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This thread is about the slowpokes. There are plenty of those in the DC area. There's the Virginians who drive 45 mph on I-66 inside the Beltway even when there's no traffic. There's also plenty of them going slow on Route 7 where the speed is 55. Then there's the Marylanders on Norbeck Rd that drive 40 in the 50 zone, even when there's no traffic. We could mention the Marylanders on 270 too if we wanted to. DC has their share on roads like 295. Can you answer why they go so dang slow, for no apparent reason at all?
I am very aware of the slow drivers you speak of, VA drivers are the worst offenders for this I have found. I speculate that they (VA) go so slow for two reasons:
1- There are many powerless government worker drones on these particular roadways, and busting other drivers wontons is a cathartic outlet of some sort. Only a sadist parks in the left lane under the limit in order to get pleasure out of making other drivers lives difficult. Only a sadist slows down further and intentionally when already impeding others on the roads.
2- They drive in fear of the criminal offense in VA for "reckless driving". VA has a pretty draconian reckless driving law.
3- Some are just completely unaware of others, whether behind the wheel or just generally in life.
The faster you drive, the greater your chance of having an accident - especially if you're driving at a much higher speed than the traffic around you. Slow drivers may be annoying at times, but their injury and death rates are much lower than the speedy drivers.
Remember when there were 'yield' signs when entering a highway? Now people enter at 45 mph in a 70 mph zone and don't think anything of it.
Remember when interstates had 'slower traffic keep right' signs? Now people drive 55 mph in the left lane in a 70 mph zone and they don't think anything of it.
Remember when highways had 'keep right except to pass' signs. Now people drive in the left lane as if it was their private highway.
Remember when interstate highways also had 'minimum' speeds posted.
The faster you drive, the greater your chance of having an accident - especially if you're driving at a much higher speed than the traffic around you. Slow drivers may be annoying at times, but their injury and death rates are much lower than the speedy drivers.
Totally untrue. Traffic accidents on American freeways DECREASED when the 55 mph speed limit was abolished. Imagine that - speeds up, accidents down.
A delusion of being safer at a slower speed? Slow drivers seem to be pack a animals with a strong desire to drive side by side with other safe drivers, failing to recognize the real danger may not be speed?
I am very aware of the slow drivers you speak of, VA drivers are the worst offenders for this I have found. I speculate that they (VA) go so slow for two reasons:
1- There are many powerless government worker drones on these particular roadways, and busting other drivers wontons is a cathartic outlet of some sort. Only a sadist parks in the left lane under the limit in order to get pleasure out of making other drivers lives difficult. Only a sadist slows down further and intentionally when already impeding others on the roads.
2- They drive in fear of the criminal offense in VA for "reckless driving". VA has a pretty draconian reckless driving law.
3- Some are just completely unaware of others, whether behind the wheel or just generally in life.
MD Drivers, only #1 and #3 apply.
I'll give you #2, because I drive in fear of that law too. However, 10 miles under the limit is 30 miles an hour below the limit to get one of those tickets (2O mph over the limit). Where do they get the idea that they will get one if they go the limit?
I'll give you #2, because I drive in fear of that law too. However, 10 miles under the limit is 30 miles an hour below the limit to get one of those tickets (2O mph over the limit). Where do they get the idea that they will get one if they go the limit?
Perception issues? Who knows. It's the same type of people who slam their brakes on when something happens on the other side of the guard rail, or slow down to 20 under when they pass a cop with someone pulled over.
These same people are the ones buying the extended warranty and paying a service tech $115 to come reset the breaker.
Totally untrue. Traffic accidents on American freeways DECREASED when the 55 mph speed limit was abolished. Imagine that - speeds up, accidents down.
The fact is that it is when people are driving at vastly different speeds that accidents are more likely to happen. (Thus, someone driving 10 mph below the speed limit and someone driving 10 mph above the speed limit are equally guilty of causing increased risk of accident.) It is also a fact that speeding is a factor in the majority ofvehicle accident deaths, because when you do have that accident, it's a lot more likely to kill you or someone else involved if you are traveling at a high rate of speed. That's supported statistically, and by the laws of physics (who don't care how good a driver you THINK you are).
Do cops in Colorado and Georgia actually ticket drivers for impeding traffic in the left lane?
In Michigan and Ohio, the cops are useless in this regard. They only time they look at you is if you are driving more than 10 over the posted speed limit. I-75 in Ohio is lined with Buckeye drivers who do not know what "slower traffic keep right" means.
I actually can't say definitively I have observed it in Colorado. Certainly I have seen people pulled over but I couldn't say it was for impeding traffic or speeding. Still, I honestly don't ever recall being behind a left-lane hogger for any extended stretch on I-70 or I-25. The speed limit is 75 mph north of Denver and Coloradans have kind of this "libertarian" view of driving. Riding the left lane without passing is just not part of their driving culture and it's not uncommon to see drivers in the left lane routinely speeding in the 80s without so much as a blink from a trooper. As you travel further north on I-25 into Wyoming, it is so low-density and wide open left lane hogging is unheard of. In Georgia, law enforcement actively and aggressively pull over trucks in the fast lane and all but the most egregious speeders are ignored (unless you are driving through a poor South Georgia County that needs the ticket revenue).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk
I'm going to presume for the sake of the police that they're mostly interested in catching people who are actually breaking a law, which doesn't necessarily include everyone else's idea of "impeding traffic," especially if the "impede" happens to be at the speed limit.
If I were travelling at the speed limit in the left lane, regardless how many people might be behind me, I think I'd beat an "impeding traffic" ticket in court, and that cop would likely get a stern admonition from the judge.
Not from a judge in a state I'm describing. Remember, under these laws the trooper is not clocking your speed then deciding to pull you over. The trooper is making a visual assessment that you are impeding traffic and your speed is immaterial. Mind you, many police on highway patrol station themselves on the "Authorized Use Only" Connectors in between northbound/southbound or eastbound/westbound lanes. By you creating a 15-car daisy chain in the left lane you are preventing the trooper from (safely) pulling out of the connector to actually rundown speeders and you are also causing an impediment to emergency vehicles who would either be using the connector as a turnaround or would need the passing (left) lane to be free from traffic as many can only travel 55 mph. Accordingly, in states such as Maryland, troopers escort wide-load haulers and the left lane needs to be kept free for chains of vehicles passing 18 wheelers that may not be able to exceed 40-45 mph.
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This thread is about the slowpokes. There are plenty of those in the DC area. There's the Virginians who drive 45 mph on I-66 inside the Beltway even when there's no traffic. There's also plenty of them going slow on Route 7 where the speed is 55. Then there's the Marylanders on Norbeck Rd that drive 40 in the 50 zone, even when there's no traffic. We could mention the Marylanders on 270 too if we wanted to. DC has their share on roads like 295. Can you answer why they go so dang slow, for no apparent reason at all?
