For Everybody's Sake, Stop Driving in the Left Lane If You're Not Passing
09-03-16, 06:29 PM
#31
Lexus Champion
Lol. Yeah I know you've got that LS400 and it must be amazing on an open road. Nearly bought that generation myself at one time.
My only disagreement is that speed combined with the other stuff: drunk drivers, texting or distracted drivers cause a whole lot more collisions and subsequently fatalities and injuries than someone who is hogging the left lane. That's why police consistently focus on speeders and distracted drivers. With Germany it's a whole different thing. Different highways and drivers trained to a pretty good standard. With North American drivers, especially those in my area, you would almost think they were running around the wild west with horses and wagons, all loose on the range.
But good point about aerodynamics. Somewhere there is an inverse square mathematical rule about how much you gain in speed vs the amount of force required to push even the most slickest of cars through the wall of air at high speeds.
Originally Posted by Stroock639
...in my mind the biggest reason not to drive at 100 even if it's safe to do so is that you just use SO much more fuel doing it. fuel economy i'm pretty sure is why the autobahns are starting to have more stringent speed limits put in place. but as i and others have pointed out, the reason the autobahn works is all to do with people being able to follow a few basic rules... primarily, keep to the right except to pass, and ONLY pass on the left. people here are so entitled and oblivious it prevents this from happening. which is why we need a much more difficult road test and for left lane laws to actually BE ENFORCED rather than pulling people over for speeding which isn't necessarily dangerous, nor inconsiderate. hogging the left lane is both.
But good point about aerodynamics. Somewhere there is an inverse square mathematical rule about how much you gain in speed vs the amount of force required to push even the most slickest of cars through the wall of air at high speeds.
09-03-16, 06:56 PM
#32
Lexus Fanatic
With Germany it's a whole different thing. Different highways and drivers trained to a pretty good standard. With North American drivers, especially those in my area, you would almost think they were running around the wild west with horses and wagons, all loose on the range.
09-05-16, 07:55 AM
#33
Lexus Test Driver
Going triple digits is definitely reckless. However, if I'm going ten over in the left hand lane, and someone going 100mph wants to pass, he is in the right and I should move over. Impeding someone on the left is way worse than the speeder and I'm just being a dumba$$ by impeding his progress.
09-05-16, 12:40 PM
#34
Lexus Test Driver
Going triple digits is definitely reckless. However, if I'm going ten over in the left hand lane, and someone going 100mph wants to pass, he is in the right and I should move over. Impeding someone on the left is way worse than the speeder and I'm just being a dumba$$ by impeding his progress.
09-05-16, 04:56 PM
#35
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by Stroock639
we need more people like you sir
09-05-16, 05:25 PM
#36
Lexus Fanatic
Going triple digits is definitely reckless. However, if I'm going ten over in the left hand lane, and someone going 100mph wants to pass, he is in the right and I should move over. Impeding someone on the left is way worse than the speeder and I'm just being a dumba$$ by impeding his progress.
09-05-16, 05:40 PM
#37
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by mmarshall
Well, that's the million-dollar question that's been debated now for decades, not just here on this forum........and there are two strong schools of thought on it. One says speeding is worse...the other says that those who block speeders are worse. I suppose it will continue to be debated up until the point where we have self-driving cars, and human drivers are no longer a factor.
09-05-16, 06:58 PM
#38
Both are bad but speeders don't cause road rage. Left lane impeders definitely cause some of the worst road rage I've ever seen. Lots of times they do it on purpose. In reality they are far worse because they want to **** off people by trying to govern how others drive. They are not the police so let people pass on the left.
- Three-lane road, and all 3 cars in front of me drive side-by-side or just close enough that no one can go around them.
- Slow driver in the left lane on the highway, which makes me go to the farthest right lane where there are holes in traffic and cut back over to pass him.
- Someone driving along who puts on their brakes every couple of minutes for no identifiable reason. Don't cars slow down on their own?
09-05-16, 07:27 PM
#39
I see these left lane parkers whenever I drive into work, I have telecommute option so I go in just to go in. My commute is about 90% on I-495 around DC and part of the Toll Road toward Dulles Airport. Toll Road folks are fine but 495 is where I see the parkers. I'm usually in 3rd lane cruising or left lane to pass. It changes from 55 to 65 and back to 55 on my commute. I've set the cruise on 66 in a 55 in 3rd lane and past some cars in left lane. With 65mph in the express lanes on 495 which is a 2 lane section I've only come across 1 or 2 in the left lane going 65mph or less and I'm not ashamed to say I went around them on right to pass and got in front of them. I usually set my cruise around 75 in 65. I rather the left lane have speeders/passers than people parked there it helps flow of traffic overall.
09-05-16, 07:31 PM
#40
Lexus Champion
https://www.aaafoundation.org/aggressive-driving
http://www.safeny.ny.gov/aggr-ndx.htm
Aggressive Driving
Eight out of 10 drivers surveyed in the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety culture Index rank aggressive driving as a “serious” or “extremely serious” risk that jeopardizes their safety.They’re right.
Aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities.Although “road rage” incidents provide some of the most shocking views of aggressive driving, many common behaviors, including racing, tailgating, failing to observe signs and regulations, and seeking confrontations with other drivers, all qualify as potentially aggressive behaviors. Speeding is one of the most prevalent aggressive behaviors. AAA Foundation studies show that speeding is a factor in one-third of all fatal crashes.
Despite a strong public awareness and understanding of aggressive driving, many people are willing to excuse aggressive behaviors. Half of all drivers in our Traffic Safety Culture Index admitted to exceeding both neighborhood and highway speed limits by more than 15% in the past 30 days. More remarkable, a quarter of drivers say they consider speeding acceptable.Throughout outreach and education programs, we work to offer the public tools to assess their own behavior and recognize the signs of aggressive driving. As more people understand the many behaviors that can become aggressive and see their own behavior in a new light, they can begin to adopt safer driving practices and manage risk more effectively.
Eight out of 10 drivers surveyed in the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety culture Index rank aggressive driving as a “serious” or “extremely serious” risk that jeopardizes their safety.They’re right.
Aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities.Although “road rage” incidents provide some of the most shocking views of aggressive driving, many common behaviors, including racing, tailgating, failing to observe signs and regulations, and seeking confrontations with other drivers, all qualify as potentially aggressive behaviors. Speeding is one of the most prevalent aggressive behaviors. AAA Foundation studies show that speeding is a factor in one-third of all fatal crashes.
Despite a strong public awareness and understanding of aggressive driving, many people are willing to excuse aggressive behaviors. Half of all drivers in our Traffic Safety Culture Index admitted to exceeding both neighborhood and highway speed limits by more than 15% in the past 30 days. More remarkable, a quarter of drivers say they consider speeding acceptable.Throughout outreach and education programs, we work to offer the public tools to assess their own behavior and recognize the signs of aggressive driving. As more people understand the many behaviors that can become aggressive and see their own behavior in a new light, they can begin to adopt safer driving practices and manage risk more effectively.
Use common courtesy:
- Lane blocking - Don't block the passing lane on multiple lane highways. Allow vehicles to pass you.
- Tailgating - Maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
- Signal use - Don't change lanes without using your signal, and make sure you can change lanes without cutting another driver off. After changing lanes or turning, turn your signal off.
- Horn use - Use your horn sparingly. Noise is shown to be a contributor to stress.
Last edited by MattyG; 09-05-16 at 07:35 PM.
09-06-16, 05:27 PM
#41
Both are bad but speeders don't cause road rage. Left lane impeders definitely cause some of the worst road rage I've ever seen. Lots of times they do it on purpose. In reality they are far worse because they want to **** off people by trying to govern how others drive. They are not the police so let people pass on the left.
Also the reason drivers in Germany practice great lane discipline and are much better drivers is they don't hand out driver's license like free candy on Halloween. Driving is seen as a privilege in Germany, not a god given right like it is in the United States. Getting a driver's license in Germany is kind of like getting your class A CDL(big rig license) here in the states. You go to school, you have minimum number of hours behind the wheel, the test is very strict, etc. Its kind of crazy when you compare the much lower death rate of the Autobahn vs the Interstates.
Last edited by Aron9000; 09-06-16 at 05:33 PM.
09-06-16, 06:34 PM
#42
Lexus Fanatic
This^^^^^ If somebody wants to drive 85-95mph, let them on by, they'll eventually get a ticket. Maybe not today, but at some point it'll catch up with them. I've seen it though on a couple stretches of interstate I drive, I know where the cops hang out. I let them fly on by, then see them pulled over a mile or two up the road.
Also the reason drivers in Germany practice great lane discipline and are much better drivers is they don't hand out driver's license like free candy on Halloween. Driving is seen as a privilege in Germany, not a god given right like it is in the United States. Getting a driver's license in Germany is kind of like getting your class A CDL(big rig license) here in the states. You go to school, you have minimum number of hours behind the wheel, the test is very strict, etc. Its kind of crazy when you compare the much lower death rate of the Autobahn vs the Interstates.
German drivers, from what I understand, are also far less distracted behind the wheel than drivers here. That is why German automakers were so reluctant to even put cup-holders in their cars for some time when others did. Here, you see bozos behind the wheel doing everything from cell-phones to hair-dressing to newspaper-reading to coffee-drinking to breakfast-eating to electric-shaving to you-name-it.
09-06-16, 06:54 PM
#43
Lexus Champion
Originally Posted by mmarshall
German drivers, from what I understand, are also far less distracted behind the wheel than drivers here. That is why German automakers were so reluctant to even put cup-holders in their cars for some time when others did. Here, you see bozos behind the wheel doing everything from cell-phones to hair-dressing to newspaper-reading to coffee-drinking to breakfast-eating to electric-shaving to you-name-it.
The biggest bozos are the ones I see routinely just like the one today. Honda CR-V driver in a rental vehicle. Blasts off the line ahead of me in the right lane on a 60 km/hr four lane city road. I can see clearly ahead about one kilometer that the light is red and is going to stay that way for a full minute. Naturally I gently reach the light and pull up behind him. What is he doing? Looking down at his cell phone screen (this is how cops behind you know you're distracted and texting or looking at your screen).
Light turns green, I want to go, does he go? Nope, too busy telling whoever on his smartphone about whatever. It takes him about 3 seconds to get going. What was the effort before that? That alone is what I call Stupid-Smart. He knows all about smartphone tech but doesn't know how to drive on city streets. That is the true stupid driver on our streets. Wasting gas and telling you by his actions that you live in his world.
09-07-16, 07:33 AM
#44
Lexus Test Driver
Both are bad but speeders don't cause road rage. Left lane impeders definitely cause some of the worst road rage I've ever seen. Lots of times they do it on purpose. In reality they are far worse because they want to **** off people by trying to govern how others drive. They are not the police so let people pass on the left.
09-07-16, 07:50 AM
#45
Lexus Test Driver
Well, that's the million-dollar question that's been debated now for decades, not just here on this forum........and there are two strong schools of thought on it. One says speeding is worse...the other says that those who block speeders are worse. I suppose it will continue to be debated up until the point where we have self-driving cars, and human drivers are no longer a factor.
the classic george carlin "have you ever noticed that everyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and everyone driving faster than you is a maniac?" really applies to this one lol... if you're in some 80s jeep wrangler with no doors and an S63 or something comes up behind you just MOVE OVER! even if 80 mph in the jeep (if it'll do 80) seems crazy fast the S-Class driver can't even tell they're moving so it's not the same thing, don't try to impose what you think is safe and what isn't onto others. that's the job of the police