Why Do People from Minn drive sooo slow? (legally, safety)

[west336]

Originally Posted by Laggard

I hope most of you know that it is a law to move over for faster-moving traffic to pass you on the left, even if you're speeding yourself....quote]

Well yeah. I was in the center lane.

Lately I've dealt with tailgaters by slowing down to a nice comfortable 45 mph. Usually gets them to go around you.

MOST people (except some women...sorry, it's true) don't just tailgate for the hell of it.....there's usually a reason they are on your a$$ and it's likely because you should move over. UNLESS, you consider "tailgating" when someone is 30-50 feet behind you. In that case, EVERYBODY will tailgate you no matter what you do, because that's how people drive!

[west336]

Originally Posted by Clifford63

Do they have a lot of left exits and generally crappy interstates in Chitown? The cobbled together interstate in this metro is full of stuff that is not up to spec. There are far too many situations where person must be in left lane to get where they are going. I-94 east to 280 North - try taking that sucker at 75 mph.

That's obviously different....don't split hairs. I'm talking about in the middle of a cornfield (but also in a straightaway in say, St. Paul on I-94), when you are on the interstate you should drive almost exclusively in the right lane, unless you need to pass somebody. This is the unwritten (and written) rule for 95% of interstate driving. Exceptions OBVIOUSLY exist for left lane exits, traffic, accidents, etc.

It's truly amazing how many people just don't get it! At least this explains why people think there are so many "bad drivers" out there -- everyone has different viewpoints about the rules of the road!

[west336]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Driving in the center lane is the proper driving lane. I wouldn't worry about it. The right lane is exit/entrance lane, left for passing. If more people followed this, there would be less traffic jams...

And if everyone else knew what you just said there would be 90% fewer accidents on the freeway.....you are very road saavy!

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by west336

That's obviously different....don't split hairs. I'm talking about in the middle of a cornfield (but also in a straightaway in say, St. Paul on I-94), when you are on the interstate you should drive almost exclusively in the right lane, unless you need to pass somebody. This is the unwritten (and written) rule for 95% of interstate driving. Exceptions OBVIOUSLY exist for left lane exits, traffic, accidents, etc.

It's truly amazing how many people just don't get it! At least this explains why people think there are so many "bad drivers" out there -- everyone has different viewpoints about the rules of the road!

I would agree that people should move over in normal situations if they are going to drive slow and have no reason to be in the left lane. In the Metro area, there is far too many oddities like left exit, bottlenecks etc to suggest that left lane if for fast only and if you don't go fast you need to get out of the lane. Tack on the fact that we don't even have 3 lanes on all of our interstates, many of our entrance and exits are far too short and it really is a case where the roads suck a lot more than the drivers.

Outside the metro is very much a case where people have little or no reason to camp out in the left lane. That said, I don't really see it as constant occurring thing either. Traffic levels are not that horrible and is seem rare that people are not moving above posted limits in left lane. If somebody wants to roll 80-85 they do need to expect that there will be situations where right lane is 65ish and left lane is 75ish and they need to chill out some. I like to roll about 72 and it seems like I often have to adjust up to 75 to avoid constant pressure from the rear or slow down and roll with the right lane crowd. As far as I am concerned people that want to roll at left lane rate +5 really need to deal with fact that they are 2 notches above the flow and if there is only 2 lanes they are going to get frustrated if they fail to make adjustments. People in left lane that are moving faster than the right lane do have a reason to be there even if they are moving a little slower than you would like them to be.

I was just down in Atlanta and Florida and traffic does move a lot faster. They also had 3-5 lanes in most place that were smooth as glass. Lot of traffic moving well over 80.

[Laggard]

Originally Posted by west336

MOST people (except some women...sorry, it's true) don't just tailgate for the hell of it.....there's usually a reason they are on your a$$ and it's likely because you should move over. !

No, the norm for someone in the center lane or right lane is to sit one car length behind your car. It is not because you are going too slow. I'm talking about people consistently staying one car length behind me as I go 65 in a 55 down the center or right lane. I use the left lane for passing only and cannot for the life of me figure out why people would rather sit 30 feet behind me rather than passing me.

People tailgate because they are so damn impatient.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Laggard

No, the norm for someone in the center lane or right lane is to sit one car length behind your car. It is not because you are going too slow. I'm talking about people consistently staying one car length behind me as I go 65 in a 55 down the center or right lane.

People tailgate because they are so damn impatient.

That is a good perspective. If you are in the center lane or the right lane, tailgater need to take a chill or go to left lane - prolly both. I been tailgated in left lane too even though I am rolling right along with all the other cars. People are as you suggest impatient. Interstates here simply don't have enough lanes.

[Laggard]

I never understood how people think that they are going to get anyplace quicker by riding your rear bumper.

And people who tailgate you when you are in the left lane passing people, simply because you are doing 65 and they want to go 75? F' 'em.

[Thegonagle]

Here's another case of the road being worse than the drivers:

On part of I-90 in southern MN, the pavement in the right lane is in such poor condition that I drive in the left lane, and only move over to let people pass. Then I move back to the left lane for the smoother ride. I don't care to hammer my car to bits if an alternative exists.

Other people obviously feel the same way I do, and do the same thing on this stretch.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Laggard

No, the norm for someone in the center lane or right lane is to sit one car length behind your car. It is not because you are going too slow. I'm talking about people consistently staying one car length behind me as I go 65 in a 55 down the center or right lane. I use the left lane for passing only and cannot for the life of me figure out why people would rather sit 30 feet behind me rather than passing me.

People tailgate because they are so damn impatient.

Ok, one observation, if you leave more than one car length between you and the car in front of you, people from the other lanes cut you off thinking you left them an opening to "move over". Maybe they are ok with your speed and not really "tailgaiting" but just keeping their place in line? Hard to say without looking at the face of the person driving.

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by Laggard

Lately I've dealt with tailgaters by slowing down to a nice comfortable 45 mph. Usually gets them to go around you.

I see this happen all the time. I've literally seen people slam on their breaks on the freeway to a complete standstill.

Example

Road rage/Crazy driver on Long Island - YouTube


(nothing happens after 1:36)