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Hey, so I live in the US and I rarely take the highway, and there hasn't been much of a problem for me. But this question came to mind one day, and I could never sort it out. The speed limit and the left lane.
It seems that 90% of the time, cars in the left lane go 15 mph over the speed limit on average. I understand that you're supposed to go a bit over on the left lane, but do these people not care about getting a ticket? And even if you're going just a bit over the speed limit on the left lane, shouldn't you still be concerned about an "undercover" cop (you know, the ones who drive normal looking cars).
This is the reason why I'm always on the middle lane. I do want to drive fast like those on the left lane, but I'd rather not take my chances with the law. But it seems like everyone does it.
 
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It's a risk people take either because they like to drive fast, they need to get somewhere quickly, they think they can spot cops, they don't give a shit, etc... But they're not oblivious to the fact that they can get ticketed for speeding.
And good for you for not driving slow in the left lane.
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Some people don't mind the tickets. Personally I drive with the flow of traffic. Usually if it's 65 I'll do 70-75. The people that are driving fast are the same that always drive fast. Until you receive a 360$ ticket, they won't change
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Hong Kong9153 Posts
On June 23 2012 07:35 billy5000 wrote:
Hey, so I live in the US and I rarely take the highway, and there hasn't been much of a problem for me. But this question came to mind one day, and I could never sort it out. The speed limit and the left lane.
It seems that 90% of the time, cars in the left lane go 15 mph over the speed limit on average. I understand that you're supposed to go a bit over on the left lane, but do these people not care about getting a ticket? And even if you're going just a bit over the speed limit on the left lane, shouldn't you still be concerned about an "undercover" cop (you know, the ones who drive normal looking cars).
This is the reason why I'm always on the middle lane. I do want to drive fast like those on the left lane, but I'd rather not take my chances with the law. But it seems like everyone does it.
If you generally go with the flow of traffic and don't weave in and out recklessly, your chances of getting a ticket are much reduced. It isn't bad that you stay in the middle lanes though, the problem only arises when drivers like you think it is okay to be in the fast (passing) lane.
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Left lanes (including the middle lane, as it's to the left on three+ lane highways), are meant for passing. For instance, in Canada, if we have a speed limit of 100km/h for our highways, the furthest right lane will generally contain people going 90-100km/h. This means that for those left passing lanes, drivers need to be going in excess of 100km/h to pass those in the right or middle lane.
In my area, the right lane is generally comprised of 90-100km/h drivers as I said; the middle is typically people with cruise control on at 120km/h; and the furthermost left lane is 120+ depending on traffic congestion and the douchebags that sit in that lane doing 100.
It's not really a matter of people not caring about tickets, but at least in Ontario (and really anywhere), it's really about the flow of traffic. If you're in an area where traffic is really light, doing 120+ is going to draw attention and you'll be more likely to be stopped if seen by a cop. When traffic is more heavily condensed, there are a lot more drivers going those types of speeds that you can blend in pretty well. You'd have to be doing pretty reckless driving or going 140+ to really be at risk for a ticket.
And besides even that point, a regular occurrence on TV around here, is one of the chiefs of the highway patrol saying that even if you're doing the speed limit, if the traffic around you is going faster, you're actually endangering other people and you can be pulled over for going against the flow of traffic.
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Hyrule19045 Posts
In all but 2 states (I think), the further left you are, the faster you are legally required to go. If you're not passing anyone you get right and slow down.
Going fast in the right lane is bad (I got a ticket for that a few weeks ago, and there were people passing me in the far left lane).
As long as you're going with the general flow of traffic and aren't being terrible, you'll be fine. Case in point: I passed a cop, who were going about 75, while I was going 80, in a 55, and was fine, just last week.
Also I find that state troopers are more strict about speed limits than local cops on the highways.
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Yeah, as long as you drive with the flow of traffic you will be fine, as long as you aren't obviously flying down the highway..and its okay to go a little over in the left lanes anyways, it's there for a reason, to pass people and make traffic flow better (i believe), which means you shouldn't go slow or else you would be being a "left lane hog".
For an example of people speeding a lot, I drove the belt loop in Atlanta last summer and almost everyone was going at least 80..but the traffic was flowing, and actually if you were going anything near the real speed limit (way less than 80-85) then you were putting yourself in danger, at least from what i saw.
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It's worth mentioning that "faster in the left lane" etiquette ought to be paid even closer attention to while driving up and down hills, especially on highways with lots of commercial trucking traffic. On the Pennsylvania Turnpike, for example, its common to see truck drivers go 5-10 miles under the speed limit going up a mountain in the right lane, only for them to switch to the left at the top and barrel down on nothing but inertia and a bit of brakes. When I used to drive on it regularly, it was common to see giant trucks going 20+ over the speed limit all the way down hills/mountains. Keep your wits about you lol.
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The passing lane is generally used to get around big moving vehicles that might not be going the speed limit. Things like logging trucks, really big loads on semi's etc. You are technically not suppose to travel faster than the speed limit when passing. That being said, everyone seems to drive 10-15km faster than those in the right hand lane.
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Hyrule19045 Posts
Depends on the state in the US. See http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
For instance, in Pennsylvania it's acceptable to go over the speed limit, while in Alaska it's actually "right lane for < speed limit". Stupid states having different laws :\
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The troubling thing is that when I was in the left lane a few times, going 10 mph over the speed limit by myself (also passing cars in the other lanes), some people somehow easily catch up to me, and I'm always asking myself if I should go faster or not. What do I do?
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On June 23 2012 09:22 billy5000 wrote:
The troubling thing is that when I was in the left lane a few times, going 10 mph over the speed limit by myself (also passing cars in the other lanes), some people somehow easily catch up to me, and I'm always asking myself if I should go faster or not. What do I do?
Just continue passing and eventually the person behind you will get by? Don't drive at a speed you're not comfortable with, other drivers won't mind that you're only doing 10 over.
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On June 23 2012 09:22 billy5000 wrote:
The troubling thing is that when I was in the left lane a few times, going 10 mph over the speed limit by myself (also passing cars in the other lanes), some people somehow easily catch up to me, and I'm always asking myself if I should go faster or not. What do I do?
Personally, I don't feel comfortable when someone is catching up to me and is then forced to slow down due to my speed (even if it is fast). I'll just find a spot in the next lane to the right, let them pass me, then get back in the left lane I was in, if I still want to pass people. That way, the guy who was catching up to me doesn't have to slow down, and can go at their speed without as many annoyances.
Also, never feel forced to go faster if you are already going fast, just because someone else is going faster than you.
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I don't know why I go fast when I'm on the highway. I know what the speed limit is, I know that going 20 or 30 km/hr faster than the speed limit will only result in a little bit of time saved, and yet I always find myself in the left most lane cruising around 130. I've been driving this way since I was 19, about 7 years ago, and I've never got a ticket. If it's raining out or super windy or something I slow down to 110. For me to stop driving this way, I guess I would have to have to be consistently stopped.
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On June 23 2012 09:32 BradwMD wrote:
Personally, I don't feel comfortable when someone is catching up to me and is then forced to slow down due to my speed (even if it is fast). I'll just find a spot in the next lane to the right, let them pass me, then get back in the left lane I was in, if I still want to pass people. That way, the guy who was catching up to me doesn't have to slow down, and can go at their speed without as many annoyances.
That's essentially as how it should be. There sometimes are just those annoying people that stay in the lane and hold up like 20 cars because they won't move their ass over to the middle lane to let people go by. A good indicator of whether you should be in the furthest left lane is whether you're actually still passing people in the middle, since that's the purpose of the lane. If you find a point where people in the middle are going as fast as you and you're not passing people anymore, move over and let any potential cars pass you.
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my dad's been caught like 9-10 times for speeding and one insight he's shared with me is the real speed limit is actually 20% higher than what is posted (i.e. if limit is 100 km/h, then the real limit is 120) - he says hes never been caught going 120km/h on a 100 km/h zone. even when passing cops
I consistently follow this rule and I still haven't gotten a speeding ticket yet
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On June 23 2012 10:03 Fumanchu wrote:
I don't know why I go fast when I'm on the highway. I know what the speed limit is, I know that going 20 or 30 km/hr faster than the speed limit will only result in a little bit of time saved, and yet I always find myself in the left most lane cruising around 130. I've been driving this way since I was 19, about 7 years ago, and I've never got a ticket. If it's raining out or super windy or something I slow down to 110. For me to stop driving this way, I guess I would have to have to be consistently stopped.
You go fast because 130km/h is really slow on highways. Over here the recommended speed on highways with standard weather conditions is 120-130. What you describe is like me saying: I feel fast because I drive 70km/h where I'm supposed to drive atleast 70.
On June 23 2012 10:11 divito wrote:
That's essentially as how it should be. There sometimes are just those annoying people that stay in the lane and hold up like 20 cars because they won't move their ass over to the middle lane to let people go by. A good indicator of whether you should be in the furthest left lane is whether you're actually still passing people in the middle, since that's the purpose of the lane. If you find a point where people in the middle are going as fast as you and you're not passing people anymore, move over and let any potential cars pass you.
You are describing the law over here. You have to drive on the right lane as much as possible. If you are overtaking someone you may change, but afterwards you have to get back to the right lane.
On June 23 2012 10:18 Gak2 wrote:
my dad's been caught like 9-10 times for speeding and one insight he's shared with me is the real speed limit is actually 20% higher than what is posted (i.e. if limit is 100 km/h, then the real limit is 120) - he says hes never been caught going 120km/h on a 100 km/h zone. even when passing cops
I consistently follow this rule and I still haven't gotten a speeding ticket yet
Here it's like +10km/h + 3 or 4 because of potential mistakes while measuring. So if you drive 113 while the speed limit is 100, you'll never get a ticket. At 120 you may get a ticket. At 130 you will definitely get one.
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Just go 1mph slower than the fastest guy around, and don't tail gate anyone. Cops hit people who tail gate, play music with heavy bass, have eye grabbing stickers or car color, unrepaired car damage, etc.
As long as a you don't stick out you aren't going to get pulled over.
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I'm one of those drivers that go on the left lane and drive faster than the speed limit. Few earlier posts stated that drivers like me do so either because we either don't mind the tickets or we're willing to risk it. That's not true at all.
At least in California, the posted speed limit isn't the actual speed limit based on the chicken or egg concept:
1. The traffic flow is generally faster than what's in the speed limit because of statement #2.
2. Cops ignore cars that go over the speed limit because of statement #1.
So if the traffic flow on the left lane goes at 75 mph on a 65 mph speed limit, you won't get a ticket for going 75 mph - 80 mph. Anything over then you're risking it because you're both going over the speed limit and going faster than the traffic flow.
Normally, if the speed limit is 40mph or below, I go 5 mph faster. If it's 45 mph to 60 mph, I go 10 mph faster. If it's 65 mph or higher, I go 15 mph faster, but not exceeding 85 mph. Haven't gotten a single speeding ticket and being observed by countless police patrols.
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On June 23 2012 10:32 Xiron wrote:Show nested quote +On June 23 2012 10:03 Fumanchu wrote:
I don't know why I go fast when I'm on the highway. I know what the speed limit is, I know that going 20 or 30 km/hr faster than the speed limit will only result in a little bit of time saved, and yet I always find myself in the left most lane cruising around 130. I've been driving this way since I was 19, about 7 years ago, and I've never got a ticket. If it's raining out or super windy or something I slow down to 110. For me to stop driving this way, I guess I would have to have to be consistently stopped. You go fast because 130km/h is really slow on highways. Over here the recommended speed on highways with standard weather conditions is 120-130. What you describe is like me saying: I feel fast because I drive 70km/h where I'm supposed to drive atleast 70.
Uh....great your speed limit is higher than mine. So if I was driving in germany I wouldn't be going fast. But where I live the speed limit is 100 and most people are driving between 100-110, so in my case, where I live, and what the culture is, I drive fast.
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