[Cliff Fr]

We live in the Ocala National Forest. A bigger problem here are the drivers going 45 mph on a 55 mph road. Another problem is the driver wanting to drive 70 mph when the speed limit is 55 mph.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ChilePepper

Exactly! What about people doing the speed limit in the left lane? Aren't tailgaters behind them breaking the law? Won't they break the law even further by speeding up (over the speed limit) to go around you after you move into the right lane to get out of their way? People like that think they are on a racetrack anyway and normal drivers are a nuisance. I just move to the left, let them go around so they get the ticket, and I can continue drinking my beer. (ha, ha, kidding about the beer)

However, your so called "normal drivers" are NOT THE POLICE. IT IS NOT UP TO THEM TO DICTATE SPEED TO ANYONE ELSE. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY THAT DRIVER BEHIND THEM IS SPEEDING. THE LAW SIMPLY REQUIRES THEM TO MOVE OVER AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. PERIOD.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by ChilePepper

Exactly! What about people doing the speed limit in the left lane? Aren't tailgaters behind them breaking the law? Won't they break the law even further by speeding up (over the speed limit) to go around you after you move into the right lane to get out of their way? People like that think they are on a racetrack anyway and normal drivers are a nuisance. I just move to the left, let them go around so they get the ticket, and I can continue drinking my beer. (ha, ha, kidding about the beer)

You are disrupting the flow of traffic and will potentially cause a serious accident. Traffic enforcement is not only about strict adherence to a sppeed limit but about a safe flow of traffic and if no one can get around you, you are creating a dangerous situation.

Research has shown that lane changes account for as much as 10 percent of highway accidents.

When slow left lane drivers are scattered across the road, faster drivers must change lanes more often to weave back and forth around them.

Besides accidents and unpredictable driving, there’s another serious driving hazard connected to left lane driving: road rage. Some studies have identified left lane driving among the five behaviors that most irritate other drivers. While it’s every driver’s responsibility to prevent road rage, it’s also a motorist’s responsibility to drive safely and courteously. Sometimes driving safely includes getting out of the way when an aggressive driver approaches from behind.

The primary role of the left lane is to provide a space for you to pass cars traveling more slowly than you. That helps manage traffic, avoid delays, and keep everyone safer.

[Windguy]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

a huge red octagonal STOP sign stops cyclists from blowing right through it.

Why do people keep making absurd statements like this? Cyclists don’t do this any more than drivers do. Why do you single out the cyclists for your anger and derision?

[Windguy]

Originally Posted by Harold.wiser

If the bill is signed in to law I doubt it will make any difference. As a rule, people do what they want, regardless of the law or the fact that they are inconvenincing others.
We can always hope though!

It won’t help in the least. It’s already a law that I have NEVER seen enforced.

Occasional cameras hooked to TVs that put your face on the screen when the camera determines that you are slowing down traffic might help. 😃

[Rainger99]

This makes some sense but enforcing it will be a problem.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Windguy

Why do people keep making absurd statements like this? Cyclists don’t do this any more than drivers do. Why do you single out the cyclists for your anger and derision?

I have never had a car blow through a stop sign when I was close enough that I had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. I *HAVE* had bicyclists do this to me, and I *HAVE* seen it happen to others.

(NOTE: Certainly not all bicyclists do this but it occurs often enough to be noticeable)

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Coming to Florida I was pretty surprised that passing on the right, on a 2-lane highway, was common and acceptable. Up north, a 2-lane highway's right lane is the travel/exit lane, and the left lane is the passing lane. If you're not planning on passing someone, you get back to the right lane. If you want to pass someone in the right lane, you move to the left lane and pass them.

On a three lane highway, the right lane is the "local" lane - for entering and exiting the highway and for people who want to drive slower than the rest of traffic. The middle lane is the through-lane, and the left lane is the passing lane.

It was this way in Boston, and Connecticut, and New York, New Jersey - pretty much everywhere. It applied only to highways that had exits, not to 2-lane state roads with cross streets.

And obviously if the left lane was backed up due to an accident, everyone shifted over to the right. But when traffic's moving, you pass on the left, cruise in the center or right if there's no center lane.

On highways where there are 4 lanes going in the same direction, the left-most lane is still passing only. Right lane is local (enter and exit), and the center two lanes are for cruising.

No idea why Florida never caught up with this concept, considering how many accidents there are on the highways down here.

[Windguy]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I have never had a car blow through a stop sign when I was close enough that I had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision.

Seriously? I guess you’ve lived a charmed life. I have had cars do that to me, but I’ve never seen a cyclist tempt fate by forcing me to perform emergency maneuvers as you imply. Any cyclist that does something so foolish isn’t doing that because they are cyclists, but because they are fools. Cyclists that do that regularly are not long for this world.

Please stop painting people with a broad brush.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Coming to Florida I was pretty surprised that passing on the right, on a 2-lane highway, was common and acceptable. Up north, a 2-lane highway's right lane is the travel/exit lane, and the left lane is the passing lane. If you're not planning on passing someone, you get back to the right lane. If you want to pass someone in the right lane, you move to the left lane and pass them.

On a three lane highway, the right lane is the "local" lane - for entering and exiting the highway and for people who want to drive slower than the rest of traffic. The middle lane is the through-lane, and the left lane is the passing lane.

It was this way in Boston, and Connecticut, and New York, New Jersey - pretty much everywhere. It applied only to highways that had exits, not to 2-lane state roads with cross streets.

And obviously if the left lane was backed up due to an accident, everyone shifted over to the right. But when traffic's moving, you pass on the left, cruise in the center or right if there's no center lane.

On highways where there are 4 lanes going in the same direction, the left-most lane is still passing only. Right lane is local (enter and exit), and the center two lanes are for cruising.

No idea why Florida never caught up with this concept, considering how many accidents there are on the highways down here.

It appears you are discussing customs rather than laws. From what I can find, passing on the right is legal in both Connecticut and New York under conditions similar to those in Florida. I suspect that passing on the right under those conditions is legal in most (all?) states. Customs, of course, vary.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Windguy

Seriously? I guess you’ve lived a charmed life. I have had cars do that to me, but I’ve never seen a cyclist tempt fate by forcing me to perform emergency maneuvers as you imply. Any cyclist that does something so foolish isn’t doing that because they are cyclists, but because they are fools. Cyclists that do that regularly are not long for this world.

Please stop painting people with a broad brush.

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I have never had a car blow through a stop sign when I was close enough that I had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. I *HAVE* had bicyclists do this to me, and I *HAVE* seen it happen to others.

(NOTE: Certainly not all bicyclists do this but it occurs often enough to be noticeable)

Umm....

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

It appears you are discussing customs rather than laws. From what I can find, passing on the right is legal in both Connecticut and New York under conditions similar to those in Florida. I suspect that passing on the right under those conditions is legal in most (all?) states. Customs, of course, vary.

From CT General Statutes:

Sec. 14-233. Passing on right. The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only when conditions permit such movement in safety and under the following conditions: (1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or has signified the intention to make a left turn; (2) when lines of vehicles traveling in the same direction in adjoining traffic lanes have come to a stop or have reduced their speed; (3) upon a one-way street free from obstructions and of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles; (4) upon a limited access highway or parkway free from obstructions with three or more lanes provided for traffic in one direction. Such movement shall not be made by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the highway except where lane designations, signs, signals or markings provide for such movement. Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

So we were both incorrect, and correct. When the highway has only 2 lanes going in the same direction, the left lane is not for cruising. It's for passing. And, the right lane is /not/ for passing. When the highway has 3 or more lanes going in the same direction, you can pass on the right.

[Ashley from UK]

Originally Posted by Altavia

They do a much better job of staying right on restricted access highways in Europe and it is illegal to pass on the right

In the UK we introduced a law that requires drivers to stay in the left lane unless overtaking for the same reason - to improve safety.

You only use the right lane to overtake. In reality no one takes the blindest bit of notice and we still have lane blockers.

About 20 years ago I did a little test. Could I drive at 65 in the left most lane on a 70mph road of 3-4 lanes and get to my end destination quicker. Than driving in than the outside lane ignoring speed limits….(we don’t undertake eg. On left) guess what… it was quicker to drive slow in busy traffic…The reason - congestion caused by slow fast lane drivers.

So yes its a good law if only anyone bothered to abide by it…..

[susantabler@yahoo.com]

I would think that is a no brainer.

[crc19188]

Way to go DeSantis. Worry about left lane drivers and not helping people with homeowners insurance.