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.

[Earthling]

Should be pretty clear how I stand on this one.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by alnorth

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.

Someone needs to seriously hit you in the ass.

[beach tribe]

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.

[RJ]

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.

[Frazod]

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.

[morphius]

There are times I do end up slowing down people in the left lane when I'm going over the limit, I just wait till I get passed the line of cars and move over. If moving over is too much work for you, you should take a bus. The way I look at it, I've been in situations where I've been in a hurry for a reason, so I'd rather resist being a hypocrite when possible. Though I know lots of people completely lack empathy.

The only people that tick me off are the ones that speed up or slow down to whatever speed you are going, though my real issue is just trying to get away from someone who is that much of an ass.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by morphius

The only people that tick me off are the ones that speed up or slow down to whatever speed you are going, though my real issue is just trying to get away from someone who is that much of an ass.

Idiots who can't maintain a constant speed annoy the crap out of me. I'll pass somebody, get in the right lane, and a minute later they speed up to pass me, then slow down again. Rinse and repeat. Seriously, what the **** is wrong with people who do that? I'm sure that Maxima has cruise control, dumbass. USE IT.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

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.

That's because you have to actually know how to drive to get a license over there.

[qabbaan]

Much more annoying to me are people who don't plan for their exits and all of a sudden make a big emergency of needing to crowd in front of you so they don't miss it.

[morphius]

Originally Posted by frazod

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.

yup, I'll bump up a couple mph on occasion to let some people pass. It isn't like putting in a couple clicks on the cruise control is really any work on my part to be a little polite. I'll stick with my bus statement, if a little courtesy on the road is too much work for you then you should just stick your lazy butt on a bus.

[morphius]

Originally Posted by frazod

Idiots who can't maintain a constant speed annoy the crap out of me. I'll pass somebody, get in the right lane, and a minute later they speed up to pass me, then slow down again. Rinse and repeat. Seriously, what the **** is wrong with people who do that? I'm sure that Maxima has cruise control, dumbass. USE IT.

Yeah, it used to make me mad, but like I said, now the biggest thing is trying to figure out how to get away from them so I can just cruise instead of a game of leap frog.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by morphius

yup, I'll bump up a couple mph on occasion to let some people pass. It isn't like putting in a couple clicks on the cruise control is really any work on my part to be a little polite. I'll stick with my bus statement, if a little courtesy on the road is too much work for you then you should just stick your lazy butt on a bus.

You shouldn't even have to mess with the setting on your cruise control. You can accelerate a bit and then let off the gas and your cc will kick back in once you're down to the speed you previously had it set at.

[morphius]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

That's because you have to actually know how to drive to get a license over there.

And the enforce the not passing on the right and not blocking the left lane because you think you are going fast enough for everyone else.

[morphius]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

You shouldn't even have to mess with the setting on your cruise control. You can accelerate a bit and then let off the gas and your cc will kick back in once you're down to the speed you previously had it set at.

Yeah, I do it both ways, just depends on if I want to move my thumb or my leg and foot, lol

[NJChiefsFan]

This is one of my biggest two problems with drivers. That and putting the blinker on AS they are turning. Awesome, what is that point?!