Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hopefully in 30 years, if Level 4 autonomous vehicles ever become commonplace (fully-autonomous with no human interaction), then there will be no need for any of this and vehicles can platoon on highways at safe speeds and following distances
I think the debate started with the discussion if someone going the speed limit in the left lane would still receive a ticket under this law for impeding traffic if they can legally go no faster. (which then led into the discussion of how enforceable the speed limit even is)
I agree though, definitely annoying but there are ways of going around said person if you are just wait it out a few seconds. And if the person in the left lane is still passing people but just slower than you would like, just wait it out until they can get back over. To me it's a temporary inconvenience and I choose not to get road rage about it.
This came up in a different discussion (I can't recall where), but I believe they can. While the person could not legally go any faster, they COULD pull over. The laws are not in conflict. In general, ON THE HIGHWAY, the left lane is for passing. If you are not passing, you don't belong there. (In the city, it's common courtesy, but not the law, afaik)
....and yes, they can pull you for any amount over the limit. It's not common that you'd get a ticket for five over, but it's not unprecidented either.
On my way to Cary the other night, on 40, 2 lanes, traveling my usual 5-9 over the limit, cars on the right going slightly slower and as I had a way to go on a road with multiple exits on the right, I moved to the left lane. No exits on the left for miles.
Car there (NC plates but they could have been from anywhere), doing just under the limit. Was dark so they had to know I was behind them.
Waited more than sufficiently long enough without breathing down their neck (which I hate when it is done to me). Nothing. Flashed hi-beams once, waited. Then once more, then once again. Nothing.
Passed them on the right, honked once as I cleared them. They honked back and stayed in the left lane.
On my way to Cary the other night, on 40, 2 lanes, traveling my usual 5-9 over the limit, cars on the right going slightly slower and as I had a way to go on a road with multiple exits on the right, I moved to the left lane. No exits on the left for miles.
Car there (NC plates but they could have been from anywhere), doing just under the limit. Was dark so they had to know I was behind them.
Waited more than sufficiently long enough without breathing down their neck (which I hate when it is done to me). Nothing. Flashed hi-beams once, waited. Then once more, then once again. Nothing.
Passed them on the right, honked once as I cleared them. They honked back and stayed in the left lane.
They might not be "dip s---s". They may also be wise drivers that realize the posted speed limit is wrong because of changes in the road that were never considered originally.
We have a road posted 45 with several blind curves. I will not go 45 when there's no way to see what's around the curve. Several times, I avoided a wreck when something bad was around the blind curve.
You hot shots are the cause of many avoidable wrecks.
There are a number of 45mph roads here I find uncomfortable driving that speed. If no one is behind me and I want to drive slower, I drive slower; if I want to drive slower and someone is behind me, I find a place to safely pull over and let them pass so I can drive at a speed I feel comfortable with (usually between 36-41mph if not the posted limit).
Not to mention some of the horrendous potholes that at 45mph will throw out one's alignment.
That's because you were not in the car with me listening to me cuss them...
It does beg the question, playing my Away For Years card yet again - is flashing hi-beams to encourage the car in front to move over to let faster traffic pass - is this a practice here? Or is that more European?
This came up in a different discussion (I can't recall where), but I believe they can. While the person could not legally go any faster, they COULD pull over. The laws are not in conflict. In general, ON THE HIGHWAY, the left lane is for passing. If you are not passing, you don't belong there. (In the city, it's common courtesy, but not the law, afaik)
....and yes, they can pull you for any amount over the limit. It's not common that you'd get a ticket for five over, but it's not unprecidented either.
Absolutely don't disagree that it's common courtesy to stay to the right if you are not passing - just arguing about the legality/effectiveness of the law (and whether it needs to be a law or would be enforced). IMO it's not something that's really talked about in Driver's Ed - it's in the drivers handbook though. Maybe more public education or Keep Right signs where it's a problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Repatriot
That's because you were not in the car with me listening to me cuss them...
It does beg the question, playing my Away For Years card yet again - is flashing hi-beams to encourage the car in front to move over to let faster traffic pass - is this a practice here? Or is that more European?
I've done it before - honestly if they aren't paying attention, not sure how effective it is but it's a nice way to get their attention if they are.
On Long Island, everyone seems to be in their own world. The left lane hoggers are usually nervous or oblivious women, or men on cell phones. But, in parking lots, they fly. Don't get between anyone and a parking space. It's like they all have armored Humvees and a license to kill.
We have a 4 lane divided highway called Nicolls Rd, it has left turns and lights that always seem to turn red right in front of you just as soon as you get around the slowpoke and get moving. The only time you can sail down this road normally is in the middle of the night.
That's because you were not in the car with me listening to me cuss them...
It does beg the question, playing my Away For Years card yet again - is flashing hi-beams to encourage the car in front to move over to let faster traffic pass - is this a practice here? Or is that more European?
Depends where you are.
When I was in college in the mountains (Virginia Tech), I heard from a friend that if a tractor trailer was flashing its lights behind you, move. Driving down I-81 with a big truck gaining on you is the wrong time to be sanctimonious about a speed limit.
When I lived in Maryland, drivers flashed their lights at you as an alternative to honking the horn if you tick them off.
Further south, like here, flashing lights often mean "go ahead, I'm letting you through."
But if you flash your lights in order to get a slowpoke in front of you to yield, that often gets ignored.
I have a friend who lives in Los Angeles. Years ago she flashed her lights at someone to tell them to speed up and they rolled down their window and flashed their gun at her! I try to refrain from public displays of anger while driving (not always successful), or anything that could be taken as a public display of anger. You never know who is going to fly off the handle and who's got a gun.
I think I would have just passed on the right, too, Repatriot, but no lights. The only time I flash my lights is to let an oncoming car know to turn their lights on at twilight, or maybe if there's a dog or a deer at the side of the road I might flash my lights to let the oncoming traffic know.
I'm not super speedy, but I tend to go 5-10 mph over. Haven't gotten a speeding ticket in decades, though. The last two times I got pulled over, however, it was by cops just looking to pull someone. I'm sure they would have loved to pull me for speeding 5 miles over. Once was because my license plate holder was too big. Yes, really. This was with my elderly mother in the car, too. And he did give me a ticket for that, too. And once was because my registration was almost out of date. This was with my kid in the car on the way to school. Got a warning and a talking to about that <insert eyeroll here>. After those two experiences, if I see a cop behind me when I look in my rearview, I try to turn off at the next available opportunity. Those guys were just following me looking for some reason to pull me over. And I was NOT speeding even 1 mile over the speed limit because I was alert and saw them get behind me. So I have no doubt that Sgt HighwayPatrol might pull anyone they like over for going any amount over the speed limit.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
