WA vs Left Lane Drivers

[Mikej]

This recent term, probably led to this recent legislation, either due to more public awareness or more info gathered about accidents arrising from it.

Laugh-out-loud! He said public AWARENESS!
Spending the majority of my driving miles in the Willamette Valley...... LOL

 

[IronMonster]

I know many of you are not facebook folks. I am. I post a lot there.

This is something I wrote and posted just a few days ago after a particularly trying drive home from the shop.



A public service announcement from your uncle Larr.

There seems to be a lack of understanding about what is expected and lawful regarding operating a motor vehicle on a multiple lane freeway.

The following are a few basic suggestions to explain what you should do in some common situations.

First, An on-ramp is just what the name implies. At the end of an on-ramp there is a freeway on which cars will be traveling at roughly 60 MPH depending on conditions and posted limits. You should use the on-ramp to accelerate to what you anticipate the traffic will bear to ensure you can merge smoothly with traffic flow. It is your responsibility to merge in a safe manor which does not impede other travelers. People on the freeway are under no obligation or requirement to let you merge (law, not opinion) It is solely your responsibility, do not expect others to make room for you or slow to let you enter.

After you have entered the freeway if there is no one in front of you continue at speed in the farthest right lane. If there is no one in front of you there is no reason to move to the left and if fact most places the law requires you to keep right except to pass. If you close the distance between you and the car ahead move to the left well before you would overtake the other traveler and once the right lane is again clear move to the right and repeat as necessary. Under no circumstances is it proper to move to the farthest left lane except to pass a slower vehicle.

Some freeways have a carpool lane. The carpool lane is a special exception. If you have the required number of travelers or paid pass to utilize the carpool lane you may enter and proceed. However if there is no traffic and you wish to travel at the posted limit or below please simply keep to the right and follow standard etiquette allowing faster motorists to utilize lanes to the left.

When you wish to exit the freeway move to the right well before your exit. If there is a fellow traveler already in the right lane and your exit is near slow and pull behind the other car. Do not speed up and move over in front of the car in the right lane forcing it to slow as you exit.

Lets review

If there is no one in front of you, you should be in the far right hand lane. If you need to overtake a slower vehicle move left and when it is safe to do so move back to the right. There may be times when significant traffic is present and it is not practical to move over each time you overtake a vehicle. In this situation stay in the farthest right lane that is traveling at the speed you wish to travel.

If for any reason you find yourself in any lane but the farthest to the right with no one in front of you but a car behind you immediately move to the right allowing the faster traffic to pass.

If there is no one in front of you there is no reason for you to move to a lane to the left. The exception would be to be courteous to merging traffic or there is emergency or stalled vehicles on the shoulder but once past these it is again proper to use the farthest right unimpeded lane.

I hope this information has been helpful. Please follow these simple suggestions so you do not seem like such a bubbleguming prick to those of us who actually try to be courteous and respectful drivers.

Sincerely your uncle Larr.

 

[308]

O

Would that be the guy you're supposed to swap company car license plates with, because someone gave you both the wrong plates?


LOL!

Tell BLEE I said hello...lol

 

[Mikej]

I know many of you are not facebook folks. I am. I post a lot there.

This is something I wrote and posted just a few days ago after a particularly trying drive home from the shop.



A public service announcement from your uncle Larr.

There seems to be a lack of understanding about what is expected and lawful regarding operating a motor vehicle on a multiple lane freeway.

The following are a few basic suggestions to explain what you should do in some common situations.

First, An on-ramp is just what the name implies. At the end of an on-ramp there is a freeway on which cars will be traveling at roughly 60 MPH depending on conditions and posted limits. You should use the on-ramp to accelerate to what you anticipate the traffic will bear to ensure you can merge smoothly with traffic flow. It is your responsibility to merge in a safe manor which does not impede other travelers. People on the freeway are under no obligation or requirement to let you merge (law, not opinion) It is solely your responsibility, do not expect others to make room for you or slow to let you enter.

After you have entered the freeway if there is no one in front of you continue at speed in the farthest right lane. If there is no one in front of you there is no reason to move to the left and if fact most places the law requires you to keep right except to pass. If you close the distance between you and the car ahead move to the left well before you would overtake the other traveler and once the right lane is again clear move to the right and repeat as necessary. Under no circumstances is it proper to move to the farthest left lane except to pass a slower vehicle.

Some freeways have a carpool lane. The carpool lane is a special exception. If you have the required number of travelers or paid pass to utilize the carpool lane you may enter and proceed. However if there is no traffic and you wish to travel at the posted limit or below please simply keep to the right and follow standard etiquette allowing faster motorists to utilize lanes to the left.

When you wish to exit the freeway move to the right well before your exit. If there is a fellow traveler already in the right lane and your exit is near slow and pull behind the other car. Do not speed up and move over in front of the car in the right lane forcing it to slow as you exit.

Lets review

If there is no one in front of you, you should be in the far right hand lane. If you need to overtake a slower vehicle move left and when it is safe to do so move back to the right. There may be times when significant traffic is present and it is not practical to move over each time you overtake a vehicle. In this situation stay in the farthest right lane that is traveling at the speed you wish to travel.

If for any reason you find yourself in any lane but the farthest to the right with no one in front of you but a car behind you immediately move to the right allowing the faster traffic to pass.

If there is no one in front of you there is no reason for you to move to a lane to the left. The exception would be to be courteous to merging traffic or there is emergency or stalled vehicles on the shoulder but once past these it is again proper to use the farthest right unimpeded lane.

I hope this information has been helpful. Please follow these simple suggestions so you do not seem like such a bubbleguming prick to those of us who actually try to be courteous and respectful drivers.

Sincerely your uncle Larr.

That's a fine public service announcement there IronMonster! Now you need to translate it in to 4 or 5 different languages for those drivers that don't have English as a first language.

 

[PBinWA]

All you Oregon people that claim your drivers are better are totally off base. NW drivers in general are terrible. I haven't seen any difference between OR or WA. Left lane hogs are everywhere.

 

[eightyeight mag]

All you Oregon people that claim your drivers are better are totally off base. NW drivers in general are terrible. I haven't seen any difference between OR or WA. Left lane hogs are everywhere.

Probably due to the fact that half the drivers are from California

 

[rdb241]

If for any reason you find yourself in any lane but the farthest to the right with no one in front of you but a car behind you immediately move to the right allowing the faster traffic to pass.

If I am already breaking the speed limit in the left lane and a car comes up from behind and wants to go faster than I already am driving. I am not moving over. If they are in such a big hurry then they can go around me. I have been driving 70 in a 60 and somebody comes up on me at 80, that's there problem to get around me. I am an old timer that believes the very best way to move traffic at anytime of day, you utilize ALL lanes of traffic to get as much cars through as possible. The right lane thing is BS in my book. It is only mainly there for LEO's to travel what ever speed they feel like, and it is always faster than the posted speed limit.

 

[rdb241]

First, An on-ramp is just what the name implies. At the end of an on-ramp there is a freeway on which cars will be traveling at roughly 60 MPH depending on conditions and posted limits. You should use the on-ramp to accelerate to what you anticipate the traffic will bear to ensure you can merge smoothly with traffic flow. It is your responsibility to merge in a safe manor which does not impede other travelers. People on the freeway are under no obligation or requirement to let you merge (law, not opinion) It is solely your responsibility, do not expect others to make room for you or slow to let you enter.

Now this point I 100% agree with. Most people in Washington do not realize or have not seen the "Yield" sign on every on-ramp to every freeway in the state. The people that are driving on the freeway at speed should not have to alter there speed just so you may merge. It is your obligation to either speed up or slow down to merge safely. It is not my responsibilty to alter my speed to allow you to merge.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

People drive like they think. I'm convinced that is true.

That's for sure, 308! A couple of times I mentioned to slo-mo's that, "If you fight like you drive, you'd better turn around and remove yourself!"
Never been one to suffer idiots, though, these days I must!

 

[IronMonster]

If I am already breaking the speed limit in the left lane and a car comes up from behind and wants to go faster than I already am driving. I am not moving over. If they are in such a big hurry then they can go around me. I have been driving 70 in a 60 and somebody comes up on me at 80, that's there problem to get around me. I am an old timer that believes the very best way to move traffic at anytime of day, you utilize ALL lanes of traffic to get as much cars through as possible. The right lane thing is BS in my book. It is only mainly there for LEO's to travel what ever speed they feel like, and it is always faster than the posted speed limit.

You are breaking the law and part of the problem. The left lane is for passing and passing only. It is spelled out clearly in the law. You do not get to be judge and jury when it comes to deciding what speed other people should drive and under no circumstances is it justified to simply drive in the passing lane


You may not agree with it, but the law is clear and you're on the wrong side of it

 

[2A2Dend]

Most problems on the highway come from drivers that disregard what they learned in drivers ed. They get their license and toss all that knowledge and common sense in the trash. They think they own the road. We're ALL guilty of it. And if you say you are not, you're full of yourself.
WSP and OSP (any state) has their hands tied and is under-staffed IMO, and if they had the man-power to enforce what we all learned as teens, I suspect every driver on the road would get a ticket. Wanna ride my a$$ when I'm already going five over the posted speed limit, I won't be moving. GO AROUND.
Everyone is in a big GD hurry to play metal accordion. Add that to EVERYONE that has a smart phone. Makes me wonder if they are sending text while knocking off a piece.

OSP/WSP, like all other LEO, have dash cams. I do myself as a citizen. I would GLADLY volunteer my dashboard as placement of a state donated dash cam that records the asshatz that drive like idiots. Can you imagine? I just recorded that. The portion of the video just self-uploaded to OSP/WSP and you have been placed in a category of un-safe aggressive drivers. STRIKE ONE. You'd never know you just got recorded for being an idiot. A few tickets in the mail and you could lose your license

 

[rdb241]

You are breaking the law and part of the problem. The left lane is for passing and passing only. It is spelled out clearly in the law. You do not get to be judge and jury when it comes to deciding what speed other people should drive and under no circumstances is it justified to simply drive in the passing lane


You may not agree with it, but the law is clear and you're on the wrong side of it

"OH Well".............your right I am a premeditated left lane murderer with no malice for anybody else on the road. Thanx for clearing that up for everybody.........

 

[IronMonster]

Hey man, it's nothing personal but it only takes a few like you who think the rules don't apply to them to fowl up the whole works. It's faster and safer for everyone, and the right thing, just to move over as the law states

 

[308]

Funny how some say their speed above the posted limit is the line in the sand, but someone else's is speeding...troublemaking and due to that, they need to be punished by cock blocking the left lane. It almost sounds like the Fudd version of driving.

 

[rdb241]

Nobody ever said that anybody was intentionally blocking the left lane because of a personal speed limit.

 

[rdb241]

Hey man, it's nothing personal but it only takes a few like you who think the rules don't apply to them to fowl up the whole works. It's faster and safer for everyone, and the right thing, just to move over as the law states

It is faster and safer to utilize ALL lanes of traffic to there fullest.

 

[308]

Nobody ever said that anybody was intentionally blocking the left lane because of a personal speed limit.

Post 12 & 31 for example

 

[eightyeight mag]

Ok so we can agree that the left lane is for passing and that people who clog it up for miles at a time should get a ticket.

Now lets just make sure we also ticket the iceholes who tailgate and speed all the time too

 

[2A2Dend]

Post 12 & 31 for example

I made no mention I was in the far left lane

 

[rdb241]

Post 12 & 31 for example

I never said I was intentionally blocking the lane with some sort of agenda. I did make the comment that I am not moving over you can go around. But I am not in the left lane to intentionally block anybody. All I am doing is trying to get to work as expeditiously as possible.