Road rules

The law " slower drivers to keep to the right" should be changed to read  "letter of the law" lane. Fast lane to "feel lucky today ?". Recent trip I travelled on a lot of two lane roads. Several times I pulled over  to let others by. Only to have most of the drivers that passed would turn off with in a mile or so.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

That's just a one lane road in each direction. Pretty much all States require slower drivers to keep to the right and I know of at least one (AZ) that makes it illegal to unnecessarily obstruct traffic. Not moving over to allow traffic to pass would garner her a ticket if she got caught.

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Yes, you and others have pointed that out multiple times now, here's a quote from her post: "Of course I use the right lane, if there is one. I often do alternative highways, I am not often on interstates, as I  prefer the much nicer views of the byways."

She's already stated she traveling at the speed limit. So what you're saying is if it was in your power you'd ticket her for doing the speed limit on a one lane each direction road if there was traffic behind her? What is your definition of "unnecessarily obstruct"?  one car? two? ten?

I'm not a fan of obstructing anybody from driving as fast as their wallet will allow. But, I'm well aware that there are many roads where it simply is not safe or reasonable to pull off the road to allow someone to pass. If the vehicle in front is driving the speed limit, I think you'll have a hard time finding an LE officer who would cite the driver.

In the newspaper a few days ago there was another "road rage" murder.  You might not get a ticket, you might be within the "letter of the law", you might have the moral high ground, but, you might be dead if someone is tailgating you, flashing their lights and trying to pass but you refuse to pull over... just a thought...

Unfortunately on many 2 lane roads there is nowhere to pull over with a 62 foot rig. It can be 20 miles or more. If the road is straight and clear ahead, I will pull as far right as possible to give the drivers behind a clear view. If one starts to pass I will slow down to let more cars pass quickly. For trucks I try to coordinate via the CB.

ken

bucks2 said:

She's already stated she traveling at the speed limit. So what you're saying is if it was in your power you'd ticket her for doing the speed limit on a one lane each direction road if there was traffic behind her? What is your definition of "unnecessarily obstruct"?  one car? two? ten?

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Last I checked, last spring in the "55 Alive" class, Montana law says something like when more than 5 are behind you, you are expected to pull over and allow them to pass.  Failure to do so is a ticketable offense.  I don't have my book in the house  but will check.  Also if you back up traffic when you are in the fast lane doing the speed limit, the same applies. 

Best advice, stay in the right lanes except when assing.

Jim Godward said:

Best advice, stay in the right lanes except when assing.

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;D ;D ;D

WA State also says you have to pull over in a marked turnout if there are 5 or more cars behind you.

This was prompted by an incident a few years back where an older couple decided to take a leisurely Sunday drive around the Olympic Peninsula on Highway 101.  It didn't take long for traffic to backup several miles behind them.  There were several head on crashes and a fatality as frustrated drivers made unsafe passes trying to get around the obstruction.  Highway Patrol officers were dispatched in the opposite direction to intercept them, but misjudged their position and were likewise trapped in the backup.

When they were finally stopped, the couple said they had no idea of what was happening behind them.

bucks2 said:

Yes, you and others have pointed that out multiple times now, here's a quote from her post: "Of course I use the right lane, if there is one. I often do alternative highways, I am not often on interstates, as I  prefer the much nicer views of the byways."

She's already stated she traveling at the speed limit. So what you're saying is if it was in your power you'd ticket her for doing the speed limit on a one lane each direction road if there was traffic behind her? What is your definition of "unnecessarily obstruct"?  one car? two? ten?

I'm not a fan of obstructing anybody from driving as fast as their wallet will allow. But, I'm well aware that there are many roads where it simply is not safe or reasonable to pull off the road to allow someone to pass. If the vehicle in front is driving the speed limit, I think you'll have a hard time finding an LE officer who would cite the driver.

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Drive in CA much?

Jim and Pat have the best advice, and from now on I'm keeping my eye on what's happening in the left lane. ;D ;D

Lou Schneider said:

WA State also says you have to pull over in a marked turnout if there are 5 or more cars behind you.

This was prompted by an incident a few years back where an older couple decided to take a leisurely Sunday drive around the Olympic Peninsula on Highway 101.  It didn't take long for traffic to backup several miles behind them.  There were several head on crashes and a fatality as frustrated drivers made unsafe passes trying to get around the obstruction.  Highway Patrol officers were dispatched in the opposite direction to intercept them, but misjudged their position and were likewise trapped in the backup.

When they were finally stopped, the couple said they had no idea of what was happening behind them.

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Don't know if this is the same road or not...Speed limit going down on 101 From 60 to 45 mph: This was in the last line of the artical  According to the patrol: ?Troopers will be using the minimum amount of enforcement necessary over a 30-day transition period to educate drivers on the speed limit change. However, if you?re the causing driver of a collision, be prepared to receive a traffic infraction.?

Link..http://www.theolympian.com/2011/10/15/1839124/speed-limit-going-down-on-101.html 

Lady Fitzgerald said:

Drive in CA much?

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In CA and other such places we normally drive one lane from the right to minimize the problem of on and off traffic especially with the MH.  If we are in the towed, we are normally in the carpool lane and anyone that drives the speed limt there will get run over!!!!

Keep an eye on traffic behind you when driving in the second to right lane, Jim.  That's the truck passing lane - on multilane freeways in CA the two rightmost lanes are the only ones they're allowed to be in.

Speed limit going down on 101 From 60 to 45 mph:

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Same road, different area.

The speed limit is being reduced one mile before US 101 merges with I-5 in Olympia, and only going towards the merge.  101 is a multi-lane freeway there, and the problem is heavy merging traffic from the multi-lane Crosby Ave. on-ramp while the freeway is going into a blind curve and terminating into I-5, all within a space of less than a mile.  The curve prevents drivers from seeing a slowdown at the merge until they're right on top of it.

The incident I mentioned was at the other end of the peninsula - starting in Port Angeles, going west through Forks then south down the coast.  Here US 101 is a winding, two lane road and is the only through road - there are no alternate routes.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

Drive in CA much?

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Have you got any two lane roads in CA? I've seen plenty of potholed 6 and 8 lanes. What's with the towing speed limits? Am I going to get a ticket for driving too slow if I follow those speed limits too? And the crazy fuel prices. Oh right, answer the question. No. I try to drive in CA as little as I can. ;-)

Lou Schneider said:

Keep an eye on traffic behind you when driving in the second to right lane, Jim.  That's the truck passing lane - on multilane freeways in CA the two rightmost lanes are the only ones they're allowed to be in.

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Lou,

Well aware of that issue but we usually watch closely and have not had a problem.  Normally once we get out of the LA area the right lane is not a problem except in a few other places, Bakersfield, Fresno, etc. and of course the bay area.  At least we don't have to go there with the MH anymore  since my brother moved.

Here's the WA state law on impeding traffic. I don't see the part that says if they're going the speed limit that they are impeding traffic. I suppose if you wanted to argue that the "normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place" was over the speed limit you might have a case, but I'm pretty sure there's not a judge in the land that would uphold a ticket for not exceeding the speed limit. I think Lou was citing a case where the driver was going SLOWER than the speed limit and not pulling over. Note the section that says "a slow moving vehicle".

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.

And back to the road rage folks. If it's not safe to pull over to allow them to pass, I guess I'll have to let them take the first shot. If it's safe to pull over, then all reasonable people would pull over. Some highways simply don't have a shoulder that will allow a 63 foot MH & toad to pull off. Some that I've been on recently have signs posted about the soft shoulders and warn not to pull off.

I'm still looking for someone to post the law about having to pull over if 5 cars are behind you when you are going the speed limit.

Ken

You could argue that with 5 cars behind, you are going slower than the "normal flow of traffic at that particular time and place" - otherwise traffic wouldn't be lined up behind you.

Lou Schneider said:

You could argue that with 5 cars behind, you are going slower than the "normal flow of traffic at that particular time and place" - otherwise traffic wouldn't be lined up behind you.

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Ah, but here's the rub, what if I'm going the speed limit? Do I legally have to get out of the way?

It depends on whether the normal flow of traffic obeys the speed limit. 

Wendy said:

Ah, but here's the rub, what if I'm going the speed limit? Do I legally have to get out of the way?

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I was told by a CHiP at Indio after one seminar that 2 people in an RV will qualify you to drive in an HOV lane but you would probably be ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic, even if you are driving at the speed limit for your vehicle.