Posted on 02/26/2014 11:06:56 AM PST by Kennesaw
Those who lollygag in the left lane of highways and interstates could be ticketed under legislation approved in the state House on Wednesday. House Bill 459, by Rep. Bill Hitchens, R-Rincon, was approved 162-9.
The bill makes it a misdemeanor for any driver on a divided highway who does not move to the right when a car going faster approaches from behind.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Actually the interstate highways are generally built to be safely driven at over 100 MPH, and you don’t have to be super awake for it either. They’re mostly straight with gentle curves and lots of visibility to the sides. It’s the people that can’t manage the relatively simple rules that make driving dangerous, if US driver’s licenses didn’t come out of cracker jack boxes we could jack the speed limit up to 100 for most of the highways in the country and not have a problem. But since the level of training we require to get a license is slightly higher than “you have a pulse” we get fatalities with speed limits of 25.
Oh yes, but that doesn’t cover traffic misdemeanors... yet.
I find leaving the front bumper damaged from the last driver I hit from behind, cuts down on the lingering slow left lane blocker.
Only slightly kidding...
Same as the law of the highway in Germany, as it was explained way back when I learned it and followed it.
This is my true story, of a trip of about 100 miles to go to the airport at Frankfurt.
My car could cruise at 100 mph, and sometimes I needed to go into the passing lane to go around a slower driver.
So I’m in the passing lane, and a big BMW comes up behind me, flashing lights to ask me to move over, which I do when my pass is complete.
As the BMW flies by me, right on his tail is a Porsche flashing his lights asking the BMW to move over.
This all happened fast, and is burned into my memory as how the system works.
I figured the BMW wanted to go 110+ mph, and the Porsche faster still.
In those days a 911 Porsche would do about 130 mph tops.
More important than the speed limits, is the safety and traffic flow, someone squatting in the passing lane is just about the most dangerous person on the highway.
The anal types that get into the passing lane and do exactly 55 or 65, to show the world who is who, are nut cases with weird egos, and they wreak havoc with traffic patterns and flow as they try to prove that they can impose their order on thousands of people on the freeways.
Freeways are no place for some neurotic individual to be imposing order on the world.
During my drivers training course, the instructor asked us how fast we should be going when we merge onto the freeway. The limit then was 65 so naturally we all said 65. He said, “wrong, you should be going the flow of traffic.” He went on to say that while speeding is against the law, the safest speed is matching what everyone else is doing. Going 15 under the limit is just as much of a hazard as going 15 over.
In light of that, I agree that slow drivers should stay in the right lane. The problem is, I think you can already be ticketed for impeding traffic, but cops will never do it.
“and slow-ass mergers are the #1 problem. You have a throttle at your right-foot, use it.”
I like the ones who stop at a yield sign when no traffic is coming and there is a mile long acceleration lane for them to use.
The other idiots are ones who stop at the bottom of an off ramp with a huge sign that says “KEEP MOVING” glaring them in the face. Or the “I ‘Mpo-tent” jerks who instead of waiting in a line of traffic like everyone else, they’ll race up to the front and force their way in, or run a left turn signal that’s turned red, etc, etc.
It's an idiotic law, and that's part of the reason. "Left Lane = Passing Lane" works just fine until the highway starts to fill up. Then it becomes impossible, and the high-speed idiots who don't comprehend reality start weaving, tailgating, and causing crashes. They should be shot.
I would see three left lanes of a four lane highway with each lane a car going faster than the one in the next lane to the right. Then when they had all passed all three cars moved into the far right lane.
Since I lived in Germany the total length of autobahns has tripled.
Back then almost everywhere was not speed restricted, however apparently much of the roadway is now speed restricted.
At the time I concluded the roads, cars and drivers were superior to American standards then. 1970.
It stands to reason a German driver would be better skilled if he was routinely driving 100 mph or more, in a vehicle capable of doing that safely, on roads designed for that.
When I returned to the states I immediately decided our highways were not designed for higher speeds, with curves and banking shortfalls.
BTW we did some sections of the Italian autostrada, and they really went all out for highways designed to go fast.
Just because it doesn't always work doesn't mean anything. There are also minumum speed laws but no one expects them to be enforced in a traffic jam.
“I would see three left lanes of a four lane highway with each lane a car going faster than the one in the next lane to the right. Then when they had all passed all three cars moved into the far right lane. “
Except the highway had only two lanes in my direction, so you got over to the right when you finished your pass, as the new Texas code apparently directs.
It worked in Germany back then. Of course it is said that Germans are compliant at following orders. It worked well.
And remember the successful application of this system in Germany, is where the highway has unlimited speed.
Imagine. A win-win situation. Mr. German driver has the “freedom” to go as fast as he wants, provided he observes a few simple “rules.”
Americans sit around and debate the rules.
The German just gets in the car, follows the rules, and has fun.
“Italian autostrada, and they really went all out for highways designed to go fast.”
They have to have some place for the bulls and prancing stallions to play.
“Yet.” Agreed.
You probably know that most freeways are designed to be driven at a speed about ten miles over the posted speed limit at any given location. That is, if the driver is wide awake, competent and in constant full control of his or her well-maintained vehicle — as I’m sure you are.
Speed limits optimize safety when set at the 85th percentile of what drivers would naturally drive (which explains how the autobahn has the lowest fatality rate on the planet).
If drivers aren’t awake or competent, slowing down doesn’t improve safety (it creates dangerous speed differentials). These folks should get tickets for impaired driving. Not used as vague justification that limits might be too high, or I’m driving too fast.
What really pisses me off is when I’m in the middle of 3 lanes doing a respectable 72mph and some jerkweed is bearing down on my right at 80 I know he’s trying to get to pass in front of me when there was plenty of room to pass on the left. If I catch the move in time I’ll speed up to block and force him to go around, but only if I have enough wiggle room.
A friend who drove in Germany told me if you are in the high speed lane on the autobahn doing 85 and you see a speck behind you about a mile away you better look to move over pretty soon.
I don't know anything about the Italian autostrada but if there are any Italians driving on it then it is unsafe at any speed.
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