Idiot!

Kudos! Finally a quote rather than memory or interpretation of speed law.

 

They will cite you for impeding traffic if you insist on going at the speed limit anywhere except in the right hand lane when the flow of traffic in the other lanes is faster.

 

This section makes it a bit clearer:

21654. (b) If a vehicle is being driven at a speed less than the normal
speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time, and is
not being driven in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as
practicable to the right-hand edge or curb, it shall constitute prima
facie evidence that the driver is operating the vehicle in violation
of subdivision (a) of this section.

CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE SECTION 21650-21664

 

No sarcasm meant, but does that mean that if the speed limit is 65 and everyone else is going faster than that, would you get cited for going the normal speed limit and aren't in the right lane? This is assuming it's a clear day.

 

It's interesting - in South Africa they basically have no passing lanes, but the shoulders and sides of all the roads are typically very wide, and even in the urban areas there is a good amount of maneuvering space. Almost all the roads are limited to one lane per direction, and one is not supposed to use the oncoming lane for passing.

In South Africa if you see someone coming up behind you, then you pull over either halfway or fully onto the shoulder or dirt side of the road, until they pass. Basically the responsibility for passing is largely that of the passee, rather than the passer. I don't know the origins of this system, and I doubt it could work in the US given its large, complex, and metropolitan transportation system, but it seems to prevent road rage and other aggressive nonsense well.

Aggressive driving is a serious problem here in Georgia. There was an expose in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (local rag) about a year ago about how reckless driving kills more people per capita in the Atlanta area than almost anywhere else in the country. I've witnessed enough anecdotal evidence of this first hand to know it is true. I never expected before I moved here (biggest metro area I've lived in so far) to see as many corpses literally lying on the freeway pavement as I have. I've probably seen and/or been routed around about a dozen bodies so far in my six years.

I'm no saint - I go 20mph over the 55 limit pretty much whenever I can and it is safe to do so. Highway patrol speed traps don't even bother with you at that velocity (sometimes city cops may, but rarely). Even at this speed though I have been messed with by angry, dangerous, donkey drivers trying to get around me (or someone nearby). A couple have even gone so far as to cut me off by mere inches and then slam on the brakes, such that I must do the same and swerve just to avoid a certainly fatal collision. On these occasions, I admit I followed the person at a distance for a while, entertaining outlandish and spectacular fantasies of retribution such as finding where they live and burning down their home while they sleep. Thankfully, bloody revenge fantasy is sufficient for me to realize I am becoming irrational, and that I just need to get home and forget about the schmuck that tried to kill me.

The situations I'm talking about both happened in my new Prius (since April), though I have no shortage of tales from my previous car (Dodge Intrepid) that threatened life and limb. I think I've calmed down and slowed down a bit in the Prius. Many have said it is a calming car, and I'd have to agree. I think it is also a target here in the Southeast though, where seeing another Prius is an order of magnitude more rare than a confederate flag. The fabled Southern hospitality as well seems to have given way to people with no consideration for the safety of other drivers, and the apperantly uncontrollable anger of many of the young white male (like myself) psychopaths behind the wheel. I have also noticed a high correlation between both SUVs and pickup trucks and road rage, but only when under the control of young white males. It's not enough to make me think that all SUV drivers are assholes, but enough to suspect that white male SUV drivers might be more of an donkey than his sedan-driving counterpart.

I am troubled by the behavior of many of the other drivers on the road, and while I don't resort to aggressive driving tactics myself, I also don't agree that the 'lay down and take it' or 'ignore it' solution is the correct one either. Some 'idiots' (to link somehow to the original intent of this thread) will simply not be appeased, or may interpret the limited amount of data one can assemble about a situation flying by at 70mph incorrectly. It is for this reason that I consider it prudent to always be armed when on the streets of metro Atlanta, where I spend a minimum of 90 minutes a day. Yes, I think I am one of a stunningly small minority of Prius-driving firearm carriers. I consider this an essential safety precaution in a dangerous and unpredictable environment, and I recommend it for all of my friends and family that brave the Atlanta throughfares. In this climate, I simply wouldn't feel very safe without it.

 

Even though the traffic is usually much more congested, that is why I sometimes prefer driving in the EU over driving in North America. The road laws over there are - for the most part - far more strictly enforced than here. Not much in the way of "wiggle room" like here.

Especially something as prone to tripping over as an SUV or pickup, when I see it barreling along 10-30 over the limit, I have to wonder what the hell they're thinking. Oh right, they're NOT thinking. After our surprise blizzard last week the handful of vehicles upside down in the ditch were pickups and SUV's.

I'm all for more speeding cameras and far more law enforcement activity directed at enforcing traffic rules. Show me where you have some God Given right to speed.

I'm not sure about other jurisdictions, but here in Manitoba anybody who is a paramedic, doctor, police officer, or volunteer firefighter, is required to equip their personal vehicle with appropriate devices - eg Whelen strobe or LED dash unit - to warn traffic, unless they don't use their personal vehicle to respond to an emergency.

 

I heard it said once that if all the cars made in the US in one year were put end to end, someone would try to pass them. :lol:

 

Well, in a group this big, I had hoped for at least 1 person who actually 'got it' when i posted that mess. And, that was it... one person actually gets it.

Doesn't matter how right you are. When you're dead, it just don't matter.

On your gravestone.... "He was so freakin right, he only lived to be 30"

or how about... "She drove the speed limit all the way to the grave"

My personal favorite... "The last thing that went through his mind was... 'I am driving the speed limit'" Which is actually incorrect... that would be the second to last thing. The last thing to go through his mind was the bumper of a Tahoe.

Even more funny is that the guy in the tahoe will probably get a "failure to do something or other in traffic" while your family gets a $12850 bill for your funeral.

Go ahead... Drive 10 under the flow of traffic in chicagoland... and I"m not talking about anyone who's actually driving flow speed in the right lane while the left is zipping past. I'm talking about riding 10 to 15 under the flow in the middle lane while the rest of traffic is braking and flowing around on both sides. (semi's included). I see this way too often in the chicagoland system. I stand by my observation that it's stupid, and very dangerous for you and for everyone else.

If you get hit by a SUV, you're not going to come out ok on that. As I said in my earlier post... Go for it... legally and technically, you are 100% correct. I just think you're going to die for it.

and for all who are keeping score, I'm a pretty relaxed driver, but I do tend to keep up with the traffic in my lane.

 

I recall the concept of 'dead right' being taught in motorcycle school. And the concept of 'right of weight', instead of 'right of way'. I find a phone call and a licence number to be effective, at least in calming me down, if not in changing an idiot's driving. If the idiot is genuinely risking life and limb, I phone 911 and not just the non-emergency police number. If road rage were so bad I thought it necessary to carry a gun, I'd move, either to the country or another country altogether.

 

That depends on the number of lanes in each direction. You must keep sufficiently far to the right to allow the traffic to flow unimpeded, regardless of whether the majority of drivers choose to observe the speed limits.

A state traffic officer (CHP) could cite both the speeding drivers as well as the ones who impede the flow of traffic by driving slower than the the prevailing speed because they insist on observing posted speed limit in that faster moving lane.

 

Except on 2 lane (same direction) highways, forget the far right hand lane.....merging traffic has it's own risks. On highways with 3+ same direction lanes, I'll gladly stay in the 2nd to right hand lane. If someone wants to pass, they get the passing lane(s). Case closed. And I'll guarantee you I'll never get a ticket in that situation as long as I'm at the speed limit. 37 years of driving has proven me correct so far.

 

That may be true in Florida; however, in California the law is as I posted above and drivers have been cited for impeding the flow of traffic even when they were driving at the speed limit.

 

datavortex:

cripes, sounds like eastern Kentucky ("holler" country), where in the 60's I saw them play "chicken" with their cars on Friday nights...nothing else to do...

 

Keydiver,

The CHIPS WILL ticket you if you are impeding in anything but the slow lane. In the example, if everyone is doing 75 (only 10 above the limit), and a car is doing 50 in the middle lane, they WILL get a ticket for impeding traffic. The only lane that you can't "impede" in is the right most or "slow" lane. Even in that lane, if you drop below the minimum limit (which is NEVER "posted", but in CA I think is 45 on the freeways), you must have your hazard signals operating, or you will get pulled over and cited.

 

I learned this one at age 10 or 12:

Here lies the body of Mike O'Day
Who died defending his right of way.
The way was his, his will was strong,
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

Here in SoCal, I keep up with traffic.

Jan

 

I find it hard to drive in the right lane at the speed limit. You always get stuck doing 40mph behind slower vehicles and can't get back in the second lane because everyone else is going twice as fast. So either you drive 75 (risking a ticket) to stay in the medium range and not get killed in one of the middle lanes or slap on your HOV stickers and go 90mph.

And why is it called speed limit if that speed will get you a ticket if everyone else is going over the "limit". Shouldn't it be a suggested speed with a minimum limit under in smaller print.

 

Hi Gang, I've had the "honk" a few times recently, too. I think it's because we've got this zen thing going, knowing we're getting 86 MPG, so we're happy... in the groove, baby. And then the "honk!"

At first I reacted angrily, like some of the posters. But then I thought what if they do have a legitimate reason to be a hurry, like our friend the OBGYN.

So here's what I decided to do -- kill 'em with kindness. Now I just pull out of the way (if it is safe to do so), and let the faster vehicle by. The "pluses" to doing this are, if he/she is a doctor, their patient is getting treatment sooner... and if the guy/gal really is a road-rage-maniac, aren't you safer by letting them by, and not having them on your tail for however long?

Plus, it's nice to be able to say, "aw, the heck with it. go ahead!" and think about how much they're going to pay at the pump for their aggressive driving. After all, we drive Prii -- we know better!

Happy, calm miles to all of my fellow-Prii owners!

 

I just set the cruise control for the speed limit (or whatever is safe, depending on the traffic flow), and relax. I bet this Prius is doing wonders for my blood pressure!

B)

 

Finally someone sensible.

Besides, if you let them pass, they'll weed out all the hidden police as well. Allowing you free passage.

 

I could not agree more. Every year I drag my beloved wife to the carribean for scuba trips (the abuse she puts up with, I tell ya...).I think nothing of paying $4.45 a gallon for fuel, $11 for a gallon of OJ, $3.25 for 12 ounces of bottled water....I wonder how much fuel will be this November. It is what it is.
Something most folks don't consider is fuel quality not cost. I read an article in a trade rag about oil and fuel. sweet crude is $55 a barrel or someting now. Sour crude is still $30ish. Sweet crude is used to make gas. Sour has to much sulpher content and is costly to make into OBD2 compatable quality fuel for the older refineries. But they can make substandard fuel that is way cheaper per gallon for them. I am not a conspiracy nut, but about 2 years ago we (techs) began to see a new phenomenon....fuel that goes stale after sitting only 2 weeks. Missfire codes and cold no starts. Then about 10 months ago, like someone threw a switch, gas that would rapidly clog injetors, setting lean codes and giving wicked hesitations on accel from a stop. the injetors are externally plugged with deposits. Yodas now (since 01) use 12 hole not single hole injetors for epa and mpg reasons. They become coated on the tip with a brown waxy film that when q-tipped off with induction cleaner comes right off and the car runs fine. union 76 got caught and paid for many repairs last summer, but it is suddenly and I mean the last 2 days, reoccuring. I think several oil company have been quietly developing sour crude blend to pump profits up. If you do a google search for "clogged injectors detroit" and "clogged injectors miami"...(i think it was miami...somewhere in Fla) and "clogged injectors seattle" you will find a disturbing trend of bad gas roaming from region to region without any solid answers as to why. The best news I have for you is it seems to skip most Pri's. This baffles me the most. Same injector as an echo. Echos die, pri's just hum along. About the only thing I can think of is the Pri shuts fuel and spark before the engine has stopped spinning creating an "air pump" that forces the fuel off the tip and down stream to the cat for storage until the ICE comes back online.
Sorry, I need a leason in brevity.
Regards, Mike