What is it with Arizona and SLOW drivers in the left lane? (Phoenix: insurance, schools)

[LBTRS]

I'm relatively new to Arizona (lived here for two years now) and get so irritated with the slow drivers in the far left lane that just hang out and force everyone else to pass on the right. Why is it so bad in Arizona?

I've lived in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and now Arizona and never had the problem that I've seen here. Semi Trucks, cars, you name it...going the speed limit or less and in the left lane with cars backed up behind them.

Anyone else notice this or is it just me?

[pathrunner]

It could be the heat. It could be an "older" person. It could be your luck of the draw put you behind some people who are on good behavior because they've gotten nasty speeding tickets in the recent past. It could be you got behind people who are driving without a license or insurance or both and they're trying to be good drivers. The list could be endless. Who knows?!

When I visited Phoenix in July 2007 and it was 117 degrees I noticed that things moved really slow especially in mid-day.

[MaxPower123]

This is especially common on the west valley, IMO. Very annoying.

[KarmaPhx]

Get used to it, people here seem to have this mentality that they are the king of the road, and you have to drive by their rules. This has been my biggest pet peeve for years.

I personally like to go 70-75 in the left lane, along with the majority of people in that lane, what gives someone the right to go 65 and block it for everyone else? If you don't want to speed fine, then move your ass over!

[azdr0710]

if the OP is talking about on the highways/freeways, yes, this is common and I see it every time I drive on them, especially between Phx and Tucson.....

many people today seem to have forgotten the rule that the left lane is for passing only....you should NOT be in the left lane unless you're actively passing somebody....

however, with increased traffic these days on the road, many people will "camp" in the left lane just so they don't get caught behind a slow person in the right lane and then have trouble edging over into the already-packed left lane to pass.....

a smart California native I know said this phenomenon is a California import and I agree as another Cal native I know was camped in the left lane all the way from Tuc to Phx with me as a passenger....I could barely hold my tongue

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

if the OP is talking about on the highways/freeways, yes, this is common and I see it every time I drive on them, especially between Phx and Tucson.....

many people today seem to have forgotten the rule that the left lane is for passing only....you should NOT be in the left lane unless you're actively passing somebody....

however, with increased traffic these days on the road, many people will "camp" in the left lane just so they don't get caught behind a slow person in the right lane and then have trouble edging over into the already-packed left lane to pass.....

a smart California native I know said this phenomenon is a California import and I agree as another Cal native I know was camped in the left lane all the way from Tuc to Phx with me as a passenger....I could barely hold my tongue

Actually that is not true unless it's a two-lane highway, for larger freeways such as the 101, the left lane is the fast lane, not the passing lane.

I wish we could post signs along the I-17 north that say "Slow Drivers Keep Left" like they have in California.

[Howard Roark]

Probably bad luck. Note, any car moving faster than cars in the lane to its right is not necessarily driving slow, particularly if that driver is going at or above the speed limit. Maybe the motorist saw the cop you did not see. National media has recently published that cops in a lot of states are now giving tickets out to people who are over five mph above the speed limit. So if you are impatient behind someone going 70mph in a 65mph zone, maybe that person got a ticket already! Be patient - if you are tailgating they will move over to the right when it's safe and they will hope you get the speeding ticket!

[azriverfan.]

It's not just you OP. There are two groups of bad drivers

1. Aggressive Drivers
2. Uneducated Drivers


Arizona has number two above. We seriously have the dumbest drivers in the country. They have no concept of driver etiquette let alone basic traffic laws. Let me provide you examples of what I'm talking about

1. Slow drivers in the left lane - confirms what OP is talking about. People will drive side by side instead of allowing people to pass. I usually have to pass people in the right lane because of the morons in the left lane

2. People sitting at green lights. At traffic lights, the light turns green and people will wait 5 seconds before they go and people don't even honk at them. I can't tell you how many lights I've missed because the idiot driver was day dreaming and allowed the light to expire.

3. People not pulling forward to make a left turn. This is another etiquette issue. It's a green light, and the car is waiting to make a left. Instead of pulling forward into the lane to allow drivers behind him to also make a left, he will wait behind the line and sit there.

4. People making complete stops on a green light to make a right turn. Or the light is green and the driver waits for other cars on the other side to go left when he has the right of way (to make a right).

5. People not obeying the Yield Signs on frontage roads. You are coming off the freeway and it merges with a frontage road. The cards driving straight on the frontage road are required to yield but they keep going and cut you off.

6. People reversing in parking lots without looking. Arizona drivers are insane. They are parked and reverse without looking for oncoming cars. They will reverse and cut you off rather than wait until the lane is clear to reverse.

7. People not paying attention on exit ramps with lights. You are attempting to enter the freeway. There is a light that flashes red and green. You are supposed to wait until it turns green to go. People will not pay attention and go when it's their turn which then backs up everyone else and creates further delays.

8. People not allowing others into a lane. Typical Arizona story: you are trying to make turn into a lane, you signal to turn into the lane, the car in that lane sees your light and then speeds up to cut you off so you can't enter the lane. You have to not signal to turn into a lane most of the time on the freeways.

9. You are in the right lane. You signal in advance to turn right onto a street (not a stop light). You slow down but people drive fast and tailgate you rather than switching lanes or slowing down and allowing you the courtesy to turn.

10. People pulling quickly in front of you and then slowing down to a crawl. I have no problem with slow drivers but if you are going to cut someone off, the least you could do is drive fast then. Don't cut me off and then drive 10 mph below the speed limit

I'm sure there are more but these are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Do they not teach driver's ed in the schools here?

[sidrah]

I was always taught right line is for speed limit and left lane is the faster lane.

[KarmaPhx]

azriverfan, you just listed everything I have noticed as well, and it happens on a daily basis!