Dear MKE Drivers, the left lane is for going fast (Milwaukee: transportation, design)

[ram2]

Originally Posted by quijote

When in doubt, it never hurts to go back to the official source on rules of the road. Here is a relevant excerpt from the Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook:

«Speed limits are posted on many roads. Posted speed limits do not tell you at what
speed you should drive. They only say you cannot go faster than the speed shown.
By law, you must go slower if conditions make the posted speed unsafe.
It is illegal to exceed the posted speed limit. Racing on the highway and driving recklessly
are not allowed. You may not exceed the speed limit to pass another vehicle.
Speeding does not save you much time. If you travel 20 miles
at 66 mph in a 55 mph zone, you only save 3.6 minutes. You can be stopped and ticketed, in
which case you would lose more than 3.6 minutes, and you will be assessed points and a fine.
Note: Wisconsin law says you must not drive so slowly that you interfere with the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. You can be ticketed for impeding traffic. Some highways have minimum posted speed limits.» (p. 30)

The full handbook is accessible here.

The posted speed limits are not friendly suggestions; they are the legal speed limits. We all know that, culturally and unofficially, such limits are often violated, and such violations are often tolerated. We can argue all we want about who should be in which lane when, and we can justify our behaviors with all sorts of arguments based on personal experience and cultural convention, but the Handbook makes it clear: the posted speed limit is the official maximum, and one can in fact drive below that limit and above any posted minimums. The "note" at the end of the snippet might be seen as justification for the speed freaks, but I don't think I've ever been in a situation where 65 MPH has been the *minimum* for "normal and reasonable movement of traffic" on a Wisconsin highway.

What was the minimum when the speed limit used to be 70 ?

Are Wisconsin speed limits absolute or prima facie ? Prima facie speed limits can be exceeded under certain situations.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by ram2

So you are saying speeding is ok ? If speeding is dangerous, I would think that is the last thing an ambulance should be doing.

If it really interests you, you can find the relevant Wisconsin Statutes in a pdf on the right sidebar of this page.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by ram2

Are Wisconsin speed limits absolute or prima facie ? Prima facie speed limits can be exceeded under certain situations.

I would be inclined to follow the advice of the Motorists' Handbook regarding "posted speed limits": 65 MPH means 65 MPH, not 70 MPH.

[43north87west]

I have to agree with the OP.

Sadly, WI doesn't have a left lane for passing only law. What's interesting, though, is that the OP lived in Arizona, which doesn't have a left lane law either (basically the same as Wisconsin). Yet, people out here don't seem to have a problem with the simple, common courtesy of relinquishing the left lane when traveling slower than the person behind them. And people also don't drive in the left lane when the other four lanes are WIDE OPEN.

But back to Wisconsin: The good neighbors to the south, do have a left lane law. I wonder if Wisconsinites bumbling along happily at 58mph in a 55mph zone on the Tri-State Tollway (where traffic routinely moves at 65-70) were a factor in the passage of the law?

If anyone wants to toss a wrench into the speed-limit-is-the-speed-limit argument, read Car & Driver's "Speedometer Scandal" (from 2002), which explains why most cars don't have very accurate speedometers in the first place. The person dragging their rear end down the left lane of the interstate at "a legal 65 mph" might have traffic polishing his or her bumper because they are actually going 59mph.

I consider not hogging the left lane to be common courtesy, at minimum.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by ram2

What was the minimum when the speed limit used to be 70 ?

Are Wisconsin speed limits absolute or prima facie ? Prima facie speed limits can be exceeded under certain situations.

Wisconsin's are absolute.

[ram2]

Why hasn't Wisconsin returned to 70mph freeway speed limits - revenue generation?

[ram2]

Originally Posted by quijote

If it really interests you, you can find the relevant Wisconsin Statutes in a pdf on the right sidebar of this page.

Someone else here said Wisconsin speed limits are absolute. That means no vehicles can exceed the speed limit under any circumstances.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

I have to agree with the OP.

Sadly, WI doesn't have a left lane for passing only law. What's interesting, though, is that the OP lived in Arizona, which doesn't have a left lane law either (basically the same as Wisconsin). Yet, people out here don't seem to have a problem with the simple, common courtesy of relinquishing the left lane when traveling slower than the person behind them. And people also don't drive in the left lane when the other four lanes are WIDE OPEN.

But back to Wisconsin: The good neighbors to the south, do have a left lane law. I wonder if Wisconsinites bumbling along happily at 58mph in a 55mph zone on the Tri-State Tollway (where traffic routinely moves at 65-70) were a factor in the passage of the law?

If anyone wants to toss a wrench into the speed-limit-is-the-speed-limit argument, read Car & Driver's "Speedometer Scandal" (from 2002), which explains why most cars don't have very accurate speedometers in the first place. The person dragging their rear end down the left lane of the interstate at "a legal 65 mph" might have traffic polishing his or her bumper because they are actually going 59mph.

I consider not hogging the left lane to be common courtesy, at minimum.

Agreed. If you want to sleep behind the wheel, stay home and take a nap.

[Trinitylove]

Originally Posted by ram2

Does this mean if I am driving the speed limit in the left lane and a police car or ambulance SPEEDS up behind me with emergency lights flashing I do not have to move over?

of course not. move over.
There are exceptions to every rule. The problem is with everyone thinking there is some arbitrary relative speed they can dictate for themselves while in the left lane and still think they aren't breaking the law. it's called moral relativism.

[Ghengis]

I thought those signs they put up along the roads were more or less suggestions?