Posted on 01/27/2005 6:08:40 AM PST by devane617
Aggressive driving along Interstate-75 appears to be more problematic than ever.
"We're seeing the problem of road rage increasing," said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Norman Parks, who has been patrolling the interstates for almost 15 years.
"It's scary to drive down here," said one driver.
"Weaving, tailgating, cutting people off," said another driver.
"When you get all of that, it can pose real problems," said Parks.
That's why Florida Senator Mike Bennett is pushing for the Road Rage Reduction Act to be made into law. It's designed to reduce the amount of people in the left lane.
"We have a lot of people in the state of Florida who unfortunately, drive in the left-hand lane and block traffic," said Bennett.
Signs in the median advising people to only use the left lane for passing don't seem to be working.
"We need a better tool to specifically deal with this issue," said Parks. If the bill gets passed, there will be more signs like these and bigger ones.
If the bill gets passed, you'll not only see more signs and billboards on the roadways warning drivers to stay out of the left lane, but greater enforcement of that.
"We're trying to figure out a way to increase traffic flow and prevent citizens from accidents and road rage," said Bennett.
Bennett says the Department of Highway Safety's involvement is key to the bill working. If the bill passes, the department will be required to work with the Florida Highway Patrol to educate the public about the new law through an awareness campaign.
>>Exactly. Lead, follow or get out of the way.<<
Literally, that is my motto when on the freeways and turnpikes.
BTW, I was visiting one of the members of my sales team in Minneapolis a couple of months ago and it was my turn to drive to an appointment. About half way there he said, "you'd be a good taxi driver." I said, "yes, but I'd make a lousy limo driver."
>>The left lane should be an automated toll lane (with an automated speed check). If you drive too fast or too slow, you lose your card (and get a ticket).<<
OBD III
I have noticed the same situation while on cross-country trips. The left-lane offender is sporting WA plates a large portion of the time. I wish they could be fined...big time. Perhaps a few major hits on the checkbook would teach them some common sense before they get somebody killed.
>>When I do pull over into that lane, it is very hard to get back into the left lane, because most people going 20 mph over the limit also are not very conscientious about letting someone pull in ahead of them.<<
There are that many people going 20 over?
BTW, I am one of those "light flashers," but I just do it once, or maybe twice if I think the guy didn't see the first one. And I only do it if the person is not passing anybody and CAN move over. If there is an appearance of obstinance on their part, or they are looking more and more like one of those control freaks that are actively trying to control the drivers behind them, I just pass on the shoulder.
I've actually had guys doing the speed limit and as soon as I try to pass (on either side) they floor it. Coincidentally, almost all of them drive gutless cars or underpowered SUV's and it is a breeze to pass even in the 300m.
"and using one hand (and a portion of hir or her brain) to speak on their stupid cell phone!"
Not that I'm proud of it, but I have passed the other cars like they were pylons while driving between Bellevue and Renton on I-405 while I was on the cell phone.
Most human beings really can do two things at once. Of course, under the previous mentioned conditions, I spit my gum out...
He's a jerk.
But you should have pulled over as soon as you saw him.
Hell no. That's what your headlights are for. Turn 'em on. At first, he'll think you're on the brake and he'll lock 'em up.
If traffic is light, you should do whatever speed you want, but when everyone is doing 70-75, and someone is doing 50 in the middle lane while eating a bowl of cereal or reading a paper is what causes the accidents because everyone is trying to get around you.
I know, I know, here come the folks who'll say that it's the speeders. To them I say: Stay on the side roads guys. Leave the highways for people who can drive.
You obviously never get over into the right lane to let someone pass, or you drive in a magical land where the traffic is not heavy. If the right lane is going 45, and I get into it to let someone go by who is going 85, then I've got to be able to accelerate 30-40 mph just to get back into that lane. Here in Washington, where tailgating is a sport, that's very hard. So, I don't get over, especially when I'm already going over the speed limit. You don't like it? Tough. So long as I'm still passing cars in the right lane, it is okay, assuming the rule is keep right except to pass.
"
It's real, real simple. No matter how many lanes there are, you need to be in the rightmost one unless you're actually passing a car."
I agree with this with one exception. Here in Washington, studded snow tires are legal. Often the right lane is so rutted and noisy that you cannot easily carry on a conversation while driving in that lane, while the left lane is quiet as a mouse. I am thinking of the stretch between the mountains and Elensberg as one example.
In those areas, I drive in the left lane with one eye on my rear view mirror. When someone faster than me aproaches, I pull over and then pull back in once they pass.
Yes, here in Washington (DC, that is), nearly everyone seems to go 20 over. Except in gridlock. We drive at 5 mph or 75 mph.
You might have missed the fact that the Bible consists of more than a single choice verse.
Road Rage that turns dangerous or violent isn't justified by this at all. The cousin to your reasoning would conclude that gang members are justified for murdering someone because they were dissed. Or that the wife who poisoned her husband was justified because he complained when she cooked him a bad breakfast. Come on now.
>>but I would make the case that the "keep right except to pass" rule cannot possibly be applied in an urban environment where 5-7 lanes of traffic are moving in each direction.<<
When I used to drive I-5 north to downtown Seattle, I would watch cars come in off the MLKing entrance and make a BEELINE to the passing land and then camp out at 55 OR LESS! It was almost comical. But it didn't matter because I had figured out something about that area that only a few other drivers had.
That is, there ar six northbound lanes and almost every day I was able to drive at 60 or 70 in the FAR RIGHT LANE while the other lanes were poking along at 25 to 40. BTW, there is a wide shoulder and yes, I was always on the lookout for someone suddenly pulling in front of me. It happened from time to time. It was most interesting when on my motorcycle.
Reminds me of a trip a couple of years ago. I traveled from Colorado all the way to Eastern Canada (PEI, NS, NB). I came back to Colorado through the Northeast. This included a drive across Pennsylvania on I-80. I was doing about 80 to 85 mph across PA when I came up to three or four cars with NY doing 75 mph in the left lane. They did not move over or anything. I ended up passing them in the right lane as well. Kind of weird.
And you determine their motivation how? Because they won't drive 95 to stay in front of you?
I can't count the number of times someone has been tailgating me at 5, 10, 15 MPH above the speed limit, then when I pull to the right, they slow down and ride in my blind spot or pull in behind me and continue to tailgate. I wasn't riding in the left lane for very long, only to pass a car driving under the speed limit.
The people you all are suggesting we coddle by ticketing the other drivers who annoy them have mental defects and would get all road-ragy even if nobody got in their way. Society wouldn't miss them if they died. Their brains are wired wrong.
You have somehow concluded that you're entitled to break the speed limit with impunity and everyone must clear the way so you can get to the doughnut shop in time for the breakfast special. It apparently never occured to you that you could leave earlier and allow enough time to get there without speeding.
My ex-father-in-law actually believed that merging traffic should STOP and wait for an opening. He hated that people would merge into "his" lane. I tried to explain the concept of traffic flow, fuel consumption and the general benefits that are the reason on-ramps exist. He would have no part of it. And while we were talking about it, we were on I-405 north of Renton and a car was coming down the onramp to merge in in front of us. He had plenty of room until my ex-father-in-law made some grumbling remark and floored it, trying to cut the guy off. The guy made it in, barely, but it was a dangerous situation. Funny thing is, even if the guy had been right next to us, it would have been easy to move into the left lane and let the guy in.
I was incredulous.
Oh, on a side note, the guy sold motorhomes for a living. Needless to say, that could be a whole new can-o-worms for this thread. 8^>
If I were a cop, I'd win the award for the most tickets going to those who obstruct traffic by meandering along in the left lane.
>>Note: the above does not apply when there is real congestion, but when most of the road is open and just stacked up locally by some idiot.<<
I was driving on I-5 in southern california headed south to San Diego when this sort of thing happened (about 1988). I was with my family in the Plymouth Reliant station wagon crammed with all our trip stuff (we drove down from Seattle) and the four lanes of freeway are pretty much wide open.
We came upon this massive pack of cars and I thought, this is ridiculous. I got in the passing lane and inched my way around. I found it odd that I was able to, actually. Anyway, when I got towards the front, I noticed the front car was a CHP. Now, I believe the speed limit was 55 so I st my speed to 60 and continued on. Once I was past him, that jerk got on his PA and told me I was speeding and to back off. Naturally I did.
He was causeing a serious traffic hazard. If he had actually pulled me over I would have told him as much. My defense would have been that I was avoiding a traffic hazard, caused by a CHP car.
I knew a guy who drove from Los Angeles to Tucson. WHile in the desert, he stayed in the "shade" of a big semi for hours and blocked traffic! He thought it funny! What a jerk...
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