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.
That's the law in a lot of states.
Not only is the speed itself dangerous, but so is the differentials in speed between the slow and fast drivers. Nobody should be going more than +/- 10 mph from the posted speed limit except for very short stretches to ease out of bad situations.
They are liberals who want your to stop smoking and speeding.
I don't live in Florida but have been there a few times. What I noticed while driving on the interstate once was that it started to rain and drivers were pulling over to the shoulder in droves. It was not an especially hard rain either.
It's not just the slow drivers that are a problem; it's also the people who are going 10-20 mph above the speed limit, but refuse to ever get in the right lane, and cut off anyone who wishes to pass a slower vehicle.
Exactly. Lead, follow or get out of the way.
Hey, I see you come from the same philosophy of driving as me -- the speed at which I am driving is the absolutely correct one. All seriousness aside, though, the problem is much more heavily weighted toward those who drive too slow in passing lanes than those who drive too fast. Still, there are few pleasures more sublime than finally cutting off some clueless cluck doing 35 in the left lane of an interstate.
What about the idiots who think its thier birthright to drive as slow as they want in the middle lane just because there is another lane to the left of them?
Ok. If someone in the right lane is going below the speed limit or riding their brakes or whatever and I get in the left lane to go around them, I'm going to do it at a speed and distance that I feel is safe for both of us. If I'm going 65 in a 65 and the speed racer going 90 runs up behind me flashing lights and tailgating, because I don't "get over" immediately , tough. We have to share the road. IMO the DPS guys need to spend more time on addressing the rage driving issues instead of making people who are going the speed limit get out of their way so they can speed.
So move over already! Even if you are doing 80. If there is someone behind you wanting to pass -- move over!
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). If you have any recent tickets, you can't get a card. This would also be a better alternative than the "HOV" or "Limo" lanes being installed in cities (to the benefit of limo-riding politicians). Lower speed limits could be enforced in the other lanes without impacting traffic (if you want to drive fast, pay for the privilege).
NERVOUS NORVUS lyrics - "Transfusion"
ZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM
Tooling down the hightway doing 79
I'm a twin pipe papa and I'm feelin fine
Hey man dig that was that a red stop sign
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
I'm just a solid mess of contusions
Never, never, never gonna speed again
Slip the blood to me, Bud
I jump in my rod about a quarter to nine
I gotta make a date with that chick of mine
I cross the center line man you gotta make time-
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
Oh, man, I got the cotton pickin convolutions
Never, never, never gonna speed again
Shoot the juice to me, Bruce
My foot's on the throttle and it's made of lead
But I'm a fast ridding daddy with a real cool head
I'ma gonna pass a truck on the hill ahead-
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
My red corpsuckles (sic) are in mass confusion
Never, never, never gonna speed again
Pass the crimson to me, Jimson
I took a little drink and I'm feelin right
I can fly right over everything everything in sight
There's a slow poking cat I'm gonna pass him on the right
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
I'm a real gone paleface and that's no illusion
I'ma never never never gonna speed again
Pass the claret to me, Barrett
A rollin down the mountain on a rainy day
Oh, when you see me coming better start to pray
I'm a cuttin' up the road and I'm the boss all the way
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
Oh, doc, pardon me for this crazy intrusion
I'm never, never, never gonna speed again
Pump the fluid in me, Louie
I'm burning up the highway early this morn
I'm passing everybody oh nothing but corn
Man outa my way I don't drive with my horn
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
Oh, nurse I'm gonna make a new resolution
I'm never, never, never gonna speed again
Put a gallon in me, Alan
Oh, barnyard drivers are found in two classes
Line crowding hogs and speeding jackasses
So rememmber to slow down today
Hey, daddy-o
A make that type O, huh
Atta-boy
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
This is a very serious problem on all interstates. It's also evident on four-lane state roads. Folks get in that left-lane and think that, as long as they are going the speed limit or just above it, everyone else be damned. That's what's causing this plague of people passing on the right, which is much more dangerous than using the "passing" lane on the left.
How did this come to pass? This plague of left-lane bandits?
Thoughts?
It's not just the elderly, people here think it's their God given right to drive in any lane they want, at any speed they want. If you dont like it, you can go around. (not IMO but have been told by Lefties)
AMEN!
and AMEN again!!
About the only thing that irritates me more is someone doing 45-55 mph in the middle or left land during rush hour -- and using one hand (and a portion of hir or her brain) to speak on their stupid cell phone!
If you want to race, go to Daytona.
I typically drive about 9 mph over the speed limit. One day, I was doing my usual 64 mph in a 55 zone. It was very early on a Saturday morning -- practically no traffic on the road. I was in the second lane (from the right) of a 4-lane highway, so that I could avoid the occasional merge-ins. I thought I had made a reasonable lane choice for my speed. Apparently not. Some guy doing at least 75 mph comes roaring up on my tail, then starts flashing me with his high beams to get out of his way. Never mind that he had two lanes to pass me on the left, with absolutely no traffic to impede him. But I guess he couldn't be bothered to change lanes. I didn't like his attitude so I stayed right where I was. He quickly passed me, while flipping me off.
In your opinion, was his anger at me justified? Should I have moved over into the far right-hand lane. Or should he have moved into the 3rd or 4th lanes to pass me (without needing to bright me or give me the finger in the process)?
We lived in Florida for two years, and that was enough for me! I kept telling my husband that we would be lucky to get out alive with all of the cootsters trying to kill us with their Cadillacs and Lincolns! The "invisible drivers" were the ones that scared me -- the cars where you can't see the driver because he/she is so short that they can't see over the steering wheel!
Maybe the American left-lane hogs should be required to drive in Europe for a few months and see how long they can get away with their oblivion.
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. Then, get over only as many lanes to the left as you have to, and get back right when you're done passing.
I swear, many of the freeways in Atlanta have 5, 6, and 7 lanes each direction but can get "clogged" with ten or so cars that seem to pick lanes at random and sit in them for miles for no apparent reason. Not keeping as far to the right as possible is really about the most obnoxious and selfish bad habit drivers can have, and it needs to be dealt with. I say $500 fine for a first offense, and a 30 day license suspension for the next time.
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