It's impossible to enjoy driving these days.

[dhise]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike

Actually WA state did a study on this exact thing and found it was causing the most road rage incidents and just as many accidents as speed and have really started to enforce the law of the left lane for passing and no slower than 10 mph from the posted speed limit on limited access highways like I-90, I-5 and I-405. They have found it has redued accidents, kept the flow of traffic fairly smooth and reduced road rage incidents.


As stated, I am driving perfectly within the limits of the law.

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted By: grampi

Even if there's another truck in the right lane, it's impeding when the trucker in the left lane could've waited until he wouldn't be holding anyone up to make his pass, but he chooses to hold up traffic anyway.

Totally agree, and I swear, sometimes I think they do it purposely. I know all about speed limiters and the time pressures that they're under, but like someone already posted, if the trucker waited 2-3 seconds longer, the car could have passed him, and he could be passing the other slow truck. But too many times it looks like they're cutting cars off deliberately.

 

[Drew99GT]

"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic."

Sorry, driving continuously and passing (even if it takes a minute or two) are 2 different things.

Now I agree, the people and trucks who sit there in the left lane next to vehicles in the right lane for 5 minutes or longer, that is wrong. But a 64 mph truck passing a 61 mph truck which may take a minute or 2, get over it. Heck, If I have my cruise set on 70 and I'm passing a truck doing 68 and it takes me 30 seconds to pass and some nitwit is driving up my tail pipe (which is also illegal

), I sure as heck am not going to speed up over the speed limit just to please a hemorrhoid. Like I eluded to earlier; I'm more inclined to slow down a tad and take my time.

 

[Hermann]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic."

Sorry, driving continuously and passing (even if it takes a minute or two) are 2 different things.

Now I agree, the people and trucks who sit there in the left lane next to vehicles in the right lane for 5 minutes or longer, that is wrong. But a 64 mph truck passing a 61 mph truck which may take a minute or 2, get over it. Heck, If I have my cruise set on 70 and I'm passing a truck doing 68 and it takes me 30 seconds to pass and some nitwit is driving up my tail pipe (which is also illegal

), I sure as heck am not going to speed up over the speed limit just to please a hemorrhoid. Like I eluded to earlier; I'm more inclined to slow down a tad and take my time.



Amen

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: dhise
Originally Posted By: ls1mike

Actually WA state did a study on this exact thing and found it was causing the most road rage incidents and just as many accidents as speed and have really started to enforce the law of the left lane for passing and no slower than 10 mph from the posted speed limit on limited access highways like I-90, I-5 and I-405. They have found it has redued accidents, kept the flow of traffic fairly smooth and reduced road rage incidents.


As stated, I am driving perfectly within the limits of the law.



As we all know, unless we're willfully blinding ourselves; as sad as it may be, law, wisdom, and the difference between right and wrong often don't fully overlap. . .

 

[dhise]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk


As we all know, unless we're willfully blinding ourselves; as sad as it may be, law, wisdom, and the difference between right and wrong often don't fully overlap. . .


Well then run for office and fix the system! I will fully endorse any candidate that will punish speeders mercilessly and protect the sane slower law abiding drivers out there.

 

[jmac]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic."

Sorry, driving continuously and passing (even if it takes a minute or two) are 2 different things.

Now I agree, the people and trucks who sit there in the left lane next to vehicles in the right lane for 5 minutes or longer, that is wrong. But a 64 mph truck passing a 61 mph truck which may take a minute or 2, get over it. Heck, If I have my cruise set on 70 and I'm passing a truck doing 68 and it takes me 30 seconds to pass and some nitwit is driving up my tail pipe (which is also illegal

), I sure as heck am not going to speed up over the speed limit just to please a hemorrhoid. Like I eluded to earlier; I'm more inclined to slow down a tad and take my time.



My rule of thumb when passing a large truck on the interstate behind someone else who is passing the same truck, is that I do not get beside the truck until the front car or tuck is already past the front of the truck being passed. This insures that I am not tailgating the passing car in front, if the truck driver needs to make an emergency move due to something on his side of the road usually the shoulder or a merging car I cannot see, he can, and I believe the truck driver appreciates it if he is paying attention as well, and increases the overall safety of the road. I cannot count the times this has helped avoid at least sticky situations where the truck is left with nowhere to go. This is the rule I follow on the open interstate, in town of course it is often not as easy to maintain the rule.

 

[mechanicx]

I have noticed around here the traffic is heavier. And people drive faster and more aggresively, sort of like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde complex. Also the roads have gotten rougher and less maintained. And what maintenance that is done takes forver causing more congestion. Then we have the most mickey moused highway relic where they merged 2 interstates right at downtown, constant congestion. Also we have a lot of trucking around here (probably part of the reason the roads are rough) and they recently raised the semi speed limit from 55 to 65. these traucks can really block a lot of highway.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: dhise
Originally Posted By: ls1mike

Actually WA state did a study on this exact thing and found it was causing the most road rage incidents and just as many accidents as speed and have really started to enforce the law of the left lane for passing and no slower than 10 mph from the posted speed limit on limited access highways like I-90, I-5 and I-405. They have found it has redued accidents, kept the flow of traffic fairly smooth and reduced road rage incidents.

As stated, I am driving perfectly within the limits of the law.


You are well with in the law, but if you are going to go 10 or more under the posted speed limit on a limited access Highway in WA, you will get a ticket. Just like the guys going 10 or more over.
They have surface streets if you don't wish to go at the or 5 mph + or - the posted speed limit on a major highway.

Beside someone posted that they wanted facts. Just go to the WA DMV site and you can read the study there.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: dhise
Well then run for office and fix the system! I will fully endorse any candidate that will punish speeders mercilessly and protect the sane slower law abiding drivers out there.

I can't help but notice you specify sanity alongside driving slowly, while you left speeding completely unqualified. Was this on purpose, or do you really not see a difference between driving quickly and insanity?

 

[dhise]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: dhise
Well then run for office and fix the system! I will fully endorse any candidate that will punish speeders mercilessly and protect the sane slower law abiding drivers out there.

I can't help but notice you specify sanity alongside driving slowly, while you left speeding completely unqualified. Was this on purpose, or do you really not see a difference between driving quickly and insanity?


as the old hippies used to say,speed kills.

 

[ekpolk]

Alas, the hippies were wrong. DIFFERENCE in speed is what kills. If the mass of traffic is averaging 70 mph, the most dangerous vehicle on the road is the one that differs the most from the average, whether it's doing 55 or 85.

 

[dhise]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Alas, the hippies were wrong. DIFFERENCE in speed is what kills. If the mass of traffic is averaging 70 mph, the most dangerous vehicle on the road is the one that differs the most from the average, whether it's doing 55 or 85.


I disagree again. If people were truly serious about safety of themselves, their families and others then they would slow down. It's the reasonable and logical thing to do.

 

[jcwit]

I think after posting here and reading all of the posts here that we're not comparing apples to apples. Some of us, me encluded are mostly talking about 2 lane highways, some of us are concerened with 4 lane divided highways, ie; tollways, express ways, ect., then some are even encluding 2 lane county "country" roads.

Each one is different as to driving, passing, speed ect. Anyone on a 4 lane expressway hogging the left lane going under the speed limit is endangering other drivers and being inconsiderate to others.

By the same token a driver on a county road driving under the speed limit enjoying the drive should be of no bother to anyone. Those speeding on county roads ARE endangering themselves and most everyone else on the road.

The 2 lane highways fall somewhere in the middle, and with the increase in traffic, both autos and truckers are somewhat dangerous for most everyone.

On top of all that here in northern Indiana we have the Amish driving down the 2 lane highways and county roads in a horse and buggy. And yes they are dangerous. Not only to themselves but to all the other drivers.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: dhise
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Alas, the hippies were wrong. DIFFERENCE in speed is what kills. If the mass of traffic is averaging 70 mph, the most dangerous vehicle on the road is the one that differs the most from the average, whether it's doing 55 or 85.


I disagree again. If people were truly serious about safety of themselves, their families and others then they would slow down. It's the reasonable and logical thing to do.

No, that's incorrect. About the only place that absolute speed is a critical, defining variable in which more is worse, is impact dynamics. And if you never hit something, that's not a factor at all. If you are the lone "individual" (I thought of some more spicy terms, but decided against...) doing 55 while everyone else is doing 80, you are a huge danger, both to yourself AND to the rest of the drivers who must maneuver to avoid you.

Let's say you're puttering down the Interstate at 55, and you come roaring up on some brain surgeon who has decided to drive at 35 mph. Are you claiming that that driver is "safer" than you are because he is doing 35 mph on an Interstate? Maybe we should all just walk?

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: dhise
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Alas, the hippies were wrong. DIFFERENCE in speed is what kills. If the mass of traffic is averaging 70 mph, the most dangerous vehicle on the road is the one that differs the most from the average, whether it's doing 55 or 85.


I disagree again. If people were truly serious about safety of themselves, their families and others then they would slow down. It's the reasonable and logical thing to do.

No, that's incorrect. About the only place that absolute speed is a critical, defining variable in which more is worse, is impact dynamics. And if you never hit something, that's not a factor at all. If you are the lone "individual" (I thought of some more spicy terms, but decided against...) doing 55 while everyone else is doing 80, you are a huge danger, both to yourself AND to the rest of the drivers who must maneuver to avoid you.

Let's say you're puttering down the Interstate at 55, and you come roaring up on some brain surgeon who has decided to drive at 35 mph. Are you claiming that that driver is "safer" than you are because he is doing 35 mph on an Interstate? Maybe we should all just walk?


Exactly. I mean, I agree with your point.

 

[dhise]

If he's driving 35 then he is breaking the law. I do not. Been driving near 25 years have yet to get a speeding ticket or be in an accident. I hope most people can say the same. I know what I'm doing out there and slowing down was the appropriate response.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: dhise
If he's driving 35 then he is breaking the law. I do not. Been driving near 25 years have yet to get a speeding ticket or be in an accident. I hope most people can say the same. I know what I'm doing out there and slowing down was the appropriate response.


Well, my mom has been driving for 22 years, has never gotten a speeding ticket, and never been in an at-fault accident. And she speeds on the highway, 70-75 just like me and my dad.

Edit: Though I must qualify that my mom is hands down the best driver I know, and have seen.

 

[jcwit]

Quote:
And she speeds on the highway, 70-75 just like me and my dad.

Edit: Though I must qualify that my mom is hands down the best driver I know, and have seen.


And just hasn't been caught----------yet!

Sounds like she should try NASCAR. lol

 

[dhise]

A cousin of mine used to drive for Schneider and those rigs were governed at 55mph. He drove through every state in the lower 48 at a perfectly safe 55mph. If those trucks had been causing accidents everywhere you bet they would have been sued big time!