About time....watch out left lane slow drivers
01-10-08, 12:38 PM
#16
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The right lane is typically the merging traffic, slower drivers, and semi's (60 mph limit) and the left lane is a single row of drivers going 70-75 (70 mph limit) Even when there is a third lane we have so much traffic that the right and middle get full of people going 60 along with the semi's, this leaves the left lane the only travel lane to actually go the speed limit of 70 mph.
01-10-08, 12:50 PM
#18
I agree that drivers going under the speed limit should stay right but here in the Puget Sound area the left lane is a travel lane, the whole idea that it is only used for passing and turning left is far outdated for our circumstances. With the volumes of car traffic along with the big semi and delivery traffic from Canada down through to California there is no way you can safely use the left lane for passing only. In some cases it's a 2 lane highway with a 70 mph limit on cars and 60 mph limit on big rigs. Combined with on / off ramps the right lane is way too congested to even go 70 which leaves the left lane as a travel lane.
when there are rigs on the right, going on the left at 70mph is fine, coz' you are PASSING, even if the cars behind you want to go at 80mph.
however, after you pass those rigs, get back to the right lane! so people can pass you. i can't even tell how many times after scenarios like this, those cars just stick to fast lane doing 70mph. get the hell out of the way. so i constantly had to pass on the right and cut back to the left
the way i drive? when i pass, i pass on the left. otherwise, i always change back to the right lane, even if i am going 90mph. that's just the right way to drive (look at europe, where people do know how to drive). if people want to pass me at 100mph, they just do that on my left, no need to change lane
if i am on the right lane and i see a rig in front, i look to my left and see if any fast cars coming. if no, i switch lane and past. if yes, i see if i can change lane and accel fast enough. if not, i will just slow down and wait, that's the game
when there is a entrance merge and i see a car on the on ramp? i see if there are cars on the left. if no, i switch over so the car can enter smoothly, then cut back in front. if there are cars, then either i slow down to let him in, or i speed up to leave space behind me.
very simple and right way of logic to drive.
01-10-08, 12:58 PM
#19
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01-10-08, 01:09 PM
#20
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i don't really agree. i traveled on i5 (300-400 miles long) regularly, 2 lanes one way, and 70mph flow. you have rigs usually going around 60mph.
when there are rigs on the right, going on the left at 70mph is fine, coz' you are PASSING, even if the cars behind you want to go at 80mph.
however, after you pass those rigs, get back to the right lane! so people can pass you. i can't even tell how many times after scenarios like this, those cars just stick to fast lane doing 70mph. get the hell out of the way. so i constantly had to pass on the right and cut back to the left
the way i drive? when i pass, i pass on the left. otherwise, i always change back to the right lane, even if i am going 90mph. that's just the right way to drive (look at europe, where people do know how to drive). if people want to pass me at 100mph, they just do that on my left, no need to change lane
if i am on the right lane and i see a rig in front, i look to my left and see if any fast cars coming. if no, i switch lane and past. if yes, i see if i can change lane and accel fast enough. if not, i will just slow down and wait, that's the game
when there is a entrance merge and i see a car on the on ramp? i see if there are cars on the left. if no, i switch over so the car can enter smoothly, then cut back in front. if there are cars, then either i slow down to let him in, or i speed up to leave space behind me.
very simple and right way of logic to drive.
when there are rigs on the right, going on the left at 70mph is fine, coz' you are PASSING, even if the cars behind you want to go at 80mph.
however, after you pass those rigs, get back to the right lane! so people can pass you. i can't even tell how many times after scenarios like this, those cars just stick to fast lane doing 70mph. get the hell out of the way. so i constantly had to pass on the right and cut back to the left
the way i drive? when i pass, i pass on the left. otherwise, i always change back to the right lane, even if i am going 90mph. that's just the right way to drive (look at europe, where people do know how to drive). if people want to pass me at 100mph, they just do that on my left, no need to change lane
if i am on the right lane and i see a rig in front, i look to my left and see if any fast cars coming. if no, i switch lane and past. if yes, i see if i can change lane and accel fast enough. if not, i will just slow down and wait, that's the game
when there is a entrance merge and i see a car on the on ramp? i see if there are cars on the left. if no, i switch over so the car can enter smoothly, then cut back in front. if there are cars, then either i slow down to let him in, or i speed up to leave space behind me.
very simple and right way of logic to drive.
I guess I see it safer to stay in the left lane and travel with the flow at 75 mph which I can do from Bellingham to Tacoma quite often without ever changing lanes except through Seattle where the lanes shift a little. Of I can try to drive in the middle lane and pass vehicles or groups of vehicles using the left lane, which is full of people going 75. To me it's a no brainer on which is safer and logical. With our congestion it's a lot safer to stay the course and not try to shift around slower cars. If it's like the case in the video where there is not much traffic than sure it makes sense to drive in the right lane and make the occasional pass in the open left lane but that's just not the way my commute is between Olympia and Bellingham.
01-10-08, 01:26 PM
#22
I guess I see it safer to stay in the left lane and travel with the flow at 75 mph which I can do from Bellingham to Tacoma quite often without ever changing lanes except through Seattle where the lanes shift a little. Of I can try to drive in the middle lane and pass vehicles or groups of vehicles using the left lane, which is full of people going 75. To me it's a no brainer on which is safer and logical. With our congestion it's a lot safer to stay the course and not try to shift around slower cars. If it's like the case in the video where there is not much traffic than sure it makes sense to drive in the right lane and make the occasional pass in the open left lane but that's just not the way my commute is between Olympia and Bellingham.
01-10-08, 01:43 PM
#24
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i don't really agree. i traveled on i5 (300-400 miles long) regularly, 2 lanes one way, and 70mph flow. you have rigs usually going around 60mph.
when there are rigs on the right, going on the left at 70mph is fine, coz' you are PASSING, even if the cars behind you want to go at 80mph.
however, after you pass those rigs, get back to the right lane! so people can pass you. i can't even tell how many times after scenarios like this, those cars just stick to fast lane doing 70mph. get the hell out of the way. so i constantly had to pass on the right and cut back to the left
the way i drive? when i pass, i pass on the left. otherwise, i always change back to the right lane, even if i am going 90mph. that's just the right way to drive (look at europe, where people do know how to drive). if people want to pass me at 100mph, they just do that on my left, no need to change lane
if i am on the right lane and i see a rig in front, i look to my left and see if any fast cars coming. if no, i switch lane and past. if yes, i see if i can change lane and accel fast enough. if not, i will just slow down and wait, that's the game
when there is a entrance merge and i see a car on the on ramp? i see if there are cars on the left. if no, i switch over so the car can enter smoothly, then cut back in front. if there are cars, then either i slow down to let him in, or i speed up to leave space behind me.
very simple and right way of logic to drive.
when there are rigs on the right, going on the left at 70mph is fine, coz' you are PASSING, even if the cars behind you want to go at 80mph.
however, after you pass those rigs, get back to the right lane! so people can pass you. i can't even tell how many times after scenarios like this, those cars just stick to fast lane doing 70mph. get the hell out of the way. so i constantly had to pass on the right and cut back to the left
the way i drive? when i pass, i pass on the left. otherwise, i always change back to the right lane, even if i am going 90mph. that's just the right way to drive (look at europe, where people do know how to drive). if people want to pass me at 100mph, they just do that on my left, no need to change lane
if i am on the right lane and i see a rig in front, i look to my left and see if any fast cars coming. if no, i switch lane and past. if yes, i see if i can change lane and accel fast enough. if not, i will just slow down and wait, that's the game
when there is a entrance merge and i see a car on the on ramp? i see if there are cars on the left. if no, i switch over so the car can enter smoothly, then cut back in front. if there are cars, then either i slow down to let him in, or i speed up to leave space behind me.
very simple and right way of logic to drive.
I agree. I think that it is just to easy to get a license here in the states and many people just don't know the laws as well as they should.
People driving too slow on the left lane and people making complete stops to merge have got to be my biggest pet peeves when it comes to driving.
01-10-08, 02:08 PM
#26
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01-10-08, 02:12 PM
#27
Have you guys noticed that freeway traffic moves in packs. You make your way through one pack to find a few cars "leading" this pack too slow and causing a bottleneck. Once you are finally passed them (if possible), you find yourself at the rear of the next pack. The whole cycle then repeats.
01-10-08, 02:13 PM
#28
I wish everyone was aware and practiced the following:
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/trafexp.html
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html#wv
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/seatraf.html
It basically says during slow crawling traffic the WORST thing you can do for traffic is hit the brakes to stop. You cause a wave of brake hitting many cars behind you and it does in fact move like a wave. Instead of rushing up with traffic, driving close to the person in front of you leave a larger gap than usual in front of you. With this gap you can easily prevent sudden stops which obviously cause waves.
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/trafexp.html
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html#wv
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/seatraf.html
It basically says during slow crawling traffic the WORST thing you can do for traffic is hit the brakes to stop. You cause a wave of brake hitting many cars behind you and it does in fact move like a wave. Instead of rushing up with traffic, driving close to the person in front of you leave a larger gap than usual in front of you. With this gap you can easily prevent sudden stops which obviously cause waves.
01-10-08, 02:27 PM
#29
Lexus Fanatic
Though sometimes you do get excessively slow people in the left lane, the main problem is that people in the left lane usually want to go too fast. The left lane, legally, is for those going at or slightly above the limit (cops don't usually ticket you within about 8-10 MPH or so above). the right lane is for slower traffic....at or under the limit.
The left lane (or any other lane) is NOT for those who want to be driving WAY above the limit......in fact, many states consider 20 MPH or more over the limit to be reckless driving. If somebody in front of you in the left lane is already going OVER the limit, and that isn't fast enough for you, then it's simply time to slow down.
The left lane (or any other lane) is NOT for those who want to be driving WAY above the limit......in fact, many states consider 20 MPH or more over the limit to be reckless driving. If somebody in front of you in the left lane is already going OVER the limit, and that isn't fast enough for you, then it's simply time to slow down.
01-10-08, 02:34 PM
#30
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Though sometimes you do get excessively slow people in the left lane, the main problem is that people in the left lane usually want to go too fast. The left lane, legally, is for those going at or slightly above the limit (cops don't usually ticket you within about 8-10 MPH or so above). the right lane is for slower traffic....at or under the limit.
The left lane (or any other lane) is NOT for those who want to be driving WAY above the limit......in fact, many states consider 20 MPH or more over the limit to be reckless driving. If somebody in front of you in the left lane is already going OVER the limit, and that isn't fast enough for you, then it's simply time to slow down.
The left lane (or any other lane) is NOT for those who want to be driving WAY above the limit......in fact, many states consider 20 MPH or more over the limit to be reckless driving. If somebody in front of you in the left lane is already going OVER the limit, and that isn't fast enough for you, then it's simply time to slow down.