American drivers!!

[Mrwurm]

There's been some interesting comments in this thread. Here's my situation: I drive about 30 miles each way to work. 20 of those miles are on a divided highway. (two lanes in each direction) The speed limit is 70.

I can drive to or from work in one of two ways:

Method 1) I can cruise in the left lane at 70 mph and move to the right each time someone going faster approaches from behind. I have to slow down to the speed of the right lane, 55, 60, 65 whatever it may be. Once the faster car passes, I can move back to the left and accelerate back up to 70. Over twenty miles this ritual will occur approximate 3 times per mile, which is about 60 lane changes, slow downs, and re-accelerate. Method 1 uses more gas, causes me more work, and creates stess for me.

Method 2) I can set my cruise at 70 or 71 and let faster motorists figure out how they're going to manage it. This method allows me to use fuel efficiently and makes for an easy, low stress ride to work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's some additional points:

The left lane is for motorists who are driving faster than the right lane. This includes any speed up to the legal speed limit. There is no lane reserved for those who want to exceed the limit. Personally, its none of my business or concern if someone wants to exceed the limit as long as its not jeapardizing my safety. (actually I do care about the safety of others, but that's another discussion)

My general rule of practice is that I will merg to the right if I'm traveling less than the posted limited. But, if someone wants to exceed the legal limit, I don't feel its my job to restrict them or to help them by inconveniencing myself. It seems that the prevailing opion is that anyone who doe'snt move from the left lane is selfish and inconsiderate. I believe that the motorists who are traveling above the limit care only about themselves and do not consider the safety risk to others or the impact on traffic flow. Speeders cause continuous churning of lane changes by all motorists they encounter.

 

[DieselPower]

Well it's nice to see I'm not the only one that could care less about the other fools that are speeding. It's fun to watch other people go nut's isn't it.

 

[Bird]

The 10% who can handle faster speed limits will only be able to do so for a certain time anyway. Age will slow them down soon enough.

Aaah, yes, unfortunately. I only did just a little bit of racing, but as a police officer I was involved in several high speed pursuits, some in excess of 100 mph. I can tell you that racing on a track ain't exciting at all compared to driving a pursuit on the streets. But I never had an accident or damaged anything, so yes, I think I was considerably better than the average driver. And like everyone else, I think I'm still better than the average, but I sure know my abilities, vision, and reaction times are nowhere close to what they were 30 years ago. So I don't drive as fast as I used to anymore either.

What I would like to change is raising the age when a kid can get a license. 16 is just too young.

Of course they have to be 18 in Texas unless they've had drivers education. So there are a lot of drivers education schools that don't really teach them much of anything. At least they did finally realize that parent taught driver training works even better than the schools. So I did the teaching for my grandson. How well he'll do, long term, remains to be seen, but at least for the first year and a half, he's had no accidents and no tickets.

Regardless of age, no one in the United States is required to actually learn how to drive in order to get a drivers license. You only have to pass a very simple little written test and barely be able to herd a car down the road to pass the driving test.

I've always said there's two things in this country that we let everyone do without ever proving they know how to and that is (1) drive a motor vehicle, and (2) raise children.

 

[mjarrels]

Nothing like pulling out on the open highway with a tractor pulling a hay wagon... speed up to about 10 MPH... now that slows them down.

mark

 

[turnkey4099]

There's been some interesting comments in this thread. Here's my situation: I drive about 30 miles each way to work. 20 of those miles are on a divided highway. (two lanes in each direction) The speed limit is 70.

I can drive to or from work in one of two ways:

Method 1) I can cruise in the left lane at 70 mph and move to the right each time someone going faster approaches from behind. I have to slow down to the speed of the right lane, 55, 60, 65 whatever it may be. Once the faster car passes, I can move back to the left and accelerate back up to 70. Over twenty miles this ritual will occur approximate 3 times per mile, which is about 60 lane changes, slow downs, and re-accelerate. Method 1 uses more gas, causes me more work, and creates stess for me.

Method 2) I can set my cruise at 70 or 71 and let faster motorists figure out how they're going to manage it. This method allows me to use fuel efficiently and makes for an easy, low stress ride to work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's some additional points:

The left lane is for motorists who are driving faster than the right lane. This includes any speed up to the legal speed limit. There is no lane reserved for those who want to exceed the limit. Personally, its none of my business or concern if someone wants to exceed the limit as long as its not jeapardizing my safety. (actually I do care about the safety of others, but that's another discussion)

My general rule of practice is that I will merg to the right if I'm traveling less than the posted limited. But, if someone wants to exceed the legal limit, I don't feel its my job to restrict them or to help them by inconveniencing myself. It seems that the prevailing opion is that anyone who doe'snt move from the left lane is selfish and inconsiderate. I believe that the motorists who are traveling above the limit care only about themselves and do not consider the safety risk to others or the impact on traffic flow. Speeders cause continuous churning of lane changes by all motorists they encounter.

In many states (possibly most) the law is KRETP (Keep Right Except to Pass) or a variation of it. There is no mention of what speed. Yes, you can be stopped for LLB (Left Lane Blocking) while faster than the posted (just where is any place that the flow of traffic is not higher than posted?). Unfortunatly it isn't enforced nearly enough. Were I a cop I would stop evey car I see that is in the left lane but not passing anyone.

As to you 20 mile drive. Just how much time do you think you are saving in that 20 miles by blocking the left lane but only going a few miles faster than the 'flow'. You must not care what the people who are 'figuring out how to handle it' think of you.

And before you think I am a 'speeder' you are totally wrong. You will find me parked in the right lane 'going with the flow' all the time. I am also the one thinking 'what a moron' when I see someone cruising in the left lane not passing.

Harry K

 

[Sigarms]

I-95 from D.C (southside) made it to Richmond in less than an hour (beat that).

Apologies for driving past the speed limit.

When I went to high school, I worked in D.C in the summers and drove scared out of my mind in that city. Had no clue how people didn't have heart attacks while driving. Then, some time later, ended back in D.C working. Then I found the secret. Drive like a %&*% idiot and don't worry about anyone including yourself.

You would be amazed how much eaiser it is to drive in traffic when you drive on the offensive instead of the defensive.

No, I don't drive in the city anymore, however, if you want to have fun, drive around the beltway in a ski mask during rush hour, you would be amazed (young and dumb at the time, but it was fun).

 

[shvl73]

I'm frequently in the left lane (passing) and commonly exceeding the posted limit . If someone approaches from behind, they are obviously in a greater hurry than I am and I always move right and let them by. I just think that is courtesy. Why others don't think so baffles me.

 

[Podunkadunk]

I'm frequently in the left lane (passing) and commonly exceeding the posted limit . If someone approaches from behind, they are obviously in a greater hurry than I am and I always move right and let them by. I just think that is courtesy. Why others don't think so baffles me.

+ 1 .

 

[Jstpssng]

There's been some interesting comments in this thread. Here's my situation: I drive about 30 miles each way to work. 20 of those miles are on a divided highway. (two lanes in each direction) The speed limit is 70.

I can drive to or from work in one of two ways:

Method 1) I can cruise in the left lane at 70 mph and move to the right each time someone going faster approaches from behind. I have to slow down to the speed of the right lane, 55, 60, 65 whatever it may be. Once the faster car passes, I can move back to the left and accelerate back up to 70. Over twenty miles this ritual will occur approximate 3 times per mile, which is about 60 lane changes, slow downs, and re-accelerate. Method 1 uses more gas, causes me more work, and creates stess for me.

Method 2) I can set my cruise at 70 or 71 and let faster motorists figure out how they're going to manage it. This method allows me to use fuel efficiently and makes for an easy, low stress ride to work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's some additional points:

The left lane is for motorists who are driving faster than the right lane. This includes any speed up to the legal speed limit. There is no lane reserved for those who want to exceed the limit. Personally, its none of my business or concern if someone wants to exceed the limit as long as its not jeapardizing my safety. (actually I do care about the safety of others, but that's another discussion)

My general rule of practice is that I will merg to the right if I'm traveling less than the posted limited. But, if someone wants to exceed the legal limit, I don't feel its my job to restrict them or to help them by inconveniencing myself. It seems that the prevailing opion is that anyone who doe'snt move from the left lane is selfish and inconsiderate. I believe that the motorists who are traveling above the limit care only about themselves and do not consider the safety risk to others or the impact on traffic flow. Speeders cause continuous churning of lane changes by all motorists they encounter.

How do you know your speedometer is accurate? Where are you driving, that the majority of people drive BELOW the posted limit? (Certainly nowhere that I've ever travelled.)

 

[Jagmandave]

I'm frequently in the left lane (passing) and commonly exceeding the posted limit . If someone approaches from behind, they are obviously in a greater hurry than I am and I always move right and let them by. I just think that is courtesy. Why others don't think so baffles me.

Exactly..............

Driving home last night in the right lane I came up on some slower moving traffic and moved left between two cars till I cleared them, then went to move over again - I have to mention here that when I do this I always speed way up so as not to slow down oncoming faster traffic in the left lane, then slow down again after I move over - and the fellow I pulled in front of took great exception to my manuver, even tho he wasn't close to me. Once traffic cleared to my right I went to pull over but he jumped in there ahead of me, then when he got alongside me he turned right into me! I swerved and hit the horn and he missed me, then he just drove on by. A little further up the road I found myself behind him again and he brake checked me - hard!

This kind of stuff really torques my shorts - it's just not necessary.........