mmarshall

I understand where you are coming from, Mike, but the problem is that we are trying to impose a German-style system of lane discipline in a totally different environment, here in the U.S., not designed for it. Germany either does not have speed limits or higher ones then we do, so people there in Germany EXPECT to drive fast in the left lane. There, it is not illegal to drive at 90, 100, or higher in the left lane......here, in America, it IS. In Germany, if you are in the left lane, you are EXPECTED to move to the right and yield to faster traffic...the person coming up in that Porsche 911 doing 160 has a RIGHT (or at least the priviledge) to drive that fast, legally. If you block him in the left lane, you are wrong.

But......America is NOT Germany. Here, like it or not, we HAVE speed limits. While speed limits are not necessarily cast in stone, they generally mean what they say....though cops don't usually ticket you for up to about 8-10 MPH over the limit. So, unlike Germany, here in America, drivers even in the left lane do NOT have the right (or priviledge) of driving triple-digit speeds. Those who do are grossly breaking the law.....and may even be driving dangerously. So, if the speed limit is 65, and somebody in the left lane is doing 70 or 75, and some jerk behind him gets mad because he can't do 90 or 95, that's tough. It's time for the guy who wants to do 90 to slow down and learn a little paitience.

To do what a lot of you guys want and require people doing 75 in the left lane to pull over for guys behind them who want to 90 would mean getting rid of speed limits or radically raising them....and that's not going to happen here in the U.S.

Abear

iTrader: (1)

What your sayin is all well and good Marshall, but what about if someone is having an emergency..pregnancy, family member in trouble, etc..
Im not saying its right to speed, and Im not gonna lie, Im usually the guy in the left lane waiting so I can speed back up to 80, but none the less, here in Texas the LAW is left lane is passing only. Thats what I use it for, unless the idiot in the left lane is the one that needs passing. I drive all highway for work, 90% of it being on a 2 lane highway. The speed limit is 65, I will usually be cruising at like 75-80, nothin to wrong with that, but if theres that person in the left lane goin 65 and the person in the right going 64.5, then you can see my dilemma.
I drive like rominl and mike, use the lane as its meant to be, then move over until I need it again, its just common sense.

hapaboy

i've got fast car in LA syndrome too!

ecr527

Everybody does this down here!! The worse thing is that once a gap opens up, they start to speed up because they don't want you getting in front of them. This rule is actually nothing new. The left lane is always supposed to be just for passing, but for some reason, people just don't get it!!

DrDrilZ

just curious, but the ones that DISAGREE with this law, how old are you? in the atl area its always old folks that just dont get the concept of "slower traffic keep right"!!!!!!!!

jdoggg1

It seems to come down to "I can go slow if i want to" VS "I can go fast if I want to".

Sometimes when i'm driving down an empty highway doin 70 in a 65 in the left lane and come up on someone going 65 or less in the fast lane... i go through the following scenario.

-Proceed to come to a 2-3 sec following distance
-Creep to 2 sec following
-Wait for them to pull over
-If they dont move to the slow lane, flash lights on/off (not flash brights)
-Follow a little closer

If they STILL dont get over, i pass them till i'm about 10 car lengths ahead. Then I gingerly slow down until they decide they need to pass me. As soon as they get over, I speed up to my cruising speed.

Now I realize this isn't going to change the way they drive - but sometimes I need to feel vindicated for my own sanity. There's NO reason to remain in the fast lane when someone obviously wants to go faster. Yes, they could go around on the right, but, thats what the left lane is for.

I have no issue with people cruising in the left lane so long as they move over when the car behind is obviously pushing the issue to go faster.

All of this, of course, is moot in med/heavy traffic, but in sparsely populated conditions... Road rage is caused by oblivious/discourteous drivers.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

germany or not, speed limit or not, that doesn't matter. you want to stick with speed limit, that's fine. stick with a lane that's at the speed limit. don't do speed limit in the fast lane (if you don't dare to speed).

aliti19

To this day it still amazes me that not once in drivers ed (back in the day) did ANY instructor ever mention "keep right except to pass".

hapaboy

i say also ADD a law that people over 60 should only be allowed to drive from 10am to 3pm.

LexFather

All of Germany is not speed limitless. Its only the autobahn really. They have roads and VERY stern fines for speeding.

If that guy wants to do 90 or 150mph, hey, let me get out the way and let him pass. I am not a cop, I am not the caped crusader (vigilante). Hell, maybe that person is rushing to the hospital or some other emergency.

Now, I DO agree that NOT ALL cars should be in the fast lane if its not in PEAK operating condition or quite frankly, its just not built to go 100mph. That Corolla or Senta on 175 wide tires with the suspension of a Crown Vic. That does scare me.

We need BETTER driver education, period.

LexFather

I don't agree its all older people. Just today I passed maybe 5 dumbasses in a Honda doing 10 below the limit on different roads and they were younger men or women.

IMO, its not age. I find older people do stay the hell out the fast lane as they don't want to be bothered in it. Heck I can say from my 18-30, I'm in the fast lane tons less now then when I was younger.

Driver education and common courtesy.

Just yesterday, I see a Ambulance take damn near 5 min to get past traffic b/c 90% of the idiots are OBLIVIOUS to their surroundings. The ambulance had to damn near jump the curb as people just would not MOVE.

Probably the same idiots in 2 parking spaces

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

I don't use the left lane because for one it's a target to the cop that you are speeding. If you stay in the right lane, then cops normally do not give notice to you, as you are not in the fast lane. So I stay in the right lane, pass and immediately get back over unless Im passing a group of cars.

What I don't like is when a car moving barely faster than another on the highway and they decide to pass the slower on at that speed. Then the one being passed eventualy speeds up and they run parallel to each other for MILES. Then you have the idiots who line up in the fast lane leving the slow lane completely open. I alot of the times take advantage of that situation and fly ahead of the majority of the cars and get in behind the trouble maker and taunt him to move.

I don't get it...if someone is the only car, miles behind another pack of cars and they look in the rearview and notice a billion cars behind them, why dont they the hell out of the way!!

Oh and how about the drivers that are cruising in the left lane and see you comming, get over, then after you pass they pull in the left lane behind you

I'm all for it in KY

tex2670

Oh--please, please, please start doing this in Penna! People are clueless about this law, and have no idea that the person (me!) in their rearview flashing lights at them is trying to tell them they want to pass.

CdeFabio

Oh how I wish they had this in Missouri!!! People drive so bad here, they feel the left lane is the same as the right lane and get mad if you try to pass them. Idiots!

lexmenow

Finally a good law