It ain't the trucks holding up interstate traffic

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
So it's legal to go over the speed limit in the left lane? I understand the right lane is for people going slower


It's about as legal as it is for people to sit in the left lane and obstruct traffic.
This is the attitude of many infrequent users of our interstates who think it's okay to sit in the left lane holding up a half a mile of faster traffic because, after all, there is a posted limit.

It may not legal, but you may get ticket for impeding traffic if you don't go faster than the cars on the right lanes.

More than once I saw Highway Patrol stop the left lane bandit for not going faster than the cars on middle lane on I5 to San Diego.

If you like to travel at certain speed on interstate highways, why not set cruise control at the speed you like to go and stay on the right lane if it is safe to do so ?

Why force other drivers to travel at the speed you like ? Let Highway Patrols do their jobs.

 

[fdcg27]

FWIU, the OSP mantra is something like "nine you're fine, ten you're mine".
I've tested this theory inadvertently by driving 75+ mph in easy detection range of lidar, radar or whatever they're using and the troopers won't even blink an eye much less pursue.
The state also seems to have managed to eliminate almost all of the local yokel revenue raising on the interstates.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: GrtArtiste
I don't play the game anymore. My comfort zone is cruise/65 and you'll find me in the far right lane. I'll slow as needed if traffic ahead of me slows and I'll temporarily increase if needed rather than have someone taildraggin' my [censored]. I'll wave as all ya'all pass by.


I sometimes do this as well and I have to concede that it does make for a more restful trip that will take maybe fifteen minutes more for each hundred miles travelled and offer astoundingly good fuel economy as well. Driving as fast as traffic will allow in the '12 Accord will yield around 31 mpg while just letting the traffic play around you while marching to your own drummer at 70 mph or so will yield nearly 35 mpg.
As I wrote above, speed here is more traffic limited than anything else and one can choose to either fight traffic or to relax and ignore it.
Maybe I need to return to my drive slower without worrying about others holding you up phase?

 

[Dave Hess]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
So it's legal to go over the speed limit in the left lane? I understand the right lane is for people going slower


It's about as legal as it is for people to sit in the left lane and obstruct traffic.
This is the attitude of many infrequent users of our interstates who think it's okay to sit in the left lane holding up a half a mile of faster traffic because, after all, there is a posted limit.


That's how I-75 is down here.

 

[Prune_Juice]

Agreeing with all that 9 or less over is "ok," and the very brave do 10MPH over and are still even ok. Really pushing it though, at 80. Some cops look for that 75-79 speed... I'll do 9MPH over all day long... Though its never good to be the fastest one on the road. 55MPH limit, 65MPH limit.. Indiana, speed limit is 70MPH, highway 70 is two lanes, and I think Kent County (eastern Indiana, I-70) always has a deputy that sits right by an exit and a large hill. I would NOT be doing anything faster than 70 past that guy.

Here is an idiot complaining about 14MPH over when in reality I'm not sure I would be doing anything more than 5MPH over if feeling brave, and coasting down to the limit as most officers consider that a sign of respect for their presence.

Apologies on how truly annoying this guys voice is.

State is Michigan... Did not know you could pay Michigan Staties cash.

5:21 --> if not then whole thing.

 

[UNC164]

The left lane is for passing. Its a very simple concept for driving roads with more than one lane going in the same direction. Folks in Europe seem to understand this basic fundamental principle very well and so traffic flows very nicely in most cases.

Many US drivers don't get or ignore "left lane is for passing" on high speed roads because they are either extraordinarily stupid drivers or they are first class donkey-holes (or both). The result is that driving on interstates and other 4 lane high speed roads is a mess most of the time.

 

[Gene K]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
So it's legal to go over the speed limit in the left lane? I understand the right lane is for people going slower


No, but it doesn't relieve you of the responsibility to yield to faster traffic.

 

[Prune_Juice]

Originally Posted By: Gene K
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
So it's legal to go over the speed limit in the left lane? I understand the right lane is for people going slower


No, but it doesn't relieve you of the responsibility to yield to faster traffic.


While there are those that will tell you it isn't.. I was taught that the left lane is:

1. To remain open, and
2. To be used for the overtaking of a vehicle in front of you, and then merging back in. Signals used, of course.

To overtake, by definition, means going faster than who is in front of you. Likely for a few seconds, and then going back into traffic.

Just be safe and dont feel the need to do so for the span of 5-30 seconds when the police are sitting on the road..

You can be ticketed for "riding the left lane."

Of course, what happens is:

1. Driver sets cruise at 80-85MPH, left lane.
Or
2. Driver is doing 80-90MPH. You're going 70 or 75 left lane? Driver increases speed, blows by you, no blinkers or anything. In the right lane. Cant tell you how many times I've seen this done in places.
3. Left lane moves same speed as middle lane, fights and races ensue over whoever is more important .

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I would go so far to posit, in this scenario, that it would be defensible to hop in the breakdown lane and pass this whole mess quickly. Watch for gators.

It's never ok to use the breakdown lane unless you've broken down. Instead of doing something about the traffic, the cops stop those using the breakdown lane.


If you do it, though, it wakes up dozens of other drivers that were day-dreaming.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I would go so far to posit, in this scenario, that it would be defensible to hop in the breakdown lane and pass this whole mess quickly. Watch for gators.

It's never ok to use the breakdown lane unless you've broken down. Instead of doing something about the traffic, the cops stop those using the breakdown lane.


If you do it, though, it wakes up dozens of other drivers that were day-dreaming.

It may also depend on what you're driving.
Years ago when we had a W123 diesel, I hated to get blocked after having gone to the trouble of building up a decent rate of speed.
The average cheap econobox of today will hit the ton from rest in less time than it takes for any W123 to reach 60 mph.
If I were baulked in an old-school Benz diesel, I'd be seriously tempted to blow by on the right shoulder, although I never did when we had one.
Fast driving is all about momentum although modern cars have enough power that we often forget this.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Ohio is one of the more relaxed states when it comes to enforcing speeding on it's freeways. But I imagine they rarely cite anyone for impeding traffic in the left lane. Ohio also has entrapment laws that favors drivers. The Ohio State Highway Patrol mentioned in the media the reality is that there will be people exceeding the speed limit in the lefthand lane and to stay out of it if you are impeding the flow of traffic behind you.
A lot of Ohio laws are gray laws, laws worded saying one thing when it means another.


I crossed Ohio in March: west on US30, east on the Turnpike. I was running 55-65 on 30 and 80+ on the Turnpike...nobody so much as raised an eyebrow.

 

[SeaJay]

Right is the new left!

If you want to make time these days on busy 3 lane highways, use of the right lane can help tremendously. Often enough there is a slow down in the left two lanes as everyone wants to be there while openings on the right happen.

I even travel on 4 lane highways sometime with the left most lane HOV restricted. Love passing those guys when traffic stops in those lanes, many of whom should even be there as they do not have any passengers.

 

[grampi]

I am also seeing more congestion being caused by POVs rather than semis lately too. My main complaints about truckers is just that there's so many of them...that and I'm starting to see more and more and semis in the far left lane when there are more than 2 two lanes...they aren't supposed to drive in that lane...the left lane campers driving POVs is out of control...

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: SeaJay
Right is the new left!

If you want to make time these days on busy 3 lane highways, use of the right lane can help tremendously. Often enough there is a slow down in the left two lanes as everyone wants to be there while openings on the right happen.

I even travel on 4 lane highways sometime with the left most lane HOV restricted. Love passing those guys when traffic stops in those lanes, many of whom should even be there as they do not have any passengers.


That's true sometimes. I do that too, drive in the right lane, the only point where it really jams up is at a merge when there's an on ramp. Then it's a guess of when does it make sense to get into the left lane to pass that merge and once past the merge, jump back into the right lane. You really just have to watch the flow of traffic in front of you, some days one strategy works, other days it doesn't. Sometimes you can just get off the exit and then get back on, that can be faster than just waiting in traffic.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Having driven expressways for over 45 years commuting back & forth to work mostly. the two problems with right-hand lanes is emergence of vehicles AND debris (mostly rocks) that seem to gather mostly in the right hand lane and accompanying shoulder of the road.

My odds of flat tires and cracked windshields are much lower in the center and left lanes. My 50 mile round-trip daily drive on expressways may take me a few minutes longer each way, by not driving in the right lane. That's fine with me.

I prefer center lane driving, for it's normally the safest of all the lanes, in terms of accidents & vehicle damage that's reported.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: SeaJay
Ritgh is the new left!

If you want to make time these days on busy 3 lane highways, use of the right lane can help tremendously.

I stay on right lane most of the time(more than 60-70%). It is usually the fastest lane of 3-5 lanes highway.

Originally Posted By: grampi
I am also seeing more congestion being caused by POVs rather than semis lately too. ...the left lane campers driving POVs is out of control...

The most congest lane of multiple lanes highway is the leftmost lane, the second most congest lane is the second lane. This is what I observed of So Cal highways.

Originally Posted By: Wolf359

You really just have to watch the flow of traffic in front of you, some days one strategy works, other days it doesn't. Sometimes you can just get off the exit and then get back on, that can be faster than just waiting in traffic.

Yeah, watching traffic flow about 1/2 to 1 mile ahead and choose the lane with the least vehicles.

I do this many times, exit and right back on is faster than stay on highway. Most highways in So Cal are more like surface streets, stop and go from 4-5AM till 11-12PM.

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
The two problems with right-hand lanes is emergence of vehicles AND debris (mostly rocks) that seem to gather mostly in the right hand lane and accompanying shoulder of the road.

I prefer center lane driving, for it's normally the safest of all the lanes, in terms of accidents & vehicle damage that's reported.

With busy traffic in So Cal we don;t have problems with debris on the road on any lane.

Yes, the center lane is usually the safest lane and flowing speed is reasonable. You don't interfere with on/off ramps of the right lane, you don't get bumper riding if you don't go much faster than traffic if you are in the leftmost lane.

 

[zzyzzx]

It really only takes one moron to ruin traffic for everyone, and morons are everywhere.

 

[Drew99GT]

I also took a trip this weekend and the left lane hogs were making other drivers apoplectic, causing bits of visible road rage and retaliation. It was unreal!

I've concluded that half the population is on Zanex or other prescribed anti depressants that make you feel and act like a brain dead zombie. A smaller percentage are narcissistic and know they are holding up traffic and get a kick out of it. An even smaller percentage is oblivious/never checks their mirrors and is generally unaware of what's going on around their vehicle.

It really is infuriating when 2 cars are hogging a highway going 5 mph under the speed limit and there's a rolling traffic jam with clear highway ahead.

I'm getting arthritis in my middle finger from it.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d

Until autonomous cars become the norm, lane discipline is probably the biggest single thing we could do to make highway travel better.


I used to think autonomous cars would be the death of freedom and we'd lose the nostalgia and feel/pleasure of driving a car, but as I get older, I can't wait until they become a reality! It will make driving hopefully so much easier.

 

[The_Jeff]

We'll be able to troll google cars with switches hooked up to brake lights, faking them out, and going for "the steal".