Posted on 04/04/2005 11:07:55 AM PDT by KidGlock
Colo. Cracks Down on Left-Lane Dawdling
Mon Apr 4, 9:15 AM ET AP
DENVER - Colorado is serious about its no-dawdling law in left lanes. Drivers who insist on staying in the passing lane are risking tickets as the State Patrol has begun enforcing a law requiring motorists to use the left lane for passing only.
Since the patrol started enforcing the "Left Lane Law" three months ago, troopers have written about 460 tickets or about an average of five a day to drivers who dawdle in the left lane.
The law applies in zones with speed limits of 65 mph or higher. It took effect July 1, but troopers gave drivers until January to get used to the new law; warnings were issued instead of tickets.
Master Trooper Ron Watkins said that since the ticketing campaign began three months ago about 90 percent of the drivers he has pulled over for dawdling or cruising in the left lane said they didn't know that it was illegal to do so.
Violators of the left lane rule may be fined up to $41 and have three points tacked onto their driver's licenses. The law is not enforced when the highway is too congested to allow drivers to pass.
My question is this: why can't people just do the speed limit? On the interstate 75 is plenty fast and most of these people who blaze by me are waiting at the first red light in town when I catch up with them, so what did they really gain other than endangering people and elevating their blood pressure?
I wish Georgia and North Carolina (the 2 states I drive in most often) would do this.
It appears that "Slower Traffic Keep Right" is too complex for many people to understand.
If you're passing me you are "driving recklessly". If you are slower than me then you are "impeding the flow of traffic". I am always right!
Why the hell do we have speed limits? Is your vehicle safely operated at 80 mph? 90? 100?
Yeah, let's make it a high speed demolition derby out there. Darwin awards for everybody.
I'm on the road quite a bit. My bird dog tells me when the radar is on continuously or instant-on.
Agreed, and the homicidally selfish posters here - "It's all about me, me, me and how fast I want to go! How dare anyone get in my way!"
The driver is annoying the homicidally selfish speed demons which infest FR, by preventing them (if even for a minute) from racing like maniacs with no regard to gas consumption or the safety of other road users...
OK which is it? My company's Safety Tip of the Week says to "Drive in the Center Lane" to avoid carjacking. Lesson-Drive in the center lane, but you better step on it.
It follows........
April 4, 2005
You don’t want to know “Jack”. How to avoid being a carjacking victim.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about 34,000 carjacking incidents occurred annually (1993-2002), some having more than one victim. About 45 percent of these incidents were completed crimes.
Carjackers are looking for intersections controlled by stop signs or stop lights; garages and parking lots for mass transit; automatic tellers; shopping malls and grocery stores; self-service gas stations and car washes; residential driveways and streets as you get in and out of your car; highway exit and entry ramps or anywhere else you may slow down.
To minimize your risk:
· Avoid driving alone. No matter how short the trip, keep your car doors locked and your windows at least partially up.
· Drive in the center lane to make it harder for carjackers to get to you.
· Don’t stop to assist stranded motorists. Call police to assist.
· If someone approaches you and points a gun at you in a car-jacking attempt, you may choose to drive away as quickly and safely as you can so be sure to leave enough space between your car and the vehicle in front of you.
· If a carjacker threatens you and you can’t get away, give up the car. Don’t argue.
· If a carjacker gets in the car with you, you need to get out immediately. If you can’t get out right there and then, be alert for opportunities to escape as you drive and get out of the car at the first opportunity, if at all possible.
· If you are not able to escape and the hijacker has you alone and under his or her control, you’re probably going to have to fight for your life, so be prepared.
Yes, yes, and yes. Any other questions? Would be glad to get into the details of why.
The only reason it's a problem at all, is idiot drivers without situational awareness on the highways, changing lanes without looking or signalling, blocking the passing lane, etc.
Do you have a problem discerning the difference between limited access highway travel, and travel on surface street multi-lane arterials? Or does your area have a problem with carjackings on the Interstates?
>>If the speeders catch up to me while I'm passing a line of semi's, well then they can be the ones to extend a little courtesy.
Depends a lot on your definition of "a line of semi's". I've seen a lot of cases where people can move right, and don't, to pass the next semi 100 yards up. While doing maybe 5mph faster than the semis.
This is what 3rd gear is for. But I shouldn't have to use it, in that situation.
Now you get to add another law to that list that you should do your best to obey.
Public pressure was very high for this kind of a law. Just a quick read of this thread shows that it's more than just Colorado.
It isn't going to take a big public awareness campaign to get proper enforcement either. The earlier poster who said road-rage was down 65% in CO was maybe stretching things a bit, but I've noticed a marked change already. With the use of cell phones, these 'holier than thou' drivers who think the strict observance of the speed limit trumps common courtesy and obeying the 'do not impede the flow of traffic' law are finally going to pay a price for their arrogance. And the rest of us will drive easier.
My question is this: why can't people just do the speed limit? On the interstate 75 is plenty fast and most of these people who blaze by me are waiting at the first red light in town when I catch up with them, so what did they really gain other than endangering people and elevating their blood pressure?
Governor Owens talked about that aspect of the issue also. Obviously I can't quote him verbatim, but essentially he said 'That's none of your business'.
That's easy.
We just want to piss you off.
THEN will you be happy?
Re the Governors attitude. You may get your way yet. The liberals took over the CO legislature this year. They agree with you (you sure keep strange company....agree with libs but post at FR) and the possibilty exists that they may repeal the law.
No, what I mean is a line of semi's bumper to bumper. I run into that quite a lot on I-80. Certain companies have either installed governors on their rigs or are requiring their drivers to not go above a certain speed limit, and sometimes these guys tend to buch up. I can also tell you of an incident last summer on I-80 where we came to a construction zone and they had the road down to just one lane (the left one, ironically). The speed limit was dropped to 45 in the construction zone with signs informing that fines for speeding are doubled in construction zones. They also had the little roadside radar gun trailer that shows your speed limit for everyone to see. I dropped down to 45 and started through the construction. The vehicle ahead of me apparently did not care to comply and soon left a very large gap between us. One of these morons I've been talking about apparently couldn't stand to see that big stretch of empty pavement ahead of us and started running up on my back bumper, weaving back and forth in the lane, gesturing and yelling, and flashing his headlights. All this in a construction zone where there are highway workers and equipment working in the next lane, and where you will pay double the fine if you are ticketed for speeding! These are the kind of idiots who I am against, who think the left lane is only for them, who think they are the only ones who know how to drive and therefore should be allowed to drive as fast as they want to regardless.
Why do you think it should be your business if someone hurries on the interstate only to be stopped at a stop sign in town? It's very puzzling to me why you are so concerned about how they've decided to conduct their lives. What other aspect of their lives do you need to control?
I know the libs have taken over CO. I was very sad to see the county where I grew up (La Plata) had "gone blue". Makes me sad. My point about the gov was more to the effect that it's too bad he doesn't seem to want to come down on the side of the speed limits that are supposed to be there for a reason.
Oh!, I understood that....esp. out west.
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