Legal to pass more than one car?

[92saturnsl2]

On my way to work there's a 10 mile stretch of rural 2-lane highway that routinely gets chocked up with a semi in front and a line of cars behind it that refuse to pass. There's a couple long stretches with great visibility, such that you can get in the left lane and pass for long periods safely so long as there's no cross traffic.

A few months ago I passed one of these "slow trains" only to get pulled over by a cop a mile or so down the road. Pretty sure he was in the line of cars that I passed, or perhaps he was on the side of the road hidden from view. His reasoning was that "he suspects I was going a lot faster than the speed limit" and that passing that many cars is an unsafe maneuver. He was very vague and just gave me a warning.

I didn't think anything of it, just made a mental note to watch for cops next time, but then today while passing another small line of cars on the way to work, the third car in line was a cop

There was room enough for me to slide in behind him, I didn't want to risk passing him and getting pulled over. Keep in mind I'm not passing at an unsafe speed at any time, just normal passing speed, basically the speed limit, give or take a couple mph (other cars I'm passing are going about 10mph under the limit). There's zero traffic going the other way, so I certainly don't find it unsafe, or I wouldn't pass.

Do I have a leg to stand on if I got pulled over passing more than one vehicle? I have no idea how radar works, can he clock me accurately if my car is passing him? Or does he just do a rough estimate taking his own speed into account?

 

[Linctex]

I guess it's up to the cop and judge.

I have passed as many as 7 slow-train cars at one time (Got to love driving a Cobra!) but no cop was around to see it.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Good question and you want to know correct answer if pulled over.
Does this vary by State law ?

I keep a copy of the Driver's Manual in vehicle.
Here in N.Y., looks like you are correct.
Edit: If you weren't speeding.

 

[Whipcitywrencher]

I think if you pass a cop he'll pull you over just for being a wise guy.

 

[JLTD]

YMMV so check your state's laws, as some states allow a certain amount over the limit while passing.

I've never heard of a law that says it's illegal to pass more than one vehicle at a time.

 

[umungus1122]

My guess is he gave you a warning and was vague because he wasn't sure it would hold up in a courtroom. Cops do not like to lose in front of the magistrate. The proper thing to do is look up the EXACT laws in your state, and know them. In court, ask the officer if he can PROVE you were exceeding the limit, and ask for the logged data to confirm it. This will all hinge on the exact letter of the law though in your state.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I would think it depends on the divided line in the middle of the road, and where it was solid VS broken, allowing you to pass legally. I know here in La. that's how the LEO's look at it. YMMV

 

[Bud]

I have passed many a long line of cars, but floor it when I start, so I am always speeding. Thank goodness I never came across a cop when doing it.

 

[LotI]

My state allows passing on the left with no mention of the quantity of passed vehicles, provided you don't pass the posted limit.

You can pass on a double yellow if the car is doing less than half the posted limit...unless it's a agricultural vehicle, IE tractor. This one gets people in trouble here.

As far as your question...the observation of the officer is the official account, radar or laser is there to back them up. And yes, they can track your speed when they're moving. Most LE have forward and rear radar that also tracks the patrol cars speed and can calculate your speed based on that.

 

[Dallas69]

I always thought you could only pass one car at a time.
But it's been many years since drivers ed

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted by LotI
My state allows passing on the left with no mention of the quantity of passed vehicles, provided you don't pass the posted limit.



That's actually dangerous. Most states allow for going over the speed limit long enough to pass, as the less time it takes to pass, the safer it is...

 

[Cujet]

I went to pass a tractor trailer on an uphill. Unknown to me, the rental car had a speed limiter, and it engaged mid-pass. Unfortunately, oncoming traffic crested the hill and I was unable to safely pass. I slammed on the brakes, moved to the right, while decelerating frantically and the three of us occupied 2 lanes simultaneously.

Speed is not the enemy, and limiting speed during a pass is, quite simply, introducing additional risk of a head on incident.

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
On my way to work there's a 10 mile stretch of rural 2-lane highway that routinely gets chocked up with a semi in front and a line of cars behind it that refuse to pass. There's a couple long stretches with great visibility, such that you can get in the left lane and pass for long periods safely so long as there's no cross traffic.

A few months ago I passed one of these "slow trains" only to get pulled over by a cop a mile or so down the road. Pretty sure he was in the line of cars that I passed, or perhaps he was on the side of the road hidden from view. His reasoning was that "he suspects I was going a lot faster than the speed limit" and that passing that many cars is an unsafe maneuver. He was very vague and just gave me a warning.

I didn't think anything of it, just made a mental note to watch for cops next time, but then today while passing another small line of cars on the way to work, the third car in line was a cop

There was room enough for me to slide in behind him, I didn't want to risk passing him and getting pulled over. Keep in mind I'm not passing at an unsafe speed at any time, just normal passing speed, basically the speed limit, give or take a couple mph (other cars I'm passing are going about 10mph under the limit). There's zero traffic going the other way, so I certainly don't find it unsafe, or I wouldn't pass.

Do I have a leg to stand on if I got pulled over passing more than one vehicle? I have no idea how radar works, can he clock me accurately if my car is passing him? Or does he just do a rough estimate taking his own speed into account?

If you pass a cop, there is a very high likely hood of getting pulled over regardless of any other circumstances. They need to show who's the boss.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I don't think I have passed a car or truck in years. Lots of slow moving farm equipment though. The cars and trucks pass me.