Ticket for failing to move right.

[40X40]

Maryland Lady gets a ticket while doing 63 in a 65.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Laurel-Maryland-Ticket-Driving-Too-Slow-197285901.html

Read the comments after the story.

Bill

 

[biojetta1]

I'm a truck driver, and even when in my personal vehicle, I stay my arse out of the left lane.I normally drive 10 to 15 over, but even if you drive 50 mph over the posted limit, after passing another motorist, you should return to the right lane. Its your speeding ticket, its your fuel, and its as much your road as it is the guy who thinks everyone should drive as slow a they do. It doesn't bother me one bit when someone drives faster than me. I drives me crazy however when someone holds up traffic IN ANY LANE!. Cops should write way more of these tickets than speeders.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Good. GTFO of the left lane!

I am very strict about keeping myself in the right lane whenever possible, only moving left to pass as necessary, and then returning to the right at the first available opportunity. If more people understood and practiced this concept, traffic flow would improve, road rage incidents would be reduced, fuel economy would improve (shocker!), and traffic accidents would be reduced.

 

[greenskeeper]

I prefer shoulder or sidewalk whenever possible

 

[supton]

Did that stretch of road have a middle lane? I can understand "living" in the middle lane, so as to avoid on/off ramp traffic.

 

[gulfcoastguy]

Yep, when possible stay in the middle lane.

 

[GoFaster]

It's obvious from a lot of the comments that a lot of people don't "get it". They have been brainwashed by the North American insurance/government/police that "speed kills" and that as long as you follow the speed limit, nothing else matters. They're used to decades of enforcement of speed limits in the absence of enforcement of ANYthing else.

It sounds like the correct course of action, then, is to revoke the speed limit and only enforce lane discipline and right-of-way-related rules (and that includes use of signals when changing lanes).

 

[GoFaster]

Yep, when possible stay in the middle lane.

Right lane - not center lane. It makes for much better traffic flow overall, when people stay in the lane that is as far right as possible consistent with traffic conditions. I see plenty of people dawdling in the center lane that leads to other people passing them on the right.

If you are coming up on a junction with traffic merging, then deal with it - either move one lane left to allow the merging traffic to merge, or speed up / slow down to allow the merging traffic to fit into gaps ahead of or behind you.

Go take a drive on the autobahn some day ... and you had better stay right (not center) whenever possible. Traffic flow is remarkably smooth, interrupted only by the occasional dumkopf, generally with foreign plates or in a rental car.

Overtaking on the right is illegal there ... but it's also pretty much illegal to put yourself in a position where you can GET passed in the right. If you stay in the right, no one can overtake on the right, life is good. If you are in the center or left lanes, you had better be the one that's doing the overtaking.

edit: I'll tolerate center-lane campers much more than left-lane campers. Keep in mind that in many areas of this continent including mine, that if there are 3 or more lanes going in the same direction on a motorway-style limited access road, trucks over a certain length are prohibited from using the leftmost lane. The center lane is THEIR left lane.

 

[supton]

I've seen too many poor merging tactics to deal with that, in the cities. Too many people don't know how to merge at all -- if I can't get out of their way, then it's always a possiblity that they will merge into me.

Sometimes I can't blame them. In the US we like to have an off ramp in front of an on-ramp. Great fun during rush hour.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Blindly hanging out in the middle lane is, in my opinion, worse than camping in the left lane because you block everyone from making appropriate lane changes. Folks in the right lane either have to pass you on the right or move left two lanes to pass you.

Given that, it will take a change in driving behavior from everyone to improve driving etiquette in this country. I'm doing my part, even if it's a pain in my neck due to people who can't merge properly. I refuse to be "that guy" even if it's more convenient for me.

 

[oilhammer]

I'm a truck driver, and even when in my personal vehicle, I stay my arse out of the left lane.I normally drive 10 to 15 over, but even if you drive 50 mph over the posted limit, after passing another motorist, you should return to the right lane. Its your speeding ticket, its your fuel, and its as much your road as it is the guy who thinks everyone should drive as slow a they do. It doesn't bother me one bit when someone drives faster than me. I drives me crazy however when someone holds up traffic IN ANY LANE!. Cops should write way more of these tickets than speeders.

I agree.

 

[oilhammer]

Right lane - not center lane. It makes for much better traffic flow overall, when people stay in the lane that is as far right as possible consistent with traffic conditions. I see plenty of people dawdling in the center lane that leads to other people passing them on the right.

If you are coming up on a junction with traffic merging, then deal with it - either move one lane left to allow the merging traffic to merge, or speed up / slow down to allow the merging traffic to fit into gaps ahead of or behind you.

Go take a drive on the autobahn some day ... and you had better stay right (not center) whenever possible. Traffic flow is remarkably smooth, interrupted only by the occasional dumkopf, generally with foreign plates or in a rental car.

Overtaking on the right is illegal there ... but it's also pretty much illegal to put yourself in a position where you can GET passed in the right. If you stay in the right, no one can overtake on the right, life is good. If you are in the center or left lanes, you had better be the one that's doing the overtaking.

edit: I'll tolerate center-lane campers much more than left-lane campers. Keep in mind that in many areas of this continent including mine, that if there are 3 or more lanes going in the same direction on a motorway-style limited access road, trucks over a certain length are prohibited from using the leftmost lane. The center lane is THEIR left lane.

Another EXCELLENT post. Especially the part about the center lane campers.

 

[supton]

Blindly hanging out in the middle lane is, in my opinion, worse than camping in the left lane because you block everyone from making appropriate lane changes. Folks in the right lane either have to pass you on the right or move left two lanes to pass you.

Folks who are moving quick usually don't sit in the right lane, not on a three lane, in my experience. They'll live in the left hand lane, maybe middle; or they are passing in any lane available (or not). Plus, in conditions like I described (lots of on/off traffic) nobody "sits" in the right lane either.

I'm not advocating blindly sitting in the middle; if there aren't any on/off's, then go right. Then again, if traffic is light, then it's not very hard to move two lanes over, since you can see someone hanging out in the middle lane long before you have to pass...

If you'd like to have fun sometime, try I84E in Hartford CT. There's a spot where reputedly it's only one lane wide. All the others are lanes getting off. When I get on (from 91) I have to race up to speed so to move left, I think it's three lanes over, and then avoid the exit-only left lane just as you leave worst of it.

Given that, it will take a change in driving behavior from everyone to improve driving etiquette in this country. I'm doing my part, even if it's a pain in my neck due to people who can't merge properly. I refuse to be "that guy" even if it's more convenient for me.

I'd agree, but I've given up caring. As long as I get there, and they get there, then I don't care. I use my directionals, I try to drive right, I try not to be obnoxious; but I'll pass on the right if they won't move out of the left lane. If I'm stuck in the left lane (long line of traffic not going the speed I want), and someone zips past me, weaving through the lanes--I no longer care. Life's too short.

[I like to drive fast, mostly because it's pleasurable; but also because I've learned the worst drivers are the slow moving ones. Going faster than them means they stay in my rear-view mirror.] [In heavy traffic I just pick a lane, and try to stick with it, whatever speed it is. Usually that's the left lane. When things get fast again, then I'll move right.] [I try not to speed on anything that isn't a highway. Back roads have limits for good reasons. Usually.]

 

[supton]

edit: I'll tolerate center-lane campers much more than left-lane campers. Keep in mind that in many areas of this continent including mine, that if there are 3 or more lanes going in the same direction on a motorway-style limited access road, trucks over a certain length are prohibited from using the leftmost lane. The center lane is THEIR left lane.

Missed your edit. That is a good point to keep in mind. I've seen more than a few truckers tailgating the snot out of someone in the middle lane.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Indeed. Also, traveling primarily in the middle lane causes people to jockey for position in the left and middle lanes, often times leaving the right lane wide open for people who to whizzing past everyone. This creates an even more dangerous situation, particularly for those trying to merge on and off the highway. (At least that's the case around here.)

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Quoted from article:

"The reason [the ticket] is silly is because it's sending the wrong message," said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic. "And that is, 'We will tolerate you driving at more than the speed limit, but it you drive below the speed limit, then you're penalized for that'."

It's hard to believe this imbecile in some way represents the public trust and is even allowed an opinion.

Well John, I would like to "send a message":

STAY TO THE RIGHT UNLESS YOU ARE PASSING!!!!!!!!

 

[MonsterTDI09]

I wish people would realize when, people start pass you on the right move the F over.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

What I like is when I'm driving somewhere and move left, pass a car, and see another car sitting behind me in the left lane. After passing I move right. When I move left to pass the next car I'll see the same car sitting in the left lane behind me. If this happens 4 or 5 times I feel a bit silly moving back and forth when that driver is just parked in the left lane. Some things you're not going to change.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Getting passed on the right makes my skin crawl. I have much disdain for left exits around here because they completely screw up any semblance of proper traffic flow.

 

[greenskeeper]

c'mon, people are too busy fiddling with the dashboard gadgets, texting, or sipping coffee to bother to care what lane they are in or how fast they are going....

 

[biojetta1]

Missed your edit. That is a good point to keep in mind. I've seen more than a few truckers tailgating the snot out of someone in the middle lane.

I hate to see trucks tailgating. Truckers will often use the middle lane if there is a lot of merging traffic or an area where there are several on/off ramps like in a city. If it is in a rural area however truckers should be all the way to the right. The courteous ones do anyway haha

 

[supton]

Yeah, well, to be fair the times I've seen it was in rush hour, so heavy traffic, and everyone's got someplace to be. Truckers can't do the lane weaving as well as cars, yet the car driver in question probably doesn't want to be doing the lane weave either (maybe they're conservative drivers or something).

 

[detroitmike]

Her idiotic "I was shocked" reaction to the ticket just shows how clueless most people are about how things should be done on the road.

I seriously would not mind it if the state made people take a comprehensive driving test say every five years if it would filter out some of these morons.

 

[kjclow]

Then you'd just get alot more poeple driving without a license. There are some states where it's posted that is illegel to stay in the left lane unless passing. I got after my daughter about that last week. She just wanted to tool along in the left when there was no traffic.

 

[BadMonKey]

My favorite is the new fad especially with super tanker SUV's when a trucker or slow vehicle shows up on the horizon they immediately dart out into the left lane to pass the trucker over half a mile away and 5 more cars end up passing them on the right. They almost seem to wait tell I'm damn near by them before jumping out

I've always driven with the mindset that cutting someone off is the ultimate sin and driving with the flow of traffic, i only look for speed limit signs when traffic is minimal to non-existent.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

I just watched the video since it wouldn't play from work. I think the news is focusing too much on going under the speed limit and not focusing enough on the failure to keep right. They are missing a great opportunity to educate viewers on the rules of the road and why good driving etiquette is important and beneficial to everyone.

 

[oilhammer]

Wait.... the news media focusing on something unimportant while ignoring the obvious? That doesn't ever happen, surely you are mistaken!

 

[gulfcoastguy]

Missed your edit. That is a good point to keep in mind. I've seen more than a few truckers tailgating the snot out of someone in the middle lane.

Where I live many commercial trucks are governed at 65 mph. They camp in the centerlane. My experience is that many people do not know how to merge(or allow others to merge) onto the interstate. Since the center lane is going to be going at 65 anyway I'd just as soon not risk my paint in the right lane unless the interchanges are at least 5 miles apart.

Speed does kill , the formula for kinetic energy is 1/2xMassXVelocity squared. This also isn't the german autobahn.

 

[EJS]

Good. GTFO of the left lane!

Amen!

Must be a DC area driver (land of the campers).

My question - how hard is this? right-> move Left->pass-> back to right ain't exactly rocket science.

Worst part of my commute are campers. Four lane road (123) speed limit is 55, average speed is more like 60. Every single morning there's a car in the left lane w/ a 1/2 mile of traffic behind them. Had one the other day.........flashed the guy - here's the fun - this jackass actually waved Everyone goes around on the right (which is real safe), last I saw he was still back there blocking.

Wait.... the news media focusing on something unimportant while ignoring the obvious? That doesn't ever happen, surely you are mistaken!

LMAO

 

[T100TDI]

I agree with the left lane campers but there does tend to be some grey error for myself. I hate tailgating in general and if I'm doing five to ten over the flow of traffic while passing two semis get off my bumper. I get over as soon as I've passed. Still seems to not be fast enough for some. However, I doubt this was the issue here. The increased number of left exits and bumper traffic does not help break the habit for campers. At least there is visibility being raised for the issue.