Traffic deaths jump after six-year decline

[cpzilliacus]

It's not always illegal to block the left lane, as the late John Nestor, M.D. used to do on the Beltway at 55 MPH.

It may not be specifically illegal (although every state has a law which prohibits deliberately blocking traffic), but it is inherently dangerous...one reason "rechtsfahren" is the law on the German Autobahn.  Permitting passing on the right in most US jurisdictions was nothing more than giving in to untrained and clueless drivers who were doing it anyhow.  It certainly wasn't done for safety reasons.

I don't dispute that, though I would not want to see a ban on passing on the right in the U.S., at least not on freeways with three (or more) lanes in each direction.

IMO, it is the continuing and palpable abuses of power by police agencies, aided and abetted by the courts and insurance companies dangling money in front of cash-strapped governments, that lead to widespread disregard for traffic laws.  The system is corrupt and feeds on itself.  Once government agencies realized they could actually make money off of drivers, all too many of whom were engaged in safe and reasonable behavior but who went a few MPH faster than a sign posted on the side of the road told them to go, there was no going back.

There are abuses of maximum speed laws (including super-aggressive enforcement of Interstate highway speed limits on short segments for obvious reasons of revenue collection, such as I-95 through Emporia, Va. and I-295 through Hopewell, Va.), but I don't think most state police and highway patrol agencies are guilty of such behavior. 

Of course, it helps if all fines collected from speeding tickets go to fund a statewide program, so county and municipal governments are not allowed to keep any of the money (I think that's where the abuses are much more likely to happen).  Maryland does this, at least with "traditional" moving violations (though not with automated enforcement (unfortunately)).  Local governments may not enact their own traffic ordinances and laws in Maryland, which means that all tickets issued are violations of state laws and the state government collects the fines.

[agentsteel53]

I would not want to see a ban on passing on the right in the U.S., at least not on freeways with three (or more) lanes in each direction.

I think a shift in US driving behavior would be necessary before such a ban made sense.

first, start enforcing "get the Hell out of the left lane, Nestor" for several years, and only then start enforcing a ban on passing on the right. 

[cpzilliacus]

I would not want to see a ban on passing on the right in the U.S., at least not on freeways with three (or more) lanes in each direction.

I think a shift in US driving behavior would be necessary before such a ban made sense.

I agree.

first, start enforcing "get the Hell out of the left lane, Nestor" for several years, and only then start enforcing a ban on passing on the right.

In a whole slew of states, state legislatures would have to make it illegal before police could start enforcing it!

Having said that, I agree with the idea of outlawing Nestoring, and then citing violators.

[theline]

Smartphones have only made this worse. I have a friend who reads her email while driving. Says she has to, because sometimes the person sending it expects a quick response and she can't not give them one just because she's driving. It's mostly while stopped at red lights, but I swear sometimes it's every frigging red light.

Anyone who is so obsessed with making instant responses to emails or texts must suffer from pathetically low self-esteem. And anyone who demands instantaneous replies has an over-inflated ego.

[kphoger]

I would not want to see a ban on passing on the right in the U.S., at least not on freeways with three (or more) lanes in each direction.

I think a shift in US driving behavior would be necessary before such a ban made sense.

I agree.

first, start enforcing "get the Hell out of the left lane, Nestor" for several years, and only then start enforcing a ban on passing on the right.

In a whole slew of states, state legislatures would have to make it illegal before police could start enforcing it!

Having said that, I agree with the idea of outlawing Nestoring, and then citing violators.

And why is it OK for a cop to drive nonstop in the left lane at below the flow of traffic?  The laws I've read specifically allow them to do so while engaging in "official duties"–which basically means "on the clock", right?

[cpzilliacus]

I would not want to see a ban on passing on the right in the U.S., at least not on freeways with three (or more) lanes in each direction.

I think a shift in US driving behavior would be necessary before such a ban made sense.

I agree.

first, start enforcing "get the Hell out of the left lane, Nestor" for several years, and only then start enforcing a ban on passing on the right.

In a whole slew of states, state legislatures would have to make it illegal before police could start enforcing it!

Having said that, I agree with the idea of outlawing Nestoring, and then citing violators.

And why is it OK for a cop to drive nonstop in the left lane at below the flow of traffic?  The laws I've read specifically allow them to do so while engaging in "official duties"–which basically means "on the clock", right?

With very rare exceptions, every police vehicle I see in the left lane of every freeway in Md. and Va. is driving well over the posted speed limit.  On the clock or off the clock - doesn't seem to matter.

[agentsteel53]

With very rare exceptions, every police vehicle I see in the left lane of every freeway in Md. and Va. is driving well over the posted speed limit.  On the clock or off the clock - doesn't seem to matter.

same here.  Cops in California tend to have two behaviors on the freeway when their lights are off.  when they need to get somewhere, they'll do about 80-85mph (sometimes as much as 90, but generally for that fast, they'll turn the lights on), or they'll be sitting in the right lane, obeying the speed limit to the letter.

[kphoger]

Well, here in the Midwest (that useless mass of land between New York and Los Angeles–called America), it's a somewhat common form of speed control to just cruise along in the left lane at or slightly below the speed limit.  The most irksome for me was on 412 heading west out of Tulsa.  I don't remember the exact speed limit, but let's say it was 70.  The cop was in the left lane going 70 on the dot.  I came up on the right going approximately 70.000000005 (OK, maybe it was 71), i-i-i-i-inching past him.  As soon as I was alongside him, he revved his engine a couple of times and pointed at his radar gun.  I slowed down to about 69.9999995 for a while.  Then, suddently, he lurched ahead, swerved across all lanes, and exited the highway.

Talk about "serving and protecting"..... 

[agentsteel53]

As soon as I was alongside him, he revved his engine a couple of times and pointed at his radar gun.

I'm pretty sure he wanted to race.

[kphoger]

As soon as I was alongside him, he revved his engine a couple of times and pointed at his radar gun.

I'm pretty sure he wanted to race.

Hmmmm...lesseeee.....highway patrol cruiser versus minivan......

[agentsteel53]

As soon as I was alongside him, he revved his engine a couple of times and pointed at his radar gun.

I'm pretty sure he wanted to race.

Hmmmm...lesseeee.....highway patrol cruiser versus minivan......

yeah you're right.  you should've flagged him down and stolen the cruiser.

[Scott5114]

I read somewhere–can't tell you where–that many police agencies have an SOP that cruisers are supposed to operate either well above or well below the speed limit; i.e. if the speed limit is 70 they should either do 80 or above or 60 or below. The reasoning for this is people don't panic and bunch up around the cop, tying up traffic.

[Ace10]

I had an annoying bout with a Florida State Trooper. Now normally when I'm on the freeway with light to moderate traffic, I turn on cruise control when I'm moving at my most comfortable speed - and it's always great to have someone pass me up quickly to have me pass them up five minutes later with me doing the same speed I've been doing for the past 20 miles. Anyway...

So there was this FL State Trooper in the left lane on I-10 doing about 68-72, but like virtually every other driver, he ends up going a tiny bit faster, and then a tiny bit slower, and I hate having to adjust my speed to someone else's, so I just move into the right lane and continue doing about 73. So I keep creeping and creeping closer to him and begin to pass him up, until my car is about halfway past his front bumper, when he kicks on the siren for a second or two.

Now, if he had any intention to pull me over, he would have done so. But instead, I think he was just on a big ego trip and used the fact that he was a trooper to try to intimidate me and keep me behind him - which of course worked. I would have kept going past him, but I want to MAKE SURE that I can't be ticketed for it. I do know the maximum fine for 5 mph or less above the speed limit is a warning, so I'm completely comfortable doing about 72 or 73 in a 70 and not having to worry about getting a fine, but I'm not too sure about the passing-on-the-right law.

Of course, about 10 minutes after this happened, he very unexpectedly pulls a sharp left and cuts across the median to go the other direction. No lights. No siren. No signal. No nothing. Fucking ridiculous. Since that trip about 5 months ago, I noticed on a subsequent trip that there were a ton of state troopers out doing speed traps. That's why I'm super-glad I don't live in Florida anymore. The drivers there almost make me go insane, and now there seem to be lots more speed traps than when I lived there.

One thing I did like about driving in the West - I did not see even one cop doing speed traps from Iowa through Montana. And yet the maximum speed limit is higher in those states. Go figure.