Left lane slow pokes are breaking the law! (Phoenix: high school, camping)

[TimAZ]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Sorry to break it to you, but people drive fast in AZ because the conditions usually allow for it.

They also do 80 and follow three feet off the car in front — do the conditions allow for that as well? Highway Patrol needs a unit with unmarked cars to start putting some financial/insurance hurt on these a-holes that think driving a car is a video game.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I say it's about time these left lane hogs are nabbed by law enforcement. They're clearly breaking the law by poking along in the left lane, holding up the traffic flow, and refusing to move over. I usually try to cut them off by passing on the right. Even when they're cut off, they never seem to grasp the concept of "slower traffic keep right", but at least I don't have to be behind them very long!

I'm mixed about that legislation. In most cases, cops won't pull you over for driving between 1 and 10 MPH over anyway, so it's kind of a waste of time to pass a bill like that. I would rather see DPS simply raise the speed limits on most of these freeways. 55 MPH is WAY too low on the 51 freeway, and 65 MPH seems rather slow on the rest of the metro area freeways. As long as traffic isn't too heavy & the weather is clear, most of us can drive at least 75 MPH on the freeways & still be safe. Sorry to break it to you, but people drive fast in AZ because the conditions usually allow for it.

How do you "cut them off" by passing on the right? To me "cut off" implies some sort of blocking, and passing, regardless of which side, separates you from the slower driver.

In terms of conditions, a lot of what influences speed on roads is not speed limits per se, but instead road design. Freeways are designed for higher speeds, as they should be. The problem is when city streets are designed to support 10 MPH over the posted speed limit. Wide lanes, gently rounded corners, and buildings and trees set back from the road all increase the margin of error for a speeding driver on a city street. That increased safety for the careless driver comes at a cost, though. It means that pedestrians, bicyclists, and even occupants of smaller vehicles are put at increased risk since the danger of injury or death increases with the speed involved in a collision.

On freeways, the priority should be decreasing speed variance. Keeping vehicles flowing at similar speeds within the same lane is definitely a good practice. On city streets, even six-lane arterials, the priority should be keeping all traffic to a reasonable speed and realizing that some speed variance is inevitable due to cars making turns onto local streets and driveways. This should be accomplished not via enforcement alone, but through better street design.

[crag73]

I live in Florida and the left lane hogs are ridiculous . Nobody should be holding traffic up in the left . It’s not our job to control traffic . If the posted speed limit is 70 but the majority is going 80 and having to pass to the right then move over . People enter the freeway from the right . Major cities have multiple ramps entering the freeway . So the left lane hog is not moving over , people passing on the right while more traffic is pouring in from the right . Now the middle lanes are getting bombarded with vehicles . The ones entering the freeway are building speed while the left lane is passing on the right at an accelerated speed . Recipe for disaster . I have cameras in my front and rear window . When the car refuses to move over in the left lane and wants to brake check me , I got them on video . Brake checking when you have nobody in front of you is reckless driving . Intent to cause an accident. Slower traffic keep right and let the police ticket the speeders in the left . Not your job

[jertheber]

What most people seem to miss is the fact that most of the US freeways and secondary roads are way out of date, whupped into the mess they are by years of neglect and most certainly---the unanticipated growth of our population. Traffic engineers design highway guidelines and road speeds to accommodate the exiting and merging of traffic, when speeds are too high you'll be waiting forever to get on, and God help you if you need to move right to exit and the traffic is moving at eight or ten MPH faster than the flow was designed for. I can't imagine how many drivers who were in a big hurry have ended up in the hospital, or, as I always see, standing on the roadside while involved in an accident--Are they still hurrying? Not likely..

Our roads are being used by all kinds of people, old, young, foreign, hard of hearing, some with poor eyesight, and some just slowed down in life. Now how in the Hell are we supposed to accommodate that kind of diversity when the population expands to the extent that our roads are way out of sync with the explosive growth---There IS one way....SLOW DOWN, BE POLITE, and for God's sake--please allow for MORE TIME when driving, This is the most obvious of answers to the bumper huggers, the near violent, and the folks who feel entitled to just come up behind you with that most childish expectation of you accommodating their "I'm in a hurry" bullying behind the wheel.

If I encounter a slow driver in the left lane--I just go round them and proceed, no big deal, i give myself plenty of time to go places, and that quells any anxiety of being late..

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

How do you "cut them off" by passing on the right? To me "cut off" implies some sort of blocking, and passing, regardless of which side, separates you from the slower driver.

Blocking? That's what the left lane slowies do: block the traffic flow. I simply swerve around them by passing them on the right if they're too clueless & inconsiderate to remain in the left lane & not move over as they should. This also includes big rigs. Those drivers used to be courteous enough to stay in the right lane, but lately I see many of them hogging the left lanes & holding up the flow.

Originally Posted by exit2lef

In terms of conditions, a lot of what influences speed on roads is not speed limits per se, but instead road design. Freeways are designed for higher speeds, as they should be. The problem is when city streets are designed to support 10 MPH over the posted speed limit. Wide lanes, gently rounded corners, and buildings and trees set back from the road all increase the margin of error for a speeding driver on a city street. That increased safety for the careless driver comes at a cost, though. It means that pedestrians, bicyclists, and even occupants of smaller vehicles are put at increased risk since the danger of injury or death increases with the speed involved in a collision.

It really makes no sense to be a fast driver on surface streets, mainly because of the timing of the stoplights. Many drivers who speed up have to slam on their brakes at the next red light. I do have a grievance about some 6 lane divided streets having low speed limits, but this topic is mostly about left lane slowpokes on freeways & open highways ... not inner city surface streets.

Originally Posted by jertheber

There IS one way....SLOW DOWN, BE POLITE, and for God's sake--please allow for MORE TIME when driving, This is the most obvious of answers to the bumper huggers, the near violent, and the folks who feel entitled to just come up behind you with that most childish expectation of you accommodating their "I'm in a hurry" bullying behind the wheel.

No disagreement here, but just remember that being polite applies to everybody: including the left lane hoggers who refuse to obey the law.

[wase4711]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

No disagreement here, but just remember that being polite applies to everybody: including the left lane hoggers who refuse to obey the law.

I guarantee that if you asked 1000 drivers in phoenix if its illegal to be doing what you are talking about in the left lane,(that is that they are going the exact speed limit) I would bet that 850 or more of them would say that's legal..

Staying to the right, except to pass, is one of the most ignored laws in the USA, sadly..

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

That’s not the bottom line at all. It’s to respect the rules of the road so traffic flows.

It is the bottom line. You think people need to adhere to the law when it comes to slow traffic keeping to the right, while likely exceeding the speed limit to pass by them. You don't get to pick and choose what laws people follow.

If there was more enforcement, troopers ticketing left lane campers as well as ticketing those who see that as an opportunity to speed in the left lane, the issue would be solved. There are too many unhinged people who think they have a right to impede traffic or a right to exceed the speed limit.

[wase4711]

Originally Posted by new2colo

If there was more enforcement, troopers ticketing left lane campers as well as ticketing those who see that as an opportunity to speed in the left lane, the issue would be solved. There are too many unhinged people who think they have a right to impede traffic or a right to exceed the speed limit.

If that was the case, you would need thousands of Robots out there writing tickets; an incredible percentage of drivers do both of those troublesome things, but, there aren't enough cops out there taking on serious crime, let alone have enough of them to do something about the drivers too..

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by new2colo

It is the bottom line. You think people need to adhere to the law when it comes to slow traffic keeping to the right, while likely exceeding the speed limit to pass by them. You don't get to pick and choose what laws people follow.

If there was more enforcement, troopers ticketing left lane campers as well as ticketing those who see that as an opportunity to speed in the left lane, the issue would be solved. There are too many unhinged people who think they have a right to impede traffic or a right to exceed the speed limit.

Yes, they do need to adhere to that law. It’s black and white. It’s far safer and within the confines of the law to move with the flow of traffic. I was on the 101 today and that happened to be 78 mph.

[meo92953]

Driving here from Minnesota, I saw consistent signs saying 'stay in right lane unless passing'. By the time I arrived, I was conditioned to obeying that law.

Of course, I also obey the speed limit too so maybe I'm unusual.