Why Does Maryland Have Such Weak Passing Lane Laws? (Baltimore: taxis, club)

[dkf747]

It's not just summer days. Heavy traffic in Maryland is really only during rush hours and when there's some accident, or something like that.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Calvin C

We see this every day - cars driving in formation across all lanes. Inevitably the person in the left lane is on the phone, minding the children or simply wants to lounge at the expense of everyone else. It is more common to find the right lanes moving the fastest because all the slower drivers have camped in the left.

If there was one law that could help everyone out it would be designating the left lane as a passing lane. Right now there is no law in Maryland that encourages drivers to do so. It is only a mention in the learner's guide, which is quickly forgotten. We need something to let drivers know they should not be camping on the left lane. It would save our state billions of dollars and wasted hours in commuting time.

This is going to upset some people, but, this is Maryland: the land of grandiose notions of self-entitlement. It doesn't matter what lane I drive in, I am driving in that lane. And if you try to pass or merge I won't let you. Why? Because I don't have to and besides, that blinking light means nothing to me. Welcome to Maryland. Here, watch me toss my fast-food garbage out the window while we are at it.

Originally Posted by dkf747

Will cops enforce it if it's a law? Seems like they don't bother in a lot of states.

Depends on the State, most get the idea.

Originally Posted by ay jayy

Those laws are for areas with little traffic. Can you imagine 270 or 95 at rush hour with people using the left lane only as a passing lane? Not possible.

Obviously you cannot get over if you are stuck in traffic.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by dkf747

It's not just summer days. Heavy traffic in Maryland is really only during rush hours and when there's some accident, or something like that.

Translation:

A car is stopped on the shoulder. No signs of an accident, fire, death, nothing. Passer-bys will be overcome with an uncontrollable urge to stop-and-gawk, causing traffic to back up for miles.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Calvin C

I do not believe the capacity of a highway is affected by passing lane rules. In fact it should increase by allowing faster through-put on the left lane.

Considering this is the State where someone in the left lane will cut across 2, 3, 4 lanes of traffic at the last minute to exit the highway, I don't think many care.

But, you are correct with your assumption.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

Translation:

A car is stopped on the shoulder. No signs of an accident, fire, death, nothing. Passer-bys will be overcome with an uncontrollable urge to stop-and-gawk, causing traffic to back up for miles.

That's one of the meanings of it. LOL!

[wrestlingterp]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Will cops enforce it if it's a law? Seems like they don't bother in a lot of states.

The laws already on the books aren't enforced: no cell phone use while driving, lights on when windshield wipers are on, using turn signals.

If you are driving on I-95 in North Carolina and you see a car nesting in the far left lane with a long line of traffic behind it, 9 times out of 10 the nesting car has Maryland tags....

[Calvin C]

There are two advantages to having a law in place. Signs can be put up on the highways which will get half of the hoggers to realize they are doing wrong. Secondly any state trooper travelling the highway will have the justification to siren offending cars off the left lane (without stopping to ticket) while going about their business.

[phox1515]

ohhhh... you want a few of those fancy "left lane for passing only" signs we have here in Texas... that nobody listens to :P

ok well they do out in the rural areas but not in the city EPECIALLY in san antonio.

Texas' major cities each have it's own classification of drivers. Houston = rude, Dallas = crazy/dangerous, Austin = average with rest of usa, not great but best of everywhere else in texas, San antonio = stupid. Never been to el paso so can't rank them. it also doesn't help texas police are very lazy. unless you're doing 30+ over the speed limit or something really stupid right in front of them... they won't do much, unles they need to meet their quota.

not sure how good the police are in md yet so i can't say if a "law" will do much.

[molukai]

The fact of the matter is that DC area drivers - to include Marylanders - don't know how to drive. It is a problem that is not exclusive to the state of Maryland, it is simply the cultural development of this area.

And for the love of God, someone please tell me that Maryland law requires the usage of signal lights when changing lanes. NOBODY EVER USES SIGNAL LIGHTS WHEN CHANGING LANES, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL?!

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by dkf747

MD is not big on speed enforcement anymore, if they ever were. I drive a lot throughout this state and rarely ever see the cops anymore. If they're big on it, it must be in places I don't go to often, like the Eastern shore, or Western MD.

LOL -- You must not have driven lately in P.G. County, especially on secondary (3-digit numbered) county roads there. There are TONS of speeding cameras, and red light cameras, recently all over the county (and also in D.C.). Their exact locations are listed here: Maryland Speed Cameras and http://www.photoenforced.com/dc.html