Too bad people automatically think higher speed = higher risks.
I fully agree with the article. Too many people use the speed limit as justification for blocking traffic. There is nothing wrong with going over the limit on a clear, dry road with no pedestrians (say, on a highway) yet you’ll always (and I really mean always) find someone in the left lane tooling along with no idea what they’re doing.
I’m sorry Jackmannii but I’m the kind of driver you encountered. If you are in the wrong lane, I will pass you as quickly as I can. If both lanes are perfectly clear I will just continue in the right lane (as you’re supposed to) but with any traffic, I’ll just go right around you with the minimal amount of space.
Just today I had this happen to me. 2 lane road, right lane quite busy (everyone makes a right turn for a busy road) but I go straight. I get in behind an old stationwagon and he’s moving slower than the right lane! He’s doing exactly the limit- 60 kph (while the safe speed for this road is in the 85-90 kph range).
When I had a chance (a very small window) I took it. These kinds of drivers make me want to mount a machine gun to my car.
I’m getting off topic here, but I want to say that I think that’s a very accurate assessment. Here’s something that’s even worse than the mock “cheerful” wave: the peace sign. I’ve noticed this a lot in the past few years. An aggressive driver will pull some boneheaded, dangerous stunt, and when one becomes visibly angry at them, they flash a “peace sign” out the window, as if to say, “can’t we all just get along?”. It’s akin to punching someone in the face and THEN saying “let’s not fight, o.k.?”.
This kind of stuff is passive-aggressive behavior in the worst way. What these people are really doing is trying to assert their dominance by saying “See, I made you angry while I remain calm, so I’m the winner”. It’s really childish behavior when you think about it.
As for flashing the lights, I agree it doesn’t work in California. The problem is that it’s been ruined as a legitimate signal by people using it as a display of aggression. How often have we all been in the process of passing another car, only to have someone come up inches from our rear bumper and flash their high-beams on and off repeatedly, even though it’s obviously not possible to get out of the way until we are clear of the car we’re passing. Stuff like this happens so often that people simply start to automatically interpret the flashing of lights as a display of hostility, even when it wasn’t intended that way.
It’s a mess out there. Maybe they could build cars that somehow automatically inject the driver with Valium.
If someone screws up on the road and tries to do a “mea culpa” by waving or peace-sign or whatever I would never come to the conclusion that they are asserting some dominance over me.
If they are laughing or giving the finger, that’s another story.
You might need some anger management therapy.
PS I never peace-sign anyone - nor have I ever seen such a thing.
Well, John Mace and I have BOTH noticed such behavior, and since you weren’t there at the time, I respectfully suggest that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Your highly insulting remark couched in seemingly benign language is a great example of exactly the type of passive-agressive behavior I’m talking about. Thanks for providing such a great illustration of my point.
Ah, yes - since you haven’t seen it, it has never happened.:wally
-apologies; I reread my post and realized it did not come out as intended.
Firstly, I do not doubt that people peace-sign when they screw up. Though I haven’t seen it, I have seen many a “wave of shame”. I’ve even done it myself ; what alternative is there? I take my off the road ( a dumb thing to do) and say I cut you off. What is my course of action? Pull over and grovel? IM your mobile phone?
I know this sounds glib, but really what else can one do, other than aspire to never do it again.
Since I have admitted I have actually made a mistake on the road , I can vouch for myself when I say I have never
had any desire to demonstrate dominance over anyone else.
I’m just a working stiff trying to get from “A” to “B”.
I’m just surprised at your seeming quickness to assume an ulterior motive in someone else’s actions; I submit that the lion’s share of driving screwups are just that - screw ups with no malice intended. You seem to feel otherwise.
My tongue-in-cheek remark to get anger management therapy was meant light heartedly (I thought I put in a smiley, but I see that I didn’t), so I again apologies for that remark.
…Until that Semi (going 45mph) comes up from behind on that driver doing 35mph, and then the semi lane-changes into the #3 lane in front of a pick-up towing a trailor (going 55mph) who then decides to lane-change into the #2 lane in front of a Volvo (going 65mph) who then lane-changes into the #1 lane (left/fast) in front of a CHP officer (going 75mph). All of this takes place on the Cajon Pass area (South Bound Interstate 15) in So-Cal where there is a 5 or 6% downhill grade.
Is that driver doing 35mph a safe driver? Maybe they are safe in regards to themselves, but they are an obvious danger to the flow of traffic. Three vehicles made lane changes and ALL lanes just had to reduce their speeds by 10mph to accomodate this ONE driver. To have all lanes brake and reduce speed 10mph is all you need to create a traffic jam a few miles back in about 5-10 minutes, and that’s if an accident is avoided. Accidents usually happen when people make unsafe lane changes or do not give enough distance ahead of themselves to brake.
This happens in the Cajon Pass all the time…just ask anyone who goes from LA to Vegas and back on the weekends. Then there’s that insane stretch of I-15 from Victorville to Barstow: 2 lanes in each direction! Please try to envision a semi going 46mph passing another semi going 45.5mph, during the mad rush to Vegas/Colorado River/Laughlin/Lake Mead/Havasu/etc. on Friday night! Road rage has never been healthier in the state of So-Cal!:mad:
Yeticus Rex you describe a horrible but common problem. I would though not put the blame solely on the 35mph driver.
The semi shouldn’t overtake the 35 mph if that would cause cars in the lane s/he is moving to to have to slow down or change lane. Similarly for every other overtake maneuver you mention. The only way this happens is if every overtaking person makes a mistake in judging the traffic behind them. If you overtake in such a way that you cause traffic in the lane you move into to slow down, then that is also bad driving.
I realize I am sounding accusatory in this thread, and I don’t really want to. I am an intermediate skill driver at best, but I know this and act accordingly. I am driven mad by the number of Californian drivers around here who drive badly but believe they drive perfectly. I doubt anyone in this thread is like that (people who believe they are perfect drivers, don’t much listen to discussions about driving).
There are way too many people in this state who feel driving at 70 mph in the second fastest lane whilst all other slower lanes are quiet, is the epitome of safe driving.
In good conditions I usually drive about 80 mph, and continuously see this pattern on the Interstate roads here. For 15 minutes the road is very quiet, well spaced vehicles all as far right as possible, going between 65 and 100. Then you reach a slow block of about 5 vehicles, one or two in front are doing 65-80 in the fast or second-fast lane, a couple more are trying to overtake these vehicles, flashing, getting close (bad idea) to try and persuade them to move to safer slower lanes (which are available). Then more cars build up behind, some get impatient and start overtaking the blockage on the slower lane. This leads to the blocking vehicles, if they ever get a clue, now having difficulty in moving over to the slower lanes due to cars overtaking them in those lanes. And so the blockage continues far longer than necessary, and that part of the road is now a perfect recipe for a multi car pile up (cars to close traveling at speed, cars in front wanting to change lanes but fearful at the same time).
Here are the clues I use when I am driving dumbly in the wrong lane.
If there are cars behind you at your speed try to get over to the slower lane to your right.
If someone undertakes you safely, then you definitely need to be in the slower lane to your right.
And finally just because I want to go at 75mph doesn’t mean I can go at that speed, so I slow down if the car in front is 65mph, but the car behind and to the left is 90mph.
I usually plan my longer road trips to take place in the antisocial hours of the night to avoid the traffic problem - not only is it less of a headache, but I make better time that way.
For day-to-day driving, what’s so hard to understand about “right lane except to pass”?
I thought of another possible counterexample. Until the rebuild, half the exchanges in the Big I were far-left lane changes. Those were I-25 north to I-40 west, I-40 west to I-25 south, I-25 south to I-40 east, and I-40 east to I-25 north. Now, these were all approached with a freeway width of three or four lanes (can’t quite remember which) each way. So if I got on I-40 west, knowing that I’d get on I-25 south (a left lane merge) approximately five miles away from where I got on (which is a short time even at the older speed limit of 55), wouldn’t I be better off going at a decent speed in the left lane than trying to make last-minute lane changes to hit the exchange?
For that matter, I second Frixxxx. It’s at least three lanes at 65 mph throughout Albuquerque. At points it widens all the way to five or six (no HOV lanes, though). If I’m going any distance at all, I get in the middle lane until about half a mile before my exit. The more lanes you add the more complex it gets.
BwanaBob, when someone does the wave or the peace-sign thing, I can see their facial expression, and it’s pretty easy to tell whether someone looks contrite or not. If they are waving and giggling to themselves at the same time, then I tend to doubt their sincerity. People probably tend to be more direct in N.Y. - they wouldn’t be passive-aggressive; they would just flip you off or cuss at you. If you lived in CA you’d know what I’m talking about.
This only works when there is little traffic. I really cannot think of any time except very late at night where there is so little traffic on the freeways that I dive on either in California or Albuquerque when I lived there that every body can be in the right lane except to pass.
In the case of your example, I would say you drove poorly by staying in an improper lane despite the need to get over. The person who passed you drove poorly by creating a hazard where there was none. His action was the greater risk, but yours was also a poor choice. And, as others have said, had you moved into the right lane, everyone would have been happy.
You made the person pass you in the left lane. You were at fault for making him pass you in the left lane. There is NO EXCUSE for making him pass you in the left lane. You drove poorly by making him pass you in the left lane. You should have moved into the right lane. He should have been able to pass you in the left lane.
His overreaction and subsequent risky driving are his fault. That the situation existed at all is yours.
He is excused for passing in the right lane because the left lane was blocked. He is NOT excused for creating a hazard.
You are excused for driving in the left lane because the right lane was uncomfortable. You are NOT excused for forcing someone to pass on the right.
I would have come up behind you in the left lane, waited for you to move over, and when you didn’t, I would have blown past you in the right lane and thought about what an inconsiderate jerk you were being. I would not have cut you off, or flipped you off, but I would have told you off, at least in the privacy of my own car.
I don’t obviously want to make an argument based on majority, but, Jackmanii, do you not find it odd that not one person in this thread has steeped forward to defend your actions? I don’t suspect the reason is because you are the visctim of a vast right-wing conspiracy.
Face facts, dude. You were wrong in this instance. It is correct to yield the left lane to faster moving traffic. Period. If the left lane had been open, you would not have been passed on the right. Being passed on the right was the direct result of your actions. The subsequent actions were unacceptable, and thus shall not be discussed.
If you truly believe that what you did was correct, you need to return yourself to driving school, and perhaps examine how your feelings of powerlessness translate to expressions of passive-aggressive behavior on the road and make you an unsafe driver. Because what you did was wrong.
Really, for all you know, the car coming up behind you may hav ben an unmarked police car, or other emergency vehicle that you didn’t immediately recognize. The rule is, yield the left to faster moving traffic. It is not your responsiblity, nor is it your right, to enfore traffic laws. You aren’t trained in their enforcement, or empowered to enforce them.
asterion left hand (ie fast lane) exchanges are dangerous because of very bad road layout. In these cases drivers are forced to use the left lane as a slow lane. Is there a diffinitive rule as to how these exchanges should be taken? A similar danger exists with on ramps that are directly connected to offramps at the exchange point. Both cause a stream of trafic that is attempting to accelerate or maintain a fast speed to cross a stream of traffic that is attempting to slow down. I believe such road design should be illegal, and the people who authorised the creation of such nightmares should pay the cost of the accidents that they caused.
It’s not that simple. Most of the left-hand exits were built a long time ago. They could be rebuilt, but would require millions of dollars and most likely the use of eminent domain to buy up additional land on which to build new right-hand exchanges and overpasses; and possibly re-design of the entire freeway in question. And new projects always encounter legal challenges that must be fought at additional expense. This all takes resources that could better be spent on new projects and/or necessary seismic updating of existing structures.
