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You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go

You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go faster. You do not know who has an emergency, and who doesn't. You don't get to enforce one law (speed limits) and flout the other (yield the passing lane). In fact, you don't get to enforce any laws if that isn't your job, and if it were your job, you should not disregard one of those laws.

c22 8y ago
Hey, I exclusively drive the speed limit in the right or middle lane. This is just an observation I've made that seemed relevant. For what it's worth, I highly doubt that there was any sort of "emergency" involved in the vast majority of times I've observed this behavior. Also, apart from properly lighted emergency vehicles no one has the right to exceed the speed limit regardless of the situation. Edit: According to this resource[0] only 4 states require you to yield to faster traffic approaching from behind in the left lane, so this seems to be far from a universal requirement. [0] https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
yeuuehhr 8y ago
Fuck you and follow the law dip shit. You're going to get people killed because you feel entited to drive like a maniac.
Scea91 8y ago
What is the rule exactly? 1) Yield the passing lane for anyone that wants to go faster or 2) Yield the passing lane if lane on the right is free. I am asking because I am not sure, but (2) would make more sense to me. You should not be required to break the speed limit to be allowed to pass the slower traffic.
- c22 8y ago
  It seems to vary by state (see the link I posted in a sibling of your comment) but the general rule is that the left lane should only be used for passing in which case logically there should only be one "pass" happening at a time so yielding is not an issue.
  - cryptonector 8y ago
    Of course, in heavy traffic this goes out the window.
- cryptonector 8y ago
  The rule is mostly (varies by state) that if there are two lanes, or one lane and an improved shoulder (i.e., wide enough for a vehicle), then at your earliest convenience you must yield the left lane (or the only lane) to passers. It's very, very simple. BTW, in Texas it is now legal to pass on the right because of all those who fail to yield the passing lane. Passing on the right isn't very good, but it's what you get when people decide that the left lane is for themselves.
sl1ck731 8y ago
You don't get the right to speed due to an emergency. Call an ambulance. To your other point, it is not "flouting the other" law (yield the passing lane) if its 1 person doing 100 mph trying to pass you. The law is in respect to the "normal" flow of traffic, not the fact that any one person is trying to go faster than you.
- Rychard 8y ago
  When my father had a heart attack, I was told to drive to the hospital, which was a ~10 minute drive (at the speed limit). Another family member called the hospital to let them know we were coming. During this drive, the speed limit mattered very little to me, and I drove as fast as I possibly could. Whether this was "right" or "wrong" isn't something that crossed my mind at the time. When one's own life (or the life of a loved one) is on the line, people have a tendency to do things that don't make sense to an outside observer. Luckily for us, we arrived at the hospital without further incident, and my father was quickly cared for. I didn't time the trip, but I imagine it was only marginally faster than driving at the speed limit, as my vehicle at the time wasn't particularly fast.
  - sl1ck731 8y ago
    I would have done the same thing. It doesn't mean there is a law granting us permission to do so, which was the part of the comment I replied to that I took issue with. Its just something that is gray and we have to do when we need to. It is the same logic as the, "I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by 6" crowd, interestingly.
- cryptonector 8y ago
  I don't care what you think of whoever is trying to pas you, so long as you let them pass. That's the law. Let law enforcement worry about who is violating it; you follow the law.
dreamcompiler 8y ago
This. I've had this discussion with many people who think they're entitled to use the left lane if they're going the speed limit or above, because they see themselves as enforcing the speed limit for the people behind them. I ask them to show me their badge, and when they cannot I explain that they have no authority to enforce speed limits without one. Most of them still don't get it.

c22 8y ago

Hey, I exclusively drive the speed limit in the right or middle lane. This is just an observation I've made that seemed relevant. For what it's worth, I highly doubt that there was any sort of "emergency" involved in the vast majority of times I've observed this behavior. Also, apart from properly lighted emergency vehicles no one has the right to exceed the speed limit regardless of the situation. Edit: According to this resource[0] only 4 states require you to yield to faster traffic approaching from behind in the left lane, so this seems to be far from a universal requirement. [0] https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

yeuuehhr 8y ago

Fuck you and follow the law dip shit. You're going to get people killed because you feel entited to drive like a maniac.

Scea91 8y ago

What is the rule exactly? 1) Yield the passing lane for anyone that wants to go faster or 2) Yield the passing lane if lane on the right is free. I am asking because I am not sure, but (2) would make more sense to me. You should not be required to break the speed limit to be allowed to pass the slower traffic.

c22 8y ago
It seems to vary by state (see the link I posted in a sibling of your comment) but the general rule is that the left lane should only be used for passing in which case logically there should only be one "pass" happening at a time so yielding is not an issue.
- cryptonector 8y ago
  Of course, in heavy traffic this goes out the window.
cryptonector 8y ago
The rule is mostly (varies by state) that if there are two lanes, or one lane and an improved shoulder (i.e., wide enough for a vehicle), then at your earliest convenience you must yield the left lane (or the only lane) to passers. It's very, very simple. BTW, in Texas it is now legal to pass on the right because of all those who fail to yield the passing lane. Passing on the right isn't very good, but it's what you get when people decide that the left lane is for themselves.

sl1ck731 8y ago

You don't get the right to speed due to an emergency. Call an ambulance. To your other point, it is not "flouting the other" law (yield the passing lane) if its 1 person doing 100 mph trying to pass you. The law is in respect to the "normal" flow of traffic, not the fact that any one person is trying to go faster than you.

Rychard 8y ago
When my father had a heart attack, I was told to drive to the hospital, which was a ~10 minute drive (at the speed limit). Another family member called the hospital to let them know we were coming. During this drive, the speed limit mattered very little to me, and I drove as fast as I possibly could. Whether this was "right" or "wrong" isn't something that crossed my mind at the time. When one's own life (or the life of a loved one) is on the line, people have a tendency to do things that don't make sense to an outside observer. Luckily for us, we arrived at the hospital without further incident, and my father was quickly cared for. I didn't time the trip, but I imagine it was only marginally faster than driving at the speed limit, as my vehicle at the time wasn't particularly fast.
- sl1ck731 8y ago
  I would have done the same thing. It doesn't mean there is a law granting us permission to do so, which was the part of the comment I replied to that I took issue with. Its just something that is gray and we have to do when we need to. It is the same logic as the, "I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by 6" crowd, interestingly.
cryptonector 8y ago
I don't care what you think of whoever is trying to pas you, so long as you let them pass. That's the law. Let law enforcement worry about who is violating it; you follow the law.

dreamcompiler 8y ago

This. I've had this discussion with many people who think they're entitled to use the left lane if they're going the speed limit or above, because they see themselves as enforcing the speed limit for the people behind them. I ask them to show me their badge, and when they cannot I explain that they have no authority to enforce speed limits without one. Most of them still don't get it.