Driving in the left lane at the speed limit

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  • #1379314
    Joseph
    Participant

    is okay since drivers shouldn’t be speeding above the legal limit, anyways.

    If disagreed, justify driving above the legal limit.

    #1379327
    CTLAWYER
    Participant

    Joseph…………….
    It is illegal to drive in the left lane of a multi-lane highway in CT at the posted speed limit or any speed for any appreciable distance or length of time. The left lane is a passing lane, It is to be used for overtaking slower cars in the right lanes, after you have passed the slow car you should be returning to the right hand or middle lanes for driving,

    #1379332
    Meno
    Participant

    I’m not a lawyer, but I believe that in at least some (maybe most/all) states, “speeding” is defined as driving above the speed limit for a given distance. Driving above the speed limit over a relatively short distance is not speeding, and therefore would be legal while passing, as CTLAWYER said.

    #1379336
    Baal Boose
    Participant

    Is clearly inconsiderate.

    #1379338
    CTLAWYER
    Participant

    @Meno
    Nowhere in my post did I say it is legal to drive above the posted speed limit. Please don’t put words in my mouth and then state I said something was legal.

    Many states have a ‘fair and reasonable’ doctrine that can be used in defense of a traffic ticket. For example:
    ‘Your honor, there day was sunny and clear. There was little traffic, tghe car ahead of me in the right hand lane was only going 55 in a 65MPH posted zone. I accelerated in the left lane to 68 MPH to overtake the slow car, returned to the right hand lane and resumed a speed of 64MPH.’

    Police radar guns clock a diriver at an instant in time, there is no recording of how long you exceeded the speed limit to decide whether or not to issue a citation.

    #1379346
    yehudayona
    Participant

    On many roads, driving at the speed limit is hazardous, regardless on what lane you’re in. I was once stopped for speeding on a local major road not in the NY metro area. The officer gave me a warning and was nice enough to tell me what the real speed limit was (40 instead of the posted 30, IIRC).

    #1379370
    Joseph
    Participant

    YY: You were stopped for speeding and the officer told you that you were driving too slowly, because the slower speed you were driving was more hazardous than to drive at a speed above the posted limit?

    #1379457
    Joseph
    Participant

    Thus far no one has offered a rational explanation why driving at the maximum legal speed in the left land is problematic (other than in states that legally mandate the left lane is only permitted to be temporarily used to pass other vehicles, as per CTL.)

    If we accept that generally no one should be driving faster than the posted legal speed limit, then driving at the maximum legally permitted speed in the left lane should pose no issues with preventing other vehicles from passing (unless they are illegally speeding.)

    #1379488
    NeutiquamErro
    Participant

    In the UK, at least, staying in the overtaking lane whilst not overtaking is an offence, and as of a couple years ago can now get you a fine, too. I don’t know if this will be applied if the driver is driving at the speed limit, but I see no reason why it shouldn’t. A simple answer is that an ambulance or police car, travelling legitimately above the speed limit, might need to pass. But just as simple is the fact that the overtaking lane is officially reserved for overtaking. Undertaking is illegal. It could therefore cause issues to other road users regardless of speed. Of course, in the UK, the right hand lane is for overtaking.

    And it’s considered speeding no matter how long you’re over the speed limit for. What may have confused the above poster is that speed cameras generally work by measuring speed over a certain distance, like 100 yards. If you brake sharply and go under the speed limit whilst within the distance, it won’t register as speeding. But that doesn’t make it legal, and if a policeman using a radar gun catches you speeding, it doesn’t matter if it’s only for a second. What is true, again, in the UK at least, is that they allow a certain amount of leeway, usually a couple of miles an hour, before they give a fine. It doesn’t make it legal, the guidelines are just flexible. They’re actually planning on changing that soon, so that drivers are penalized even at 1mph over the limit.

    #1379498
    Chaver
    Participant

    Driving at the speed limit in the left line is what you are supposed to be doing. There is no reason to pass someone going speed limit, except for emergencies but the left lane is not for emergencies. In all lanes people must make room for emergency vehicles.

    #1379820
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Joseph, you misunderstood. I was trying to express two different ideas. 1. It can be dangerous to travel at the speed limit when everyone else is significantly exceeding it (just as it is dangerous to be doing 35 on an Interstate). 2. There’s a real speed limit which is greater than the posted speed limit (as explained to me by the officer who stopped me for traveling at perhaps 45 in a 30 zone).

    #1379828
    Jersey Jew
    Participant

    I’ve been averaging about 25 to 30,000 miles a year for the last 25 years. Driving in the left lane is illegal in just about every state. The left lane is for passing ONLY. if you hang out in the left lane, even if you are going the speed limit, you will get a big fat ticket. In fact you are probably going to be the cause of many accidents or almost accidents.

    If you want to drive like a grandmother, get over into the right lane where you belong. Leave the center and left lanes for us professionals.

    #1379833
    nishtdayngesheft
    Participant

    Joseph,

    I believe this was already mentioned, but it bears repeating. In many states the law is you drive on the right and pass on the left. The left lane is not for straight driving.

    So driving in the left lane, at the limit or otherwise is against the law and you can rightly get a ticket.

    #1379967
    Joseph
    Participant

    What if there’s heavy traffic or it’s rush hour and all lanes are congested. Must everyone leave the left lane since traffic is too heavy for anyone to pass, according to the law in those states that only permit passing traffic?

    #1380180
    Joseph
    Participant

    Can anyone simply, logically and clearly define the differences, if any, between “passing” a car and “cutting off” a car?

    #1380188
    Meno
    Participant

    Cutting off a car requires that car to apply the brakes to avoid hitting you.

    #1380194
    CTLAWYER
    Participant

    @Joseph
    Passing or overtaking a car>>>you are driving behind that car in the same lane. You signal a left lane change and move into the left lane, gain enough speed to get ahead of that car to the point it is visible in your inside rear view mirror. Signal right, switch back to original lane and resume driving at safe speed.

    Cutting off a car, you change lanes quickly to get in front of a car in the other lane and continue driving in that new lane,

    #1380204
    Joseph
    Participant

    Cutting off a car requires that car to apply the brakes to avoid hitting you.

    How is the passing driver to know whether the other car that he’s passing will apply the brakes, thus making it an inappropriate “cutting off”, or not, thus making it an appropriate pass?

    CTL: Why would someone cut off a car rather than pass/overtake it?

    Also, often in urban areas when you signal an intention to pass the other driver will use that advance knowledge from your signalling to prevent you’re ability to safely pass/overtake him. Thus causing drivers to pass without signalling advance intent.

    #1380221
    Meno
    Participant

    How is the passing driver to know whether the other car that he’s passing will apply the brakes

    By using your brain. If you pull too closely in front of him, he will be required to apply the brakes in order to avoid hitting you.

    #1380227
    Joseph
    Participant

    If you pull too closely in front of him, he will be required to apply the brakes

    What if the idiot was hogging the left lane while the traffic was passing him in the right lane. Ain’t he deserve being cut off?

    #1380235
    Meno
    Participant

    What if the idiot was hogging the left lane while the traffic was passing him in the right lane. Ain’t he deserve being cut off?

    What are you, 5 years old? Pass him carefully on the right.

    #1380251
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    Hi nisht – good to see you!

    I have driven to Minneapolis and Indiana since this post started as well as 25 miles up and back locally to buy pop (v’hameivin yavin) and the left lane is used as a driving lane as well as a passing lane. You can stay in there forever, just do it quickly.

    #1380260
    Joseph
    Participant

    I agree with Syag!

    #1380434
    CTLAWYER
    Participant

    @Joseph
    Why would someone cut off a car instead of passing/overtaking it?
    #1 Lazy/ignorant/self entitled driver
    #2 Realize you need to be in the right lane soon to exit…you are in a lane to the left, since you won’t be retirning to that lane it isn’t passing/overtaling
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    People who speed up to prevent your changing lanes are disgusting

    #1386759
    Joseph
    Participant

    Are you left lane fanatics trying to tell me that during rush hour, when all lanes are slow, one should only be in the left for passing?

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