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New to driving on Long Island. Published speed limit is 55 mph, but everyone goes faster. I couldn't even imagine traveling only 55 mph in the left two lanes. I imagine I would be tailgated, cursed at, and driven right off the roadway. I hate staying in the right lane because of the constant merging on and off. Will consistently driving 65-70 mph in the "fast" lane however put me at risk for constant speeding tickets? I am used to driving on the Palisades Parkway which is one giant speed trap, where myself and most others stay at 55 because officers with radar guns are hiding behind every bush.
The unofficial Long Island speed limit is 80. Enforcement is entirely arbitrary.
So I guess if the officer doesn't like the color of my car that day, I am toast. Why post a law that is impossible to follow? Traveling 55 on that roadway is dangerous.
I think it's awesome the op is even asking this question.
As far as what speed you should drive is concerned, you will get a thousand different answers. You're pretty smart for figuring out the speed limit is set artifically low. Some LI'ers have lived here their entire life and not figured it out.
Fortunately, there is so much traffic it is often not even possible to have a clear road in front of you. If you like the left lane you should get up on the tail of the vehicle in front of you, then determine if the pace is too fast for you. If it is, move to the right. Simple really. The important thing to remember is the left lane club is pretty sensible but we HATE when you leave too much room between cars.
Don't be one of those weaving in & out jackasses. Being aggressive is fine but don't be a *******.
Orrr you could do exactly what was taught to you in driver education class and treat the middle and left lanes as passing lanes. So, if you feel you are going too slow in the middle lane for the flow of traffic, go in the right lane. Then, if you see a merging vehicle or a car going too slow in front of you, head into the middle lane until you can go back to the right lane. Same goes for the middle lane....perhaps you find yourself behind someone going too slow in the middle lane, then go to the left lane to pass until you can go back to the middle lane. Pretty easy, actually. That way, you can travel at the speed you feel comfortable with while avoiding slowing down those who wish to go faster as well as avoiding speeding tickets.
New to driving on Long Island. Published speed limit is 55 mph, but everyone goes faster. I couldn't even imagine traveling only 55 mph in the left two lanes. I imagine I would be tailgated, cursed at, and driven right off the roadway. I hate staying in the right lane because of the constant merging on and off. Will consistently driving 65-70 mph in the "fast" lane however put me at risk for constant speeding tickets? I am used to driving on the Palisades Parkway which is one giant speed trap, where myself and most others stay at 55 because officers with radar guns are hiding behind every bush.
Cops don't care unless it's over 70mph.
I usually drive between 70-80mph on the LIE, but thats because I have a good eye for the cops.
I drive the LIE constantly - the average speed is really around 65-70 mph. The people who drive 60 and below are in the right lane and sometimes the middle lane depending on time of day and overall flow. If driving above 62-65 mph is too fast for you, stay away from the left lanes- simple as that.
Cops will give you a ticket if you are around 70 or 80. The last time I got a ticket on the LIE, I was doing 85 in Islandia but the cop wrote down 78 on the ticket in order to have my license not be automatically suspended (this was around 10 years ago when I was driving this speedy red sports car that would be attractive to cops - red/black colored cars seem to get stopped more often than plain old beige SUVs).
New to driving on Long Island. Published speed limit is 55 mph, but everyone goes faster. I couldn't even imagine traveling only 55 mph in the left two lanes. I imagine I would be tailgated, cursed at, and driven right off the roadway. I hate staying in the right lane because of the constant merging on and off. Will consistently driving 65-70 mph in the "fast" lane however put me at risk for constant speeding tickets? I am used to driving on the Palisades Parkway which is one giant speed trap, where myself and most others stay at 55 because officers with radar guns are hiding behind every bush.
What speed limit? It's everyman for him or her self on that road. Going 70 in the left is just asking for an accident when the next guy rear-rends you.
If you are going 65-70 and the flow of traffic you should be fine. Of course, you could always come across the wrong cop on a bad day, but for the most part you will be fine going 65-70. When you start pushing 70 (which we likely all have done, myself included) you need to be more careful.
Also of course the 65-70 thing is with the flow of traffic. If the rest of traffic is going 50-55, and you still want to do 65-70 and constantly switch lanes, you might not make the cops all that happy.
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If you like the left lane you should get up on the tail of the vehicle in front of you, then determine if the pace is too fast for you. If it is, move to the right. Simple really. The important thing to remember is the left lane club is pretty sensible but we HATE when you leave too much room between cars. 
