Driving in the Slow Lane
kapeluza
Posts: 3,434 Member
Do you think it should be fined for driving slow (40-50 mph) in the fast lane? And I'm all for having it be heavily fined.
Personally, I do. I am so tired of traffic building up because someone thinks it's ok to go 50mph on the highway, especially in a two lane road. I can't count how many times I have driven behind some guy with a trailer going 50mph in the fast lane with 30 cars behind him and he doesn't effing move!
What do you think?
Personally, I do. I am so tired of traffic building up because someone thinks it's ok to go 50mph on the highway, especially in a two lane road. I can't count how many times I have driven behind some guy with a trailer going 50mph in the fast lane with 30 cars behind him and he doesn't effing move!
What do you think?
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Replies
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I think there should be a minimum speed limit!0
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I agree with both of you, I was behind a person going 45 in a 70 in the fast lane once. I was so pissed I thought I was gonna have a stroke. Eyeball bulging out and everything lol0
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YES!0
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Do you think it should be fined for driving slow (40-50 mph) in the fast lane? And I'm all for having it be heavily fined.
Personally, I do. I am so tired of traffic building up because someone thinks it's ok to go 50mph on the highway, especially in a two lane road. I can't count how many times I have driven behind some guy with a trailer going 50mph in the fast lane with 30 cars behind him and he doesn't effing move!
What do you think?
Preface: I'm an American and can not speak definitively on foreign driving regulations.
The posted speed is the limit. If you are going over the limit, you are breaking the law. I agree that it is annoying when someone is driving slower than the posted speed limit in the left lane and from my understanding it is against the law to drive below a certain speed on most major roadways. I am curious to know how often this law is actually enforced. I am in the opinion that certain roads would be best served by a policy similar to the German Autobahn. From what I understand, there is no speed limit, but you are also prohibited from driving in the left lane. It is not a fast lane, it is a passing lane. You are only permitted to pass slower traffic but you need to return back to the right lane once you have passed.0 -
Even though there's no official mandate for fast lanes (to my knowledge), a difference in speed is a huge cause of accidents and if the majority of folks are going significantly faster than say, someone going under the speed limit, I think it would be fair. Plus, you're supposed to pass on the left, so slower moving cars in the left lanes of highways make that difficult. I think penalties happen in rare cases - citations for "impeding the flow of traffic" or something similar.
Also, I've seen minimum speed limits posted once in a while on freeways (40 mph usually) but I think that's still too much of a difference if the normal highway speed limit it 60 mph (during normal driving conditions).0 -
Do you think it should be fined for driving slow (40-50 mph) in the fast lane? And I'm all for having it be heavily fined.
Personally, I do. I am so tired of traffic building up because someone thinks it's ok to go 50mph on the highway, especially in a two lane road. I can't count how many times I have driven behind some guy with a trailer going 50mph in the fast lane with 30 cars behind him and he doesn't effing move!
What do you think?
Preface: I'm an American and can not speak definitively on foreign driving regulations.
The posted speed is the limit. If you are going over the limit, you are breaking the law. I agree that it is annoying when someone is driving slower than the posted speed limit in the left lane and from my understanding it is against the law to drive below a certain speed on most major roadways. I am curious to know how often this law is actually enforced. I am in the opinion that certain roads would be best served by a policy similar to the German Autobahn. From what I understand, there is no speed limit, but you are also prohibited from driving in the left lane. It is not a fast lane, it is a passing lane. You are only permitted to pass slower traffic but you need to return back to the right lane once you have passed.
There is actually a law that says you should go with the flow of traffic, even if that flow is above the posted limit. You can get a ticket for reckless driving going too slow in the left lane, even if you're going to speed limit.
There is also the matter of being polite. Don't pull out in front of the guy doing 90 if you want to pass someone and not go above 50. And don't sit in the left lane for miles and miles and miles going slowly.
There's no reason, if someone going faster than you comes up behind you in the left lane as you're passing, that you can't speed up for a few seconds and then pull into the right lane to let that person pass.0 -
Some states already have laws on the books, when I lived in Arizona there was a law for drivers who were impeding traffic. And depending on the officer they can cite you for reckless driving depending on the situation.0
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There is a law in Illinois prohibiting slow driving in the passing lane, but it is impossible to enforce.
Like so many other things in life, driving etiquette boils down to simple politeness. If you are going faster, you give the person in front a chance to move over (or complete their own passing) without riding their bumper, and if you are in the left lane and you see someone coming up from behind, you move over (or you don't camp out in that lane to begin with).
I think people get caught up in playing ego and morality games when they are on the road --"oh yeah--you can't pass ME", etc--which doesn't really help anything, Or others just get caught up in music, the phone, or are just oblivious to anything going on around them.0 -
There is actually a law that says you should go with the flow of traffic, even if that flow is above the posted limit. You can get a ticket for reckless driving going too slow in the left lane, even if you're going to speed limit.
I think that is one of the problems is that there is so much ambiguity to the laws on the road. I never heard of a law about keeping up with traffic, but I also don't check out my local traffic laws regularly either. Chances are if you see one person going faster than you, it becomes acceptable to go the same speed as them. Well if you multiply that by the millions of drivers on the road, then you can create mayhem. Some people are speeding because they want to speed. Some people are just following the other people that are speeding because they are "just going with the flow". Other people are driving the posted speed limit and some people seem to be driving around like they are in their own 50mph world and don't notice cars whizzing by them.
Unfortunately, no matter what the rules are there are still going to be violations and people aren't going to be changing their driving habits over night. As it has been stated, there are some states that do enforce these laws about impeding traffic. Does it stop it, maybe in some cases but I'm sure there are still people that decide to drive the same speed as the people in the lane next to them, not allowing people to pass. What about a person that only feels comfortable driving the posted 60 mph speed limit. Are they in the wrong because "the flow of traffic" is going 90?0 -
There is actually a law that says you should go with the flow of traffic, even if that flow is above the posted limit. You can get a ticket for reckless driving going too slow in the left lane, even if you're going to speed limit.
I think that is one of the problems is that there is so much ambiguity to the laws on the road. I never heard of a law about keeping up with traffic, but I also don't check out my local traffic laws regularly either. Chances are if you see one person going faster than you, it becomes acceptable to go the same speed as them. Well if you multiply that by the millions of drivers on the road, then you can create mayhem. Some people are speeding because they want to speed. Some people are just following the other people that are speeding because they are "just going with the flow". Other people are driving the posted speed limit and some people seem to be driving around like they are in their own 50mph world and don't notice cars whizzing by them.
Unfortunately, no matter what the rules are there are still going to be violations and people aren't going to be changing their driving habits over night. As it has been stated, there are some states that do enforce these laws about impeding traffic. Does it stop it, maybe in some cases but I'm sure there are still people that decide to drive the same speed as the people in the lane next to them, not allowing people to pass. What about a person that only feels comfortable driving the posted 60 mph speed limit. Are they in the wrong because "the flow of traffic" is going 90?
It's been 18 years since I sat in a driver's ed class and that is where I learned this.0 -
Ok so I live in south Florida and I think they threw out all the driving laws somewhere.People pass on the right or left or wherever they can get around. We have minimum speed limits posted on most of the freeways. Its also like Nascar out there. I have been driving with someone who was going 90 and we kept getting passed like we where standing still. I had a cop flip me the bird for not speeding so he could get around another car. I know this cause he started screaming at his window MOVE FASTER. lol
Heaven forbid it rains though then all of a sudden its morons on the road day grr I hate drivers0 -
Ok so I live in south Florida and I think they threw out all the driving laws somewhere.People pass on the right or left or wherever they can get around. We have minimum speed limits posted on most of the freeways. Its also like Nascar out there. I have been driving with someone who was going 90 and we kept getting passed like we where standing still. I had a cop flip me the bird for not speeding so he could get around another car. I know this cause he started screaming at his window MOVE FASTER. lol
Heaven forbid it rains though then all of a sudden its morons on the road day grr I hate drivers
I live in Central FL, and yes, idiot drivers are everywhere, here.
I do want to comment on your "passing on the right" thing, though--I pass on the right, if there are enough lanes to do so. If someone is in the far left lane doing 20 under the speed limit, then I will go to the middle lane and pass them, if I'm able to. Also, I'm not going to wait behind someone making a left-hand turn in traffic, if I can off-road and pass them on the right, if it's just one lane on each way. I'm never upset when someone do that to me. I've actually never known anyone who takes issue with this, personally.
If it rains, everyone throws their 4-ways on, which I find hilarious. It literally could be sprinkling outside for 5 minutes, and they do it, and continue to drive down the road like that, even after the sun is shining again. :laugh:
Let's not forget our lovely sight-seeing snowbirds! When they're here, we basically want to commit suicide every time we drive.
Anyway, back on topic: almost every highway I've seen in my area has a "minimum" speed sign posted. And I have seen cops pull over drivers for going too slow and impeding traffic. I think left-land cruisers ought to get pulled over if they're impeding traffic.0 -
You do know there is a state law that you must turn your lights on when it rains, right? It's not so that you can see but so that other drivers can see you. And, yes, it is very difficult to see a car without lights in the rain. Nothing annoys me more than the people who refuse to follow that law. It's dangerous. And sometimes people forget to turn them back off when it stops and some people actually choose to leave their lights on all the time for safety reasons. It makes the vehicle easier to see.0
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You do know there is a state law that you must turn your lights on when it rains, right? It's not so that you can see but so that other drivers can see you. And, yes, it is very difficult to see a car without lights in the rain. Nothing annoys me more than the people who refuse to follow that law. It's dangerous. And sometimes people forget to turn them back off when it stops and some people actually choose to leave their lights on all the time for safety reasons. It makes the vehicle easier to see.
You do realize I said 4-ways, right? Not HEADLIGHTS. 4-ways. You know...the ones that blink? That you turn on when you pull over and/or have an emergency? Those aren't the same.0 -
hazards, I think you mean. have never heard 4-ways.0
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hazards, I think you mean. have never heard 4-ways.
Yes, those. I'm kinda shocked...I thought everyone called them 4-ways? :laugh: Even my driving instructor called them that.0 -
4-ways - definitely not a normal driving term! :laugh:
I am taking defensive driving right now and I can confirm, at least in TX, that:
"If you impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic by driving too slowly, you may receive a ticket."
Also,
"If you are driving the speed limit, but are still going slower than other traffic, do not drive in the left lane."0 -
Here is a great video about cars going the speed limit on 285 perimeter in Atlanta:
http://youtu.be/OoETMCosULQ
I am personally a fan of not impeding traffic, if you can't maintain speed then pull off asap.0 -
Do you think it should be fined for driving slow (40-50 mph) in the fast lane? And I'm all for having it be heavily fined.
Personally, I do. I am so tired of traffic building up because someone thinks it's ok to go 50mph on the highway, especially in a two lane road. I can't count how many times I have driven behind some guy with a trailer going 50mph in the fast lane with 30 cars behind him and he doesn't effing move!
What do you think?
Preface: I'm an American and can not speak definitively on foreign driving regulations.
OHHH, How I miss the AUTOBAN!!! And, yes, they would, I believe fine you for going to slow..It's called "impeding traffic"
The posted speed is the limit. If you are going over the limit, you are breaking the law. I agree that it is annoying when someone is driving slower than the posted speed limit in the left lane and from my understanding it is against the law to drive below a certain speed on most major roadways. I am curious to know how often this law is actually enforced. I am in the opinion that certain roads would be best served by a policy similar to the German Autobahn. From what I understand, there is no speed limit, but you are also prohibited from driving in the left lane. It is not a fast lane, it is a passing lane. You are only permitted to pass slower traffic but you need to return back to the right lane once you have passed.
AHHH. the Autoban!! I so Miss it!! The German's have the right idea! Keep your car maintained. Keep fuel at east 1/2 full, always,
No damaged car's allowed..seriously..they keep it clean there..
If you crash on AUTOBAN, YOU DIE..'cuz you're going 100=mph. Loved it!! Go Germany!0 -
I live in Ohio. Around here we call 'em "4 way flashers", "4 ways", Hazard lights", and just "Flashers". Common term in the midwest.4-ways - definitely not a normal driving term! :laugh:
I am taking defensive driving right now and I can confirm, at least in TX, that:
"If you impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic by driving too slowly, you may receive a ticket."
Also,
"If you are driving the speed limit, but are still going slower than other traffic, do not drive in the left lane."
I actually had this convo at work:
"How come every time I get passed on the right, it's by some jerk with Ohio plates?"
"I dunno Jak. How come every time I come up behind some dumbass doing 58 in a 65 in the left hand lane, the car's got West Virginia plates?"0 -
I live in Vegas I rarely run into slow drivers. Most of the time I'm trying not to get hit my people doing 55 in a 25. I biggest problem I have on the freeway is when the traffic gets congested people start going crazy with lane changes, trying to snake their way through the traffic which only makes it worse or causes an accident. What I really don't understand is why people think the side of the road becomes a lane if the traffic is congested.0
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