Only in Md.- Woman Cited for Driving 63 in a 65 MPH Zone

[lonestarag]

GOOD! Get the hell out of the fast lane!!!!! This has been my biggest pet peeve about MD drivers since I moved to NOVA ten years ago. Clearly they don't teach about the fast lane/passing lane in driver's ed in MD.

[SHMIV]

I was completely unaware that anyone in Maryland drove UNDER the speed limit. Usually, I see them going 10-20 over.

That said, as a guy who drives for 11 hours at a time, I am glad to see slow movers in the left lane get ticketed. Hope she gets a hefty fine.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Purdune]

The confusion comes with the incorrect thought that the left lane is the "fast lane". It is not. It is the "passing lane". It is not there for you to ride in and provide community service by making sure traffic is going under the speed limit. It is there to allow people to pass. I'm very happy that in VA it is illegal to be in the passing lane when someone behind you flashes their lights. I'm happy a police officer in MD is on a path to change the mind set of MD drivers.

[MNMGoneShooting]

Ya'll can kiss my white trashy ash. I ain't moving. I paid my taxes. That piece of concrete is mine, no matter if you want to break the speeding laws or not.

[gunderwood]

The confusion comes with the incorrect thought that the left lane is the "fast lane". It is not. It is the "passing lane". It is not there for you to ride in and provide community service by making sure traffic is going under the speed limit. It is there to allow people to pass. I'm very happy that in VA it is illegal to be in the passing lane when someone behind you flashes their lights. I'm happy a police officer in MD is on a path to change the mind set of MD drivers.

+1

[gunderwood]

Ya'll can kiss my white trashy ash. I ain't moving. I paid my taxes. That piece of concrete is mine, no matter if you want to break the speeding laws or not.

Why be so uncivil and self-centered when driving? We all paid our taxes and you are the only one who is definitely breaking the law; just because someone passes you doesn't mean they are speeding. Even if they are speeding, there are lots of valid reasons to temporarily break the speed limit so as to safely maneuver a vehicle where it needs to go. e.g. to get off the highway when you've created artificial congestion and there simply isn't room to move over without causing everyone to slam on their brakes.

The left lanes are for passing, nothing else. If you are not passing another vehicle (regardless of speed), the law and civil driving practices require you to move over to the right lanes. Preferably the right most lane until you need to pass a vehicle or let other traffic on to the highway. Your driving practices directly contribute to the horrible traffic we have around here as you artificially reduce the flow rate of traffic. If you drive that way in other countries, you will likely cause an extreme crash and your death is highly probable.

Don't be an A$$ by driving in the left hand lane while not passing another vehicle. Focus on driving your vehicle properly and safely and let LE sort our the rest of them if required.

[WRW]

LOL!!! gunderwood's post reminded me of the times I have had to move from the right lane to the left lane to pass people going slower in the center lane. I always wonder how many other functions those folks have turned off in their thought processes as they travel down the road.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Jbecker]

Ya'll can kiss my white trashy ash. I ain't moving. I paid my taxes. That piece of concrete is mine, no matter if you want to break the speeding laws or not.

People like you are the reason we have horrible traffic and accidents in the DC metro area. By being an ass and hogging the left lane you hold up the flow of traffic and also force people to pass on the right which is dangerous.

Do you have an "I drive 55" sticker on your Prius?

[Shakeydeal]

Ya'll can kiss my white trashy ash. I ain't moving. I paid my taxes. That piece of concrete is mine, no matter if you want to break the speeding laws or not.

People like you are the reason we have horrible traffic and accidents in the DC metro area. By being an ass and hogging the left lane you hold up the flow of traffic and also force people to pass on the right which is dangerous.

Do you have an "I drive 55" sticker on your Prius?

People like that are also the target of road rage. It might not be the best answer to idiot drivers, but sometimes it works for me.

Shakey

[WRW]

Road hogs driving the posted speed may increase traffic congestion, but it is a stretch to say that they are the cause of crashes. Nobody is "forced" to pass on the right or tailgate or any of a number of other unsafe activities.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[dorminWS]

When I travel on the interstate in VA, I usually run about 74 MPH. Sometimes I do hang in the left lane, but try to get over for anyone (including trucks) that wants to speed more than I am. But I am usually overtaking someone in the right lane - however slowly.

So 2 questions are presented:
(1) If you are in the left lane and exceeding the posted limit while overtaking a vehicle in the right lane and some dipsh!t runs up on your bumpoer and starts gesticulating and blowing his horn, are you violating the law if you don't slow down, change lanes, and let him go by?
(2) If you don't let the dipsh!t go by, does that make you an azzhole too?

[WRW]

@ dorminWS, If the blue lights are flashing, yeah pull over.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Purdune]

Road hogs driving the posted speed may increase traffic congestion, but it is a stretch to say that they are the cause of crashes. Nobody is "forced" to pass on the right or tailgate or any of a number of other unsafe activities.

Might sound logical but it has happened. CHP used to line their cars abreast on the 405 and other freeways in the LA area and drive the speed limit during rush hour. They stopped the practice because people were slamming into the long line of cars behind them. So yeah it can be a road hazard.

[WRW]

LOL!!! Who is responsible for running into the back of another car?

I'll admit that blocking lanes will cause a wave behind the blockage to slow appreciably, but overreaction and underreaction leads to the crashes.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[SHMIV]

@ Dormin: please don't pass trucks on the right. It's hard for us to see you there. But, if you feel that you must, do it quickly. Actually, pass quickly on the left, too. Empty or lightly trailers can be rather bouncy, and dips in the road can bounce the trailer out of its lane.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[dorminWS]

@ Dormin: please don't pass trucks on the right. It's hard for us to see you there. But, if you feel that you must, do it quickly. Actually, pass quickly on the left, too. Empty or lightly trailers can be rather bouncy, and dips in the road can bounce the trailer out of its lane.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I almost never pass on the right - - only when a truck (or car) is camped in the show-off lane and won't get over. It's been a while, but I've logged a few miles in a truck, and I have great sympathy and appreciation for those who drive for a living. I really try to cause them as little inconvenience as possible. I'm aware that somewhere there is a factory or retail store counting on that guy to get there on time with his load intact.

[mamabearCali]

This is where I come down on this. If she had been driving 55 in a 65 in the left hand lane I would say fine tag her. She is impeding traffic.

However in theory the limit on that road is 65. If the state wants to make way for drives going 75+ then they need to update the speed limit. However if the speed limit is 65 I don't think she should be ticketed for going 63 (after all her speedometer could have said 65, then she is going the limit). I think that is a waste of time and resources.

Now would I be irritated if I came up behind her going 70 (what I usually go on 65 mph roads). Certainly. But I am the one breaking the speed limit not her at that point. If anyone desreved a ticket in that circumstance it would be me (though a 5 mph ticket i consider foolish as well). Now before y'all get all annoyed at me, I usually travel in the right hand lane if possible (just where I am comfortable). So if you speed demons out there come across a person going 70 in the left hand lane it is most likely not me..

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[WRW]

FWIW, the ticket was dismissed by the State Police. And it was in Maryland.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[gunderwood]

Road hogs driving the posted speed may increase traffic congestion, but it is a stretch to say that they are the cause of crashes. Nobody is "forced" to pass on the right or tailgate or any of a number of other unsafe activities.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

VA increased the speed limit on several interstates because of research like that. Speed differentials are a problem, much more than absolute speeds. This has also been demonstrated to be true on very high speed highways like the German Autobahn. The speed differential problem is greatly increased (and thus the probability of an accident) when traffic doesn't obey predictable rules (such as slower traffic keep left or using the left lane for passing only). This is why the Germans are extremely strict on using the left lane for passing only...nothing like getting a Porsche deep in the brakes and flashing their lights to avoid ending up in your backseat at >>100MPH.

When we operate automobiles, we all have to make assumptions about how the other person will behave. We're only able to operate because of these assumptions. For example, we assume people will drive in their lane rather than "on the stripes." Or that they won't slam on their brakes for no reason. Or won't drive in reverse on the highway, regardless of direction of travel. This is also why we codify the rules; it creates what is suppose to be a common set of assumptions/rules. When people break these rules (left lane camping, passing on the right, etc.) it increases the risk to everyone because actions become less predicable.

Arguably, the faster drivers passing on the right are doing so as a response to another driver already breaking the rules (left lane camping). That doesn't make it right, but I'm just pointing out that they are not the instigators. They could be the instigator, or at least one of them, if they are passing on the right because they are trying to drive much faster than the flow of traffic (i.e. no left lane camper).

It's interesting, but the speed limit is an example of where the law and drivers assumptions do not match. For example, driving at the flow rate of traffic (either 20 below or above, doesn't matter) is much safer than traveling at an arbitrary number. The grossly oversimplified reason for this is that the average speed of traffic is what every other driver assumes as the expected behavior will be. This is what allows us to drive below the speed limit as well when weather or traffic or other hazards require it.

Despite a primary factor for American highway accidents being speed differentials, the German's are able to have highways twice as safe as ours with extreme speed differentials and much greater absolute speeds. It's not because they are genetically better drivers than us (although their driver education is much better), but rather because they teach and enforce predicable driving behaviors. We have the same laws, but don't enforce them and allow a$$hats to drive unpredictably and in a way that requires evasive action to be taken by everyone else. Thus, they can permit extreme speed differentials because the drivers are able to assume correctly about how the other automobiles will behave.

There is a lot of data and studies out there, but generally inattention is #1 (typically a factor of getting bored and thus trying to multi-task while driving...you don't get board at >>100MPH), unpredictable behavior by drivers feeling entitled or ignorant of the results of their actions is typically #2, while speed differentials is typically #3 (greater speed differentials reduce reaction times and increase the number of changes every driver must track).

So, yes they do cause accidents. They are the root cause of a lot of other drivers unpredictable actions, actions which would not have to be undertaken if they would first get out of the left hand lane unless passing and second simple drive at the flow rate of traffic regardless of what that is. They don't drive this way because it is demonstrably better, but rather because of a$$hattery and self-righteousness.

[gunderwood]

LOL!!! Who is responsible for running into the back of another car?

I'll admit that blocking lanes will cause a wave behind the blockage to slow appreciably, but overreaction and underreaction leads to the crashes.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Technically or legally? The two can and do differ.

If it was due to inattention, then it's obvious (but can be nearly impossible to prove). However, we've all seen idiots who merge onto a highway at 25MPH, cut across several lanes of traffic (to get into the left lane) and then slowly accelerate to the speed limit (or less) over the next several miles.

The object is the drive courteously and predictably. If you do that I don't care if you are going much faster or slower than me. It's irrelevant to my courteous and predictable driving. I don't drive in the right most lane until I'm passing for me, I do it for you. I don't want to impede your driving, just like I don't like it when you impede mine (obvious stop and go traffic aside). It also makes my driving more predictable, which reduces risk for both of us.