Left-lane Slowpokes Drive you Crazy?
 

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The words ‘move over’ – even if readable in the rearview mirror – may not mean much to them, but a ticket might. Some states are cracking down. In these days of longer commutes and simmering tempers, nothing seems to set off already-testy motorists like the left-lane camper – the guy/gal who drives in the passing lane and bars faster drivers from easily passing. Web sites have cropped up to educate other drivers, or to vent. There’s a (somewhat painful) YouTube song called “Keep Right.”



Even bigwigs get frustrated. Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell, weary of having his limo slowed down by such left-lane pokies, ordered an aid to have the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission install signs a few years ago reading “Keep Right, Pass Left. It’s the Law.” And now some states are cracking down on left-lane campers, both to keep traffic moving and to tamp down the road rage that goes from zero – to – 60 faster than ever before. That’s not just a pretext. Last year, a driver was arrested on Interstate 79 outside Pittsburgh after allegedly brandishing a semiautomatic pistol at a driver who was on his tail.



You could get a Ticket ~ Some states didn’t allow left-lane lingering but didn’t enforce the law. Now they are. At the start of last summer, the Washington State Patrol began pulling people over for violating the state’s left-lane law, which prohibits “impeding the flow of other traffic.” This is a real big hot-button topic for the public at large right now; there’ve been a lot of complaints from drivers who’ve had to deal with left-lane campers. So far authorities have been gentle with the $124 ticket; the drivers stopped were given verbal warnings. Last year, news outlets reported that Oklahoma was bolstering enforcement of its left-lane law as well.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports that they deal with the left-lane drivers going too slowly weekly; they’ve issued more warnings than tickets. Insurers haven’t gotten aggressive yet; but this kind of ticket has the potential to raise rates. Any moving violation that applies points to a driver’s record could affect that driver’s car insurance rates. And because left-lane driving would be considered as such an infraction, this would be taken into account when reviewing a driver’s policy.



What’s the law in your state? The laws vary widely. A few states – for instance, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey – permit use of the left lane only for passing or turning left. Georgia, Colorado and Louisiana follow the Uniform Vehicle Code, requiring drivers to keep right if they’re going slower than the speed of traffic. Wyoming prohibits blocking the far left lane of a highway “for a prolonged period,” though it adds that the traffic should be “at a lawful rate of speed.” In Arkansas and South Dakota, vehicles don’t have to stay right. Alaska, Maryland, North Carolina and Ohio vehicles can drive in the left lane so long as they’re moving at the speed limit.



Florida is trying to join in: Lawmakers reintroduced a Road Rage Reduction Act in 2008, requiring motorists to stay out of the left lane on interstate highways except when passing. It passed the legislature in 2005 but was vetoed by Gov. Jeb Bush, who questioned whether it was based on sound research.



It’s no wonder drivers can be confused and often frustrated.
One of my biggest Pet Peeves – One of those exasperated drivers in your rearview mirror might be Eli Dozier. “That’s one of my biggest pet peeves in the world, is when people stay in the left lane. They’re not passing, they’ve got people behind them, trying to go around, and they just cruise,” says Dozier, 31, and a stay-at-home dad. “It’s probably the most uncourteous thing you can do,” he says, adding that it’s “obviously” unsafe. “I’m a fast driver,” Dozier allows. “But if I’m not passing, I don’t use that left lane at all.” So what’s a frustrated motorist to do?



Dozier heard in a chat room about some windshield decals that said “Slower Traffic,” with an arrow pointing to the right-hand lane, printed backward in large letters for reading in a rearview mirror. “And so I immediately ordered one. I jumped on it.” He loves the thing. “Most people, its just inattentiveness” that keeps them in the passing lane, Dozier says. “Most people, when you pass them, they’ll give you a wave, they’re thankful” for the reminder.



At lease, he says, women tend to be. Men sometimes take Dozier’s sticker as an affront and will retaliate by slowing down, he says. There have been some middle fingers, some choice words. And then, Dozier says, “I have been known to show them how good the back of my car looks.” At very close range. Which only exacerbates the situation. Overall, through, both he and his wife are delighted with the results, he says. They recently bought her a Dodge Ram 1500 with a quad cab and they’ve ordered a decal like his for it.



Pennsylvania authorities also find that reminders do work. “Anecdotally,” says Carl DeFebo of the Turnpike Authority, “you do see a lot less people . . . enjoying the weather” in the passing lane since 25 signs went up on the turnpike in recent years. It probably helps that “sometimes our police will actually enforce this,” DeFebo adds, handing out warnings or tickets that add up to $108.



Courtesy Counts – The creator of those stickers, J.A. Tosti, is also director and founder of Left Lane Drivers of America. “What we’re seeking to do is raise awareness,” he explains. Tosti said aggression only aggravates other drivers. For him, response to the decal on his car has always been positive and pleasant – in large part because he is a patient, non-tailgating driver. “It’s amazing how effective the stickers are,” he says. “On one trip from Portland to Seattle, I felt at time like I was sweeping the left lane with a broom.” A faster, more courteous – well-swept – highway? Sounds like something most folks could live with.



Defending the driving – But not everyone agrees with those who tell them to get out of the way. “The left lane is for passing . . . not a license to speed till you kill someone,” wrote a contributor to Motor Trend’s blog. “Grow up. If I’m in the left lane doing 65 while the speed limit’s 80, I’ll move over. But if I’m doing the speed limit, and someone decides he’s Mario Andretti … he/she can go around me and break the law further up the highway.”



Washington state law says it is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic. There is a misunderstanding, a lot of people think that if they’re going at or near the speed limit they don’t have to get out of the lane. And the left-lane driving debate goes on.

My horn went out and I'm getting ready to replace it. 118db should be enough to get hold o someone's attention in the left (fast) lane that is keeping pace with traffic.

What I hate even worse than the slow drivers are the drivers that get in the left lane and proceed to go EXACTLY THE SAME SPEED AS THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE BESIDE IT. Nobody can pass at all. At least with the slow cars you can get an opening to go around.

Anyone who drives a Prius fits into this "left-lane slowpoke" category

People who drive slow in the fast lane need TO ****ING DIE. :#

or at the very least deported

No. THEY NEED TO DIE.

The last ticket I got was because of one of these pricks. For miles this cheesehead one who sucks the penis stayed right next to the car in the right lane. I tapped the brights, honked, nothing worked. Eventually I just left the brights on, and the ****er still didn't move. Finally the guy in the right lane slowed up a bit (I'm sure he thought the guy was a dick too) and I gunned it and passed the offending car on the right. Then, of course, he speeds up, so I speed up - and as my luck would have it, just as I passed him I got nailed by a Wisconsin cop. 91 in a 65, $300 ticket. Have I ever mentioned that I hate Wisconsin and every one who sucks the penis in it?

I regret not writing the guy's plate number down, but it's probably just as well. I would have hunted him down.

I try to drive as cautious as I can, I try to give room for aggresive drivers. I forget what it is like to drive with someone who is an aggresive driver. It is scary as hell.

I usually drive fast but if some loser is up my ass they can expect me to pace the car next to me

Well if someone was honking and carrying on like that, I'd slow down and speed up on purpose too.

Indeed 91 is too fast

Truck drivers are just as bad, they try to pass but can never get around the other truck.

Left Lane slowpokes make me want to breach the putting out a bowl of antifreeze and inject it straight into thier system.

That is all.

When I'm driving around town I always cruise especially if I'm coming up to a light. People freak and speed up around me and then have to slam their breaks at the red while I lulz on by them.

I did that after several minutes. It's not like I rode up on his ass at 90 MPH with the horn blaring.

Generally, people driving slow in the left lane are just, to coin a John Stossel phrase, obliviots. They're just morons, not deliberately ****ing with you. As soon as they realize you're behind them, 95% will (eventually) move over into the other lane.

But 5% are just ****ing evil scumbags, and they're camping in the left lane deliberately. I would make it a death penalty offense, and I'm not ****ing kidding.

Has anyone mentioned Asians? It's not just the Chinese these days. People from India drive like their afraid of the gas pedal.

It's not a cow Ramesh! Punch it!

They come from a country where everyone drives like the lower half of their body is on fire and then they come here and relax on our roads.

And don't get me started on the mini-van driving obese. They're busy juggling cheese burgers and can't even maintain a straight line.

"I'm fresh out of snacks I'm going to cross 3 lanes in one move and exit, cause I can't pass a QuickTrip".

Mormon Roadblocks are some bullshit.

Not me. I'm usually driving 10 over the limit.

ROFL

:spock:

I'm sorry, is there some part of that you need explained? Should I use smaller words?

:spock:

Where are the grammar police????? EDUCATE THIS POSTER! DO IT NOW!

:spock:

I have ranted on this very thing here numerous times and usually deal with at least one idiot in the left lane every day on my way to or from work.

No. Reading your statement just made me question your intelligence. And you were going to hunt the guy down if you got his license plate # ?

I'm glad you got a ticket. It's a shame the cop didn't take your ass to jail for going so fast.

true story:

One of my partners gets a phone call from someone who received a ticket for driving too slow in the left lane.

Caller: "This is totally unfair. I'm a safe driver! They should be writing tickets to all the people that passed me, not to me!"

Partner: "sir, in my career I've defended murderers, rapists, wife beaters, drug dealers, and every brand of stupid kid you can think of. But I don't defend scumbags who drive too slow in the left lane. You've got to draw the line somewhere." Click.

LMAO Bravo.

It's dangerous driving slow in the passing lane. I'm sure there are many, many, accidents caused by this type of driving.

I absolutely agree with you. It is a direct cause of accidents but it also indirectly contributes to so many accidents in ways that would be very difficult to measure.

If you figure that the leading causes of accidents are in some order:
inattention/boredom, frustration, sleepiness, tardiness, excessive speed for conditions, etc.

Well, driving too slow in the fast lane causes an awful lot of that, even if indirectly.

I certainly question your intelligence, douche. I guess you missed the part where I said he sped up as I was going around him. So as I was passing him at 90, he had gone from around 50 (in a 65 zone) to over 80. And my typical cruising speed is generally about 7 over the limit. He was complete prick.

I guess we don't need to ask about your driving habits, do we, Nancy?

In Tulsa, it's ****ing everyone in every lane that drives waaayyyy too slow.

because passing on the right is safe and a real joy! LLSDs Can't pass 'em, can't shoot their tires.

Yep, people that do that, are a complete waste of skin.

Yes, very annoying.

Dunno about other states, but here in Mass. this part is never, ever enforced that I have ever seen.

That said, Massachusetts is a great state for driving at reasonable speeds. Most people know how to drive (people who complain about Massachusetts drivers are from cow country and can't handle crazy city traffic, which I can't blame them for), and Mass State Troopers are awesome. Especially compared to Connecticut, which sucks.

Around here, my usual cruising speed is 78 mph -- not QUITE 80, and I haven't gotten a ticket or warning in ages. You really need to be doing 80+ and/or be weaving through traffic at a high rate of speed before you'll get pulled over. Cops here care more about drunk or reckless driving than speeding.

CA is so annoying. Most people are used to city driving where it's so crowded it really doesn't matter anyway. But then when they do get on an open road I'd say 4 out of 5 of them obviously have no idea slower traffic is supposed to yield in the left lane.

I hate "highway etiquette" -- especially when I'm driving home on 152 going 75 (10 over the speed limit) and people are on my ass in the left lane. You want to drive 85 and 90 in a 65? Pass me on the shoulder, I'm not moving.

California has the nastiest drivers I've ever seen. Whether it was blocking traffic by driving too slow, deliberately cutting people off or speeding up just enough to keep people with their blinkers on from changing lanes, it almost seemed like they were getting paid to be pricks. The drive between Modesto and Sacramento was one of the most unpleasant experiences I've had behind the wheel.

PA has a law but I've never heard of it being enforced. I used to drive on I-80 for part of my commute and the number of people who won't get out of the way has grown in the last few years and is really surprising. I've started taking a longer route through less traveled roads to get to work because of it. I can't imagine how frustrated truckers must be.

Hell what I see all the time.. Come up to a car going 60 in left lane, cars in right lane doing 59... As 60mph car in left lane finally passes and does not get over I still have to wait, then forced to get in the right lane to pass.. As I do this, 60mph car speeds up to 80-85 so they do not get passed, then slows back down to barely pass traffic...

Or the assholes who are going all slow in the right lane 5-6 cars deep, see you getting ready to pass in the left lane and then decided to pass going 1mph faster.. What should of taken 5 seconds to pass now takes 1-2miles..

And here are the type of pricks people are talking about.. right lane is doing 70-75, but you would rather just hold back traffic in the left lane and not pass.. No, it is cool, create a congestion instead of just getting over and going with the slower traffic..

Maybe NSFW language

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I drive a Nissan Frontier and when people do that, I usually return the courtesy by putting my brights on until they get the picture.

I actually love it when they put their arms up like "what's that for?"

Get a clue, dummy. It's illegal to pass on the right, so when you are going less than the speed limit in the left lane, you make the road more dangerous for those with a limited amount of time to get where they going.

So, I just return the favor.

Don't drive in Iowa. Slow people in the left lane all the time. I also get ticked when I'm driving at or over the limit and people come up on my ass trying to force me to get over when I'm trying to pass someone else. I'll get over when I'm done passing.

In Europe people will blink their lights, which is illegal over there too. Had one time where I was getting up to speed trying to pass a very slow driver and a Ferrarri comes up from behind wanting me to get over when I was still beside the other car. Luckily the crazy idiot was able to slow down.

As long as people in the left lane drive at least 5 or 6 over, I'm fine. If you are someone who wants to drive 15 over, too bad, wait for your chance to slalom-ski around me on your way to getting a ticket 10 miles down the road.

If you aren't going at least 5-6 over and the right lane is not impossibly clogged up, you are pissing off everyone behind you.

As I'm driving 10 over the limit, the right lane is often cluttered with people doing 65-70. I'm not going out of my way to slow down to get over in the right lane so some dude can drive 90 down the highway.

Nope. Don't care. Maybe people should plan better and not always be in such a rush? Going 15-20-25 over the speed limit is getting ridiculous. I'm 25 years old and when I'm going 10 over, hell, even 15 over sometimes, I feel like a god damn grandpa.

Also, this hilarious bit of unnecessary detail in the article is silly.

"semiautomatic pistol", AKA almost every damned modern handgun in the country. They always say "semiautomatic" because it makes it sound scarey and menacing.

Ditto. If I'm going over the speed limit, no one has a right to bitch. If I'm in the right lane, I'll get to someone driving right at the limit or under every half mile, and I don't want to switch back and forth every other minute.

Exactly. I agree with you entirely.

It's not your job to police the speed of traffic in the left lane. If someone comes up behind you going faster, move your ass over. Once they've passed, you can get back in the left if you need to pass other vehicles.

I have an issue with that. As I'm driving 75 in a 65 in the left lane, let's say the right lane is moving steadily at 65.
A guy comes up on my ass quick as I'm going 75, am I expected to slow down excessively just to get over in the right lane to let him pass by? And then when I'm in the right lane, how long is it going to be before I'm able to get back into the left lane?

Nope, too much touble. I'm going to continue to drive a casual 10mph over the limit and if you want to pass, you can find some way to do it.

I'm with the n00b on this one, if I'm already going 10 over then I'm not going to be in any hurry to get out of the way for someone going 15-20 over. They're endangering everyone on the road at those speeds.

I would love to know why most women can't grasp the fast lane concept.

I don't care what speed someone is traveling. If it's faster than you, get the f out of the way.

No.

I'm not trying to police anything, you want to drive 150 mph, fine. I'm on the left because I don't want to go left-right-left-right-left-right-left-right switching back and forth to infinite all the way to my destination. I'm driving over the speed limit. Don't like it? Tough, go find a 3 or 4-lane highway.

Yet, you say anyone driving in the left lane not going at least 5-6 mph over the limit is pissing off everyone behind them. Who are you do decide that 5-6 is the minimum, and 10 is the max for appropriate left lane travel? I hope you don't get pissed at the guy doing 1mph over the limit in the left lane - after all, he's going over the speed limit, and probably doesn't want to go left-right-left-right-left-right all the way to their destination.

The thing is, if you're going 15-20 over, you're exceeding the speeds the roads are designed to be safely traveled on. Hell if you're doing that on a rural interstate in Nebraska you're probably exceeding your driving skills as well.

fyp asswipé...

Cultural norm. Most people agree that at least 5 or 6 over is the norm on the left lane. The 15-over people may disagree, but thats just too damned bad. There aren't that many of them, obviously, given the average speed in a typical 2-lane highway.

5 or 6 is your norm, 9 is mine... now move over asshole!!!!

No. Wait till the right lane clears. If it is clear, YOU go there.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?



apparently you are the same person on the road as the one you are in DC... :shake:

If you are hanging out in the left hand lane when the right is clear you are a prick... no ifs ands or buts about it!!!!

The ****? If you're not passing, get in the right lane.

ROFL Whatever makes you sleep better at night...

I go at least 5-10 over the limit no matter what lane I'm on. 65 is just to slow even if you're in the right lane.

:bravo::bravo::bravo:

No shit.. "well I do not want to zig back and forth" Well if you are having to do it that much, then obviously the norm is faster passing in the left lane and not your style..

I drive fast and I barely pass the rightlane cars on 152.. You know why I drive 80? So I can pass them quickly and not tie up ****ing traffic.. It is all these assholes who barely pass causing the problems..

Shit a couple weeks ago I was doing 80, some guy came blaring up on me, probably doing a 100.. You know what I did? I got over so he could keep going, then got back over.. It is not ****ing rocket science..

It is ****ign stupid to barely pass.. If the right hand lane is all doing 70 and you want to do 72 dont pass.. Those cars will be gone in seconds, but for some reason you want it to take minutes. The left lane is for passing cars in the right lane swiftly..

And, it always seems to be the people that barely pass or never get into the right hand lane when they need to, don't know how to use a blinker either..

I think it is all those ****s from Liberty tying up 152.. Them and Lees Summit people are the new Overland Park assholes of Missouri..

I am generally 10 over unless I am coming up to cars in the right hand lane, then I speed up so I can pass them faster.. They always seem to want to get over in front of them if you are not blowing past them..

I am also thinking of adding a dash cam to my truck, because most of the time the people barely passing are talking on their phone or throwing trash out the window.. I figured send the video to the local PD and see if I can get some warning issued..

But I am biased.. I hate people driving slow in the left lane.. Hell when I am in right lane I go with the traffic unless you have someone doing like 35 on the highway..

:bravo::bravo::bravo:

They wouldn't be up your ass if you would have moved your ass like you're supposed to.

:bravo::bravo::bravo:

:bravo::bravo::bravo:

Exactly the kind of thinking that pisses people off.

It is WRONG. There's NO REASON why anyone should have to pass an idiot in the right lane.

Should be pretty clear how I stand on this one.

Someone needs to seriously hit you in the ass.

As someone who has driven on the autobahn it was apparent that not only do Germans know how to make cars...they also know how to drive them.

Makes sense on the interstate. But around town there is no "fast lane", cause sometimes people have to make a left turn. Which is really not being unreasonable. The need to occasionally turn shouldn't piss anyone off too terribly much.

I stay out of the passing lane except to pass. If I'm passing and someone comes up behind me going faster, I'll speed up a bit to get out of his way, but only so much. I'm not getting a big fat ticket just so some douche can barrel down the road at 100 MPH.