What is your threshold for passing on the right?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by look 171

Seriously, how many time have you flips your light and the person even notices? For us out here, its less then 1/4 of the people even notices. Weather they move is another story.

You can't just give em a quick flash or two.

You need to start 20 car lengths back and flash em manically so you look like the POPO lighting them up.

[flatbutt]

I pass on the right all the time.

[T77911S]

if i can go around then i just around and dont worry about it.

what gets me is someone driving slow in the right lane THEN changing lanes to the left just to change lanes, or like someone just did to me when i was in the right lane with a 6k pound trailer.
instead of getting behind me they speed up and jump in FRONT of me just to then put their brakes on and turn right.

im not going to sit behind someone in the left lane waiting on them to move over if the right is clear.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Houston has the worst drivers. I have wanted it to be New York, New Jersey or California. But it is Houston...

I would agree. 20+ years ago, I spent several months traveling for work. I hit everything from LA to Seattle/Everett to Miami/South Beach and then to Boston and everything in between (2-3 cities per week for 6 months). I was warned that Boston had the worst drivers. I was appalled by the traffic in Atlanta and Plano. What I decided after all of that was that Houston was THE WORST by far. New Jersey is fubar, but it's the roads, not the drivers. Boston has great drivers but the roads are even worse than NJ (I remember 6 toll booths going to 2 lanes in what seemed like 100' before you were driving in a tunnel underwater).

Houston has the best roads, feeders everywhere, U-turn lanes under most over passes, everything is 3-5 lanes wide in each direction. The lanes are all really wide. I think that's the problem, that and I suspect 25% of the drivers are illegal (no DL) and don't really know the rules. Because everything is wide and straight, people feel comfortable driving without paying attention, and feel free to do whatever they want.

[drkshdw]

Very rarely. In Michigan we have two speeds...slightly over the speed limit and Chicago style. There is no in between. If you're driving Chicago style then you pass on the left, the right, the right shoulder and then if nothing else is available, the left shoulder. In extreme cases like stopped traffic then you can drive on the grass to the right of the shoulder to get around everyone. Motorcyclists have the added benefit of passing down the center line.

[GH85Carrera]

Having driven is over in over 44 states each area has crazy drivers. In Florida, everyone, and I mean everyone is in the left lane. There were times the right lane was wide open for a mile and still everyone was in the left lane. I was in the right lane with my radar detector screaming as 5 different SUVs were flying along at 90 in the left lane, and the rolled right past a state trooper, and he just sat there. I guessed the speed limit must be more than 90 to get pulled over.

On my recent trip to PA on the many turnpikes again the speed limet appeared to be 90, and the left lane was full of drivers that never moved over.

Oklahoma actually has a law on the books that it is illegal to impend the traffic in the left lane. I was on a trip up the Turner Turnpike and the speed limit is 75. A car in the left lane was going 76 or so. I saw a trooper coming up behind me, so I moved over to the right lane. The trooper pulled up behind the left lane squatter for 3/4 of a mile. He turned on his lights and pulled him over. I hope he gave a ticket for impeding traffic. There are signs regularly that say do not impede the left lane, and to keep right except to pass.

Trucks in the left lane are the worst in most states. They take 3 or 4 miles to get past the truck in the right lane.

[450knotOffice]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Trucks in the left lane are the worst in most states. They take 3 or 4 miles to get past the truck in the right lane.

THAT, right there, annoys me to no end. You get one truck doing 65 and the other doing 66, and the guy doing 66 will take at least a couple of miles - maybe 4 or 5 if there are multiple trucks he's "passing" - to move back over. in the mean time, he's got a string of twenty cars or more behind him. Why the guys going 65 don't just back it off slightly when they're being passed by another semi - to hasten things along for the rest of the crowd behind - or the guys doing 66 don't just slow up a 1 or 2 mph and get in line is beyond me.

[GG Allin]

Just spent a few hours on the road in Wisconsin last week. There, the right lane is wide open. The right lane is the fast lane. It's quite a sight to see.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by GothingNC

Meanwhile when I was driving in TN yesterday I spotted a Trooper get behind a left lane camper and lit them up to move to the right :-)

That makes me smile.

I will flash the headlights and give them a moment to wake up but after that its pass on the right. To be safe, I will give a quick honk of the horn " beep beep" as I am almost along side them so they don't suddenly remember to move over.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Oklahoma actually has a law on the books that it is illegal to impend the traffic in the left lane. I was on a trip up the Turner Turnpike and the speed limit is 75. A car in the left lane was going 76 or so. I saw a trooper coming up behind me, so I moved over to the right lane. The trooper pulled up behind the left lane squatter for 3/4 of a mile. He turned on his lights and pulled him over. I hope he gave a ticket for impeding traffic. There are signs regularly that say do not impede the left lane, and to keep right except to pass.

Trucks in the left lane are the worst in most states. They take 3 or 4 miles to get past the truck in the right lane.

I think a lot of places have a similar law, it's just often not enforced. In FL you'll seen "Slower Traffic Keep Right" signs.

I drive I-10 west of Houston a lot. 2 lanes each way (being expanded to 3). We get a lot of drag racing semis. One semi going 70, and another pulls out to pass at 70.25. Speed Limit is mostly 75 Traffic is mostly 75-80 (I'm usually at 82-83) and the few others that are running 85-100.

[Tobra]

You ought to see what I45 North of Huntsville looks like on a Friday evening. Like a race track

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Oklahoma actually has a law on the books that it is illegal to impend the traffic in the left lane.

Pretty sure this is the case in every state

[matthewb0051]

I try hard to not pass on the right. Way too dangerous. A few days ago I was moving over to the right when some knucklehead came from my left and behind to the same spot I was moving to. I saw it coming so avoided the crash that they were trying to cause.

I have to take I-10 to get into town most days. It's about 5 lanes wide on both sides and 65mph, IN TOWN. Should be 55. I swear, people are going 75 and 80. Cops work it pretty hard but aren't there every day.

The thing I see that is the most dangerous is the folks going faster than the rest of traffic and changing multiple lanes at one time. Literally 3 or 4 lanes at once then back again. It seems to be a phenomenon here, and Dallas, Houston, and around DC. I'm sure there are others but that's just what I've seen.

As for worst drivers, I've lived in DC, Ohio, Hawaii, and a bunch of other places. They all have their proclivities but Hawaii is pretty bad and there is no where to go on the H-1. Rules really don't apply and if you just hang a shaka out the window then all of your bad driving is supposed to be excused.

Give me Germany any day. Unmarked police cars that nick you for being in passing lane too long or passing them on right.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by drkshdw

Very rarely. In Michigan we have two speeds...slightly over the speed limit and Chicago style. There is no in between. If you're driving Chicago style then you pass on the left, the right, the right shoulder and then if nothing else is available, the left shoulder. In extreme cases like stopped traffic then you can drive on the grass to the right of the shoulder to get around everyone. Motorcyclists have the added benefit of passing down the center line.

When I attended the USGP at the brickyard in 2000 (the year it started back up), I flew into Detroit as a guest of my friend Steve Shanks and then we drove down in his BMW. His son and another buddy also came along. It was a fantastic time.

I'll never forget Steve mentioning the difference in Indiana drivers and Michigan drivers as we traversed between the two states.

He was right - the Michigan drivers had their act together more than those Hoosiers!

[look 171]

Originally Posted by 450knotOffice

THAT, right there, annoys me to no end. You get one truck doing 65 and the other doing 66, and the guy doing 66 will take at least a couple of miles - maybe 4 or 5 if there are multiple trucks he's "passing" - to move back over. in the mean time, he's got a string of twenty cars or more behind him. Why the guys going 65 don't just back it off slightly when they're being passed by another semi - to hasten things along for the rest of the crowd behind - or the guys doing 66 don't just slow up a 1 or 2 mph and get in line is beyond me.

Yap, typical delivery truck drivers. They just roll along at 55 on the #1 or 2 lane while the other truck is doing the same speed in the next three lanes right of him. You flip high beams, he looks at you and flips you the bird. No one is wrong anymore.

Hey when did you skip town on me? Just noticed you are in FL. Did you retired from doing 450 knot in the front office?

Jeff

[look 171]

One thing I have noticed around here, lot os drivers are doing 85-90 on the fwy. mostly in their Dodge and such. Too fast while all trucks are doing 50-55, truck limit.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by 450knotOffice

Why the guys going 65 don't just back it off slightly when they're being passed by another semi - to hasten things along for the rest of the crowd behind - or the guys doing 66 don't just slow up a 1 or 2 mph and get in line is beyond me.

Doing either one of those "slow ups" means the loss of your man card. Can't have that.

[T77911S]

ha,
just yesterday i goto pass someone in the left and the Ahole speeds up as i get along side him.
once i pass he slows back down. fair amount of traffic so he was holding up others as well.

i figure either people are Aholes or just stupid and "sidel". thats what i call someone that unintentionally matches the speed of the person next to them.


so this morning i jump into a "turn" lane that is very very long to go straight. everyone uses it to go straight and change lanes later.
i was going to get behind the guy next to me but he "hovers next to me, even as i slow a little. . so i put the pedal down and he did too. i start to run out of lane so i just moved over anyway. i was about a car length ahead. by this time im doing 70 in a 55. he then of course slows down.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by T77911S

ha,
just yesterday i goto pass someone in the left and the Ahole speeds up as i get along side him.
once i pass he slows back down. fair amount of traffic so he was holding up others as well.

i figure either people are Aholes or just stupid and "sidel". thats what i call someone that unintentionally matches the speed of the person next to them.


so this morning i jump into a "turn" lane that is very very long to go straight. everyone uses it to go straight and change lanes later.
i was going to get behind the guy next to me but he "hovers next to me, even as i slow a little. . so i put the pedal down and he did too. i start to run out of lane so i just moved over anyway. i was about a car length ahead. by this time im doing 70 in a 55. he then of course slows down.

I've observed the same behavior. I think that 99% of the time you're running into "sidel" people. You pull along side and they match your speed (may or may not even realize). If you are passing really slowly most will do that. Often if you give it a bit more juice, they don't match a higher rate of acceleration and give up once you are past. Although I have had folks that would accelerate more, probably more consciously trying to keep from being passed, but my experience is that they also won't "really" commit to it (again, give it a bit more juice and get past them and they drop back down (give up). I do remember one specific guy many years ago, that was willing to completely commit, but I think it was more him having "fun."

I drive on the Interstate frequently these days, and I almost always use cruise. This is another reason why I think most of the folks that you run into are "sidel" folks. While I'm on cruise, there are folks that might be going 3-5mph faster, they'll come along side, and then while along side or 1/2-1 car length ahead, they then slow down and match speed. And I really hate that, if we're on the Interstate and it's not bumper to bumper traffic then we shouldn't be that close together. Most of the time I'll either try to accelerate or slow down a bit to increase distance. If I do that and they still end up yo-yoing back and forth so that they keep coming along side, I'll eventually pull into the left lane and camp ahead of them. Those folks that aren't paying attention will often then just hand behind you forever. I hate that, but I can eventually get away from them by passing another car which has the effect of switching them from being stuck to me to stuck to someone else.

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by look 171

less then 2 seconds

even less than this, they get zero chance, if they are in the left lane, and I am traveling faster than them , I initiate a pass.
Far too many of them to even give a chance anymore . I always maintain a safe distance and use signals .

[masraum]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

even less than this, they get zero chance, if they are in the left lane, and I am traveling faster than them , I initiate a pass.
Far too many of them to even give a chance anymore . I always maintain a safe distance and use signals .

Exactly