Ticketed for driving slow in the left lane

[don45640]

I'm with Roy and Mossroad on this.......speedometer error could be blamed. ALSO,in bad weather,women tend to be more tentative than men and she MIGHT'VE been afraid the wind was going to blow a vehicle into her from the left lane or that her car might be blown off the right lane.
We don't know the whole story,but it's plain to see many of you favor speeding in the name of keeping up or passing the traffic.I DON'T!`SLOW DOWN AND LIVE!'. REMEMBER....the weather being BAD calls for a DOWNWARD adjustment in your speed! :2cents:don-ohio ^)

In this case, that could have been the result of speedometer error.
It could also be due to inclement weather and I commend the woman for driving safety in such conditions...and for all we know, the right lane traffic may have been driving well below the limit. My guess is the cop wanted to pass her and, in effect, was abusing his authority.

 

[mikehaugen]

Speedometer error or not, it is not the actual speed that is the issue here. The issue is that she was traveling slow in the left lane that is intended for passing. In fact, 63 could not even get you a ticket, because the posted minimum on the expressways are 45 usually. Around here, in just about any weather (except possibly a terrible snow storm) 63 is absolutely absurd in the far left lane. That is really kind of slow even for the right lane, but not to the point of causing problems.

 

[BrandonR]

Had this exact thing happen on I5 going to Calif. two weeks ago. Still have a CB in my pick-up for our logging roads.....used it to say hello to this trucker and asked him very politely if he would mind moving over so the hundred cars behind him could pass. Even the other truckers had some warm thoughts for this guy.:shocked:

Coming back north out of California over Siskyiou summit there's three lanes (left, right and "slow moving vehicle") I was coming up the left lane at 70, two trucks were in the right (going 25 or less) and one decided to pull out to pass in the left lane (doing about 25.1mph), neither was in the "truck" lane so I used it to get around them, still doing 70.

 

[rtimgray]

Note: Personal opinion and observation, not citing anyone in particular on this thread, just an amalgam of experiences:

I find this thread very interesting, because it seems that the majority of posters and folks that I talk to on a day to day feel that they have the right/privilege to go at a certain level above the posted speed limit without (very much) fear of consequence, and if someone else is exceeding the speed limit, even in an act of passing, yet still not going "fast enough", they are subject to the very same ridicule as a person going less than the speed limit in the passing lane.

I concur 100% that slow driving in a passing lane is every bit the hazard that greatly exceeding the speed limit is, and it can be compounded when some is going 10 mph under the limit and someone going 10 mph over the limit approaches from behind.

I often encounter a scenario as follows: Traffic in the right lane moving at 70 mph (speed limit on local interstate). I typically drive about 73 or 74, not quite 75, because that is the speed to which I feel "entitled" to drive without much fear of being cited. So I routinely pass slower moving traffic, which is usually on the right. However, if it is a long string of traffic, it may take a couple of miles to get around it. In the meantime, I'm approached from the rear by a vehicle who is going much faster (let's just say 80 to 85 mph). Of course, they snuggle right up against my rear bumper in an effort to get me to move faster.

Why should I be obliged to further exceed the speed limit, beyond my comfort zone, because someone else wants to exceed that limit by an even greater margin? If I speed up, I feel as though I could be exposing myself to a citation, and I have personally witnessed multiple cars being pulled over at the same time in our area (the old speed gun on the overpass/deputies on the on ramp scenario). I tend to just motor along at my cruise control speed (which is above the posted speed limit), until I can return to the right hand lane.

I was also taught that before moving to the right hand lane, make sure that both of the headlights of the car behind you in the right lane are visible in your rear view mirror (as a rule of thumb). Very often, in the scenario listed above, before that happens, the rather impatient driver behind me will quickly change to the right lane and pass me on the right (I don't usually look to the right because I assume I might be getting a rude gesture), but I feel this is a hazard.

Am I at fault because I am unwilling to exceed the speed limit by a greater amount just for the convenience of someone else who (most likely) simply wants to go faster? Should all on the road yield to the fastest driver? I'm curious of the opinions, but will also say with a large degree of confidence that I will not change my driving habits, as I have never, ever, ever gotten a speeding ticket (got a written warning once for 68 in a 55 while I was passing someone on a 2-lane road - in my Samurai, no less!) , nor have I gotten one for impeding traffic, nor any other kind of citation.

And for what it's worth, when there are more than two lanes on the interstate, I very seldom drive in the furthest left and leave that for the speedy.

Good luck and take care.

 

[dave1949]

Just because people tailgate doesn't make it sensible to linger in the left lane. Traffic conditions have a lot to do with how people should adjust their driving too.

If someone is going the speed limit or more in the left lane, and they are actually passing right line traffic, that doesn't bother me. It is the definition of "passing" that I think upsets people. I don't consider "passing" to be when someone on cruise control is passing another but only going 0.5 mph faster.

On open highway stretches, how often do you see people on cruise control who are barely catching up with a vehicle in the right lane, but move into the left lane very early so they will not have to adjust their speed if someone is beside them when they actually need to get into the left lane? I see this all the time, and they don't care how many people are stacked up behind them while they complete their 5 mile long "pass."

That isn't passing, period. Drivers should move to the left when it's clear, maybe even wait for faster traffic approaching in the left lane, and accelerate while passing to get the job done in a reasonable time. You can step on the gas while in cruise control and accelerate to pass then let off the gas pedal when you are done. That is not a lot to ask IMO.

I drove a lot in Germany, 9+ years. Open highway driving there is more of a cooperative group effort than here. One reason may be that mistakes at 100+ mph can be a lot more deadly, and happen a lot quicker, so people understand the risks of asocial driving to all. They expect a higher quality of operation.

It was very rare in Germany to see trucks speeding, truck speed is limited even on no-limit autobahn stretches, and a lot less of the cowboy attitude by truck drivers. We have lots of very nice truckers, but we have more of the cowboy types than is safe.

The sad fact is that many highways around urban areas are over-loaded and if no one was speeding--which increases through put--the commute times would be much longer.

 

[djp1218]

hate to admit it but i got about the same ticket about 20 yrs ago

 

[cqaigy2]

When I was a kid, we were pulled over in Nova Scotia in an absolutely blinding rain for going too slow.... You could not see the road to drive, and yet we were pulled. I still remember my Dad going absolutely balistic on the cop.

Sometimes it's prudent to pull off to the shoulder if the weather is causing very bad visibility. It would lessen the hazard of someone driving faster, plowing into the back of the vehicle because of poor visibility.

I myself have been driving in bad rain storms trying to make headway when i started to notice cars pulled over to the shoulder. Kind of like in Florida where you can tell us foreigners from the locals because the locals have pulled to the side while we out of staters are try to drive in a blinding rainstorm.:laughing:

 

[jimmyj]

It's a bit of a hijack but another thing that I find annoying is people who vary their speed. I usually drive on regional highways that are just 2 lanes (one in each direction). Nothing makes me crazier than a person who's speed goes up and down by 20mph. ARRRRR!

 

[DT86]

It's a bit of a hijack but another thing that I find annoying is people who vary their speed. I usually drive on regional highways that are just 2 lanes (one in each direction). Nothing makes me crazier than a person who's speed goes up and down by 20mph. ARRRRR!

They are usually the ones who are on the phone, either talking or texting. The last thing on their list of priorities seems to be actually driving!

 

[mikehaugen]

It's a bit of a hijack but another thing that I find annoying is people who vary their speed. I usually drive on regional highways that are just 2 lanes (one in each direction). Nothing makes me crazier than a person who's speed goes up and down by 20mph. ARRRRR!

On many rural highways I will travel about 10mph over the speed limit . I often will come up on someone doing 5-10mph under the speed limit and pass them. While approaching them I gain ground fairly quickly, then after I pass they will keep up with me, or lose ground much more slowly. I don't know if my passing made them aware of their slow driving because they weren't paying attention, or what. Probably as DT86 said, they were probably on the phone or texting.