PSA: Why You Shouldn't Drive Slow In the Left Lane

[3MTA3]

Not everybody is running late, that is an assumption.
There are people that speed regardless of what time of day it is and where they are going. To some extent, that is recognized but not generally spoken about. While the left lane is for passing, it is also for those that choose to put the pedal to the floor.
Unless you have been deputized, it is in your best personal preservation purposes to stay out their way. Your willful neglect to acknowledge that fact and stay out of the left unless accelerating and passing vehicles does indeed place others in unnecessary dangers. You can be obtuse about this issue all you want, but the bottom line is that the left lane is for passing and in general those that want to speed. While the second issue is unlawful it does not negate the first and the safety the left lane offers the speeders so they dont have to weave in and out of lanes. Not only that, but the state has gone through the exercise of spending taxpayer money to post signs about the use of the left lane as they recognize that people camp out in the left lane frequently.

I agree with you on the usage of the left hand lane above, but my point is that one person driving recklessly is not excused because somebody else is driving too slow in the left lane. That person does not cause the accident, they do create the situation that the reckless driver who then makes a bad decision turns into a tragedy. It is the reckless driver's responsibility and nobody elses. Period.

I don't like the guy holding up the left hand lane more than anybody else does. That doesn't make him responsible for my bad decision making if I zip around him and cause an accident.

 

[Joe13]

I agree with you on the usage of the left hand lane above, but my point is that one person driving recklessly is not excused because somebody else is driving too slow in the left lane. That person does not cause the accident, they do create the situation that the reckless driver who then makes a bad decision turns into a tragedy. It is the reckless driver's responsibility and nobody elses. Period.

I don't like the guy holding up the left hand lane more than anybody else does. That doesn't make him responsible for my bad decision making if I zip around him and cause an accident.

Buddies friend tried to pass a guy that had been driving slow for miles when a 2 lane opportunity happened.

Slow driver sped up to not allow him to pass and he ran out of road.

The guy passing has to merge and clipped the front end of the slow driver.

Slow driver went into oncoming traffic and hit a car killing the passenger.

Buddies friend got 10 years for that.

 

[3MTA3]

Buddies friend tried to pass a guy that had been driving slow for miles when a 2 lane opportunity happened.

Slow driver sped up to not allow him to pass and he ran out of road.

The guy passing has to merge and clipped the front end of the slow driver.

Slow driver went into oncoming traffic and hit a car killing the passenger.

Buddies friend got 10 years for that.

IMO the slow car speeding up caused the accident as he had the last chance to avoid it. Sorry about your friend. Sorrier about the person who was killed needlessly.

 

[IronMonster]

Its really simple.

if EVERYONE followed the same set of rules traffic would flow better. One of those rules is keep right except to pass.

We can come up with scenarios and exceptions till the cows come home, still doesn't change the fact that if EVERYONE would simply keep right except to pass we would have a much better experience on the highway. It works, In Europe people do this. A driver DOES NOT GET IN THE LEFT LANE UNLESS THEY ARE GOING AROUND A CAR PERIOD! As a result they have fewer accidents even though they generally have higher speed limits.

It only works if everyone does it, You always get that one hold out that says "WHY SHOULD I?" Well, because you are a selfless and giving person and its in everyone's best interest?

 

[Sstrand]

Iron
"Selfless and giving." That's the liberal's mantra!?!?!?!?!

Sheldon

 

[jbett98]

That's why flying in a commercial airliner is safer, for the most part they all follow the same rules.

 

[IronMonster]

Iron
"Selfless and giving." That's the liberal's mantra!?!?!?!?!

Sheldon

None that I know, Much better description of those "selfish" Libertarians

 

[Caveman Jim]

Uncle Sy says those signs are just suggested speeds.

I am right there with Uncle Si!!!

 

[Caveman Jim]

I'm sure Officer Speedtrap will understand and tear up your ticket...

Washington just passed a law to target the left lane Louies but they seem to be not enforcing it.... there are still a bunch of them bubblegummers out there....

 

[cigars]

I just got back from Bend. Holy schnikes! I was dealing with rubber necking jerk wads who had no clue how to use a cruise control or follow at a safe distance. Traffic was moving 65mph in a 55. Idiots still trying to get intimate with my tail pipe. Didn't see one state trooper.
These are probably the same people that need to be told to get off my lawn. Just saying. If i ever get the chance I swear that one day I'll demagnetize the stripe on these people's credit cards.

 

[Member 5605]

The problem is the common term "slow lane" and "fast lane" need to be changed.

Case in point:
Wife comes home the other day totally pissed off. She says she was driving 62 in the left lane and there wasn't a sole car near her. (My blood pressure starts to rise)... she says a motorcycle comes zooming up behind her, rides her bubblegum then passes and POINTS to the right lane as he goes around her. I just cant believe the nerve of that guys she says.

I reply, you were in the PASSING LANE NOT THE FAST LANE, keep right except to pass. You were in the wrong.

So she and I had a heated discussion that ended with her saying "show me in the Oregon drivers book where it's passing lane..."

I said "do you REALLY want me to do this..."

Nothing was said afterward. She knew I'd find something. Husband is not wrong very many times on things. Maybe I'm wrong but damnit, common sense goes a long way in my book....

 

[Mikej]

HE WOULDN'T BE WEAVING IF YOU bubblegumERS WEREN'T IN THE LEFT LANE

Here's the thing...If I'm in the left lane and passing traffic in the right (1 or 2) lanes and I'm doing say 7 over the limit. I'm not going to hit the brakes to merge right in a lane doing 3mph under the limit so the guy going 12-14 over the limit can move ahead of me by 3 car lengths. I will always be behind another car by a safe following distance when I'm in the far left lane.

Its really simple.

if EVERYONE followed the same set of rules traffic would flow better. One of those rules is keep right except to pass.

We can come up with scenarios and exceptions till the cows come home, still doesn't change the fact that if EVERYONE would simply keep right except to pass we would have a much better experience on the highway. It works, In Europe people do this. A driver DOES NOT GET IN THE LEFT LANE UNLESS THEY ARE GOING AROUND A CAR PERIOD! As a result they have fewer accidents even though they generally have higher speed limits.

It only works if everyone does it, You always get that one hold out that says "WHY SHOULD I?" Well, because you are a selfless and giving person and its in everyone's best interest?

I would agree with you Mr Monster except in the city where ALL lanes are needed to move traffic. I just can't even begin to picture the 205 from here in Oregon where it splits from up to where it rejoins the 5 with a clear left lane just for passing. Everyone following the same set of rules is what is needed. And there are those that don't have what it takes to run on the freeways, those folks should find other routes to get where they are going.

 

[Mikej]

I reply, you were in the PASSING LANE NOT THE FAST LANE, keep right except to pass. You were in the wrong.

So here's the rule, MY rule. If you are in the far left lane with no one close in front of you, and going the same speed as the cars in the lane to the right, move over.

One other thing, when there moderately heavy traffic on a multi lane road and you have your turn/exit coming up get over well ahead of time. Quit being the jackwagon that slows every body up getting over two lanes at the last minute to make your exit.

I know there's thousand of people that read here, and don't post that much. Considering how we have roughly 1 in 5 drivers that cause a large percentage of traffic problems, I'd sure like to hear some of them chip in on this thread and explain why there attitudes are such that they don't care about traffic flow when they drive? There has to be somebody reading that sees themselves in this thread?

 

[11Charlie]

I am usually in the left lane. When I say usually I mean all the time. With that said I am ALWAYS going faster than the flow of traffic if for some reason someone comes up behind me I move over. If the freeway is empty I move over.

On a second note what the hell is with people NOT accelerating on the on ramp! For god sake its designed so that you can be at speed when you reach the freeway so that you don't slow things down!!

 

[DirectDrive]

So here's the rule, MY rule. If you are in the far left lane with no one close in front of you, and going the same speed as the cars in the lane to the right, move over.

One other thing, when there moderately heavy traffic on a multi lane road and you have your turn/exit coming up get over well ahead of time. Quit being the jackwagon that slows every body up getting over two lanes at the last minute to make your exit.

I know there's thousand of people that read here, and don't post that much. Considering how we have roughly 1 in 5 drivers that cause a large percentage of traffic problems, I'd sure like to hear some of them chip in on this thread and explain why there attitudes are such that they don't care about traffic flow when they drive? There has to be somebody reading that sees themselves in this thread?

Mikej for State of Oregon Traffic Czar !

Passing lane (under normal conditions) is for passing.
Don't loiter in the passing lane.

 

[IronMonster]

I think many of you simply fail to grasp the severity and frequency of this "left lane driver" issue. If you live in a rural area or only use the freeway occasionally it probably is not a very visible thing.

When I lived in Washington I drove on I5/Hwy18 roughly 300 miles a week... thats 1200 miles a month, Just getting back and forth to my shop. Now I drive fast as many people who spend lots of time on the freeway do. Not crazy fast but usually 70-75 in a 60 which if we are honestly is typical traffic speeds for the area of freeway I am talking bout.

Now as a general rule I stay right. NOT because of any law or rules of the road but simply because I can almost always drive FASTER in the right lanes than I can the left because of people camped out in the left lanes. People tend to get on the freeway AND MOVE LEFT even if no one is in the lane in front of them. Time and time again I see people merge onto the freeway and even if there are no vehicles in front of them they simply move to the left lanes. Coming up the Hwy 18 hill into Federal Way is the worst. There will be people going 40 MPH in the left lane with no one in the right.

I one time going home could see 10 vehicles in front of me on I5 in the evening. We are talking about a 10 lane freeway, 5 each direction. ALL OF THEM were in the far left lane.

For some reason we have instilled in people that the left lane is the "fast" lane... No matter what speed they are traveling they want to be in the "fast" lane. Or we simply have trained people somehow to cruise in the left lane.

The people who merge at 35 on to the freeway are a close second in aggravation but the people who move left when there are no one in front of them still are my number one pet peeve on the road.

Not so much since I moved but I used to put on a lot of freeway miles, I judge people based on how they drive, how considerate they are of others and if they understand and follow the "rules of the road". I am a respectful and considerate driver (I grew up in a small Idaho town, I think its just par) If you have any awareness of your surroundings and a basic compassion for your fellow driver we will get along on the road just fine. HOWEVER if you race up and cut people off who are waiting to merge, move to the left lane when there are no cars in front of you, merge on to the freeway at 35MPH, not move over when someone faster comes up behind you.... Well I mentally write you off as part of the human race on the spot.

 

[DirectDrive]

I think many of you simply fail to grasp the severity and frequency of this "left lane driver" issue.

I wouldn't say that.
I think that most in this thread understand what the inside lane is for.

What gets me is when someone comes into a thread like this and declares...
"I'm running the inside lane because the outside lane is too rough."
Now this person has made a conscious decision to loiter in the passing lane and deserves a nice, fat ticket.

 

[IronMonster]

I wouldn't say that.
I think that most in this thread understand what the inside lane is for.

What gets me is when someone comes into a thread like this and declares...
"I'm running the inside lane because the outside lane is too rough."
Now this person has made a conscious decision to loiter in the passing lane and deserves a nice, fat ticket.

I think they think they understand, but unless you spend 10 hours a week on a freeway I don't they they fully grasp the magnitude of the problem. I am not saying they personally are a problem, Im saying they don't see how big the problem is because they are not out there dealing with it every day, day in and day out, so they think 'yeah, so what if someone drives in the left lane"

I am not trying to put anyone down..... But I can tell you for a decade this was largely the bain of my existence and the reason I eventually moved out of the Seattle area. Traffic pushed me out, plain and simple. I no longer was willing to spend a couple hours a day on the road with people with no consideration for others.

Now I can walk to work, If traffic is held up its most likely a heard of sheep on the road or someone moving a combine...

Much, much better

 

[11Charlie]

I get it and totally agree with you iron and think that most of us do.

When I say that I am in the left lane most of the time it is because I am going faster than the flow of traffic and always move over when I can or traffic allows me to. I always tell my wife that I would rather drive long distances at night just because there is less people on the road and its usually safer.

When your stuck in traffic and everyone is doing 15-30 miles an hour I usually try to stay in one of the outer lanes. I do that so I have an escape route. If sh!t goes sideways I want a shoulder to drive on so that I can get my family to safety. If your in the middle lane in that situation then your stuck with all the other people trapped on the freeway. Not a good scenario.

 

[DirectDrive]

I had a job in Bellevue a few years back.
Selfish drivers everywhere.
Could not live up there.