Drivers who are clearly in the wrong

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Originally Posted By: andrewg

http://komonews.com/news/local/state-patrol-camp-in-the-woods-not-in-the-left-lane-or-get-a-ticket

Can a speeder just stay in the left lane, expecting others to get out of the way?
Is it ok to continuously drive in the left lane?

No, according to RCW 46.61.100. Upon all roadways having two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, all vehicles shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, except (a) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (b) when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow, (c) when moving left to allow traffic to merge, or (d) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, exit, or into a private road or driveway when such left turn is legally permitted. On any such roadway, a vehicle or combination over ten thousand pounds shall be driven only in the right-hand lane except under the conditions enumerated in (a) through (d) of this subsection.


Except that's not the law everywhere. Here in MN and many other states, the law simply states that vehicles traveling slower than the normal speed of traffic are to use the right lane.


Okay....I've driven in Minnesota. So you are saying that there is no speed limits as long as you drive in the left lane?

Hardly true. I'd like to see you drive past a cop going twenty over.....just as long as you are in the left lane and the "flow" is also going twenty over...right? No way.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Exactly. The issue isn't speed, it's differential speed and lack of lane discipline. But, as I have stated in other threads, there is no way we are getting U.S. drivers to follow the program. They will suck and only get worse. We have to take the driver out of the equation or ultimately suffer hopeless gridlock.

That is MY opinion. Feel free to disagree.


I do disagree. Especially when you always get people comparing our maze of crowded interstates and highways with the German autobahn.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
As for courtesy and politeness in Germany, it's not that, it's harder to get a license there and people obey the law which is to move over. Police here just don't enforce the law against left lane hogs, they do over there.



They don't enforce laws against speeding either...


Who doesn't? They sure do in the US! Revenue generation, and all...

And the most certainly do in Germany. There's no getting out of a ticket over there, either.


I travel around 3K a month and I can't tell you last time I saw someone pulled over for speeding...the highways I travel on are basically free-for-alls...

 

[jcwit]

Travel alot in Indiana, don't you?

 

[gman2304]

'I travel around 3K a month and I can't tell you last time I saw someone pulled over for speeding...'

^ Take a trip to Virginia....Troopers and county Sheriff deputies are more common than fire hydrants lurking in the woods and median cross overs.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: jcwit
Travel alot in Indiana, don't you?


Yep

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: gman2304
'I travel around 3K a month and I can't tell you last time I saw someone pulled over for speeding...'

^ Take a trip to Virginia....Troopers and county Sheriff deputies are more common than fire hydrants lurking in the woods and median cross overs.


I wish we had more patrols here...the only time I see one is if there's an accident...

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Originally Posted By: andrewg

http://komonews.com/news/local/state-patrol-camp-in-the-woods-not-in-the-left-lane-or-get-a-ticket

Can a speeder just stay in the left lane, expecting others to get out of the way?
Is it ok to continuously drive in the left lane?

No, according to RCW 46.61.100. Upon all roadways having two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, all vehicles shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, except (a) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (b) when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow, (c) when moving left to allow traffic to merge, or (d) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, exit, or into a private road or driveway when such left turn is legally permitted. On any such roadway, a vehicle or combination over ten thousand pounds shall be driven only in the right-hand lane except under the conditions enumerated in (a) through (d) of this subsection.


Except that's not the law everywhere. Here in MN and many other states, the law simply states that vehicles traveling slower than the normal speed of traffic are to use the right lane.


The speed limit isn't mentioned in that excerpt! It tells people how to use the lanes. The speed limit tells you how to not speed; the excerpt helps you find the lane that's right for you and the speed you elect to use.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
The standard is to set the speed limit at 80% of what people drive at.


The government has consistently ignored the 80th percentile rule for decades. They still do.

Speed limits in many areas are revenue producers with no real basis in fact or rule of law.
They are set by politicians who "want to 'help' people". The problem is that the boys in blue can raise a lot more dough sitting on the roadside with radar than hunting down weavers, lane hogs, passing on the right specialists, and mobile telecommunications hobbyists making their little hand held "entertainment" centers go instead of watching what's in front of them. Police chiefs NEVER admit they have quotas, the ones who deny it the most are usually the biggest offenders. The Mass Turnpike is going Easy Pass and the do gooders are already bragging about how they'll be issuing "those speeders" automatic tickets based on the Easy Pass system computer records. The rational seems to be "it's a 'civil penalty' not a crime" so no human intervention is needed to empty your wallet. There are decisions which say otherwise, but here in the "land of the free' raising money is more important.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Exactly. The issue isn't speed, it's differential speed and lack of lane discipline. But, as I have stated in other threads, there is no way we are getting U.S. drivers to follow the program


All you have to do is look at our Driver Education programs here. We teach sign recognition and parking. In Europe they take drivers out on a skidpad and learn real vehicle control.

The worst thing about crowded highways is the lowest common denominator sets the pace for all who follow...

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
The government has consistently ignored the 80th percentile rule for decades. They still do.

Speed limits in many areas are revenue producers with no real basis in fact or rule of law.
They are set by politicians who "want to 'help' people". The problem is that the boys in blue can raise a lot more dough sitting on the roadside with radar than hunting down weavers, lane hogs, passing on the right specialists, and mobile telecommunications hobbyists making their little hand held "entertainment" centers go instead of watching what's in front of them. Police chiefs NEVER admit they have quotas, the ones who deny it the most are usually the biggest offenders. The Mass Turnpike is going Easy Pass and the do gooders are already bragging about how they'll be issuing "those speeders" automatic tickets based on the Easy Pass system computer records. The rational seems to be "it's a 'civil penalty' not a crime" so no human intervention is needed to empty your wallet. There are decisions which say otherwise, but here in the "land of the free' raising money is more important. [/quote]

It's funny how every time something new comes out there's all those conspiracy theorist out there. I guess you're one of them. They're saying they're NOT going to be doing that, but as a conspiracy theorist, you always feel it's just a matter of time. But guess what, they've had this ability to do this since they first started EZ pass, they could figure out your average speed from entry to exit. Very simple math. They haven't issued any tickets based on that yet. Boy, I hate it when a good theory just pops.

 

[cmhj]

happens all the time, i alwasy make sure my ins. coverage is adequate

 

[fdcg27]

There are dumb drivers everywhere.
You just have to work around them.
I find it appalling that I can't run some speed in the young eighties on an Ohio interstate with three lanes both ways because the idiots running in the early seventies on cruise control can't figure out that they need to move out of the way of faster traffic.
I can allow myself to get upset about this or I can just back off and let the clueless finally figure it out and move over, or I can always just pass them on their right.
It amazes me that the same people who want to race me to a red light turn into such slow drivers on a straight, wide interstate highway with nothing to obstruct their travel.
Our interstates are mostly better designed and maintained for really high speeds than anything found in Europe. Too bad our drivers can't figure out the drive right pass left thing.
Inappropriate driving habits are nothing new here and appear to be getting worse.
No sense getting one's panties twisted about it like the OP.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
There are dumb drivers everywhere. You just have to work around them.

Our interstates are mostly better designed and maintained for really high speeds than anything found in Europe. Too bad our drivers can't figure out the drive right pass left thing.

Inappropriate driving habits are nothing new here and appear to be getting worse.
No sense getting one's panties twisted about it like the OP.


I drove in France and Switzerland for some miles in the 90's and 00's, interstate highways can be driven at much faster speed than most highways in France and Switzerland. Especially on southwest states such as Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico ... with almost empty highways and flat deserts that you can see 10-15 miles every direction, you can safely drive 100+ MPH but speed limit of 70-80 MPH prevents that.

The problem here is too many low pokers on left lane. Most drivers who had some experience with Autobahn agree that driven at 100+ MPH on autobahn is much safer than any speed on interstate highway.