Most states have a rule that slow drivers are supposed to stay in the right lane and let people pass. I know my state has this rule, the only problem with the rule is that I’m considered a slow driver because I go the speed limit.
If I drive 55 and I’m in the left lane, by law, I’m supposed to defer to the jackass speeders who are doing 90. I have to move over so they can get burn on down the road. Why?
Don’t say “Safety”. Bullcrap. Safety is not driving 90 in the first place. Do you think the speeder will swerve into the right lane to try to get around me? Sometimes, but the speeder can’t get around me if there are other people in the right lane also obeying the law and doing the speed limit.
My biggest complaint about having to move over for speeders by law is that this encourages speeding. It gives a free lane to anyone who is daring enough to break the law. People like me who obey the speed limit are the ones who will abide by the slow drivers in the right lane rule anyway.
Subscribe to anyone
The law is not that it is a “speeding lane” but rather that it is a “passing lane.” The reason far more people are pissed off at you than vice versa is that while you self-righteously drive 55 in the left lane you cause back ups of traffic behind you, and yes, force people - even those doing 56 mph - to pass on the right. Everyone - 90 mph’ers included - should travel in the right lane. And when you slow-poke 55 mph’ers need to pass someone who is going even slower, it is permitted by law for you to exceed the speed limit briefly while passing. By staying to the right as a rule you permit the flow of traffic at whatever average speed it happens to be going, whether 55mph or 70mph.
Instead of smelling your obviously delicious farts and dreaming of a world filled with only you, maybe you could think of someone besides yourself and move the hell over so traffic can flow properly.
Driving fast doesn’t cause accidents; driving carelessly - at any speed - most certainly does.
And for the record, I generally drive 60 mph on my daily commute. In the right lane.
Matt on June 6th, 2007 at 5:52 pm | Link
I would add this to Matt’s comment: in most places it is legal to drive a speed that is “reasonable and prudent.” The posted “speed limit” is presumed to be reasonable and prudent, but higher speeds can be legal as well, depending on the circumstances. On most posted 55mph stretches of highway in clear weather, 70 is a reasonable and prudent speed for an alert driver in a functioning car. So when you’re self-righteously occupying the left-hand land lane at 55 mph, you’re impeding people who are obeying the law.
Driving slower than the flow of traffic is about as dangerous as driving faster. If you’re never exceeding the posted speed limit, you’re probably a crappy driver. But, since the accidents you cause will be behind you, you may never know it.
Mark on June 13th, 2007 at 6:40 am | Link
I need to side mostly with Matt and Mark on this one. The policy I’ve adopted after awhile is simply one of “avoiding the conflict with each other.” What this means for me is that if somebody is going slower than I’d like, I’ll do my very best to stay a reasonable distance from his bumper for a reasonable amount of time.
HOWEVER, I think it’s quite fair for me to expect that this driver should show the same respect in that after a short period of time in which a car is traveling right along behind him (and in MANY cases, an increasingly growing length of cars), he would pull over (or move into the right lane, if on a multi-lane road), and allow the car(s) to pass.
By doing this, we all can simply avoid bubbling up with anger inside. Even you must admit that when you are riding in the left lane at 55, and cars build up behind you, becoming increasingly more impatient with you, you become angry. Wouldn’t you rather avoid this? If you would move over and let them pass, I think it’s safe to assume that they might be a little less impatient with the next “righteous 55 driver” in the left lane that they approach… and even less impatient if they knew it was likely he or she would also move over. Ultimately, that means that you wouldn’t have people up your bumper all the time.
I’ll make this simpler for you. By pulling over, you will actually decrease the amount of rudeness displayed to you by the “speeders.” It’s a macro-social effect.
Sub1ime14 on July 3rd, 2007 at 9:11 am | Link
Most accidents have 2 of 3 elements: 1, excessive speed; 2, distraction or impairment; 3, an unexpected or hampering road condition (a swerving vehicle or icy-patch for example). The combination of #1 and #2 are responsible for most motor vehicle accidents. It may surprise you to know that #1 in and of itself causes quite few motor vehicle accidents. It is actually the number of maneuvers required to circumvent slow left-lane drivers that contribute to more dangerous road conditions than simply exceeding the posted limit by 20-30 MPH. Now, I’m not talking about people who drive 90 in crowded conditions or >100 in moderate conditions…these are extreme speeders who cause tremendous jeopardy to those on the road. But most of the time, it is actually slower moving vehicles that lead to the perfect brew of road conditions that can cause accidents.
Now, we the people decided long ago that we are going to live in a society where slow drivers get out of the way of fast drivers. It has always been a courtesy (again I am not talking about the super speeders). Whether codified (as in quoted statutes in many states which permit “prudent and reasonable” speeds to keep up with traffic flow, or not, many people follow a reasonable speed which will take them to 70 MPH on a freeway with 55 limit or to 85-90 MPH (in open [not rushour] driving conditions on 65MPH roads. There is a bell curve, like there is with most continuous variables, with the average driver slightly exceeding the posted limit (say 65 in a 55 zone, or 70-75 in a 65 zone). These folks should occupy the second-to-left or middle lane. Folks traveling at speeds below these should occupy the R lane. The left lane is for faster traffic. A good rule of thumb is that you should expect to be passing other cars if you are in the L lane.
If you find that traffic is passing you on the right, that is a signal to get over. This will decrease the chances of an accident (b/c everyone is not going to start driving 55 b/c you do, honey).
Most people sort of understand this by osmosis, but others need a more direct and literal explanation….
roadauthority on September 18th, 2007 at 9:44 am | Link
it would be nice if the impatient speeders behind me who think i’m a slowpoke going 75 while i’m passing a vehicle would actually keep their briefs on a moment while I move back into the right lane, instead of jerking over to the right lane to pass ME as soon as they see enough room to squeeze 6 inches past my bumper………..remember what your teachers taught you standing in line in kindergarten…..don’t PUSH.
D on October 23rd, 2007 at 7:16 pm | Link
D: Agree wholeheartedly, as I am, in fact, in your camp. Those people are probably the most dangerous drivers on the road. Out of the non-intoxicated ones, anyway.
Speaking of dangerous…All you impatient assholes who go one step further and use the breakdown lane: up here in my neck of the woods (southern CT) someone was killed recently as they sat in/near their car in the breakdown lane and were struck by someone “avoiding traffic.” Completely senseless tragedy.
Matt
Matt on October 24th, 2007 at 11:52 am | Link
Listen all you slow drivers need to move the hell over. You know there are 20 cars behind you and about 15 passing you on the right so unless you are an inbred asshole. MOVE THE HELL OVER and do your slow speed in the right lane and stop trying to regulate the speed of traffic to your slow ass speed.
Eric on January 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 am | Link
Or it’s the Liberal wackos in the hybrid pieces of crap, those things can’t do over 45 but they jump on over in the left lane anyway.
Rush on January 7th, 2008 at 2:19 pm | Link
How about the morons that jump in front of you in the left lane then slow down. They suck, then when you go to pass them they speed up. That is why once I get a chance to pass, I cut them off withing inches of their bumpers. They are just trying to regulate the speed of other drivers and one day they will get what is coming to them.
Chuck on January 8th, 2008 at 8:31 am | Link
The original poster is a JA. Just move over and enjoy your drive. Why let it bother you? Why waste time writing about it. Just move the F over and get out of my way.
Phil on February 11th, 2008 at 10:18 am | Link
Number 1, You have a issue with control.
Number 2, You are WAY to concerned with that other driver that wants to go faster than you.
And we both know it’s not always some idiot that wants to go 90. It could be someone that just wants to go a little fast than you. Someone that knows their exit is coming up and they need to move over and you are stopping them cause you are so concerned with your so called right to go the speed limit in what ever lane you’re in. And it could be someone who’s loved one was just taken to the hospital and they are trying to get there. Or they have a sick animal they need to get to the vet. Or their child is sick….. You have no idea. You just assume that everyone that wants to go faster than you is WRONG and you are RIGHT and you DON’T CARE!
Why don’t you be more concerned about what YOU’RE doing, not why that guy is trying to get by you. Be a little courteous and move over. Isn’t that what you would want someone to do for you if you had to go a little faster for whatever reason, then the person in front of you? And if it is a jerk and there are a lot of them out there. Why get so upset? Once they are by you and gone you don’t have to deal with them anymore. Why do you feel the need to be the one to teach them a lesson. You are just as bad as the idiots.
Laura on February 16th, 2008 at 7:59 am | Link
Get a life Mr. I drive 55 mph and want to hold up traffic acting like an 80 yr old driver. Get the hell out of the way idiot.
If u want to drive slow…. the speed limit…Get the hell out of the way-Jerk & get a life.
I hate people like u in the mornings.
katie on February 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am | Link
Agreed… Slow drivers need to get over for people going at a reasonable speed. We don’t have all day to get across town. If the speed is 55 (first off that is sooo slow) you should try going about 70… besides it is not like some kid is going to pop out in front of you on the highway…DUH!!! Just wait for the faster driver to pass you then pass the driver slower than you.
Alex on February 25th, 2008 at 11:15 am | Link
I just drive the speed limit. Don’t get mad at me if I’m going the speed limit and you’re late. That’s you’re problem.
Simplicity.
piper on May 31st, 2008 at 3:54 am | Link
Yes, I’m going to get mad at you. The law says that slower traffic must keep right. I know you’ve seen those signs. Why is that you choose to abide by only the signs that are convenient for you?
It is because of you, Mr. I-am-better-than-everyone-else, that I am late. I follow the rules of the road. I move over when someone driving faster than me is behind me. If you are driving the speed limit and not a mile over (which is crazy- who does that?!), then that is your prerogative. You are not the police, so who are you to force me to drive your speed? Your complaint is that I am breaking the law by speeding, yes? Well, you are breaking the law by remaining in the left lane when you are the slower driver. It must be nice to have crap that smells like roses.
As a bit of a tangent, I’d like to moan a bit about the slow drivers that feel the need to run a stop sign, cut me off, and then drive a couple miles below the speed limit. It’s like only some laws apply to these people. You run a stop sign (dangerous), and cut me off (very dangerous), but then drive slow (cause that is the law and you are a safe driver). Get the hell out of my way!!
Tom on June 10th, 2008 at 12:50 pm | Link
My only question is this: if you are driving the speed limit, and only the speed limit, then why are you out of the right lane anyway? If you are the slow person, you should never have a reason to be in the fast lane to begin with. Common sense should tell you this. If you know the law (as you seem to) then you should realize that without people like you, we wouldn’t need those signs.
Kent on June 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pm | Link
Hi, I’m a freelance writer writing a story on the increasingly heated conflicts over left-lane driving.
I’ve spoken to folks who get frustrated over left-lane ‘campers,’ but I’ve had trouble tracking down someone from the other perspective. I would like to speak to someone like you, Piper, or the original post-er.
It’s Friday, 7/18 and I’d like to catch up w/ someone ASAP to add another perspective to my story. I’ll explain. I can be emailed at: csolomon3837 @ yahoo dot com .
thanks Chris
Christopher Solomon on July 18th, 2008 at 11:52 am | Link