Blocking the left lane vs. speeding conundrum
 

Michigan's left lane hogs have been at this for decades, despite signage and enforcement | MLive.com
"Since 2012, the Michigan State Police have issued 6,090 tickets for improper lane use,"

The left lane moves at 80-90mph usually.
Speeding is strictly against the law. Ok.
But when is it justified?
Whenever there is a car behind.

The law seems to contradict itself in this matter.

(Typing this with a bit of irony, only because one of the few speeding tickets I ever received was back in N.Y. when an unmarked cop car pulled up and proceeded to tailgate the piss out of me while passing a slower semi. I was forced to speed.)

You're missing the point. You are not supposed to speed when a car is tailgating you, (nor are you legally allowed to). You're supposed to move the fk over to the right and let them pass. :)

It is never alright to park yourself in the left lane. It's for safe passing. I'm about to drive x-country again in about a week and it will be made less safe by people who do not know the rules of the road, specifically lane laws and that slower traffic is supposed to stay to the right. It is never ok to use your vehicle as a blocking device or enforce the speed limit with your rear bumper.

Exactly. But sometimes when you're in the left lane passing a long line of vehicles, there's no place to safely move over for the tailgater. I don't believe one should squeeze into a spot that's only 3-5 car lengths when everyone is going 70+.

Nor will I. And don't whip out the tired, old "maybe the guy is taking someone to the hospital" BS. If he comes into view with his flashers on, sure... but I won't make an unsafe merge otherwise.

One thing I've done when this situation has come up is put my right turn indicator on. That accomplishes two things; it lets people in the right lane know you're looking for room and it lets the tailgater know you're aware he wants to get by.

It is also never ok to use your vehicle as an intimidation device and try to force another driver to do something illegal or unsafe with your front bumper.

The worst offenders I know of for camping in the left lane are people from Fla. If someone is doing the speed limit in the left lane they are usually getting passed on the right, I just don't understand how people can be so ignorant. I love the ones that are parked in the left lane when there is no one else around so that when you come up on them from behind you have to pass them on the right. People suck

You should come drive in Fla, the worst ones here are from out of state. ;)

More then likely with Va. tags, drivers here really are oblivious to anything other then themselves

Don't think that is state specific. Many of the divided highways here even have signs posted: "Left Lane for Passing Only" and it is very common to see someone tooling along at 65 MPH in the left hand land in a 75 MPH zone... blocking traffic and totally oblivious.

...that have retired to FL. Blue-haired old ladies, camping in the left lane, flipping you off when you flash your lights to wake them up.

AMEN BROTHER! Few things in life annoy me more than people that camp out in the left lane.

OK and TX are terrible. I hate driving to TX, everything from OKC south is dickheads camping in the left lane. I'm spoiled living in KS, the traffic is generally light and the people are polite. Typically when I encounter it in KS, it's somebody with OK or TX tags.:cool:

It gets really bad here during spring break, and also in the summer. Usually it's a bunch of a$$wipes with Kansas plates hauling a bunch of kids in a van, or someone towing their fifth wheel down road at 55.

Here in the NY/NJ metro zone, sadly I often find that I do the majority of my passing in the right lane because the vast majority of people do not respect the "keep right except to pass" rule. The right lane is the "fast lane" around here.

Its common to see someone enter the highway from an on-ramp, and then cross over 3 lanes so they can travel at or below the limit in the far left lane. I think people avoid the far right lane because that's where all the entering/exiting traffic is. Not a legit excuse, but I believe that is the root cause of the annoying phenomenon.

Indiana just passed a new law - $500 ticket if you're sitting in the left lane blocking traffic. Man, I hope this spreads nationwide.

Maryland drivers are the worst.

It seems to me that the worst offenders of left lane banditry are the big SUVs that have some self important, big ego business men that believe the laws of the highways don't apply to them.

From personal observations on a recent trip, I had 3 separate and unrelated black chevy Tahoe/suburbans tailgate me to within one car length at 73 mph (my cruise control speed) that I took 10 seconds longer than they deemed necessary to pass a slower moving semi truck.

These idiots were probably pounding on their steering wheel while yelling at me "don't you know who and how important I am, get out my way".

It boils down to every man for himself on the highway.

I tend to drive without emotion - I have no problem passing on the right and do not hesitate anymore.

I deal in physics.

Always use your turn signals and like the commercials says....just do it.

In NJ, it is illegal to tailgate. It is also illegal to pass on the right. However, tailgating is significantly more dangerous than passing on the right with care.

There are two speeds allowed in the fast lane in my book - go fast, or get out of the way. :)

If I get behind a slow poke in the fast lane, but there is a line of cars that prevent him or her from merging over, I will ease up, as long as they are accelerating with the assumed reason being to get ahead of the line of cars. Once they are pat the cars, if they don't merg (when there is clearly enough room to do so) - I will pass on the right.

Go fast, or get out of the way. You got a problem wit dat?
-Z

Oh, you've been to MI I see? :D

I'll add that they typically are "posing" whilst driving. You know the type, left hand on the top of the steering wheel, leaning to the passenger's side, like they are contemplating how instill world peace.

I69 in MI is 2 lanes in many places and it is a major truck route. It's easy to get stuck behind a line of semi trucks. I do my best to get in the passing lane and get around as soon as possible. When I get behind a left lane hog I don't tailgate but if they do not move over I will give a headlight flash to wake them up. I think passing on the right is not always the safest move.

I think a huge part of the problem is inadequate driver training / licensing. I suspect many of these clueless drivers have no idea they are clueless. The driving test here in NY hasn't changed in too many years. It should include driving on an expressway. If you can't use the on/off ramps appropriately and demonstrate proper etiquette on the highway (including lane discipline), then NO license .. Of course this will probably never happen ..

Technically, I think that it's already illegal to not allow someone to pass on the left everywhere. You are supposed to move to the right if possible and let them by. If you are camped-out in the left lane and suddenly cars are tailgating you but there is no room to move over, guess what? It's your fault. You should not have been parked in the left lane to start with. It's for passing.

If you are legitimately passing some trucks or slower traffic and someone is tailgating you while you're doing it, screw them. Let them wait. Watch how the semi tractor trailers drive out on the road. That is how everyone should drive. It could not be more simple. It's perfectly legit to move over to the left momentarily to let someone in from an entrance ramp.

If everyone followed this simple rule on the highway, and drove in a courteous manner, (the two are related), accidents would be nearly non-existent. If you just follow them yourself, the odds go way up in your favor. The interstate highway system is really boring to drive on for the most part but can at least be safe and relaxing. Even my chances of nailing a deer go way down because I'm usually in the right lane behind a bunch of semis or passing them with a rolling wall of tonnage along side me. :cool:

Worst offenders
 

I've never seen anything like the drivers from Washington. Oblivious.

LOL, we both know that's not true. Slow old people from KS putt down the road in the right lane and pull on the shoulder so you can pass. And occasionally drive down the wrong way of a divided highway, but they'll be in the right lane!

Actually rural TX and OK people are polite too. It's more a big city and interstate thing. The denser the population the more a-holes you find.

Amen. People here can't drive for crap. At least in Houston, I think there is a combination of reasons (first and foremost, crappy training/education/testing). Another big one is that it seems like all of the roads here are huge with several, wide lanes in both directions, so if you're a moron, there's plenty of room for folks to go around you or give you space so you don't hit them.

Same here, we don't, at least in Houston, have any "slower traffic keep right" signs. Those are all over in FL.

That kills me. I've often wondered what causes so many people to want to drive in the left lane regardless of what's going on around them. I suspect a big part of it is that they feel safe. There are no cars on the driver's side of the car so they feel safe.
Yep. I pass where ever there's space.
I wonder about the whole "illegal to pass on the right" thing. I'd heard that for years. Finally, a few years ago, I checked here in Texas. Based on the way I read the laws, yes, it's illegal to pass on the right when you're passing on the shoulder. As far as I can tell, if there are 3 forward lanes, you can legally pass in any of those 3. It's only when you are on a road that has only a single lane going the direction that you are going that you aren't allowed to pass on the right because you would be passing on the shoulder, and that needs to be open for cars to pull into in case of an emergency. I don't think the law, at least here in Texas, is quite as iron clad as everyone seems to think.

More than anything else, this is the real root of the problem. You've got lots of folks who drive like crap, and they are the parents that the kids are imprinting with. Besides, most folks learn how to pass the test, but then based on observation, think "that's now how it works in real life, so I'll drive like all of the other morons."

That's true. We've got a rule/law here in TX that if you are on a rural road with a large, hard shoulder going slow, and someone comes up behind you going faster, it's perfectly legal and expected that if you can safely do so, you move over onto the shoulder at speed and let the other car pass in the lane. The first time that happened to me I thought "WTH are they doing?!?" Then the missus told me it's the way it works. When I got my license swapped over, I read about it in the rule book.

In the past few years, MI has put up signs to "Stay Right unless Passing". I'm pretty sure they are being ignored.

On a 3 lane highway I typically run in the middle lane. I can go past the right lane turtles and the fast drivers can go by on the left without me in the way. This also allows more options if things go bad.

I drive down to SD from OC at least once a week. I try to leave early enough to avoid the 'bad' traffic. At that hour I rarely see people in the #1 lane unless passing. However during rush-hour I see people jockeying around lanes 2-4 just trying to get ahead. Pathetic.

Also, I set my cruise control and stay in the #2 lane unless passing. How is that so hard?

Exactly, when my dad was teaching me to drive, he told me the middle lane was the best because you could go right or left in an emergency, and if there are just two lanes the right lane is best because you can go to the right lane or shoulder.

I think there are so many misconceptions about the left lane that it is no wonder.

1) People taught that the left lane is called the fast lane ( versus the passing lane)
2) weaving versus moving over ( I drove with someone once who sat in left, criticizing the guy a few cars up for weaving in and out. The guy was not weaving, he was moving over to let the fast cars that passed us on the right pass him on the left before moving back over to pass another slower car ( likely trying to set an example),

Some people will never get it. I hate being a passenger

^^^^^^^^^I always assume that all their rear view mirrors are broken and they are in a neck cast as well^^^^^^^^^^^^

Another semi-related behavior that has been bugging the crap out of me, here in LA, is when I give people some (extra) room to change lanes and several seconds to move, but they don't. I have no tolerance for idiots and usually give a friendly hand signal http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/nono.gif or toot of the horn http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/ar15.gif at that point.

Welcome to the Land of Oblivion.

Around here, left land camping is the norm. The fastest lane is the right then squeeze in and out to get away from the TV watching drivers all over the road. I don't remember it being this bad 20 years ago or was I just weaving in and out of traffic too much to even noticed?

I noticed the limos are always doing about 3-5 miles under in the #1 land all the time. They drive for a living, so they should know better? No matter how many time you flip your lights or bang on your horn, they just wouldn't move. Same with the box trucks doing 55 in the #1 or 2 lanes all day long. These are 4-5 lane fwy.

It took me almost 50 years of driving to finally figure out how to avoid/ignore most of the crazy behavior described. (On I-80 through the Sierras, there are only 2 lanes .. the left for cars, and the chewed up-by-truck right lane.)

As those driving well over the speed limit tend to travel in small competitive packs, I let a group speed by, then fall in 70 yards behind, going just a bit slower. As the next pack creeps up, I move over to the right early, slow down slightly, and let the next pack by.

The fast packs force the lane-blockers to the right. I can usually squeak by before any slugs pull back into the left lane.

I've reduced my stress level, I don't add to anyone else's, I spend a minimal amount of time in the rough right lane, and I figure my chances of being involved in an accident are diminished by 50%.

I don't fault this method at all where the right lane is destroyed and there are only 2 lanes, as long as you're moving over to let faster traffic pass as you describe. I've done the same under the same circumstances. :cool:

interesting topic. A lot of it comes down to psychology. Typically I'll cruise along at 10-15 above in the middle lane or left / middle lane if it's a 4-lane road. That keeps me going at a reasonable clip yet unlikely to draw the ire of the popo (there's always some testosterone-laden douche who wants to roar past in the left lane doing 20 or 30 over - or more). I call it "chumming for cops" since they're always the ones to get popped. Anyway, that works 90% of the time. Of course there are situations when I need to overtake someone by briefly popping into the left lane but that's only occasionally.

If it's a two lane road and I happen to be in the left I'll usually defer to someone I see coming up faster (again, "cop chum"). If they're an asshat flashing their lights or who feels the "need" to ride my ass I'll often slow to exact the same speed as a semi in the right lane and sit there for a good few miles or until the jerk gets the hint and backs off. If I'm in the left going 10-15 faster than the vehicles in the right lane and I don't have a reasonable break to drift over without having to slam on my brakes or whatever then eff 'em if that's not fast enough. Too damn bad.

How's about people that drive 10 MPH under the limit? We took the 911 for a drive this afternoon and had this happen.

2 lane rural roadway(1lane N, 1 lane S), limit is 55MPH. I'm traveling at about 58 and I can see we are coming up on a slower vehicle. I slow down thinking maybe he is going to turn onto the upcoming side road. Nope, he just keeps putting along in his biga$$ Ferd pickup. We are now down to 40MPH. I figure the guy is either trying to be a dick or is just oblivious. I drop back so I can check traffic and make my pass safely. As I am moving back into the lane I see him and his passenger giving us the ol' birdie.

Yes, he is doing the gangsta lean to the middle!!

In my youth I may have met up with him asked why he was being such a douche but I had my daughter with me and am too old for fightin'.

POP--you run 10-15 OVER the limit?!!

I feel like a risk taker at anything over 5 over. Not to say that I never exceed the limit by more because I do, just not all of the time.

I do like to have a rabbit running out front like you for those times the mood strikes me, though. Had a guy in a new Caddy, all blacked out do that last week. He came along side the 911 in the fast lane(I was in the middle of the 3 lane section), paused for a moment(probably so that I could absorb his "coolness") and roared off. Sure enough, at the next major interchange there was a MSP car sitting. He didn't pull out but the Caddy sure slowed down after that. So much that I was almost caught up to him by time my exit arrived. SmileWavy

Yea in a 65 zone traffic will usually cruise around 75-80 so that works fine. Nobody (including cops) minds really - they want the bigger fish - the jerkoffs slaloming lanes or doing 90+. If you're not doing at least 70 you're being a frikkin freeway plug and ought to take the bus IMO

People going 10-15 mph over don't bother me a bit, what bothers me is being stuck in heavy traffic moving at the speed limit and having douchbags riding my ass (within 1 -2 car lengths) expecting me to get out of their way so they can run up to the next car and tailgate them until they move over. This is how those multi-car pileup happen.

Holiday traffic on a Friday afternoon is especially bad, because everyone wants to start the weekend RIGHT NOW. It's better to get there a few minutes late than not at all.

Nope Delaware and Maryland are worse. I swear everyone in those two states are dyslexic. They all drive in the left lane and pass on the right.

Here in NJ we call em "Left lane Dicks"

+1

Northbound traffic on Friday here is horrible, Sunday is the same because they are all busting a$$ to get home ASAP!

I avoid the highway at those times if at all possible. I know plenty of backroads so that usually isn't an issue.