Could you please move over?

[mretzloff]

I drive a total of fifty miles to and from school everyday on I-485. Everyday I seem to get caught behind these people that, for some reason I am missing, feel the need to drive 65-70 MPH in the left lane. Granted, they are doing nothing wrong, as 65 MPH is the speed limit on that stretch of I-485, but they are holding up traffic and making driving very dangerous. Speed does not cause accidents, carelessness and differentiations in speed do. When they can see that a line of cars is coming up behind them, why can they not move over?

In Europe, I have yet to see this stuff happen. I have driven on the Autobahn and many roads in Germany and Switzerland and when someone comes up behind someone else, that person moves over immediately. Why can Americans not be that courteous? Are we Americans really that inconsiderate? Also, why are police officers not ticketing these drivers? Someone driving 80 MPH on the interstate gets stopped, but these guys do not. The guy/gal going 80 MPH is not putting anyone in danger, or at least not in as much danger as "left lane hogs" do.

Sorry for the rant. Could anyone offer any insight?

 

[castlecraver]

I'd argue that folks getting their blood pressure up over other people's annoying habits when in reality, they have an relatively minuscule impact on you causes more car accidents than "differentiations in speed."

Take a deep breath, slow down a tad, and be patient. You'll feel better. I promise.

 

[sparkchaser]

I hate that too.

 

[mmack66]

You want the police to give a ticket to the people (that are obeying the law) that are preventing you from breaking the law? Brilliant!

 

[masonjarjar]

I drive a total of fifty miles to and from school everyday on I-485. Everyday I seem to get caught behind these people that, for some reason I am missing, feel the need to drive 65-70 MPH in the left lane. Granted, they are doing nothing wrong, as 65 MPH is the speed limit on that stretch of I-485, but they are holding up traffic and making driving very dangerous. Speed does not cause accidents, carelessness and differentiations in speed do. When they can see that a line of cars is coming up behind them, why can they not move over?

In Europe, I have yet to see this stuff happen. I have driven on the Autobahn and many roads in Germany and Switzerland and when someone comes up behind someone else, that person moves over immediately. Why can Americans not be that courteous? Are we Americans really that inconsiderate? Also, why are police officers not ticketing these drivers? Someone driving 80 MPH on the interstate gets stopped, but these guys do not. The guy/gal going 80 MPH is not putting anyone in danger, or at least not in as much danger as "left lane hogs" do.

Sorry for the rant. Could anyone offer any insight?

I'm generally not a fast driver since mostly I'm carrying my kids with me. If I'm in the "left lane" I'm probably passing a car or several cars. Sometimes it's difficult to just move over. Riding my tail and vehicularly harassing me is not going to make me move any faster. I do my best, but what's going on in your life that you have to speed is no more important that what's going on in my life that I don't have to speed.

and I would disagree with your assertion that people going 80 Mph aren't endangering anyone. Just because someone *can* drive 80, doesn't mean they should.. A bad driver at 55 Mph is a worse driver at 80..

 

[Kratos]

Ticketing people who are driving the speed limit versus people who want to speed is not likely to happen. People shouldn't block the left lane, though. But they are not going to get a ticket for impeding traffic unless they are driving significantly under the speed limit.

 

[mretzloff]

You want the police to give a ticket to the people (that are obeying the law) that are preventing you from breaking the law? Brilliant!

Yes. I am not endangering anyone's life, they are. Unless I weave, me going a little faster than is allowed is not harming anyone. Them driving slowly forces other drivers to pass in the right, which is dangerous.

 

[masonjarjar]

Yes. I am not endangering anyone's life, they are. Unless I weave, me going a little faster than is allowed is not harming anyone. Them driving slowly forces other drivers to pass in the right, which is dangerous.

Or you could slow down too and arrive a minute later.

 

[danek]

The speed limit on the Interstates in my state is 65 as well. However, the traffic flow is often closer to 75. I often see people hanging out in the left lane doing much less. That IS a hazard.

It's just rude, incourteous behavior. When a person is walking down the sidewalk, and see that someone wants to get by, they adjust their stride, step aside, whatever to let that person by. However, put that person behind the wheel of a car and they camp out in the hammer lane looking like a self-appointed speed montior.

In Europe there is a very stiff penalty for not moving over to let those behind you by. In my state, there are signs posted, "Keep right except to pass" and you can be ticketed for hanging out in the left lane, but it's not cited nearly enough.

I make a concerted effort to be an observant and corteous driver. I let others merge/turn/pass me, and I use my blinkers to announce my intentions. If you want to do 85 on the freeway, I'll do my best to let you pass me so you can. I don't feel it's my place to enforce traffic laws by playing Interstate Pace Car.

 

[TimMechEngr]

Or you could slow down too and arrive a minute later.

Leave a little earlier and dump the lead out of your shoe before you get in the car

 

[gearguywb]

Actually in most states it is illegal to drive in the left lane unless passing. As others have said, yes you can slow down. OTOH, it can be a traffic impediment in many instances.

 

[mr_economy]

Kansas is just beginning to (supposedly) aggressively enforce a "left lane is for passing only" law. For the first few months people will get warnings, after which fines will be issued.

I also commute about 50 miles per day, for work. As someone who tends to drive 80 on the 70mph limit I-70, I have a fair deal of tolerance for people in the left lane passing other cars at a reasonable speed (70-75). What I don't have tolerance for are the people driving 65 who decide to jump over in front of me to pass someone driving 64.5. It takes these jerks approximately 2 hours to pass the already-slow car, and in the meantime they've slowed up everyone else. Fortunately the Interstate between Topeka and Lawrence is so heavily trafficked that they have widened it to 3 lanes on each side, which lessens these problems. Strangely enough though the people driving slowest tend to stick to the middle lanes, forcing some to pass on the right side.

 

[mretzloff]

It's just rude, incourteous behavior.

+1

That is my whole point.

 

[Kratos]

Or you could slow down too and arrive a minute later.

Exactly. Nobody is forced to pass someone driving the speed limit in the passing lane. You don't really save that much time, anyway. I love when someone blows by me, only to hit the same stoplight later.

 

[mretzloff]

Exactly. Nobody is forced to pass someone driving the speed limit in the passing lane. You don't really save that much time, anyway. I love when someone blows by me, only to hit the same stoplight later.

I agree with you 100%, about the city. On the interstate, you actually get there faster by speeding.

I do understand your point, I just think that it would be courteous to move over.

 

[Commander Quan]

The funny thing about driving is that everyone that is going slower than you is a Stupid Idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a Crazy *** Hole.

I do agree that the following someone in the left lane that is going the exact same speed as the people in the right lane is infuriating. I even hate it when I'm in the right lane and someone is pacing beside me in the left lane.

 

[Monkeydad]

Ticketing people who are driving the speed limit versus people who want to speed is not likely to happen. People shouldn't block the left lane, though. But they are not going to get a ticket for impeding traffic unless they are driving significantly under the speed limit.

Yeah, can't really start ticketing people for abiding by the law.

 

[danek]

Yeah, can't really start ticketing people for abiding by the law.

They aren't obeying the law. They are failing to "keep right except to pass" and they are forcing you into an unsafe maneuver and pass them on the right.

 

[Kratos]

I agree with you 100%, about the city. On the interstate, you actually get there faster by speeding.

I do understand your point, I just think that it would be courteous to move over.

Only if you are driving a significant distance. A 1-hour trip at 70 vs 60 will net you 9 minutes saved or so. And don't get me wrong, it definitely is the courteous thing to do. If I pace someone in the left lane going slower than the limit I will usually ask them to move over. Or stop them, if I have time.

 

[mretzloff]

I will usually ask them to move over

How do you do that? The loud speaker thing on your patrol car?