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Michigan State Police launch effort to educate left lane drivers

Back long ago Illinois would issue tickets for this. I think we need to start doing that again. It is a serious problem here in WA State, causing dangerous situations and unreasonably limiting the capacity of the roads. Here there is a law that truckers need to stay out of the left lane on a 2 lane except in passing and in three or more lanes can not use the left lane, but it is violated often. A couple of years ago WA STATE PATROL started to ticket truckers on this, which has helped.
 
It's illegal for large truck to use the left lane in certain areas along interstates here in TX. Frankly we don't have enough lanes for everyone to not use it.
 
It's a waste not to utilize all available lanes. The problem is when people drive slow in the left lane and refuse to yield. Why not simply ticket those people?
 
I commend the police for making that effort. Improper lane use is one of my pet peeves. This is good policing as it improves safety.

Probably most people are thinking about something other than their driving and it's an innocent act. But pay attention people, we're driving and let's do it right. :)
 
In my experience, those who bitch about others driving too slow in the left lane are also those who are BREAKING THE LAW by exceeding the speed limit - yet they think that is perfectly OK. I drive the speed limit and stay in the right lane except to pass. And after passing, I return to the right lane as soon as it's safe. Yet I frequently have some asshole, who can't wait a few seconds for me to do so, riding my bumper until he/she can squeeze between me and the vehicle I'm passing so he/she can pass me on the right.
 
radcen said:
Good idea? Bad idea?
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Good!

If slow drivers stay in the right and fast drivers stay in the left, everything will run more smoothly.


Here in MA, I've seen the cops get behind a slow left lane driver and throw their lights on until they get out of the left lane. One time, the cop stayed behind the slow guy until he pulled over on the shoulder to the right....then the cop turned his lights off and kept going. I hope the idiot got the message.
 
CHuDWah said:
In my experience, those who bitch about others driving too slow in the left lane are also those who are BREAKING THE LAW by exceeding the speed limit - yet they think that is perfectly OK. I drive the speed limit and stay in the right lane except to pass. And after passing, I return to the right lane as soon as it's safe. Yet I frequently have some asshole, who can't wait a few seconds for me to do so, riding my bumper until he/she can squeeze between me and the vehicle I'm passing so he/she can pass me on the right.
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Going the speed limit = being a slow driver.

People aren't actually expected to go the speed limit. They set it that low because they expect that if it's 55, most people will go 70-75. They know that if it's 65, people tend to go 75-85. And if it were 75, you'd have people going 90. Etc.

At least you stay in the right lane.


It's a safety hazard if everybody is going 75, but one guy is in the middle or left lane going 55. The fast people *aren't* the problem in that situation.
 
Mr Person said:
Good!

If slow drivers stay in the right and fast drivers stay in the left, everything will run more smoothly.

Here in MA, I've seen the cops get behind a slow left lane driver and throw their lights on until they get out of the left lane. One time, the cop stayed behind the slow guy until he pulled over on the shoulder to the right....then the cop turned his lights off and kept going. I hope the idiot got the message.
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That would almost make being a cop worth it.
 
longview said:
Here in Texas it is actually the law, but seldom enforced.
On some sections of I-35 south of Dallas, they have signs,
but I have not seen them elsewhere.
A local news station did a piece on the law a few years ago.
Officials crack down on left lane passing only law routinely ignored by drivers | abc13.com
Just another tool to fill the not real ticket quota.
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I recently moved to the Dallas area from NJ and God damn people here in Texas can't drive to save their lives.

Anything that can be done to improve their driving would be welcome.
 
soot said:
I recently moved to the Dallas area from NJ and God damn people here in Texas can't drive to save their lives.

Anything that can be done to improve their driving would be welcome.
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All that I can say is that defensive driving is not just a collection of words.
A few years ago, I was on a business trip to LA,
On the Freeway I put my blinker on, so the guy next to me would, like here in Texas
speed up to cut me off,(thereby opening a gap behind him).
The guy actually slowed down to let me in, I thought it was odd, but it happened
several more times on that trip.
 
I agree that slower traffic needs to stay to the right, but if you are driving in Michigan at night with little to no other traffic it is wise to drive in the left hand lane to give yourself a better chance of avoiding deer. Deer come from the right, from the woods. Being in the left lane gives you a little more reaction time to see them coming into the road, a whole lanes worth of time at deer speed.
 
Orly? said:
I agree that slower traffic needs to stay to the right, but if you are driving in Michigan at night with little to no other traffic it is wise to drive in the left hand lane to give yourself a better chance of avoiding deer. Deer come from the right, from the woods. Being in the left lane gives you a little more reaction time to see them coming into the road, a whole lanes worth of time at deer speed.
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If you driving fast enough you pass by them before they have a chance to cross. :mrgreen:
 
longview said:
All that I can say is that defensive driving is not just a collection of words.
A few years ago, I was on a business trip to LA,
On the Freeway I put my blinker on, so the guy next to me would, like here in Texas
speed up to cut me off,(thereby opening a gap behind him).
The guy actually slowed down to let me in, I thought it was odd, but it happened
several more times on that trip.
Click to expand...

Does not sound like the LA I lived in. In fact we used to joke that when someone in the left lane put on their turn signal it did not mean that they are asking or that they were just changing lanes but instead meant they are coming across all the lanes because this is their exit 100ft up the road.
 
Casper said:
Does not sound like the LA I lived in. In fact we used to joke that when someone in the left lane put on their turn signal it did not mean that they are asking or that they were just changing lanes but instead meant they are coming across all the lanes because this is their exit 100ft up the road.
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I just thought the Los Angeles drivers were much more polite, than my usual experience.
 
longview said:
I just thought the Los Angeles drivers were much more polite, than my usual experience.
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I found the opposite, maybe it depends on where one is in each State.
 
Casper said:
I found the opposite, maybe it depends on where one is in each State.
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LA drivers are better at "flowing" with/through/around traffic than most other places but man, when somebody gets mad it is WWIII time.
 
Mr Person said:
Going the speed limit = being a slow driver.

People aren't actually expected to go the speed limit. They set it that low because they expect that if it's 55, most people will go 70-75. They know that if it's 65, people tend to go 75-85. And if it were 75, you'd have people going 90. Etc.

At least you stay in the right lane.


It's a safety hazard if everybody is going 75, but one guy is in the middle or left lane going 55. The fast people *aren't* the problem in that situation.
Click to expand...


That's all horse**** rationalization. Bottom line, exceeding the speed limit = BREAKING THE LAW (which speeders think is perfectly OK).
 
radcen said:
Good idea? Bad idea?
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If you are driving in the fast lane at the speed of light, and I come up behind you driving the speed of light +1, you need to get out of my way.

Nuff said. :mrgreen:
 
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