Randy M

Saw this on the news last night. This new laser gun can calculate the distance between 2 cars. Primarily this gun is for catching tailgaters. The readout shows how fast you are going and the distance you are from the car ahead of you. Now I don't tailgate usually, but up here in Oregon there are very, very slow drivers that will not drive over any posted speed limit. They will drive side to side for miles upon miles on end as well as stubbornly staying in the left lane. Am I wrong here or should this type of driving behavior be against the law? Is it? I think it's just as unsafe as a tailgater.

fbfisher

Very, very aggravating - yes. Just as dangerous - no

STLPCA

Don't know about OR specifically, but in most states it is illegal, although seldom enforced.

ca993twin

The reason that is IS so dangerous to "clog" the fast lane is that it frustrates us... ahhh.... "normal" drivers... to the point where we have to make many more lane changes, and some of them may be a tad "aggressive". The cloggers feel like they have to act as self-imposed "speed-limit enforcers". I say shoot the basterds.

Speedraser

Lane discipline would alleviate almost all "aggressive driving" incidents because it would largely eliminate the cause of it, IMHO. Sure, there would still be the occasional person cutting off someone or some other stupid thing, but most of the slicing in and out of traffic would disappear with lane discipline. Sadly, the local media has now labelled flashing one's lights -- the proper way to ask another driver to let one pass -- as an act of "aggresive driving" indicative of "road rage." They had the opportunity to say something about staying right except to pass, but they went the road rage route instead. How sad.

OldGuy

It IS against the Law in europe to be in the left hand lane and not
pass. Thats why the autobahn works sometimes.

Bruce SEA 993

Speedraser does have a good point...lane discipline is sadly lacking and causes all kinds of alternate moves to get around traffic. Truck used to be good about moving to the right and not sitting in the middle lanes but I have noticed it is easier to pass on the right along I5 in Seattle.

I drive up and down I5 between Seattle and Portland and strictly use the left lane to pass. It is amazing to watch people just zoned out in the left lane hindering the flow. It sucks

Paul M

I couldn't agree more. But only in the back of each knee and in both elbows.

It's a pity the lasers aren't like the one's in the movies.

"Do you expect me to pull over to the right, Goldfinger?"

"No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die."

Randy M

On the same newscast the cops were setting up cars that had valuables in them. They were decoy cars parked in places where there had been recent break-ins. I think this sort of police activity is much more admirable than a leach on the side of the road with a laser/radar gun.

Howdy993

In TX they have posted many more "Keep right except for passing" signs and it is being enforced to some degree.

This year TX enacted a law that states if a trooper / officer is on the side of the road, stopped, lights flashing, and you don't vacate the lane closest to the officer and slow to 20mph (!) below the limit - you can be ticketed. This is being enforced more than the passing lane law above.

Don't get me wrong I'm all for the safety of troopers but this seems a little over the top.

Your thoughts?

Howard
98 C2 cab tip glacier white black top

TomF

As a Pacific Northwest driver, I too can attest to the danger of these left-lane lazies. I was recently criticized by a colleague for flashing my lights at a truck driving 50 in the left lane. The media calls this "agressive driving" and labels it as dangerous. What a joke! The slow drivers are much more dangerous. Even more dangerous are the idiots that pass in the right lanes at dangerous speeds. Incidentally, I always maintain a safe distance from the car in front of me, no matter how slow.

Speedraser

If the media were a little more knowledgable and had said that a brief flash or two of the high beams was not aggressive, but rather the traditional and correct means of asking a slower driver to move over and let you pass, all those people who heard it was aggressive would instead have heard it was correct. What was already a bad situation was made even worse, when there was an opportunity to improve it. Not only might it have improved the (pathetically poor) standard of driving, but it would reduce the odds of someone getting "road rage" at the guy who properly flashed his lights.

Now, I don't know what to do when I come up behind a slower car in the left lane. If I flash, I'm likely labelled an aggressive driver, which could lead to various unpleasant results. Signalling left almost never accomplishes anything. So, what method remains available to try to get the slower car ahead to move over? I hate to pass on the right, but the way things are going, it seems that soon there will be no alternative .

Tour18

Traffic cops are parasites.

forklift

I pass on the right all the time as there are MANY idiots in the DC area who will just cruise in the left lane. I wish I had a sign that lit up, "You are a f***ing idiot. The left lane is for passing only. Get the f**k over now!".

You could say this is one of my pet peeves. This and peple who put on their turn signals after they have hit their brakes. Then people who can't merge properly. I do think Texas is the only state that has that down.

Ron

In South Carolina the law was and I am assuming still is that you are required to flash your lights and/or beep your horn at the driver ahead of you to indicate your intention that you are going to pass him. How else is he going to be aware of your intentions. It seems reasonable enough.

I will say that this law was probably enacted when we had mostly rural two lane roads. I still toot my horn when I pass someone on a rural road as I want to be sure he sees me and know that I'm passing him.