it is to me and others that most folks DO NOT use them!! The requirement USED to be HAND signals, and in fact a cop can not cite you for failure to use turn signals, if you hand signal. Actually when I was learning to drive, we were taught hand signals (geez, I am older than I think)
that did not have a passenger-side mirror was my 1980 Malibu. Everything newer had the passenger-side mirror, as did both of my '79 Chryslers. Surpringly, my '57 DeSoto has a passenger-side mirror! It's almost useless though, because the mirrors on that car are so tiny and hard to adjust, that you might just look over your shoulder, instead of trying to rely on them!
They're also mounted on the fender, and far forward. I can barely reach the one on the driver's side, but I can't reach is if I'm sitting in my normal position. I have to lean forward and out the window a bit, so what's the point in that? You really need a second person to adjust it for you.
One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the mirrors in both of my Darts. Those cars just had the driver's side mirror, but it had an inside remote! I thought that was really cool, considering I also had a '69 Bonneville that probably cost twice what a base Dart would, and it didn't have a remote mirror!
It'd be nice to see that more often. I've had way too many close calls with bicyclists around here (campus). Berkeley's a city where pedestrians and bicyclists know they own the streets (which I like about it) but those bicycles are just too unpredictable sometimes.
I was making a left turn one time, at a T-intersection (I was driving towards the cross-street), and two bikes decided to cross the street coming towards me. They technically had the right of way (green light, not green arrow), but they were coming from a path on campus onto the road; out of a forest, basically, faster than any cars were going. I was halfway through the turn when I realized they were going to cross the intersection... and then maybe by luck, or maybe because we all adjusted our speeds for each other, I drove in between the two of them.
At worst it was a scare, and a good reminder about expecting the unexpected.
Interesting that Cell Phone distraction would be today's topic because I got one on that!
Rt 60 in Vernon Hills getting into the left turn lane to turn on to Rt 45 . . . There was this Camry sitting in the left lane (the light was red and she was behind a couple of cars). I'm close to passing to get up to the last person in line for the left turn lane and she swerves her car in front of me. (she did not have a left turn signal on) I swerve and barely miss her. I noticed she had a cell phone up to her left ear and didn't even look to see if someone was coming up behind her.
We were sitting in such a position where I could turn around in my seat and give her a dirty look. So I do.
Get this . . . She points out to me that she's on her cell phone. It's as if to say "What do you expect? I'm on the phone!"
So I mouth to her very clearly . . . "Hang up the ******* phone!" The phone dissapeared from sight at that point.
Later after we had made our left turn she passed me and I noticed she was on her cell phone again.
A lot of near misses and problems in traffic occur because of these cell phone users but they have not idea what they've done. The aren't paying attention and don't realize how distracted they are.
Why people who foolishly come to complete stop on the merge ramp DONT think that is a dangerous thing to do...especially when the traffic they are trying to meld with is whizzing by at 60-65 mph. UGGGGHHHH!!!
Yeah...that happened to me again...but this time with a twist. I was two cars behind the guilty party. The car behind me had to follow "protocol" and stop as well. HOWEVER...she decided there would be no waiting and darted out of her space and immediately onto the highway, meanwhile leapfrogging over the cars that were in front of her! Fortunately she didnt hit anyone.
a friend of my mother's was in a merge ramp accident because of just that. She was in a VW Bug, coming onto the DC Beltway. There was fairly new downsized Impala wagon in front of her, and a tractor trailer coming up behind her. You can see where this is going...
Anyway, the Impala simply stopped short, instead of merging. My mother's friend had no choice but to stop as well. As for the trucker, well I'd like to think that he TRIED to stop!
The way my mother's friend described it, "he was rolling over me while I was rolling over", so I always pictured that to mean that it knocked her bug sideways and flipped it, and then actually drove OVER TOP of her!
The truck then smacked into the Impala, driving its rear bumper up to right behind the front seat. Good thing there was nobody in the back! Then, it went out onto the highway, the trailer disconnected and flipped, and was hit by another car. Something like 20 tons of copy paper scattered all over the place as the trailer doors opened up. The cab went down an embankment and smacked into a couple of trees.
Miraculously, nobody was killed. And the only one who was seriously injured was the truck driver, who broke both of his legs.
My mother's friend was trapped though, in a little crushed cube that used to be a car, and she could hear the drip of gasoline. That has got to be one of the scariest moments in the world, to be perfectly fine but trapped, and knowing that you could burn up at any instant!
Why people who foolishly come to complete stop on the merge ramp...
Drives me batty. Some folks have no clue what an acceleration lane is for. Not to mention those that think that a "merge" sign is the same as a "stop" sign. Arrrrgggghh!
Well thanks!:) And probably abbanat is no where to be found!? Oh the horrors! I didn't know the "SUV" thread was shut down! But I did buy some new Bridgestone Dueler AT REVO's !! Knew you'd be dying to know that!
whatever happened to abbanat, anyway? I used to run into him over in the Intrepid forum, as he has (had?) one, but I haven't seen a post from him in ages now.
People seem to have completely different driving methods when on the phone, and they seem oblivious (or just don't care) about these differences.
Over the weekend, I was stuck behind an LLC cellphone girl in a sentra doing about 60 in a 65 zone. I finally got room to get into the right, passed her, and moved over into the left in front of her. As luck would have it, we entered a contruction zone and the speed limit dropped to 45.
The girl happened to get off her phone about then, and began to tailgate me, now doing 55 in a 45 while giving me dirty looks. Well, screw that! I'm not moving over now, and I'm not speeding up!
We both ended up side by side at a light, and then both turned left to get onto another freeway. I toasted her to my normal cruising speed, which is 70 in a 65, and then she did a flyby at around 80.
Can being a considerate driver sometimes force you to be an inconsiderate one?
I had an experience on my way down to the Philly Auto Show that did just that. I was getting very near to a turnoff I had to make (little did I realize just HOW near) when I saw an entrance ramp onto the highway and a car that was trying to get out on the road from a virtual standstill. Since there was a decent gap in the traffic behind me, I flipped on the blinker, moved into the the left, and THEN I spied my turnoff about 100 yards past the on ramp! So I did what I had to do and made THE best move i have ever made with that Altima to fly across the face of the merging car, make my exit and then get it slowed up enough to make the sharp turn that the exit required. Got the old heart rate up for a sec for sure. Of course, the guy I tried to let out apparently thought my move outweighed my act of kindness as he laid on the horn.
So I'm driving up I-40 this weekend. No traffic. This highway is posted with "slower traffic keep right" signs.
I come up on a truck and a SUV cruising side-by-side at 5 miles over the limit. I sit behind the truck in the passing lane for a bit, then drift over behind the SUV for a while. A mile or so passes. Over the next mile I slowly drift back and forth a few times (we are the only three cars on the road). I know they see me, and I don't want to tailgate one of them because they might decide to slam on the brakes. So moved into the middle, right on top of the dotted line, and tailgate them both. They can't both slam on the brakes at the exact same time, so I'd be able to avoid such a manuever. Inching closer and closer, almost between their rear bumpers now, the SUV finally gives in and lets me by. Inconsiderate I know, but these guys weren't going anywhere!
I saw a sign in PA that should put the whole LLC argument to bed, permanently....
"Keep Right, Pass Left. It's the Law"
How much simpler can they make it?! Of course, I'm sure there are still plenty of LLC's that will defend their right to camp to the death, regardless...
On a Saturday morning, I'm driving down a busy commercial arterial avenue: two lanes each direction and a center turn lane. I'm stuck in the slow left lane behind a minivan as a steady stream of traffic in the right lane flows past.
I can't see through the mini's tinted windows, so I can't tell what the holdup is. I intend to turn left in about a mile, so I just bide my time behind the van.
Several blocks ahead, I can see the traffic light turn red. Surprisingly the van rolls clear up to the intersection and stops. Obviously there was no holdup in front of the van... the van was the holdup. Hmmm.
The light then turns green for the center lane left-turners and the minivan starts straight through the intersection! I laid on the horn to alert the van driver (and everyone else) but the van never hesitated and rolled on its merry way.
After the left turn cycle, my light turned green. The van wasn't far ahead, and I was now at the head of the line, so I zipped up to have a peek at the driver.
No surprises here: a woman on a cell phone, apparently unaware that anything out of the ordinary had happened. TOTALLY CLUELESS.
I don't know what the solution is, but I know there is a problem.
He left long ago...late '01. He was the first (AFAIK) to suggest a decoder ring for our friend. Brian, being an urban planner, had great contributions to the early days of that unspeakable SUV topic along with Nanuq and others.
I saw a sign in PA that should put the whole speeding argument to bed, permanently....
"Speed limit 65"
How much simpler can they make it?! Of course, I'm sure there are still plenty of speeders that will defend their right to speed to death(pun intended), regardless...
I was on the way to the tax preparer, this afternoon, and some crusty old booger wanted to use my left turn lane. Problem is, he's making a left turn, from my right, and I want to make a left. He had the green, and was just putt putting along, with the missus. Of course I tested the power and duration of my horn, cuz he was about to hit me head on. And I was 15 feet behind the white line!!! I was just pulling up to the red light. Wife told me that the crusty old booger gave me the international "You're Number One" sign. I didn't bother to look. I did see that his wife looked a little upset at him.
black_tulip: I saw a sign in PA that should put the whole speeding argument to bed, permanently....
"Speed limit 65"
How much simpler can they make it?! Of course, I'm sure there are still plenty of speeders that will defend their right to speed to death(pun intended), regardless...
Well, I was driving the car that Andre was riding in on Saturday, and we were travelling at the safe comfortable speed of 75 mph the whole way. Made it there in one piece, too, even with the left lane camper in the Buick on the way to Philadelphia.
Of course, there are some people who still believe that speed kills, but then some people also believe that the world is flat. Anybody who thinks that exceeding a 65 mph speed limit on a limited access highway will bring about Automotive Armageddon really does need to get out more.
Anybody who thinks that exceeding a 65 mph speed limit on a limited access highway will bring about Automotive Armageddon really does need to get out more.
You missed the point. I have no problem personally if you want to drive at 75. The point I was tryng to make is this: if you fault the LLC because he is breaking a law, you certainly can't break one yourself! If you think you have the right to pick and choose which laws to obey, so does the LLC. It is just a matter of opinion.
Now, if you feel that strongly, you can lobby and get the speed limits changed to 75 and then the LLC would not have a leg to stand on. But that is hard work...a lot easier to keep crusing at 75 and blame others for "breaking the law"...
is that left lane camping and speeding often combine to make a dangerous combination. Now first off, I define "camping" as driving in the left lane at a speed slower than the flow of traffic. Speed limit is irrelevant in my book; flow of traffic is the key. Unless you have a left exit coming up soon, there is simply no reason for you to be in the left lane if you want to drive slower than everybody else.
Anything that disrupts the efficient flow of traffic and creates a backup is dangerous. Exceeding a posted speed limit, in and of itself, is not dangerous, if done under the right conditions. Camping, however, causes other drivers to change lanes more frequently, tailgate, pass on the right, etc. It's simply safer to keep the faster moving traffic out of the right lanes, because of cars trying to merge onto the highway and cars exiting, and also because of cars broken down on the shoulder.
To me, it's more about safety and common sense than law.
Well, we let credential-free morons set these laws...so it can't be much worse.
I still find it funny that LLCs are not really an issue in so many other driving cultures, where common sense and common courtesy have more power.
Laws aren't equally just simply because they are law. A direct comparison like 'whats next' isn't really part of this story. Some laws really are inane, while some are not.
keeping the faster faster traffic in the left lane and the slower traffic in the right lanes, and passing on the left, not on the right where you're in blind spots, is simply a safer way to drive. Regardless of whether it makes sense to me or not, it's simply safer.
Also, it's not the speed that matters so much regarding safety, but difference in speed. If all the cars are doing 70 in a 55 zone, that's safer than if you have 90% of the cars doing 55 in a 55 zone, 5% doing 40, and 5% doing 80. Again, it has nothing to do with what makes sense to me, but makes for safer driving.
Now, one lone crusader who wants do do 90 on a crowded road while all the other cars are doing 65-75 is dangerous, and I'm not condoning that, either. But left lane camping just does not make sense for ANYONE! Except for the camper, because they can get over there and not worry about cars entering and exiting in the right lane, get on the cell phone and yap, and tune out the world around them. That is NOT a safe way to drive, and disrupts everybody else.
I'll do what feels right me and me alone (well maybe me, myself and I - that's three people!), and if it means camping in the left lane so I don't have to worry about merging traffic, well then so be it!
When an LLC chooses to break the "stay right" law, he actually prevents others from choosing to break the speed laws. Thats one of the most basic concepts of our legal system; freedom, so long as it does not interfere with others.
They have the expertise to drive not only their vehicle, but all those around them as well. Everything would be fine if we just let them determine lane discipline and speed.
the left lane camper is not even doing the speed limit! It's bad enough when they're camping to begin with, but when they're below the speed limit, it borders on criminal!
Also, keep in mind that while the LLC might actually be doing above the speed limit, if traffic is piling up behind him, occasionally those other cars will be dropping below the speed limit as they are forced to slow down and back off. And the further back you are in the line, the worse it gets. A minor braking at the head of the line will get exaggerated as the effect and delay of it heads further back through the line of cars.
...was the lady in a SUV on the cell phone blocking the left lane on a 70 MPH limit who's speed varied from 65 to 75 depending on the conversation. When I finally got to go around her she was gesturing wildly at me (rather than the conversation for a change) because I had the nerve to dare pass her on the right. When I was infront I made sure to rate her driving skills on a scale of 1 to 10 for her.
Those LLC's are just my favorite group of all. LLC'ing + SUV + Cellphone + speed all over the map = Fun fun fun!
For those who love LLC'ing......how do you know your Speedometer is exactly correct to the MPH? What if you're locked in at 70 but your really doing 68, and the guy behind you is locked in at 70 but is really doing 72? Both believe they're doing 70. Both believe they're still obeying laws.......except the guy in front isn't since he won't keep right except to pass.
in fact, I had two cars with speedos that were grossly off. One was my '79 Newport, which according to the Maryland State Trooper, at 88 mph only registered 73! And believe me, with a big car like that on the open road, even if the needle is buried the car still feels like it's loafing!
The other was my '89 Gran Fury. When it was doing 100 mph, it would register 91 on the speedo, and it kept that 9-10% discrepancy all the way through the range, at least according to the speedometer shop when I got it tested and re-calibrated to fight a speeding ticket.
Now, both of these were pretty gross examples, but speedometer error is pretty common. That's why police cars get theirs recalibrated on a regular basis.
fintail: I still find it funny that LLCs are not really an issue in so many other driving cultures, where common sense and common courtesy have more power.
Bingo...when I was in Germany this past summer, I never saw a left lane camper on the Autobahn. Germans consider it the height of rudeness to block faster traffic.
Pennsylvania made camping in the left lane illegal. As a practical matter, there aren't enough State Police to enforce this law. But I never believed that making it illegal was the ultimate solution in the first place.
People are free to pass gas in crowded elevators, belch at the dinner table, and skip regular baths. There is no law against any of those activities, nor should there be. But common courtesy dictates that one should not engage in those activities, if only to make life a little more pleasant for others.
It's the same with left lane camping. Common courtesy dictates that slower traffic keeps to the right, to improve safety and ensure the smooth flow of traffic. It makes driving more pleasant for everyone. Just as common courtesy dictates that one shouldn't tailgate a left lane camper (or anyone else).
I'm afraid that eliminating left lane camping will require a much more disciplined approach to driving than American drivers have been willing to consider. No yakking on the cell phone while driving, no taking 10 miles to pass one vehicle, no blithely ignoring traffic coming from behind...but this will require a complete change in how Americans view driving and their responsibility behind the wheel.
Germany doesn't need the police to pull people over for left lane camping, because drivers take driving seriously and pay attention on the road.
but I'd imagine that they're good enough about lane discipline over there that the scenario of a fast car riding up on a slower car's bumper in the left lane and bullying them over is a very rare occurence.
And I'm not a fan of high speed drivers, either. I think that people who want to pretend that they're Speed Racer when traffic conditions are too heavy for it are just as dangerous as the left lane campers that help contribute to congestion.
As far as I'm concerned, if you're in the fast lane and passing the cars beside you at more than a snail's pace, the faster driver behind you has no right to expect you to speed up and move out of his way. However, it IS up to the slower car, when it is safe to do so, to move over to the right and let the faster car pass.
imidazol97: What is the speed limit on that part of the Autobahn?
On many sections of the Autobahn, there are no speed limits. The more congested segments near urban areas have a speed limit which is about 80 mph, if I recall correctly.
Lane discipline in all areas was excellent by American standards - at least, it was when I traveled from Heidelberg to the Swiss border.
Drivers know that a big Benz, BMW, Audi or Jaguar could be gaining on them at 100+ mph, so they check their mirrors before switching lanes, and make sure that they don't stay in the passing lane for too long.
On the stretches with three lanes, the average speed in the middle lane was about 85 mph.
I really do appreciate when police place those stationary radar speed traps on local roads and residential neighborhoods...depending on the area, the speed limit might be 25, 40 or 50, and you see a bright readout on the LED screen, telling you your speed...obviously its purpose is to tell you (usually) to slow down, but a quick glance at your speedo and you might see that your meter is accurate at both 45 and 30 mph, assuming the radar itself is correct...
Another spin off is where there is one of those signs 9.9 of 10 times: there are no cops near! (Meets the defacto definition of speed trap, which is against the law!) Hardly makes a lot of behavioral sense to tell folks to "slow" down and then tag em when they do!
I recall seeing signs posting speed limits ranging from 60k to 300k, and some unlimited. Figuring 100k=62, then 300k would be 186mph. The lower lilmits directly reflected the increase in the density of population. Most were knocked down to 75kph-100kph.
I recall a trip to Chiemsee, we were tooling along @75mph, or @ 120kph, and an old school Beatle went screaming past. The sensation of speed implied that said OG Beatle was traveling in the vicinity of 160kph, about 100mph.
Comments
Only if the car is not equipt with a right side mirror.
This law dates back to the nexus of cars being oemed without right side view mirror. Of course for a very long time all cars have left and RIGHT side view mirrors.
This is also true about turn signals no matter how maddening it is to me and others that most folks DO NOT use them!! The requirement USED to be HAND signals, and in fact a cop can not cite you for failure to use turn signals, if you hand signal. Actually when I was learning to drive, we were taught hand signals (geez, I am older than I think)
They're also mounted on the fender, and far forward. I can barely reach the one on the driver's side, but I can't reach is if I'm sitting in my normal position. I have to lean forward and out the window a bit, so what's the point in that? You really need a second person to adjust it for you.
One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the mirrors in both of my Darts. Those cars just had the driver's side mirror, but it had an inside remote! I thought that was really cool, considering I also had a '69 Bonneville that probably cost twice what a base Dart would, and it didn't have a remote mirror!
Person: "Do I know you?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Person: "Why were you waving at me?"
Me: "I'm trying to turn right..."
I was making a left turn one time, at a T-intersection (I was driving towards the cross-street), and two bikes decided to cross the street coming towards me. They technically had the right of way (green light, not green arrow), but they were coming from a path on campus onto the road; out of a forest, basically, faster than any cars were going. I was halfway through the turn when I realized they were going to cross the intersection... and then maybe by luck, or maybe because we all adjusted our speeds for each other, I drove in between the two of them.
At worst it was a scare, and a good reminder about expecting the unexpected.
Rt 60 in Vernon Hills getting into the left turn lane to turn on to Rt 45 . . . There was this Camry sitting in the left lane (the light was red and she was behind a couple of cars). I'm close to passing to get up to the last person in line for the left turn lane and she swerves her car in front of me. (she did not have a left turn signal on) I swerve and barely miss her. I noticed she had a cell phone up to her left ear and didn't even look to see if someone was coming up behind her.
We were sitting in such a position where I could turn around in my seat and give her a dirty look. So I do.
Get this . . . She points out to me that she's on her cell phone. It's as if to say "What do you expect? I'm on the phone!"
So I mouth to her very clearly . . . "Hang up the ******* phone!" The phone dissapeared from sight at that point.
Later after we had made our left turn she passed me and I noticed she was on her cell phone again.
Time to ban cell phones in cars.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
We've already had the I don't like SUV's "discussion"... we do NOT need to do this again. Move along...
You vill LIKE SUVs!!! and repeat this OFTEN! We have to, they pay the bills.
Yeah...that happened to me again...but this time with a twist. I was two cars behind the guilty party. The car behind me had to follow "protocol" and stop as well. HOWEVER...she decided there would be no waiting and darted out of her space and immediately onto the highway, meanwhile leapfrogging over the cars that were in front of her! Fortunately she didnt hit anyone.
I'm still deciding which was the more
bone-headed move...
Anyway, the Impala simply stopped short, instead of merging. My mother's friend had no choice but to stop as well. As for the trucker, well I'd like to think that he TRIED to stop!
The way my mother's friend described it, "he was rolling over me while I was rolling over", so I always pictured that to mean that it knocked her bug sideways and flipped it, and then actually drove OVER TOP of her!
The truck then smacked into the Impala, driving its rear bumper up to right behind the front seat. Good thing there was nobody in the back! Then, it went out onto the highway, the trailer disconnected and flipped, and was hit by another car. Something like 20 tons of copy paper scattered all over the place as the trailer doors opened up. The cab went down an embankment and smacked into a couple of trees.
Miraculously, nobody was killed. And the only one who was seriously injured was the truck driver, who broke both of his legs.
My mother's friend was trapped though, in a little crushed cube that used to be a car, and she could hear the drip of gasoline. That has got to be one of the scariest moments in the world, to be perfectly fine but trapped, and knowing that you could burn up at any instant!
As for the particular 'SUV thread' you reference...it's shut down, so...why would I "drift back there"? More mysteries.
Why people who foolishly come to complete stop on the merge ramp...
Drives me batty. Some folks have no clue what an acceleration lane is for. Not to mention those that think that a "merge" sign is the same as a "stop" sign. Arrrrgggghh!
Over the weekend, I was stuck behind an LLC cellphone girl in a sentra doing about 60 in a 65 zone. I finally got room to get into the right, passed her, and moved over into the left in front of her. As luck would have it, we entered a contruction zone and the speed limit dropped to 45.
The girl happened to get off her phone about then, and began to tailgate me, now doing 55 in a 45 while giving me dirty looks. Well, screw that! I'm not moving over now, and I'm not speeding up!
We both ended up side by side at a light, and then both turned left to get onto another freeway. I toasted her to my normal cruising speed, which is 70 in a 65, and then she did a flyby at around 80.
I had an experience on my way down to the Philly Auto Show that did just that. I was getting very near to a turnoff I had to make (little did I realize just HOW near) when I saw an entrance ramp onto the highway and a car that was trying to get out on the road from a virtual standstill. Since there was a decent gap in the traffic behind me, I flipped on the blinker, moved into the the left, and THEN I spied my turnoff about 100 yards past the on ramp! So I did what I had to do and made THE best move i have ever made with that Altima to fly across the face of the merging car, make my exit and then get it slowed up enough to make the sharp turn that the exit required. Got the old heart rate up for a sec for sure. Of course, the guy I tried to let out apparently thought my move outweighed my act of kindness as he laid on the horn.
A no-win scenario I guess!
PF Flyer
Host
Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
Sometimes you are the windshield.
At other times, I am often reminded : No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.
I come up on a truck and a SUV cruising side-by-side at 5 miles over the limit. I sit behind the truck in the passing lane for a bit, then drift over behind the SUV for a while. A mile or so passes. Over the next mile I slowly drift back and forth a few times (we are the only three cars on the road). I know they see me, and I don't want to tailgate one of them because they might decide to slam on the brakes. So moved into the middle, right on top of the dotted line, and tailgate them both. They can't both slam on the brakes at the exact same time, so I'd be able to avoid such a manuever. Inching closer and closer, almost between their rear bumpers now, the SUV finally gives in and lets me by. Inconsiderate I know, but these guys weren't going anywhere!
I'm gonna try that one.
"Keep Right, Pass Left. It's the Law"
How much simpler can they make it?! Of course, I'm sure there are still plenty of LLC's that will defend their right to camp to the death, regardless...
I can't see through the mini's tinted windows, so I can't tell what the holdup is. I intend to turn left in about a mile, so I just bide my time behind the van.
Several blocks ahead, I can see the traffic light turn red. Surprisingly the van rolls clear up to the intersection and stops. Obviously there was no holdup in front of the van... the van was the holdup. Hmmm.
The light then turns green for the center lane left-turners and the minivan starts straight through the intersection! I laid on the horn to alert the van driver (and everyone else) but the van never hesitated and rolled on its merry way.
After the left turn cycle, my light turned green. The van wasn't far ahead, and I was now at the head of the line, so I zipped up to have a peek at the driver.
No surprises here: a woman on a cell phone, apparently unaware that anything out of the ordinary had happened. TOTALLY CLUELESS.
I don't know what the solution is, but I know there is a problem.
james
He left long ago...late '01. He was the first (AFAIK) to suggest a decoder ring for our friend. Brian, being an urban planner, had great contributions to the early days of that unspeakable SUV topic along with Nanuq and others.
"Speed limit 65"
How much simpler can they make it?! Of course, I'm sure there are still plenty of speeders that will defend their right to speed to death(pun intended), regardless...
"Speed limit 65"
How much simpler can they make it?! Of course, I'm sure there are still plenty of speeders that will defend their right to speed to death(pun intended), regardless...
Well, I was driving the car that Andre was riding in on Saturday, and we were travelling at the safe comfortable speed of 75 mph the whole way. Made it there in one piece, too, even with the left lane camper in the Buick on the way to Philadelphia.
Of course, there are some people who still believe that speed kills, but then some people also believe that the world is flat. Anybody who thinks that exceeding a 65 mph speed limit on a limited access highway will bring about Automotive Armageddon really does need to get out more.
You missed the point. I have no problem personally if you want to drive at 75. The point I was tryng to make is this: if you fault the LLC because he is breaking a law, you certainly can't break one yourself! If you think you have the right to pick and choose which laws to obey, so does the LLC. It is just a matter of opinion.
Now, if you feel that strongly, you can lobby and get the speed limits changed to 75 and then the LLC would not have a leg to stand on. But that is hard work...a lot easier to keep crusing at 75 and blame others for "breaking the law"...
Anything that disrupts the efficient flow of traffic and creates a backup is dangerous. Exceeding a posted speed limit, in and of itself, is not dangerous, if done under the right conditions. Camping, however, causes other drivers to change lanes more frequently, tailgate, pass on the right, etc. It's simply safer to keep the faster moving traffic out of the right lanes, because of cars trying to merge onto the highway and cars exiting, and also because of cars broken down on the shoulder.
To me, it's more about safety and common sense than law.
I agree with you, but surely you see the danger of this approach.
You pick and choose laws to obey based on "what makes sense to you".
LLC does exactly that, except that he chooses a different law to break.
For another person, it is OK not to signal because signalling does not make sense to him.
So, do we let everyone pick and choose what laws to follow?
I still find it funny that LLCs are not really an issue in so many other driving cultures, where common sense and common courtesy have more power.
Laws aren't equally just simply because they are law. A direct comparison like 'whats next' isn't really part of this story. Some laws really are inane, while some are not.
Also, it's not the speed that matters so much regarding safety, but difference in speed. If all the cars are doing 70 in a 55 zone, that's safer than if you have 90% of the cars doing 55 in a 55 zone, 5% doing 40, and 5% doing 80. Again, it has nothing to do with what makes sense to me, but makes for safer driving.
Now, one lone crusader who wants do do 90 on a crowded road while all the other cars are doing 65-75 is dangerous, and I'm not condoning that, either. But left lane camping just does not make sense for ANYONE! Except for the camper, because they can get over there and not worry about cars entering and exiting in the right lane, get on the cell phone and yap, and tune out the world around them. That is NOT a safe way to drive, and disrupts everybody else.
See how easy the solution is
Also, keep in mind that while the LLC might actually be doing above the speed limit, if traffic is piling up behind him, occasionally those other cars will be dropping below the speed limit as they are forced to slow down and back off. And the further back you are in the line, the worse it gets. A minor braking at the head of the line will get exaggerated as the effect and delay of it heads further back through the line of cars.
Those LLC's are just my favorite group of all. LLC'ing + SUV + Cellphone + speed all over the map = Fun fun fun!
The other was my '89 Gran Fury. When it was doing 100 mph, it would register 91 on the speedo, and it kept that 9-10% discrepancy all the way through the range, at least according to the speedometer shop when I got it tested and re-calibrated to fight a speeding ticket.
Now, both of these were pretty gross examples, but speedometer error is pretty common. That's why police cars get theirs recalibrated on a regular basis.
Bingo...when I was in Germany this past summer, I never saw a left lane camper on the Autobahn. Germans consider it the height of rudeness to block faster traffic.
Pennsylvania made camping in the left lane illegal. As a practical matter, there aren't enough State Police to enforce this law. But I never believed that making it illegal was the ultimate solution in the first place.
People are free to pass gas in crowded elevators, belch at the dinner table, and skip regular baths. There is no law against any of those activities, nor should there be. But common courtesy dictates that one should not engage in those activities, if only to make life a little more pleasant for others.
It's the same with left lane camping. Common courtesy dictates that slower traffic keeps to the right, to improve safety and ensure the smooth flow of traffic. It makes driving more pleasant for everyone. Just as common courtesy dictates that one shouldn't tailgate a left lane camper (or anyone else).
I'm afraid that eliminating left lane camping will require a much more disciplined approach to driving than American drivers have been willing to consider. No yakking on the cell phone while driving, no taking 10 miles to pass one vehicle, no blithely ignoring traffic coming from behind...but this will require a complete change in how Americans view driving and their responsibility behind the wheel.
Germany doesn't need the police to pull people over for left lane camping, because drivers take driving seriously and pay attention on the road.
What is the speed limit on that part of the Autobahn?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Do they run up on their bumper, flashing their high beams, and weave and bob back and forth looking to pass on the right?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
And I'm not a fan of high speed drivers, either. I think that people who want to pretend that they're Speed Racer when traffic conditions are too heavy for it are just as dangerous as the left lane campers that help contribute to congestion.
As far as I'm concerned, if you're in the fast lane and passing the cars beside you at more than a snail's pace, the faster driver behind you has no right to expect you to speed up and move out of his way. However, it IS up to the slower car, when it is safe to do so, to move over to the right and let the faster car pass.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
On many sections of the Autobahn, there are no speed limits. The more congested segments near urban areas have a speed limit which is about 80 mph, if I recall correctly.
Lane discipline in all areas was excellent by American standards - at least, it was when I traveled from Heidelberg to the Swiss border.
Drivers know that a big Benz, BMW, Audi or Jaguar could be gaining on them at 100+ mph, so they check their mirrors before switching lanes, and make sure that they don't stay in the passing lane for too long.
On the stretches with three lanes, the average speed in the middle lane was about 85 mph.
on 2005 and 2006 vehicles in the united states
This standard is following Canadian markets
Just for fun please complete the following vehicle lighting survey
We have placed some of the problems we are experiencing in Canada Because Transport Canada
Did not watch close enough in the implimantation phase
Hopefully some of these bugs will be out of the implimentation before it gets down your way
ie.
Selecting a vehicle for night time driving, and a unit that will allow the owner/ Driver to
be able to respect the eyes on the oncoming motorists
Questions that are answered in the 5 point rating area
provide an area of discussions, of margins of vehicle safety standards you do the math
( think a lot about question # 6 when doing the survey)
1, Is the vehicle equipped with daytime running lamps? yes------- 5 no-------
2, do the Daytime running lamps operate in the low beam circuit? yes--------5 no-------
3, do the daytime running lamps operate at aprox 60% reduced brillance? yes--------5 no-------
4, do the Daytime running lamps extinguish with park brake applied ? yes-------5 no-------
5, If the answer to # 2 and # 3 are no, are there 2 additional lamps
installed to operate the Daytime running lamp function ? yes----5 no----
6, Do the 2 additional Daytime running lamps extinguish at night time? yes------5 no------
7, are there fog lamps supplied on the unit? yes------5 no------
8, is there a illuminated on/off switch supplied so the fog lamps can be shut off
when the weather is clear and to respect the eyes of oncomong drivers? yes------5 no---
9, can the fog lamps operate alone with the park lamps, tail lamps and
marker lamps? (advantage in heavy fog) yes------5 no---------
10, Can the fog lamps operate with low beam operations? yes-----5 no--------
11, are the fog lamps switch restricted so that they cannot operate on high beam lamp operations ? yes-----5 no-----
12, Are additional driving lamps supplied on unit? ( personal choice) yes----- no------
13, is there an illuminated on/off switch supplied so these can be shut off ? yes---- no------
14, are the driving lamps switch restricted to operate solely with high beam lamps yes----5 no-----
15, are there more than 2 parking lamps supplied on the unit? yes---- no-------
16, if more than 2 park lamps are supplied, are the 2 additional park lamps
equipped with park lamps bulbs that do not exceed the national standard
of 2 candlepower per lamp yes----5 -no--
Total score yes------- no-----
I recall a trip to Chiemsee, we were tooling along @75mph, or @ 120kph, and an old school Beatle went screaming past. The sensation of speed implied that said OG Beatle was traveling in the vicinity of 160kph, about 100mph.
Those were the good ol' days.