Plan B Forum

Posted: **Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:15 pm**

I have never seen anywhere near as bad as Washington for this particular problem.

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Are you one of those drivers who likes to just sit in the left lane on the freeway even if traffic is struggling to pass you by?

If so, that car stuck behind you might soon be a state patrol trooper.

Long considered one of the largest pet peeves of Seattle-area drivers, left lane "camping" will be the object of a statewide emphasis patrol through Friday by the Washington State Patrol. The law is intended to keep that left lane as a passing lane and a ticket will cost you $136.

Last year, troopers busted nearly 14,000 left lane "campers."

When can you legally drive in the left lane? Here are the specifics, courtesy of the State Patrol:

"According to the law, RCW 46.61.100(2), Upon all roadways having two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, all vehicles shall be driven in the right hand lane then available for traffic, except for overtaking and passing another vehicle in the same direction, when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow, when moving left to allow traffic to merge or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, exit or into a private road or driveway when such left turn is legally permitted."

Or more simply put: "Keep right, except to pass."

Posted: **Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:38 pm**

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:07 am**

According to the law, RCW 46.61.100(2), Upon all roadways having two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, all vehicles shall be driven in the right hand lane then available for traffic, except for overtaking and passing another vehicle in the same direction, when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow, when moving left to allow traffic to merge or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, exit or into a private road or driveway when such left turn is legally permitted.

If I am in the left-hand lane, driving at or slightly above the posted speed limit, I certainly hope that a cop would pull me over and try to write me a ticket for "camping" in the left lane. We can then go to court together and have the judge explain why the police officer is telling me to either
(a) exceed the speed limit in order to remain in the left-hand lane if traffic flow is already near or at the posting limit (the second qualification — "when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow") or
(b) vacate the lane to free it up for those people who *ARE* exceeding the speed limit.
He might also explain to me the logic behind enacting speed limits if they aren't going to be enforced (again, see the second proviso).

By the way, this also
● will force most of the traffic and subsequent wear onto the right-hand lane, causing it to deteriorate faster than if traffic were allowed to freely use whichever lane the driver deemed suitable; and
● means that people who *ARE* driving the limit but are following this ridiculous rule are forced to constantly weave in and out of the right-hand lane when overtaking anyone who is *NOT* driving the limit, possibly pulling in front of someone who thinks he is a cast member from "Fast and Furious" or "Cannonball Run" and is using the left lane as his personal speedway, resulting in an accident.

"Keep right except to pass" still does not supersede "Safety First".

-"BB"-

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:26 am**

Bicycle Bill wrote: "Keep right except to pass" still does not supersede "Safety First".

Well, no duh, and the article goes on to say that. But impeding traffic in the fast lane, even if you are going the speed limit, is the opposite of safe driving. If you do that in the smugness that you are right and everyone else is wrong, you are a traffic hazard. Which, of course, is why the highway patrol are cracking down on such bad driving.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:44 am**

Additionally directing traffic to stay right except to pass would result in only one lane needing constant road repairs - uneven wear is an intended result, I believe.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:14 am**

Well, as the token Washingtonian, they've been harping on this for years.

Bicycle Bill. you're arguments are exactly the problem- it's the idea that individual drivers should be enforcing the laws, as some sort of vigilante speed patrol. Look, I get it, you don't want to do 65 in a 60. Fine. Keep out of the left lane. Let the dumbasses in their FnF Honduhz go. It's safer for everyone if you stay out of their way, not make THEM do the weaving. If you've got to change lanes to pass a semi, for chrissakes LOOK first. I try to make sure, at full freeways speeds, that there's at LEAST 10 car lengths room before I move over, because yes, I DO change lanes all the gorram time. I've worn out more blinker cans and turn signal levers than I can remember. I run the right lane almost all the time, and just move over to pass. On roads with 3 or more lanes in each direction I almost NEVER enter the left lane. Too many dumbasses going too fast there.

Besides that, Washington has a near epidemic of people who drive in the left lane at 5-10 MPH UNDER the speed limit. They beeline for the left lane, then sit there the whole trip, so folks doing the limit or even less have to pass them on the right. Then when they reach their exit they beeline across the whole freeway again.

But yes, here they can and will pull you over for "Impeding the flow of traffic" even if you're speeding. If the flow of traffic is doing 70 in a 60MPH zone (which is pretty common when the freeways aren't totally clogged up), and you're doing 62 in the left lane, you likely won't get a speeding ticket. You'd get an impeding flow ticket. Generally what happens there is a State Trooper will come up behind you, and if you don't move to the right and cars keep passing on the right, that's when he or she will flip on the lights. In court the speed won't even really come into play- it's all relative. If the surrounding cars were passing you on the right, that's all the matters.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:38 am**

It just occurred to me, that impleading traffic in the left lane will likely get you shot around here.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 2:05 am**

On single lane roads, you must drive as far to the left as practical (except motorcyclists). On multi-lane roads if the speed limit is 90km/h or more you must drive in the left lane. This same rule applies to any road where there is a ‘keep left unless overtaking’ sign. On these roads you can only drive in the right hand lane if:

you’re turning right or making a U-turn;

you’re overtaking;

the left lane is a special purpose lane, e.g. bus lane, bicycle lane;

the left lane is a turning lane and you are going straight ahead;

you’re avoiding an obstruction;

the other lanes are congested with traffic.

Penalties

Failing to keep left in a multi-lane road = 2 demerit points and $50 fine.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 4:01 am**

Campers? Since high school I gave these idiots the name "SAKS" -- Self Appointed Keepers of the Speed. Ball saks, saks of shit... it's a flexible acronym.

BTW -- Pennsylvania just raised their suggested speed limit to 70 MPH (from 65) on the turnpikes. It's about time they raised it but I rarely travel less than 75 MPH on any major interstate speedway. And in New Jersey on the NJTP or I-295 where they've been 70 MPH for many years most drivers pass me like I'm standing still.

Move it, or lose it:

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 4:42 am**

Long Run wrote:I have never seen anywhere near as bad as Washington for this particular problem.

Come to Ontario. Worst lane discipline of any jurisdiction I have ever driven in. There are reasons why it happens, not all of them within a driver's control, but too many drivers don't seem to get the general rule of thumb - if you are being passed by traffic on your right, you need to move to the right and allow faster moving traffic to keep to the left. I am not a speeder by any means, but I cannot count how many times I have been able to cruise in a near empty right hand lane at 110km/h while traffic in the three lanes to the left of me is bunched up and moving at 80 to 90, or how many times the left lane is clogged with cars trying to pass one car or truck because some oblivious idiot won't move over to let them by.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:39 am**

I cannot count how many times I have been able to cruise in a near empty right hand lane at 110km/h [70 mph]while traffic in the three lanes to the left of me is bunched up and moving at 80 to 90,[50-55 mph]

And rightly so...

What kind of a Canadian are you to be exceeding the posted speed limit by 10 mph?

If you want to be that kind of dangerous living James Dean-style rebel, you should move down here...

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:02 pm**

Scooter you have obviously never driven in Michigan. While your local stomping grounds (greater Toronto area) is a freaking nightmare (so much so that I'll pay to go around it) the rest of Ontario the people seem to drive in the same creepily polite way that they act in person.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 2:01 pm**

They cracked down on this issue here last summer. Left lane hogs are truly douchbags.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 2:52 pm**

Here in NJ we do NOT play that; we just widened the Turnpike to 12 lanes.

And yes, I have to say that I have found Seattle and its surrounding area to be the most frustrating place to drive, until you accept the idea that everyone just gets on the Interstate and does 50 mph, except at "rush hour" (which lasts three or four hours), when everyone just gets on the Interstate. To park, apparently.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:24 pm**

Sue U wrote:, when everyone just gets on the Interstate. To park, apparently.

No you've found the zen of the 5.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:37 pm**

If a car stalls on I-5, does it still block traffic?

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 5:13 pm**

datsunaholic wrote:Well, as the token Washingtonian, they've been harping on this for years.

Bicycle Bill. you're arguments are exactly the problem- it's the idea that individual drivers should be enforcing the laws, as some sort of vigilante speed patrol. Look, I get it, you don't want to do 65 in a 60. Fine. Keep out of the left lane. .... "

Washington are about the worst but Oregon are a close second. True despair is being on a winding two-lane highway behind either one as you pass turnout after turnout which they will never use no matter the weeping and gnashing of teeth from the 20 cars behind them.

And how many of those idiots have calibrated their speedometer lately? They are often 10% off.

For all its other ills Los Angeles has the best freeway drivers in the country. The left two or three lanes are all going 75-80 and nobody is having to weave around slower cars.

yrs,
rubato

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:23 pm**

We here on LI during rush hour are Dale Ernhart Jr drafting each other at 75mph (any lane) then slamming on the brakes to come to a complete stop (pit stop?) then back up to 75mph, brake/stop, repeat til home.
The HOV lane could keep steady at 65mph but they have a thing called "sympathy braking" where if the other non HOV lanes brake, HOV drivers feel bad for us and brake also.

I don't encounter too many left lane "campers" when not in rush hour traffic, and I usually drive at 75mph (55mph is the limit) like everyone else.

Posted: **Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:33 pm**

oldr, I remember when the new LIE had the unheard of speed limit of 50 MPH. It was great improvement over the 40 MPH posted limit on whatever other road it competed with going into NYC. Remember, those are nearly 60 year old memories. My aunt, a noted speed demon all her driving life, got a ticket for 45 in a 40, so she really liked the "expressway".

Then we moved west, where the turnpike had a posted limit of 80 MPH. My mother's '57 English Ford Squire did 80 going down a long hill, until she looked down and realized how fast she was going. It was used to those 40 MPH limits, and so was she.

I had a similar experience in my Smart ForTwo in the same area of the turnpike last December. I caught myself doing 90 in a 75. Man those hamsters were churning and burning. I was just keeping up with everyone else going down that long hill with a tailwind, and I was in the right hand lane.

Posted: **Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:06 am**

Stuck in traffic? This could solve that problem!

Plan B Forum

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