Always move over for faster drivers?
- Thread starter zanket
- Start date
yes
In the UK, I believe its written in the highway code that you should move back into the inside lane when you have finished overtaking, so you shouldnt be zooming along in the outside lane that much. That leaves the outside lane for the mad speeding drivers to bugger off and not cause a pile up when they travel 3 feet from your rear wanting to get past. A frustrated driver is a dangerous driver. The police here dont bother you unless your doing more than at least 80mph, or driving badly, or msising a headlight or suchlike.
On the other hand, in 30mph built up areas, anyone trying to get past me when im doing 30 or so can go fuck himself.
On the other hand, in 30mph built up areas, anyone trying to get past me when im doing 30 or so can go fuck himself.
Do you agree with the wisdom of the highway code effectively allowing mad speeding drivers an unobstructed lane, while the lawful stop-and-go in the slower lanes? Presumably in an urban environment the mad speeding driver will never stop overtaking slower traffic, so no need to move over for them.
Whenever possible, I will always move out of the way of faster traffic. If someone passes me on the right, I'm embarrassed. That means I wasn't paying attention.
It isn't just a good idea, here in California it is the law.
Now if I could only get others to show me the same courtesy!
It isn't just a good idea, here in California it is the law.
Now if I could only get others to show me the same courtesy!
Bells
Staff member
YES!!
I detest it when people drive the speed limit or just under in the overtaking lane... when they aren't even overtaking
. Drives me nuts (no pun intended of course). Or then you get the one's who go in the overtaking lane and drive like they're just on a Sunday drive and you're stuck behind them and you're actually trying to get somewhere. And then you have to go into the regular lanes to overtake them (which is dangerous and I'm pretty sure you can get booked for it as well)... and they're surprised when you drive past and give them a dirty look... gggrrrrrrr!!! And then you have the goons who don't move out of the way when there's an ambulance, police car or fire truck coming up behind them with sirens wailing If you're not overtaking, then stay out of the fast lane!! That's how it is in Australia anyway. You can actually get booked for driving in the overtaking lanes and you're not overtaking.
On the open highway it’s a given that I’ll move over or stay out of that lane unless overtaking. But in my city most everyone including myself drives about 70 MPH where the speed limit is 60 MPH. Often the freeway is at peak capacity, making academic any law about using the fast lane only for overtaking. Traffic moves just fine until some numbnut with a God-given right to go 80 MPH comes along and expects the fast lane to be for his or her private use. If everyone moved over there’d be a significant slowdown or jam. My philosophy is that no special-purpose 80 MPH lane should exist for the sole use of dangerous drivers. I enforce that by not moving over as long as I’m doing 70 MPH, or less if I’m going as fast as the traffic in front of me in the fast lane. Also if the driver tailgates me in a futile attempt to get me to move over, I slow down on the basis that I need to reduce my risk of injury in case I’m rear-ended. That really pisses them off. I haven’t been shot at yet though.
One lady wouldn’t pass on the right and continued to tailgate me. So I sidled up next to a semi-truck on the 2-lane highway and matched my speed to the truck’s, like 50 MPH. I saw her blow her cork in my rearview mirror and I was pleased.
One lady wouldn’t pass on the right and continued to tailgate me. So I sidled up next to a semi-truck on the 2-lane highway and matched my speed to the truck’s, like 50 MPH. I saw her blow her cork in my rearview mirror and I was pleased.
hmmm...i guess that could be a valid point. If everybody goes the same speed there should be a better flow through of traffic.
Hence it is unethical to go faster than the rest?
Hence it is unethical to go faster than the rest?
I replied YES, because that is the most sensible thing to do for safety's sake, especially when they start to tailgate you, otherwise I begin to feel intimidated and go faster myself, something which isn't always desirable. Trouble is, I have to make sure that the speeder doesn't decide to overtake me on the left at the same time I'm moving over, because unfortunately most drivers in Cyprus do tend to overtake using the inside lane.
I think Cyprus is in the top 3 countries for road deaths.
I think Cyprus is in the top 3 countries for road deaths.
Well, it makes some sense, avoiding frustration and tailgating etc. I dont think that was the original intention, the highway code is rather old. I think it makes more sense than blocking them all in, anyhow. Once they get the new speed cameras up and running the only place it'll be safe to speed is lonely country lanes. As for urban driving, there arent so many overtaking opportunities, and tailgating is more an attempt to make you speed up. I usually blip the brakes, they get the message and fall back.
Ahh, tablariddim points out also the cultural differences, which is why I think SPain and Italy are very dangerous to go driving in. The UK is actually near the bottom of the scale for road deaths, we have fairly safe drivers.
Heres a connected point. Is it dangerous roads or dangerous drivers, or both? I think it is mostly dangerous drivers, but there are roads and junctions etc which exacerbate the danger, through poor lines of sight and odd corners. A road near sheffield, the Stocksbridge bypass is accused of being dangerous, which is partly correct, it has odd corners and hills you cant see beyond, but the main problem is simply the high volume of fast traffic, and that its not dual carraigeway all teh way.
where are you talking about? because in america there is no such thing as the fast lane, contrary to popular belief. the left lane is the passing lane. but even in the passing lane, you cannot exceed the speed limit. it is simply there to pass in front of people who are going under the speed limit which is perfectly acceptible and legal.
to answer the question, if you are in the passing lane, you must be passing someone so it wouldn't make sense to move over for someone else who is also passing. they should not be going faster than the speed limit either. this is true, i know people who have gotten tickets going slightly over in order to pass. the cops say so, you have to do it. if you happen to be driving in the passing lane, shame on you! move over and let the passers pass. but again, no speeding allowed.
tailgating would not make me go faster. if i need to stop for some reason, an animal or child running out into the road, the tailgater is going to be buying me a new bumper and whatever else on my car i fancy. geez people, just don't do it. chances are you'll get behind an asshole like my dad who will stop short cause you're pissing him off and the person behind is always at fault in those kinds of traffic accidents. his car is already falling apart; he doesn't care if your insurance goes up for being a dumbass.
to answer the question, if you are in the passing lane, you must be passing someone so it wouldn't make sense to move over for someone else who is also passing. they should not be going faster than the speed limit either. this is true, i know people who have gotten tickets going slightly over in order to pass. the cops say so, you have to do it. if you happen to be driving in the passing lane, shame on you! move over and let the passers pass. but again, no speeding allowed.
tailgating would not make me go faster. if i need to stop for some reason, an animal or child running out into the road, the tailgater is going to be buying me a new bumper and whatever else on my car i fancy. geez people, just don't do it. chances are you'll get behind an asshole like my dad who will stop short cause you're pissing him off and the person behind is always at fault in those kinds of traffic accidents. his car is already falling apart; he doesn't care if your insurance goes up for being a dumbass.
A system with individuals controlling the individual elements will never converge on a single speed without some common control. As such, the next best thing is to optimize the experience of the individual, thereby maxmizing possible individual goodness. that means in general, get the hell out of the way.
Yes, I always move out of the way.
I tend to go about 20 above the speed limit on roads I know. There is no reason for the person in front of me to hold me up if I can handle it, and likewise no reason for me to hold up the person behind me.
It is not our right to decide that others can not drive at a certain speed safely. (There is of course exceptions to this, but I think we are talking highway here.)
As for tailgaiting. It's dangerous. If I' going 70 and you are so close I can't see your headlights, I'm going to let off of the gas slowly until you back up.
I have to say that NJ handles highway driving the best. They not pullover people driving dangerously, but also people sitting in the passing lane... regardless of the speed they are doing.
I tend to go about 20 above the speed limit on roads I know. There is no reason for the person in front of me to hold me up if I can handle it, and likewise no reason for me to hold up the person behind me.
It is not our right to decide that others can not drive at a certain speed safely. (There is of course exceptions to this, but I think we are talking highway here.)
As for tailgaiting. It's dangerous. If I' going 70 and you are so close I can't see your headlights, I'm going to let off of the gas slowly until you back up.
There are plenty of situations when driveing 80mph are not dangerous.
Who are you to decide what is a safe speed? If I want to go 75 you aren't going to move?
I have to say that NJ handles highway driving the best. They not pullover people driving dangerously, but also people sitting in the passing lane... regardless of the speed they are doing.
There is effectively no passing lane on urban freeways during rush hours. That should be obvious. It should also be obvious that going 70 MPH when everyone else is going 70 is safer than going 60 MPH. Indeed the highway dept. sometimes raises speed limits to match what motorists typically drive (they can’t raise to 70 in cities though without new federal legislation).
It should also be obvious that drivers going much faster than the rest of traffic are dangerous on average. Sure some are Formula 1 drivers with sticky tires. There’s no reason for me to trust the rest of them. There’s a documentary where a bunch of scary drivers (as rated by their significant other) are invited to test their mettle on a driving course that simulates other drivers suddenly stopping etc. The scary drivers are knocking over cones and styrofoam blocks all over the place, because they aren’t nearly as good as they thought.
It should also be obvious that the fastest drivers love to tailgate almost as much as smokers love to litter.
When I’m in the fast lane going the speed of the stream of cars ahead of me in my lane, and someone tailgates me to get me to move over, it’s obvious to me that if everyone ahead of me moves over there will be a general slowdown. All so that one dangerous driver can have a private lane. Makes no sense to me.
It should also be obvious that drivers going much faster than the rest of traffic are dangerous on average. Sure some are Formula 1 drivers with sticky tires. There’s no reason for me to trust the rest of them. There’s a documentary where a bunch of scary drivers (as rated by their significant other) are invited to test their mettle on a driving course that simulates other drivers suddenly stopping etc. The scary drivers are knocking over cones and styrofoam blocks all over the place, because they aren’t nearly as good as they thought.
It should also be obvious that the fastest drivers love to tailgate almost as much as smokers love to litter.
When I’m in the fast lane going the speed of the stream of cars ahead of me in my lane, and someone tailgates me to get me to move over, it’s obvious to me that if everyone ahead of me moves over there will be a general slowdown. All so that one dangerous driver can have a private lane. Makes no sense to me.
What should be the objective of traffic rules?
I see two things:
Maximum safety of drivers
Minimum time to destination
Maybe throw in:
Minimum stress induced from the experience.
What say you?
You can be a rogue independent if you want, but your smirkish enforcement of self-imposed morality of some sort does not help. Blocking someone going significantly faster than you merely:
pisses them off
puts you, them and the other drivers in your vicinity at increased risk
increases their time to destination
and gives you a little smirk of false satisfaction thinking you did something "good".
That's not very "good" IMO.
By self-imposing a speed limit, the effective speed limit which is 70 MPH in my city, I’m betting that I’m maximizing the safety of drivers overall. I’m not concerned about the stress level of someone who would voluntarily jeopardize that safety. And why assume I smirk? I think I decrease the risk to other drivers in my vicinity.
Let’s check your logic: If I want to go 200 MPH in the fast lane, do you yield to me? Just let the cops handle it? Do you take the chance that you won’t find a crumpled bloody minivan when you arrive at the next curve?
Let’s check your logic: If I want to go 200 MPH in the fast lane, do you yield to me? Just let the cops handle it? Do you take the chance that you won’t find a crumpled bloody minivan when you arrive at the next curve?