Cracking down on slowpokes: Should California bust those who crawl in fast

[question everything]

Sunday, July 11, 2004

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer
North County Times

It is a scene repeated daily across the West, including Southern California. A driver pokes along in the fast lane, cars begin to stack up and road rage sets in. Some motorists vent frustration by flashing brights; others by flashing a distinctly human signal. Soon many take chances, trying to squeeze around to the front. It is a scenario that is both inherently dangerous and suffocating to traffic flow, transportation experts say.

And one that a Rocky Mountain state has an answer for. In the hopes of deflating the road rage that has been on the rise in their state, Colorado lawmakers are cracking down on slowpokes by hitting them in the pocketbook... A few months ago, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens signed into law a measure that bars motorists from driving in the left lane ---- known as the No. 1 lane ---- of a freeway or interstate unless they are passing vehicles traveling in the lane to the right. The law took effect July 1... The penalty for not obeying? A $42 ticket.

(snip)

In both California and Colorado, and in a number of other states, existing laws already require slower motorists to move right when approached from behind by faster vehicles, transportation officials say. The laws are built on the principle that freeways work most efficiently when fastest vehicles are on the left, slower vehicles are in the middle and slowest motorists drive right. But Arnold said those keep-right laws are rarely enforced because there has been no real teeth in the laws. For the first time, a penalty

(snip)

Contact staff writer Dave Downey at [phone], Ext. 2616, or [e-mail].

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/07/11/news/top_stories/16_51_077_10_04.prt

[section321]

1. I totally agree. Why do people go 55 in the fast lane? I don't get it.

I saw this magician/comedian from Oklahoma on Thursday night at the Magic Castle and he was joking about our fast lanes. He said "In Oklahoma, we just have two lanes: the fast one and the slow one. Here you have a bunch of lanes. And the fast one keeps changing. It always seems to be the one you're not in."

"And turn signals... in Oklahoma the turn signal means 'Hey, I gotta get over.' Whoa, not here. Here is means 'Not in front of me you don't'"

[happyslug]

2. Pennsylvania has had this law fro years

And it has been ineffective, enforcement is the key and enforcement of such a law is problematic. The reason for the problem is the question is someone passing someone else? If I am in the fast lane going 55mph and approaching a truck doing 50 I am passing him EVEN IF I AM BLOCKING CARS FROM PASSING ME WHEN SUCH CARS ARE GOING 65+.

Pennsylvania State Police officers are reluctant to ticket such people for than it becomes Judgment all. Is the driver staying to long in the passing lane, or is he maintaining "safe" distances between cars?

Now you may say, what about the lone car in the fast lane? The problem there is such a car is NOT the problem. People who come up on such a lone car can easily pass him or the right. The problem is heavy traffic and in such a situation Judges, Juries and Police Officers are going to give the driver the benefit of doubt as to what the driver believes is "safe".

Thus such laws are useless - only enforceable in situation where it does little good (The empty highway situation),useless other times.

[RamboLiberal]

10. PA law was actually passed just a few years ago

And IMHO is ineffective because except for an initial flurry of publicity when signed I don't think drivers know about.

Why doesn't Penndot put up signs about this? Instead we get big orange signs saying Watch out for inattentive driver, watch out for drunk drivers, targeted enforcement area, etc. We need signs saying left lane except passing is illegal and the fine.

What gets me fuming is what I call rolling roadblocks. Traffic going just below to just at speed limit in both lanes, with idiot in left lane, probably with cruise control on, not passing but staying abreast of right lane traffic for miles, and miles, and miles. Too often in Western PA area I end up behind these idiots on four lanes.

I like to travel the speed limit to maybe 5-10 mph over. I try to be a professional driver, go with the average speed of the traffic flow, use turn signals, stay in right lane except if passing (and I do mean passing-don't eat your lunch out in left lane), follow at safe distance and don't be the rabbit for the bear.

I call the PA law the stealth law. Not known about and rarely enforced.

[Warpy]

3. I've done that very rarely

because I drive an old pickup that won't do 75 and there is a left lane exit coming up. Otherwise, I cling to the slow lane.

I do know what you mean, it's usually some old darling with a hat pulled down to his ears with a turn signal on who does 45-50 for the entire distance he's traveling.

"Old men in hats, they slow the very turning of the earth"

I'd tell you who came up with that one, but I can't remember, think it might have been Mencken.

[Tsiyu]

4. If you are going to break the law, stay

in the left lane?

Sorry, but some people's idea of "poking along" is doing 70 in a 55. Try passing at 75mph a truck doing 60 and you will have all the speed freaks and gas guzzlers crawling your tail because you're not going 90. If the speed limit is 55, anyone going over that speed is committing a crime. Not the other way around.

Where the hell are you people going in such a freaking hurry? Spend some time in an emergency room and perhaps you'll have more respect for automobiles and speed. I get so freakin' tired of all the NASCAR wannabes...

[RC]

5. You don't wear a hat, do you?

Hands at 10 & 2...?

[Tsiyu]

8. No I drive around

with a carload of kids trying to keep the morans from climbing onto my tailgate because they think that aggression makes them drive better

[gardenista]

14. Had a guy in traffic school say just about the same thing

The teacher said that by blocking the passing lane for any reason, he makes himself one of the most hazardous drivers on the road. Anything that blocks the flow of passing traffic is a hazard, doesn't matter if that passing traffic is at 65 or 90.

I tend to agree. When anyone is going faster than me in the left lane, I get the heck out of the way. It only takes a few seconds to change lanes, let them pass, and get back into the passing lane at a reasonable speed.

Let them pass, and let the state troopers do the job of punishing the speeders.

[DBoon]

6. YES!

and should crack down on:

- Right turns from the left lane
- Left turns from the right lane
- Cell phone use in moving vehicles
- Blocking 2 lanes while attempting to turn
- Vehicles attempting to cross an intersection without a signal at rush hour, jamming traffic for blocks in either direction

[Lefty48197]

7. It doesn't make any difference in CA. All the highways move at about 8 mph

.

[question everything]

12. The irony is, we would drive the I-5 from San Diego north

and all the cars would line up on the fast lane, leaving the ones on the right - don't remember whether there are 3 or 4 lanes - open for others to just breeze through. But, noooo we were going to go fast and we were going to stick to the fast lane.

This is the source of too many laws, they come about when common sense takes a vacation.

[Jim__]

9. Should California bust 'em?

Every state should bust 'em. The most dangerous, and the most self-righteous, drivers on the road are the ones blocking the left lane.

[antigone382]

11. Only if they crack down on extreme speeders just as much

I live in Tennessee now, but I used to live in Georgia, where there are two lanes: 55 mph and 90 mph. No happy medium. And any time you try to pass someone in the slow lane, here comes a Dale Jr. wannabe right on your bumper. It was impossible for me, as a student driver, to learn a damned thing with someone always on my rear.

In some states, like Pennsylvania, they really crack down on speeders and aggressive drivers, but in Georgia, particularly metro-Atlanta, the 70 mph signs are pretty much just guidelines. You can go as fast as you want, whether the highway is crowded or not, and not worry about getting pulled over. AND, anyone who doesn't go 90-95 is considered fair game.

I don't mind if people who unnecessarily impede the flow of traffic are punished, but only if those who selfishly expect everyone else to risk their own necks are punished as well, at least more than they are where I come from.

[Radical Activist]

13. Lately I've seen people in Arkansas

get on the highway and immediately go to the far left lane. They aren't passing anyone. They aren't going that fast. What the hell are they thinking? It annoys the hell out of me.
I think some people satisfy their ego by going in the left lane to feel like they're fast. I don't know.

[gardenista]

15. Why don't they have more signs that say "Slower Traffic Stay Right"?

or "Left Lane for Passing Vehicles".