OH: Not passing? Get out of left lane, bill says

[nds76]

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/31/not-passing-get-out-of-left-lane-bill-says.html

[agentsteel53]

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/31/not-passing-get-out-of-left-lane-bill-says.html

the article notes that it may be difficult to enforce.  I don't see that as being a problem.  Germany's been successfully enforcing that law for years now.

the real question is... once we get rid of the "lollygaggers", will we also get rid of "lollypassers" who think that a 1mph speed differential between lanes is somehow safe and sane?

[texaskdog]

Has anyone EVER enforced one of these?????????????????????????

[agentsteel53]

Has anyone EVER enforced one of these?????????????????????????

never seen it enforced in the US.

[3467]

Illinois has the law only on Interstates. I have never seen it enforced. I confess I like the left lane but I always shift right when I see somebody approaching me

[kphoger]

Illinois has the law only on Interstates. I have never seen it enforced. I confess I like the left lane but I always shift right when I see somebody approaching me

This is a fine policy, as long as you are always looking in your mirror.  The truth is that none of us is constantly aware of every vehicle on the road, especially behind us.  So I always default to the right lane.

[tchafe1978]

It's a pretty simple concept, really, Keep right unless you are passing. Yet for so many people, why is it so hard to follow? It shouldn't take yet another law to force people to do it.

[hbelkins]

Kentucky has a "keep right except to pass" law and it's signed on interstates. Buckeyes universally ignore it when they travel through here. Why would anyone think they'd obey it in their home state? 

[corco]

Good

Has anyone EVER enforced one of these?????????????????????????

The state of Washington has been really ramping up enforcement the last couple years. They mostly give out warnings though.

[Darkchylde]

Has anyone EVER enforced one of these?????????????????????????

never seen it enforced in the US.

Apparently, Louisiana IS enforcing their LLB law.

[vdeane]

It's a pretty simple concept, really, Keep right unless you are passing. Yet for so many people, why is it so hard to follow? It shouldn't take yet another law to force people to do it.

Because then you can't just cruise along at a constant speed.

[signalman]

I rarely have a problem maintaining a constant speed keeping right and passing left when needed on rural interstates.  Occasionally I might have to step down a bit harder on the gas when passing if faster traffic is catching me.  Busier ones I'll agree that it's difficult at times, but not impossible.

[agentsteel53]

I rarely have a problem maintaining a constant speed keeping right and passing left when needed on rural interstates.  Occasionally I might have to step down a bit harder on the gas when passing if faster traffic is catching me.  Busier ones I'll agree that it's difficult at times, but not impossible.

maintaining a constant speed is nice, but not essential.  if I'm over my cruise speed here and there to maintain traffic smoothness while I'm passing and faster traffic is coming up behind me, I don't see this as a problem.  I get to my destination faster, and out of people's way.

remember, the ideal driving behavior is one where no one has to react to you: namely, if you were eliminated from the road, traffic patterns would remain entirely unchanged.  this is tough to do in urban environments, but rurally quite easy.

[6a]

Has anyone EVER enforced one of these?????????????????????????

[NE2]

remember, the ideal driving behavior is one where no one has to react to you: namely, if you were eliminated from the road, traffic patterns would remain entirely unchanged.  this is tough to do in urban environments, but rurally quite easy.

Rule 1: never drive on a one-lane road. Rule 2: never make a turn where there's no turn lane. Rule 3: never pass over a loop detector.

[corco]

Cruise control should only be allowed to be used by drivers that
A) are willing to speed up to overtake a car so they're not passing .01 MPH faster than the car next to them or are willing to just slow down and not pass if they don't want to speed up. The worst I remember was on I-25 south of Buffalo WY where there are approximately no cars on the road I had some guy lurk in my blind spot for 22 miles. 22 miles! Why? What if a deer ran out? In that 22 miles I didn't have to pass anything so I had no reason to act on it.
and B) keep right to except to pass. Even if you're only in the right lane for 10 seconds, that's still plenty of time for a car to pass you.

The problem is that the issue is compounded by other selfish drivers- if I'm passing a car, and I'm going 72, and there are 6 or 7 cars behind me trying to go 75, and I get over to let them by, they're not going to let me back out to pass the truck in front of me, forcing me to slow down to 60. I think people who would otherwise keep right are afraid to because other dick drivers won't let them back out. If people would all keep right, I could pass the first car, get to the right, let 3 or 4 of the cars by, get back out, overtake the truck, get back right, and let the rest go by, but people aren't patient.

As a general rule if I end up in one of those left lane chains where several vehicles are passing multiple vehicles, I'll ALWAYS slow down to let the car out that got to the right to be nice and is now stuck chilling behind a truck, but almost nobody else does.

[agentsteel53]

if I'm passing a car, and I'm going 72, and there are 6 or 7 cars behind me trying to go 75, and I get over to let them by

I'd probably speed up to 75.  likely even 80, depending on the speed limit.  probably not 90, though - that's just asking for a bit too much politeness.

[corco]

Well right, that's what I do too and that's why speed limits are stupid, but I do have respect for the driver that is trying to keep right except to pass but doesn't want to speed too much

[agentsteel53]

Well right, that's what I do too and that's why speed limits are stupid, but I do have respect for the driver that is trying to keep right except to pass but doesn't want to speed too much

I'll have respect for them until they jump out in front of me and cause me to need to slow down.

[corco]

It depends- if I watch them get over to let cars go by and then they get stuck behind a truck, I think I should yield to them to let them back out, especially if there's a string of cars behind me.

I don't know- I yield to the car in front of me, regardless of what lane they're in. If they have room to bolt out in front of me, you could make a good argument that I should have been in the right lane to begin with.                              

But really, if people would stop being so defensive about their position in the left lane and just move right, that shouldn't happen in the first place.

[agentsteel53]

I don't know- I yield to the car in front of me, regardless of what lane they're in. If they have room to bolt out in front of me, you could make a good argument that I should have been in the right lane to begin with.                              

even if I'm in the right lane, if we both move over to pass a truck - if I'm doing 75 and they're doing 67, they should speed up to 75 as a courtesy so that I don't have to slow down.

(assuming a speed limit of 65 or greater)

[corco]

I agree that they should, but I understand why they don't. Moral of the story is that absolute speed limits are inane

[nds76]

I guess what bothers me is that most if not all motorists think the left lane has a faster speed limit than the right lane. The posted speed is the same for all lanes. If people were going the same speed there would be little to no need to pass.

[vdeane]

I agree about drivers being afraid to stay right.  I know I am, especially since NY's interstates are clogged with trucks.  If I let a line of cars pass me, I will almost certainly get stuck behind a truck going 55 for two miles.  Especially since I have an aversion to speeding resulting from NY being the king of speeding tickets (as an attempt to use tickets to fix budget shortfalls that have plagued the state for a decade now).  Going faster than 68 in a 65mph zone WILL net you a ticket at some point.

[corco]

I agree about drivers being afraid to stay right.  I know I am, especially since NY's interstates are clogged with trucks.  If I let a line of cars pass me, I will almost certainly get stuck behind a truck going 55 for two miles.  Especially since I have an aversion to speeding resulting from NY being the king of speeding tickets (as an attempt to use tickets to fix budget shortfalls that have plagued the state for a decade now).  Going faster than 68 in a 65mph zone WILL net you a ticket at some point.

I've been to New York once. I've driven a total of 200 miles in New York. In over 100,000 miles of driving, I have received one ticket. I received it in New York.

I hate New York.