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 ...
I’m not talking about a traffic jam. I’m talking about a full highway at normal highway speed. By full highway, I mean all lanes contain cars spaced approximately “assured clear distance” or a little less, and by normal highway speed I mean 60-70mph on a two-lane divided highway. “Left lane for passing only” does NOT work under those circumstances, which are quite common in many areas I frequent. The highway runs just fine as long as we don’t have any idiots in either lane moving significantly below or above that speed range. The tailgating, lane-weaving idiots clearly do expect “Left lane for passing” to be enforced, and get quite irate when it (invariably) is not.
Maybe I’m missing something as I only read the article and not the actual legislation, but it says drivers can be ticketed for misuse of the left lane. Where do you get jail time? Slow-poking in the left lane is already the law in many jurisdictions and tickets are issued for impeding the flow of traffic.
My point again was only that because it does not always work does not mean it is not the best in general but I am sure that you are a courteous driver who yields to the faster cars as much as possible.
I’ve always figured on a 3 lane - it’s rt lane for entries/exits or restricted movment (ie flat/engine troubles/etc), middle lane for speed limit, and left lane for law breakers who refuse to adhere to the speed limit. Not that I’m an adherent at all times, but when I do I go left lane.
Now if they really want to go forward with this they should make all speed limits advisory unless 1) 20 over then it’s auto reckless driving, 2) 10 over in inclement weather auto reckless, or 3) no restrictions on 4/6 lane roads - your on your own.
What really pisses me off is ... some jerkweed ... I’ll speed up to block ...
“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. “
Your statement proves you “don’t know anything about the Italian autostrada” or Italian drivers.
To execute driving in Europe requires a more highly skilled driver in general.
And Italy had some great racing drivers, including our own Mario Andretti, Alberto Ascari, Alex Zanardi to keep it a short list.
Yes.
BTW, how about those “no passing zones”?
Do you have equal disdain for those as well?
I personally stay out of the number one lane unless I’m passing.
Years ago my brother was driving between California and Tennessee and got a ticket in New Mexico for driving in the left lane. Not because he was going too slow, but because it was considered a passing-only lane.
there always seems to be a Prius in the left lane, going 5-10 mph below the speed limit, or a minvan.
We’ve had “Slow Drivers Keep Right” laws in TN for years.
Skinny little things with big purses and hardly the bones to steer.
Well since I started out by saying that I don't know anything about the Italian autostrada I thought that was pretty clear but I do know something about driving in Italy.
I never heard of such a law. Is there a uniform minimum or is it graduated to correlate with the different speed limits....70, 65, 55?
I had a bad experience just about an hour ago with a slow driver in the left lane and on the phone. He was oblivious to all.
Basic courtesy and overall safety would tend to dictate following these simple rules:
Slower traffic keep right, and
The faster car goes in front
If a person wants to drive exactly the speed limit in the left lane, that’s fine, as long as he/she has the courtesy to move over and let faster vehicles pass and has the awareness to check his/her rearview mirror on a regular basis.
I’ve been on the highway between CA and AZ plenty of times with my cruise control set at about 5 mph over the posted limit and changed lanes to let others pass me going about 85 or 90. They’re faster so they go in front of me. Then everyone’s happy and they can be the volunteers for speeding tickets.
City dwellers don’t know how to drive, period.
Having driven from coast to coast and border to border, there’s a great interstate and highway constant across this nation: when approaching a city the ratio of idiots to real drivers inverts from virtually all drivers to virtually all idiots.
Bad law. It invites excessive speeding which will result in more accidents and massive traffic jams. That said, I live in Florida where the left lane is usually occupied by an elderly person going the speed limit or below with a turn signal light on for the last few miles. Think this could be better handled by requiring slower traffic in the right lane and having subjective enforcement by police. Most states already have this, just don’t enforce it.
Very true. And anyone whose ever been in a taxi in Italy knows that Italians are some of the best drivers around. Crazy? Sure... But damn good drivers.
The solution is to turn on brights, move up close and slide from side to side across the drivers field of view. If that does not resolve the issue, flash the lights.
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