Passing on right (lane) = bad ?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

RKS

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,824
3
81
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: freebee
Well when you have people that like to drive the speed limit on the left lane, sometimes passing on the right is the only option.

.....

the speed limit is there for a reason. q]

it is... the ubiquitous 55mph speed limit was set during the energy crisis under Carter? around 1977 in order to save gas. Only insurance companies want a low speed limit, they need any excuse to raise premiums.

BTW I agree that any driver driving slower than at least 10MPH over the speed limit in the left/passing lane (especially during rush hour(s) should have their license suspended.
 

eelw

Lifer
Dec 4, 1999
10,347
5,497
136
It's people who impede traffic that are the problem. Yes, they are obeying the law by not speeding, but they are breaking the law by not using the left lane as the passing lane. By clogging the passing lanes, you are forcing us speeders to weave around you and place everyone in danger. Move over and let us speeders get around your slow ass. If we crash and burn a few miles ahead of you, you can just drive around the accident scene in your right lane.
 

Peetoeng

Golden Member
Dec 21, 2000
1,866
0
0
Originally posted by: Sabot
I've never really done this, but at a friend's house over the weekend their mother was complaining about people who do this on the highway. Is it generally considered a bad thing to do ?

Edit - passing in the right lane

Nope. They do it all the time in England.
 

zixxer

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2001
7,326
0
0
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: Sabot
I've never really done this, but at a friend's house over the weekend their mother was complaining about people who do this on the highway. Is it generally considered a bad thing to do ?

Edit - passing in the right lane

Your friend's mother needs to learn how to drive if she's being passed on the right.
 

zixxer

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2001
7,326
0
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: freebee
Well when you have people that like to drive the speed limit on the left lane, sometimes passing on the right is the only option.

don't they call it the speed limit because it's the *speed limit*?

slower than speed limit = right lane, that's correct, but at the speed limit?

it's people who think like that (you can drive over the speed limit to pass) that cause accidents.

Actually, both speeders and slow drivers are the cause. It's not speed that kills, it's the variation of speed between cars that creates hazards. So if everyone else is doing 75 in a 65, and you're doing 65, you're the unsafe one.
 

zixxer

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2001
7,326
0
0
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: freebee
Well when you have people that like to drive the speed limit on the left lane, sometimes passing on the right is the only option.

don't they call it the speed limit because it's the *speed limit*?

slower than speed limit = right lane, that's correct, but at the speed limit?

it's people who think like that (you can drive over the speed limit to pass) that cause accidents.
Ya gotta follow the flow-of-traffic. If others are doing 67 in the left lane and you're doing 55mph, others are jamming on the brakes and guess who'd be the one causing the accident ? Of course by law it's alright, but flow-of-traffic dictates who should be in the "fast" or "passing" lane and who should move over.

maybe you're right, but my point is that it's the people who cause this 'flow of traffic' whose license should be suspended. the traffic isn't going to just 'flow' 20 over the speed limit if not because of some a-hole speeding in the front. and the victims are people who are just trying to follow the rules by not driving over the speed limit.

the speed limit is there for a reason. i wish i have time right now to explain more about this, but i gotta go right now. i studied geometric design of highway (heck i got an MS degree doing transportation design and modeling), and the speed limit on the highway is there mainly for safety reasons. i'll try to explain better next time.


I dunno wtf you live, but come to atlanta and drive on 285 for a while. The speed limit is 55. People normally go 70-75; with many going 80+. If you are going 55 you WILL be a hazard.
 

homestarmy

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2004
3,528
2
0
artwilbur.com
Originally posted by: m2kewl
Originally posted by: ohtwell
You shouldn't have to pass on the right, because slow drivers should be in the right most lane.


: ) Amanda

that should be a law in this country. i normally always pass on the left, but slow ass drivers hugging the left lane and refuse to move when you high beam them...are maroons.

I first try the left turn signal to be nice, if they don't notice that, then high beams, then just lay on the horn till they move.
 

homestarmy

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2004
3,528
2
0
artwilbur.com
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: freebee
Well when you have people that like to drive the speed limit on the left lane, sometimes passing on the right is the only option.

don't they call it the speed limit because it's the *speed limit*?

slower than speed limit = right lane, that's correct, but at the speed limit?

it's people who think like that (you can drive over the speed limit to pass) that cause accidents.

It's legal to go over the limit to pass someone. The left lane is supposed to be solely for passing. And realistically, how many accidents are caused by going 10-15mph over on the highway? As they say, most accidents are caused within 3 miles from home, not on the highway.
 

imported_judge

Senior member
Jun 30, 2004
325
0
0
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,393
19,732
146
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Ah yes, the self important elietist who feels a compeling need to make others do as he does.

Here is a clue: What you are doing is illegal in most states, and frowned on by most law enforcement agencies.

Most states have laws against traveling in the left lane.
 

homestarmy

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2004
3,528
2
0
artwilbur.com
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: freebee
Well when you have people that like to drive the speed limit on the left lane, sometimes passing on the right is the only option.

don't they call it the speed limit because it's the *speed limit*?

slower than speed limit = right lane, that's correct, but at the speed limit?

it's people who think like that (you can drive over the speed limit to pass) that cause accidents.
Ya gotta follow the flow-of-traffic. If others are doing 67 in the left lane and you're doing 55mph, others are jamming on the brakes and guess who'd be the one causing the accident ? Of course by law it's alright, but flow-of-traffic dictates who should be in the "fast" or "passing" lane and who should move over.

maybe you're right, but my point is that it's the people who cause this 'flow of traffic' whose license should be suspended. the traffic isn't going to just 'flow' 20 over the speed limit if not because of some a-hole speeding in the front. and the victims are people who are just trying to follow the rules by not driving over the speed limit.

the speed limit is there for a reason. i wish i have time right now to explain more about this, but i gotta go right now. i studied geometric design of highway (heck i got an MS degree doing transportation design and modeling), and the speed limit on the highway is there mainly for safety reasons. i'll try to explain better next time.


I'd love to hear why I-95 in certain areas on perfectly flat land in a non-busy area has a 55MPH speed limit. There is no logical explanation, and your MS degree won't help you pull one out of your butt.
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
76
Originally posted by: homestarmy
It's legal to go over the limit to pass someone. The left lane is supposed to be solely for passing. And realistically, how many accidents are caused by going 10-15mph over on the highway? As they say, most accidents are caused within 3 miles from home, not on the highway.

What? No it's not.... You're nuts! Just about every ticket I've ever gotten has been in the left lane.... you can't just say, "Oh, I was passing someone." The idea of the law is, the only people you should be passing are people going under the speed limit, because why would you need to pass someone going the speed limit unless your goal was to speed?
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
76
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Most times the driver in the right lane will slow down or speed up to counter you being an asshole. At which point you force people to pass on the right. And you force me to cut you off.
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: saxguy
Originally posted by: freebee
Well when you have people that like to drive the speed limit on the left lane, sometimes passing on the right is the only option.
don't they call it the speed limit because it's the *speed limit*?

slower than speed limit = right lane, that's correct, but at the speed limit?

it's people who think like that (you can drive over the speed limit to pass) that cause accidents.
Many states have reasonable and prudent rules. If you are pulled over for driving over the limit but can prove you were driving at a speed reasonable and prudent given weather, road, and traffic conditions, charges should be dismissed.

Many times I've seen a sheriff's car or police car in the middle of a pack of drivers going 10-15mph over the limit, even in dense urban traffic. If people are maintaining safe following distances and not making fast lane-change manuevers, the cops pretty much leave everyone alone.

Saw it a few times on the back home from Florida over the weekend.
 

MikePanic

Senior member
Apr 5, 2004
913
0
0
ill pass if the person in the left lane is too stoopid to move over after seeing a half dozen other cars go by on the right side
 

homestarmy

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2004
3,528
2
0
artwilbur.com
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Ah yes, the self important elietist who feels a compeling need to make others do as he does.

Here is a clue: What you are doing is illegal in most states, and frowned on by most law enforcement agencies.

Most states have laws against traveling in the left lane.

Yes what he is doing is illegal and in many cases more dangerous. I hope some road-rager gets really pissed one day and teaches you a real lesson. Hopefully it's not by coming up on the left shoulder and showing you the business end of his 10 gauge.

Also, speed limits are actually made by how fast people go, there's some rule I forget the name but its like the 70% rule or something like that, I read about it in a newsletter that I got about our toll roads here in FL. I'm not sure of the percentage, but they use the devices that they put in the road you roll over to detect your speed and the speed is set at an average of a certain percentile.

I'm sure our little buddy with the masters degree learned this...
 

imported_judge

Senior member
Jun 30, 2004
325
0
0
Originally posted by: homestarmy
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Ah yes, the self important elietist who feels a compeling need to make others do as he does.

Here is a clue: What you are doing is illegal in most states, and frowned on by most law enforcement agencies.

Most states have laws against traveling in the left lane.

Yes what he is doing is illegal and in many cases more dangerous. I hope some road-rager gets really pissed one day and teaches you a real lesson. Hopefully it's not by coming up on the left shoulder and showing you the business end of his 10 gauge.

Also, speed limits are actually made by how fast people go, there's some rule I forget the name but its like the 70% rule or something like that, I read about it in a newsletter that I got about our toll roads here in FL. I'm not sure of the percentage, but they use the devices that they put in the road you roll over to detect your speed and the speed is set at an average of a certain percentile.

I'm sure our little buddy with the masters degree learned this...


until they change the wording of speed limit from speed limit to speed limit unless traffic is going faster speed limit is the law as far as someone with 10 gaguge i will take my chances
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,393
19,732
146
Originally posted by: judge
Originally posted by: homestarmy
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Ah yes, the self important elietist who feels a compeling need to make others do as he does.

Here is a clue: What you are doing is illegal in most states, and frowned on by most law enforcement agencies.

Most states have laws against traveling in the left lane.

Yes what he is doing is illegal and in many cases more dangerous. I hope some road-rager gets really pissed one day and teaches you a real lesson. Hopefully it's not by coming up on the left shoulder and showing you the business end of his 10 gauge.

Also, speed limits are actually made by how fast people go, there's some rule I forget the name but its like the 70% rule or something like that, I read about it in a newsletter that I got about our toll roads here in FL. I'm not sure of the percentage, but they use the devices that they put in the road you roll over to detect your speed and the speed is set at an average of a certain percentile.

I'm sure our little buddy with the masters degree learned this...


until they change the wording of speed limit from speed limit to speed limit unless traffic is going faster speed limit is the law as far as someone with 10 gaguge i will take my chances

The left lane is for passing only. If the right lane is moving at the same speed you are, the right thing to do is move over.

Wouldn't it be funny of some guy was trying to get his pregnant wife to the hospital while she's in labor, and you felt compeled to force him to the speed limit? How about someone trying to get to the hospital to hear the last words of a dying loved one?

You have no idea why people are speeding and it is not your job to stop them.
 

imported_judge

Senior member
Jun 30, 2004
325
0
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
Originally posted by: homestarmy
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Ah yes, the self important elietist who feels a compeling need to make others do as he does.

Here is a clue: What you are doing is illegal in most states, and frowned on by most law enforcement agencies.

Most states have laws against traveling in the left lane.

Yes what he is doing is illegal and in many cases more dangerous. I hope some road-rager gets really pissed one day and teaches you a real lesson. Hopefully it's not by coming up on the left shoulder and showing you the business end of his 10 gauge.

Also, speed limits are actually made by how fast people go, there's some rule I forget the name but its like the 70% rule or something like that, I read about it in a newsletter that I got about our toll roads here in FL. I'm not sure of the percentage, but they use the devices that they put in the road you roll over to detect your speed and the speed is set at an average of a certain percentile.

I'm sure our little buddy with the masters degree learned this...


until they change the wording of speed limit from speed limit to speed limit unless traffic is going faster speed limit is the law as far as someone with 10 gaguge i will take my chances

The left lane is for passing only. If the right lane is moving at the same speed you are, the right thing to do is move over.

Wouldn't it be funny of some guy was trying to get his pregnant wife to the hospital while she's in labor, and you felt compeled to force him to the speed limit? How about someone trying to get to the hospital to hear the last words of a dying loved one?

You have no idea why people are speeding and it is not your job to stop them.

Instead of taking the wife to the hospital he should call 911 and have ambulance respond, as for the hospital drive, the person has no right to endanger other people on the road by going over the speed limit
 

homestarmy

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2004
3,528
2
0
artwilbur.com
What if they're driving and her water breaks? What if they're somewhere without a phone? There are a million reasons why someone could and should be speeding.

So going 75 in a 55 on open highway is more dangerous than endangering the life of not one, but two human beings?

You, and a n00b i might add, are an idiot.
 

kami333

Diamond Member
Dec 12, 2001
5,110
2
76
Originally posted by: judge
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
Originally posted by: homestarmy
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: judge
after reading all of the replys i ssee most of you will hate what i do. I usually drive in the left lane side by side with another car in the right lane that is driving speed limit and forceing all of the speeders to be behind me. If the speed limit is 55 then legally i can only drive 55 and when they start honking at me i just wave my hand instead of showing middle finger which gets them even more frustrated. If highway enginiers feel the speed limit is to low they will have it raised till that happenes i will drive as fast as the law says i can drive and not one mile over that

Ah yes, the self important elietist who feels a compeling need to make others do as he does.

Here is a clue: What you are doing is illegal in most states, and frowned on by most law enforcement agencies.

Most states have laws against traveling in the left lane.

Yes what he is doing is illegal and in many cases more dangerous. I hope some road-rager gets really pissed one day and teaches you a real lesson. Hopefully it's not by coming up on the left shoulder and showing you the business end of his 10 gauge.

Also, speed limits are actually made by how fast people go, there's some rule I forget the name but its like the 70% rule or something like that, I read about it in a newsletter that I got about our toll roads here in FL. I'm not sure of the percentage, but they use the devices that they put in the road you roll over to detect your speed and the speed is set at an average of a certain percentile.

I'm sure our little buddy with the masters degree learned this...


until they change the wording of speed limit from speed limit to speed limit unless traffic is going faster speed limit is the law as far as someone with 10 gaguge i will take my chances

The left lane is for passing only. If the right lane is moving at the same speed you are, the right thing to do is move over.

Wouldn't it be funny of some guy was trying to get his pregnant wife to the hospital while she's in labor, and you felt compeled to force him to the speed limit? How about someone trying to get to the hospital to hear the last words of a dying loved one?

You have no idea why people are speeding and it is not your job to stop them.

Instead of taking the wife to the hospital he should call 911 and have ambulance respond, as for the hospital drive, the person has no right to endanger other people on the road by going over the speed limit

You're probably endangering more people than the guy going 10 over.
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
76
Originally posted by: homestarmy
Good, I hope they blow your head off.

Yup. Then everyone can get around you! And hey, I hope no one speeds to get you to the hospital!
 

Cat13

Golden Member
Nov 14, 1999
1,108
0
0
Out of all the things that bother me the most is people that pass on the right (except if your in England ;)).

The majority of the time, they end up getting stuck at the next light anyway. I admit, I did it a lot when I was younger, but now I can look back and see how stupid and dangerous it really is.