Please people, it causes accidents when you drive slowly in left lane on freeway. (Seattle: camp, law)

[homesinseattle]

A quick video to teach the people who just don't understand.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqfodY2Lz0&feature=share

[franklin42]

How can anyone drive anything but slow in the left lane here? It's a parking lot our there I tell you!

[noah]

We were recently pulled over on I-5 near Tacoma and warned by the State Patrol that the left lane is only to be used for passing and emergency vehicles. I wonder if they are trying to better educate the public before ticketing.

[CityWok]

Thanks for sharing that video. I love you for it, but sadly the real reason people camp in the passing lane here is not because they don't know the law, it's because they're genuinely bothered whenever someone passes them. They really take it personally.

As much as I love Seattle, people are generally hypersensitive here and can get offended by the smallest things. Worse is they often react in spite (somewhat childishly) thinking they've outwitted you by speeding up and blocking you in whenever they get bothered by someone passing them. As the video clearly demonstrates, it's very dangerous to behave this way. And these drivers try to justify it with an "oh well you shouldn't have been speeding" mentality.

But guess what:

1. It's completely possible to pass someone without speeding, especially in Seattle. Many folks go 5 sometimes 10mph under the speed limit while in the passing lane here.
2. Going slightly over is absolutely tolerated for passing. 5 even 10 above the limit is not necessarily going to get someone a ticket.
3. Bottom line though is that it's the police's job to enforce the law, NOT YOU.

Please stop playing games on the road, especially if it's about your insecurities. The "holier than thou" belief is a complete contradiction. Often these people break the law themselves by being in the passing lane when they shouldn't be. Washington state says the left lane is for turning or passing. Thank you

[Arushan]

With the right lanes ending all the time in Seattle, I think cruising in the left lane has become incentivized with many over time. They don't want to hit a bottleneck and then have to rely on another driver's kindness to let them merge in because their lane is ending.

[serino78]

Preach on.

I have almost gotten into no less than three accidents this week due to cars merging onto I-5 north and making a beeline for the left lane. Cutting right in front of me and only to slow down. WTF... Don't get me started on the tailgating or exiting the freeway from three lanes away with less than 20 ft before the exit.
My goal on the road is to get from point A to point B without incident. Not to play games with insecure a$$holes.

[Kayela]

Sadly those who would benefit most from watching will never 'get it' - it's the other drivers that are the problem, not them. Data can not stand up to self-righteousness.

[CityWok]

I'm hopeful that if enough Californians move here, things might actually change. Sure, there may be different problems that stem from that, but one thing California got right is that their drivers usually have the courtesy to GTFOOTW

[homesinseattle]

I vote for importing 100 people of each of the following and setting them loose on our roads as "left lane enforcers"

1) Southern born and bred NASCAR drivers in sleeveless t-shirts.
2) Bavarian autobahn BMW drivers in lederhosen.

[Jimbo302]

Absolutely agree, but only when the lane ahead is clear.