Washington State gets tough on left lane bandits
11-03-2009, 05:48 PM
#1
GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thread Starter
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Washington State gets tough on left lane bandits
I hope All states start doing this.
I see this multiple times every day.
Hooray for Washington!
http://www.komonews.com/news/20656789.html
Poking along in the left lane? Prepare to pay
By Jenni Hogan
Watch the story
SEATTLE -- Even if you're going the speed limit it might not be enough to prevent you from getting a ticket if you're holding up traffic in the fast lane.
State troopers are on a mission to make sure the left lane on area freeways is used for its intended purpose: passing.
"We're doing 58, 59 miles an hour and they are just sitting there, traffic's passing them on the right hand side," Trooper Keith Leary said while pointing out a car in the left lane of Interstate 5. "That's exactly what we don't want to see happen."
The driver, Brasta Bonifcho, said he was surprised what he was doing was illegal.
"I didn't know that, I really didn't know that," he said. "I am guilty, no question about it."
Leary reminded Bonifcho that drivers need to stay in the right lanes unless they're passing another vehicle.
Everyone pulled over during Leary's patrol said they thought it wasn't a problem as long as they were going the speed limit. But the law says otherwise.
"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic," the statute reads.
The reason for the law is to help keep traffic moving and to diffuse potential road rage situations.
"It just takes one thing to set them off," Leary said of frustrated drivers stuck behind slower moving vehicles. "If we can alleviate one of those things, maybe we can avoid an assault."
The State Patrol said several recent collisions caused by slow vehicles in the passing lane have prompted increased enforcement of the law along area interstates.
Drivers in the HOV lanes are exempt from the rule, but anyone else could be facing a $124 ticket.
I see this multiple times every day.
Hooray for Washington!
http://www.komonews.com/news/20656789.html
Poking along in the left lane? Prepare to pay
By Jenni Hogan
Watch the story
SEATTLE -- Even if you're going the speed limit it might not be enough to prevent you from getting a ticket if you're holding up traffic in the fast lane.
State troopers are on a mission to make sure the left lane on area freeways is used for its intended purpose: passing.
"We're doing 58, 59 miles an hour and they are just sitting there, traffic's passing them on the right hand side," Trooper Keith Leary said while pointing out a car in the left lane of Interstate 5. "That's exactly what we don't want to see happen."
The driver, Brasta Bonifcho, said he was surprised what he was doing was illegal.
"I didn't know that, I really didn't know that," he said. "I am guilty, no question about it."
Leary reminded Bonifcho that drivers need to stay in the right lanes unless they're passing another vehicle.
Everyone pulled over during Leary's patrol said they thought it wasn't a problem as long as they were going the speed limit. But the law says otherwise.
"It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic," the statute reads.
The reason for the law is to help keep traffic moving and to diffuse potential road rage situations.
"It just takes one thing to set them off," Leary said of frustrated drivers stuck behind slower moving vehicles. "If we can alleviate one of those things, maybe we can avoid an assault."
The State Patrol said several recent collisions caused by slow vehicles in the passing lane have prompted increased enforcement of the law along area interstates.
Drivers in the HOV lanes are exempt from the rule, but anyone else could be facing a $124 ticket.
11-03-2009, 06:08 PM
#6
The sizzle in the Steak
meh....who cares...there is so much traffic in SoCal you can never get up to the speed limit any way.
11-03-2009, 06:18 PM
#7
E92
I don't understand how you can get a ticket for doing the speed limit in the left lane though, as if the lane is for speeding only, which is illegal. In driver's ed, they told us that speeding, even to pass another car, is still illegal.
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11-03-2009, 06:28 PM
#9
One on the right for me
11-03-2009, 06:30 PM
#10
The driver, Brasta Bonifcho, said he was surprised what he was doing was illegal.
Locally a guy went to court because he was traveling too slow, 58 in a 65. Judge threw it out because Trooper didn't have calibration certificate with him. But again asshole made comment about not knowing he could be going too slow.
I wish Virginia would get heavy on this, they come out every few years a say the will, but they don't. It is a law that left lane is passing lane.
11-03-2009, 06:39 PM
#11
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No more Prius drivers doing 48 in the left hand lane while the rest of us folks are (trying) to go 75
11-03-2009, 06:48 PM
#13
One on the right for me
I've never seen a Prius driver doing anything under the speed limit (at least here in CA). Often they are one of the faster cars on the freeway. Never really understood that one
11-03-2009, 06:54 PM
#14
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The one exception I've seen was this past summer..
- Oversized wheels and tires
- Roofrack
- windows were all down
- female passenger had her foot hanging out by the mirror
- it was doing at least 80 mph
- California plates
11-03-2009, 07:00 PM
#15
11-03-2009, 07:00 PM
#16
Safety Car
11-03-2009, 07:59 PM
#19
The Box
When it's raining/snowing (especially in the beginning of the Winter season) that is often the case here; people do 40-50 mph on the freeway because of poor conditions. People with snow tires have the left lane.
11-03-2009, 08:04 PM
#20
Suzuka Master
about bleeding time.....
nothing more annoying than someone sitting on the left lane doing the speed limit when traffic is heavy....
I grew up driving alot in Europe and you do not sit in the fast lane doing the speed limit.
nothing more annoying than someone sitting on the left lane doing the speed limit when traffic is heavy....
I grew up driving alot in Europe and you do not sit in the fast lane doing the speed limit.
11-03-2009, 08:30 PM
#21
Trolling Canuckistan
This is my favorite traffic law in WA...
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.427
I wish we had it in MA and then I wish they would enforce it.
RCW 46.61.427
Slow-moving vehicle to pull off roadway.
On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in a line, shall turn off the roadway wherever sufficient area for a safe turn-out exists, in order to permit the vehicles following to proceed. As used in this section a slow moving vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place.
Slow-moving vehicle to pull off roadway.
On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in a line, shall turn off the roadway wherever sufficient area for a safe turn-out exists, in order to permit the vehicles following to proceed. As used in this section a slow moving vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place.
I wish we had it in MA and then I wish they would enforce it.
11-03-2009, 08:50 PM
#22
Senior Moderator
I wish this would make its way here.
11-03-2009, 08:52 PM
#23
Senior Moderator
Well then slow down slightly and pull in behind the car you are next to or slightly speed up to get in front of him then return to the same speed. There is NO need to clog traffic up riding next to someone doing the same speed as them.
11-03-2009, 09:41 PM
#24
Registered but harmless
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There are two laws being violated if that were to happen in California-- one violation for not yielding to faster traffic in the left lane, and one for exceeding the maximum speed limit. Both can result in tickets.
Here in Los Angeles & Orange counties, I see more Prius drivers than Porsche or exotic car drivers speeding through surrounding traffic.
11-03-2009, 09:49 PM
#25
where is....
good, and for the people who think you shouldnt get pulled over for doing the speed limit in the left lane while there is someone in the lane next to you going the same speed or slower than either pick up the pace for a second or slow down. there is nothing more annoying than cruise control passers, either pick up the pace for 2 seconds or don't take 10 mins to pass one person.
11-03-2009, 10:01 PM
#26
I told my girlfriend to move out of the fast lane once, traffic was light and she complained an SUV was following too close while she was doing 80. She went crazy on me for saying she was wrong for not moving out of the way.
I had to explain to her the concept of using the fast lane as a passing lane in light traffic. She finally agreed with me and stays out of it in light traffic conditions.
11-03-2009, 11:17 PM
#28
Suzuka Master
I told my girlfriend to move out of the fast lane once, traffic was light and she complained an SUV was following too close while she was doing 80. She went crazy on me for saying she was wrong for not moving out of the way.
I had to explain to her the concept of using the fast lane as a passing lane in light traffic. She finally agreed with me and stays out of it in light traffic conditions.
11-04-2009, 12:27 AM
#29
Moderator Alumnus
signs are on interstates and most highways, THANK GOD Washington state HP is taking action over this...it's bullshit that people are doing the speed limit or slower in the left lane and holding up traffic.
...i.e. I-5, highway 18, 167, and the beginning of I-90 going east...all horrible during morning and afternoon traffic because of slow pokes in the left lane...
Any time the interstate or highway goes down to two lanes those signs saying, "Left Lane for Passing only" pops up.
...i.e. I-5, highway 18, 167, and the beginning of I-90 going east...all horrible during morning and afternoon traffic because of slow pokes in the left lane...
Any time the interstate or highway goes down to two lanes those signs saying, "Left Lane for Passing only" pops up.
Last edited by BigLizard; 11-04-2009 at 12:30 AM.
11-04-2009, 12:50 AM
#30
One on the right for me
Yes there is, the road is usually in much better condition. Not nearly as torn up from the big rigs as the right lane.
11-04-2009, 01:35 AM
#31
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I'd like to see them really enforce this on an ongoing basis. I drive from home to Bothell for work and back M-F and I can't tell you how many times I move around the person in the left lane just to get back in there myself and continue moving on. Even today, this pickup truck must of been on cruise doing 60, I couldn't tell if anyone was in front of him or not and when I went to get in the middle lane, I realized there weren't any cars in front of him for at least half a mile. I know he saw me and a bunch of other people behind him. As I took over his lane, I saw other people follow but he never got out of that damn lane! I hate 405...
11-04-2009, 01:42 AM
#32
Moderator Alumnus
I'd like to see them really enforce this on an ongoing basis. I drive from home to Bothell for work and back M-F and I can't tell you how many times I move around the person in the left lane just to get back in there myself and continue moving on. Even today, this pickup truck must of been on cruise doing 60, I couldn't tell if anyone was in front of him or not and when I went to get in the middle lane, I realized there weren't any cars in front of him for at least half a mile. I know he saw me and a bunch of other people behind him. As I took over his lane, I saw other people follow but he never got out of that damn lane! I hate 405...
11-04-2009, 08:19 AM
#33
Trolling Canuckistan
I told my girlfriend to move out of the fast lane once, traffic was light and she complained an SUV was following too close while she was doing 80. She went crazy on me for saying she was wrong for not moving out of the way.
I had to explain to her the concept of using the fast lane as a passing lane in light traffic. She finally agreed with me and stays out of it in light traffic conditions.
The concept that the left lane is the fast lane is half the problem. All of the lanes are governed by the same speed limit, the left one is for passing the slow moving traffic.
If you are not actively passing another vehicle (meaning there is no vehicle to your immediate right) you should not be in the left lane end of story. It doesn't matter if you are going 85mph and you don't think the guy behind you should drive faster than that, what speed the guy behind you should be driving is the Polices problem not yours. If you are in the left lane and some one is behind you, pull to the right and let them by.
11-04-2009, 09:48 AM
#37
I'm the Firestarter
So... is it legal to go above the speed limit for a few seconds while passing? How do cops feel about it?
11-04-2009, 09:59 AM
#38
Suzuka Master
11-04-2009, 10:02 AM
#40
Suzuka Master