MOVE IT! Passing in left lane is a law-granted right

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 9, 2004 | Lucas Wall

[Dog Gone]

Two weeks ago I wrote that my traffic pet peeve is slow drivers using the left lane of a freeway and refusing to move over to let others pass.

This comment generated a flurry of e-mails and phone calls, with about a third of respondents agreeing that police should focus on ticketing these lane hogs who disrupt the normal flow of traffic, not speeders. The majority was critical, however, contending I was encouraging dangerous driving.

David Woerner of Houston called me "arrogant" for asking slower motorists to clear my path.

"If I am in the left lane and going 5 or 10 mph over the limit already, what right do you have to demand the lane?" he asked. "You have no more right to get there faster than me, as long as I drive the speed limit."

Several inquired about what the law says in this area.

My right to pass you in the left lane, even if I'm exceeding the posted limit, comes from § 545.051 of the Texas Transportation Code. The law requires that all drivers "moving more slowly than the normal speed of other vehicles at the time and place under the existing conditions shall drive in the right-hand lane."

So if you're doing the speed limit in the left lane and a line of cars is behind you waiting to pass, you are not only being rude, you are breaking the law.

Remember the saying: "Two wrongs don't make a right?" It's not your job to enforce the speed limits, which are kept below the normal speed of traffic because of poorly conceived environmental rules and the government's greedy desire to collect revenue from fines. Also, freeways are designed for very fast speeds; the design speed is usually higher than the legal limit.

Someone trying to obstruct traffic is creating a greater danger than a driver going faster than the artificially set limit.

"Thank you for finally pointing out the dangerous situation created by left-hand hogs, and the resulting impact on freeway capacity and mobility," wrote Andy Slavin of The Woodlands. "This has truly become an epidemic situation in the city."

I endorse a libertarian approach to traffic enforcement: If you haven't hit something, what have you done wrong?

Handing someone an expensive citation for nothing more than driving the freeway's design speed represents government money-grabbing at its worst and has nothing to do with promoting safety.

Robert Flanary of Houston endorses my call for higher speed limits on freeways or the elimination thereof, such as on Germany's Autobahn system.

"Lowering the freeway speeds in some Texas cities a few years back is not what's going to help reduce pollution," he wrote, "since bottled-up traffic causes more smog than the people doing 70-plus."

Although some respondents spoke out in favor of issuing more tickets to those of us who decline to obey speed limits, they declined to obey the "slower traffic keep right" law.

"If I'm proceeding down the left-hand lane at the speed limit or maybe slightly over, I shouldn't be a problem except to those who refuse to obey the speed limits, " wrote James Exum of Houston.

Folks, let's show some courtesy out there. If a right-hand lane is free, I always drive in it. The left lane is for passing only, unless the freeway is gridlocked. Go the speed you are comfortable with and allow others moving faster to safely go by.

[Modernman]

Why can't people just mind their own business. When someone wants to pass me, I pull over, let them by, and pull back in the passing lane if I am passing. Why do you want to control other people?

Because a lot of guys have small penises and want to compensate by controlling the highway.

[Modernman]

There were four cars, however, that refused, even after flashing our lights, and we had to pass on the right. Here's the killer - in the middle of Montana, THREE OF THESE FOUR HAD WASHINGTON PLATES!

I believe the Michigan constitution has the death penalty for anyone driving too slow in the left lane. Every summer, you could see Michigan state police summarily executing summer-home bound Ohioans and Illinoisans by the side of the road. It was kind of sad, but an example had to be set.

Michiganders were always puzzled when they were pulled over in Ohio for speeding. I mean, the 65 MPH speed limit is just a polite suggestion, right?

I live in Virginia now and I find that DC and Marlyand drivers seem to have the same inept-driving gene as Ohioans and Illinoisians. Note to the Bethesda soccer mom getting on the Beltway in her John Kerry bumper-sticker bearing mini-van: START ACCELERATING BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GET ON THE DAMN HIGHWAY.

[1Old Pro]

Someone trying to obstruct traffic is creating a greater danger than a driver going faster than the artificially set limit.

Yet these smug idiots continue to "block" passing lanes thus creating more danger on the highways.

[Rebelbase]

""Oh, I'm in the left hand turn lane and I needed to make a right.""

A guy(left lane) did that to my son(right lane) on a fourlane city road. Tried to turn right into a fast food place from the left lane. My son T-boned his passenger side and both vehicles left the road. Thankfully no injuries.

[Rebelbase]

"tailgating me"

There was a guy tailgating me so close one morning I thought he was in my backseat. I slowed to the speed limit and he kept it up, all the time he could have passed me easily. He was drinking a cup of coffee so I waited until he took a sip and then flashed him my brake lights. He got doused and gave me the #1 sign for about a mile then pulled over and turned around.

[Rebelbase]

"Because a lot of guys have small penises and want to compensate by controlling the highway."

er...um..you might want to keep your personal experience to yourself! :-)

[January24th]

So people in the left lane who want to drive faster than that have no business insisting that others get out of their way.

Being a Lane Nanny will take years off of your life. Lighten up.

I'm not gonna try to control another person's driving any more than I'm gonna try to control their smoking or eating or sex life. I'm gonna move over when it's safe to do so, and let God sort 'em out. Obstruction of the flow of traffic causes more lane changes...and that's where the danger lies, cuz everyone's got to shift around excessively to get past the wanna-be cops.

It's a funny sort of resentment that doesn't want someone to pass me, but I'm also makes me not willing to use the gas to go faster or get out of MY comfort zone. Why should anyone care how fast I go, or if I get a ticket? If I'm talking on the phone or reading the paper and eating while driving 65 mph I'm far more of a danger than a disciplined, alert driver doing 80.

[pctech]

I'm from Indiana. I hear what you're saying, and normally I will get over if I see traffic approaching me if I'm in the left hand lane.

I usually go 62-65 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. As I said above I usually get over. But if some stupid idiot decides to all of a sudden get right my bumper and start honking, gesturing, or whatever else they do to get me to get over (use your imagination), and the right hand lane not free, and I'm still going faster than the traffic in the right hand lane, then of course I stay right where I am and ignore the jacka$$ behind me.

If, however, the same conditions as in previous paragraph apply EXCEPT there is no one in the right hand lane, I stay right where I am! Usually the type of people who get on your bumper when you're going 10 MPH over the speed limit anyway and carry on like a mad mad around anyway. Now if they stay behind me and still carry on like a mad man to get me to get over just so they don't have to, then I get on my cell and call the police.

The way I see it, if they hit me it's their fault. If they do go around and hit me out of rage, it's their fault again. They'll get the ticket, not me. If they're lucky they'll get my 10 1/2 foot up their a@@ as well.

The bottom line is this. DRIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND DEFENSIVELY! And above all, carry a cell phone so if a nasty situation delvelopes you can call the police. Indiana State Police hate reckless drivers, and I hate them even more. (Indiana drivers, you've been warned!)

[RobRoy]

I was pulled over by a com last december for going 61 in a 50. I told him BALONEY! I said I had my cruise control set to 57 and that is what I was doing. I had been on the road for only two miles and it was perfectly flat. My speedometer read 57 when he pulled me over.

He said not to set my cruise control over the speed limit and let me go. 8^>

BTW, if I was under 30, there is no doubt that I would have gotten a ticket.

[rogercolleridge]

Frankly, if i'm doing the speed limit, it's my right to be in any d*mn lane I choose to be.

Absolutely!!!

[brianl703]

12-foot lanes are standard on freeways in the USA and 12 feet = 3.65 meters

[uglybiker]

It appears even some FReepers like to drive like sissy liberals, go figure. Hey people, what part of speed limits are arbitrarily set well below highway designs don't you understand?

It's not so much that as the attitude of: "If you're driving faster than me then you're going to %$##@*& fast!"

[tm22721]

Americans are not driving purists, ie we do not get in a car to drive. Instead, we eat, talk on a cell phone, gawk, make obscene gestures, etc.

Germans are driving purists, they just want to get from point A to B, ASAP, and their cars are designed appropriately for high speed. American cars are sloppy and unsafe at high speed.

It is not unusual to see a BMW or Mercedes pass at 150 MPH. Specially enhanced Porsches are certified to 212 MPH on the autobahn before delivery.

BUMP

[whd23]

As one who's had to bury a couple friends and one family member because of idiots insisting on acting out their "right" to speed...

With four lanes of empty freeway for him to pass me on the right, he instead chose to ride up on my back bumper while flashing his headlights. My reaction? My foot "slipped" off the gas and onto the brake. He was so close and so intent on making me mad that he panicked when the brakelights came on, locked up his brakes, and clipped the wall as he spun to a stop. In my book, he deserved no pity.

I wonder how his family feels about some idiot insisting on pretending that they are in charge of enforcing traffic laws?

You didn't belong in the left lane if the right was wide open. You deserve jail time for your actions.

[pctech]

You didn't belong in the left lane if the right was wide open. You deserve jail time for your actions.

I disagree. The other driver was the one who initiated the incident by his actions. I tend to agree with the previous poster, the guy deserved no pity.

[Arthalion]

You didn't belong in the left lane if the right was wide open

Being a lifelong Californian, I guess I just don't understand that mindset. There is nothing special about the left lane other than the fact that it tends to be smoother than the rest, so tell me why I had to yield. He could have easily passed me on the right (which is legal to do here) but instead decided to play the "dominant" driver and try to force me to change lanes. I was minding my own business, HE decided to take the aggressive stance. I just tapped the brake to make him back off. If he was following so closely that his only recourse was a panic stop, that's HIS problem. The responding CHP officers agreed and cited him accordingly (the officer wasn't too happy about what I'd done, but admitted that I hadn't broken any laws).

It has nothing to do with enforcing traffic laws. When you treat other drivers aggressively on the roadway, you should be prepared for the possibility that they'll strike back.

[Melas]

Uh? Didn't I say that? Or are you quibbling because I said 3.6m instead of 3.65m?

[-YYZ-]

"Speed does matter.

A car at 80 has about 78% more kinetic energy than a car going 60.

It's that energy that goes into breaking bones and bending mental. "

It only matters if you hit something or leave the road. If I'm driving down a typical rural divided highway with light traffic in a car in decent condition and I'm in control of my car (ie not sleepy, yakking on my cellphone while eating, etc), why would I hit anything or leave the road? I'd be safer driving in those conditions at 100 mph than I am doing 50 mph in a 65 zone on the typical urban divided highway walled in with concrete on at least one side with very heavy traffic, just because the chance of being invoved in a collision is so much higher. The Germans understand that, thus the lack of a fixed posted limit on much of the autobahn.

[SoCal Pubbie]

The problem is that too many drivers, and people in general, have no manners or consideration for others. Is it too much to ask for a person driving slower than the flow of traffic to move over one lane instead of settling in to the left? Is it too much to ask the young guy in the jacked up 4 x 4 to simply pass to the right, where there are no other cars for miles, rather than tailgate at 65 MPH flashing his brights and waving obscene gestures?

In Southern California it is impossible not to use the left lane at times for normal driving. There are just too many cars to use the fast lane only for passing.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Its knuckleheads like the two of you that make me live for passing you on the right, pulling in front of you narrowly missing your bumper, and slamming the breaks.