Left-lane Slowpokes Drive you Crazy?

[Lzen]

http://discover.aaa.com/default.aspx...iving/Monthly&


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.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by tmw4h5

Again, makes no sense.
When did it become the norm for adults, mature adults, to drive 20 over the speed limit? I thought we were over that whole "I GOTTA GO FAST, I JUST GOT MY LICENSE" phase?
If I'm driving 10 over, I'm not going to swerve from lane to lane to compensate for the jackass behind me who wants to drive in excessive, ridiculous speeds on a highway that is already cramped.

Maybe you guys should try to manage your time better?

Dumbass, it has nothing to do with whether you think people are driving too fast. It's that you're going to have people stacking up behind you because you don't do what common sense dictates and move the **** over. You are the hazard, not the people who you think are driving too fast.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Brock

If it was a 3 lane highway, you'd still be the dipshit in the left lane.

actually, no, when given the choice I prefer the center lane. If its a 4-lane highway, by default when all things are equal, I like the lane just to the right of center.

I don't drive the left lane unless its a 2-lane highway, or unless a multi-line highway is clogged with slow drivers, which happens A LOT, which again demonstrates that YOU are the one who is in the vocal, loud, but tiny, minority.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by scott free

Pull right when it is safe to do so, Al... dont feel unduely rushed, but at the safest & soonest opportunity, pull over... its not a big deal & its the right thing to do, period.

Dont be a dick.

If there's no one in the right lane, there's no reason why I should be the one who pulls over. I'm the one in front, there's a perfectly good, temporarily-(but not for long) empty right lane, let him slalom ski around.

[pr_capone]

Originally Posted by alnorth

If there's no one in the right lane, there's no reason why I should be the one who pulls over. I'm the one in front, there's a perfectly good, temporarily-(but not for long) empty left lane, let him slalom ski around.

because I enjoy letting images talk for me...

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by pr_capone

because I enjoy letting images talk for me...

You should probably keep your hand on the wheel, or you might not see something on the road while waiting for the right lane to clear.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by alnorth

If there's no one in the right lane, there's no reason why I should be the one who pulls over. I'm the one in front, there's a perfectly good, temporarily-(but not for long) empty right lane, let him slalom ski around.

Welp, guess theres no point in trying to reason with you.

Call your state police & ask them, i'd bet good money the answer will surprise you... left lane is for passing, all others stay right.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by scott free

Welp, guess theres no point in trying to reason with you.

Call your state police & ask them, i'd bet good money the answer will surprise you... left lane is for passing, all others stay right.

Never mind me, you've got zillions and zillions of other poor, hopeless souls to educate.

The people who want to go 15-20 over are a tiny, insignificant, minority.

oh and by the way, those state police aren't going to bother me and my going-a-bit-over-the-speed-limit car. They are pulling YOU over. You are the weirdo outlier, not me. I am going JUST SLOW ENOUGH to not ever get a ticket, but still over the limit.

[cdcox]

I have invented...

the gap theory.

You can be in the left lane under the following conditions:

a. no one is behind you
b. there is no gap in front of you
c. you are temporarily inhibited from getting over because you are passing someone quickly -- you might have to drive faster than you normally would.

If you are in the left lane under any other condition, you are being an asshole. Pull over and let people through.

You are allowed to pass on the right if there is a gap in front of the person in the left lane. Often when someone who has backed up traffic for miles gets passed on the right, they wake up and finally pull over. You are doing everyone in the left lane a favor, by passing on the right. Yes, it's true.

Now to the radical part of the gap theory. Say there is an exit only lane and traffic is backed up in the other lanes. You are allowed to use the exit only lane to zoom to the front of the pack. This sounds radical, but bear with me. In a line of 20 or more cars, at least one person will be leaving a large gap. You can easily slide into the gap, merge smoothly with traffic without slamming on your brakes, slow no one down at all, and increase the usage rate of the highway. This increases the capacity of the capacity of the highway and everyone gets where they are going faster. I'm not the asshole, its the person who leaves the gap. If no gap forms, I fall on my sword and take the exit. I won't back up traffic to force my way in.

Behold the gap theory.

Caveats: no fiddling with the radio, no cell phone use. You are hard core driving. Speed limits are not enforced where I do most of my driving. 15+ over the speed limit is routine in the left lane. 5-10+ is typical for the right lanes. I would probably drive differently when surrounded by different drivers or enforcement policies.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by cdcox

15+ over the speed limit is routine in the left lane. 5-10+ is typical for the right lanes. I would probably drive differently when surrounded by different drivers or enforcement policies.

This is not typical, AT ALL, where I drive. Where I live, a never-ending horde of people driving the speed limit or slower lurk in the right lane for miles as far as the eye can see.

Your mileage may vary.

[Trivers]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Never mind me, you've got zillions and zillions of other poor, hopeless souls to educate.

The people who want to go 15-20 over are a tiny, insignificant, minority.

oh and by the way, those state police aren't going to bother me and my going-a-bit-over-the-speed-limit car. They are pulling YOU over. You are the weirdo outlier, not me. I am going JUST SLOW ENOUGH to not ever get a ticket, but still over the limit.

People like you see closely my rear bumper as I cut back over to the left. Who died and made you the left lane enforcer god?

[headsnap]

It's really pathetic that there are posters on here trying to justify their passive aggressive behavior when common courtesy should be the rule of the day...

[Trivers]

Originally Posted by headsnap

It's really pathetic that there are posters on here trying to justify their passive aggressive behavior when common courtesy should be the rule of the day...

[The Iron Chief]

Originally Posted by JD369

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

^
This

One of my personal pet peeves is people who come to a crawl or complete stop when turning right at an intersection when the lights Green!

Green means go people Not Yield.

How many extra times do you have to wait at a light because two or three people at a turn do this.
Pull up to the green light slow to 1 mph or stop then turn right.

Just go if someone tags you its their damn fault.

[RaiderH8r]

Left lane vigilantes exercising some self indulgent need to feel as if they are enforcing some moral obligation to slow traffic to their comfort level are self centered cockbags that endanger themselves and other drivers. I can handle my rig at 85, I drive reasonably and prudently and if an officer of the law catches me and disagrees that is between us. What I can't account for 100% of the time are the fansical whimsies of self important slapdicks behind the wheel who feel like they are Elliott Ness because they have a car and moral indignation. Just and get out of the way asshole.

[CHENZ A!]

I'm actually kind of surprised that there are people on here admitting to driving like moron assholes.