Drive Right. (GTFO of the left lane.)

[TorontoBoy]

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...If someone is camping, honk and flash your lights. You are doing everyone else on the road a favour. If you let people get away with it, they will keep doing it.

I agree that you should not drive in the left lane if you are not passing, but the common rules for society, rightly or wrongly, do not believe this, driver ed for those with driver's licenses do not stress this and it is not enforced by the police. This situation will not change, and drivers will not believe they are doing anything wrong. You may try to do as you wish, with your flashing of lights and honking, but this might elicit road rage, which is dangerous to all of us.

On a bike I do not "teach anyone a lesson" and care less about "letting people get away with it". One spiteful car driver could smush you into the pavement. You are but a feeble insect in the wind of car exhaust that can be extinguished easily and efficiently, and rid the world of self-rightousness (in the view of the left lane bandit).

If you feel so strongly about left lane bandits then join the line of many auto journalists and contact your local politician. Changing society's behavours is a monumental task that needs approval from the vast majority of citizens. This issue is just not important enough to get this support. Yes in Germany, where they have much better licensing requirements, and Texas where (I have no clue why they drive better) but not in the GTA. I just do not see it. Here in Scarborough I am happy when drivers stop for traffic lights. I know my standards are very low.

 

[gsxr guy]

Just pass the idiots on the left paved shoulder at 240. They usually move over after that

 

[-Maverick-]

Get yourself a P71 and you'll have much fun

http://youtu.be/IxPO_XHMU7c

 

[AL3RT]

Just a quick rant here. Please tell your families.

Please tell everyone you know that if they drive in the passing lane, they are a Dog Fxcker. Please tell them that when they are on the highway:

1. No matter how fast you think you are going in the left lane, you are always in our way when we need the lane to pass someone. Pls use it to pass then GTFO.
2. Driving left slows down traffic by causing it to bunch up when people in the middle and right lanes can't pass each other, because some dog fxcker is sitting in the passing lane at that moment.
3. If you get passed on the right it is your own damn fault, you are in the wrong lane. Every time you get passed on the right, it's because everyone thinks you are an idiot.
4. GTFO of the centre lane as well, you are causing traffic to back up, the right lane is almost empty because nobody can get out of it.
5. If you are afraid of changing lanes near on-ramps, then perhaps you should learn how to drive.

If the police want to crack down on something that will actually make a positive difference in the lives of people, get drivers out of the passing lane. Even just blowing through with a couple of cruisers to make people move right once every couple of hours would do it. Maybe use the loud speaker to tell them to stay out of the passing lane as well.

If there were a simple 'nudge' campaign that would improve commute times and traffic, this would be it. Before we add more HOV and toll lanes, try using the cops to enforce this first.

I feel your pain... I really do.:angry4:

 

[RockerGuy]

If cops really wanted to make $ they should ticket for it. Just saying

Sent from my tablet using my paws

 

[inreb]

If cops really wanted to make $ they should ticket for it. Just saying

Sent from my tablet using my paws

Cops could work in teams. Ticket driver for 110kms/hr in fast lane for holding up traffic and give ticket to very next driver for speeding 115kms/hr. Can't lose.

 

[iFly55]

For me there are two stories: the streets & the highway

The Streets:
Especially in the GTA, the right lane is riddled with cracks/potholes, crevices and sewer drains; so naturally, i occupy the adjacent lane. My train of thinking: if people want to drive faster than me... "it's gonna be a bumpy ride"

The Highway:
the far right lane is also used for merging "on-ramp" traffic; if you're on the right lane you have to sometimes slow down from 100kph to 60kph, because trucks and slower drivers take a whole minute to reach 100kph.

So it's easier to cruise in the middle lane, when you're approaching transfers, and then change lanes back. But i do respect the passing lane, the problem for me comes down to mickey-mouse laws & law enforcement on our roads.

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I just some read some very interesting decisions

R. v. Cianchino, 2010 ONCJ 298 (CanLII): http://canlii.ca/t/2br3t
Summary: pickup truck was travelling at 119kph collided with a car that was travelling at 50kph on the 407. Prosecution tried to prosecute the 50kph driver of "Careless Driving"; JP ruled that was perfectly safe and finds him not guilty.

The problem i have when i read these decisions is when the courts say things like this:

(h) Speed of traffic on the 407 ETR highway

[139] For evidence on the speed of the traffic that evening, Jason Kaye testified he had been travelling at the speed limit of 100 k.p.h. as well as travelling at the same speed as the traffic around him. Kaye also said he been following the pickup truck for awhile at a distance of 100 meters behind it. The CDR device in the pickup truck recorded that the speed of the pickup truck had been 119 k.p.h. five seconds before the collision and at 112 k.p.h. one second before the collision, which is when the pickup truck would have just entered the slow lane. Accordingly, it would not be unreasonable to surmise that traffic had been moving at 105 to 115 k.p.h. at the time of the collision for the conditions that night.​

BUT, if you were caught driving 115kph on the 407ETR and charged under S. 128 of the HTA... the exact same JP would say that is illegal, and wouldn't care about the "flow of traffic".

R. v. Drljevic, 2010 ONCJ 188 (CanLII): http://canlii.ca/t/29w7t
I also read another decision where the courts said that driving at 105kph on the 407ETR was considered "slow". There was another one where a police officer pulled over an Audi for doing +50kph on the 401 and he told the JP that nobody travels at 100kph, but 150kph was unreasonably fast.

_____________________________________________

I genuinely wish somebody went out of their way and spent money to change our speeding laws from absolute liablity to strict liability; this way, if we had cameras rolling... showing that we were driving with traffic, or exceptional circumstances in order to avoid accidents by "overtaking"... we could fight these tickets properly.

The posted limits are artificially low, and the consequences are too severe w.r.t. insurance.

 

[sonyminidiscman]

Just pass them and then let a hand full of pennies go. At least make those pennies useful for the last time.

 

[MacDoc]

Where's MacDoc??
Stuck in France with no motorcycle - brilliant roads, cold weather and rain. Aside from that it's wonderful.

. GTFO of the centre lane as well, you are causing traffic to back up, the right lane is almost empty because nobody can get out of it.

So our OP wants everyone in the most dangerous lane - brilliant. If you are travelling through - not exiting then leave the right lane to those that are entering and exiting.

Yes moving over if you are not with traffic in the left lane is good etiquette but it remains that the left lane is safest tho by far the fastest which is not comfortable for some drivers and riders as tailgaters lover that lane even if the cars are stacked up 20 deep ahead.

The right lane nazis are alive and well in Spain causing all sorts of stupidity as they swing across three lanes of traffic back and forth instead of staying middle and left.
Drivers are reasonable about getting out of the left lane as speed limits are 120 and few go that slow in the left lane. Last time I was here 160 was the norm in France in the left and middle lanes and a few up in the 220 zone on the slab.

I've generally found a quick flash of the high beams moves people out of the left lane in the GTA tho not always.
I'm not thrilled passing on the right but sometimes there is just no choice to get out a clog caused by a slow left lane driver.
I'd rather be past the bunch up into some clear space than deal with the jockeying and tailgating.

But counselling shoving everyone into the right lane - the most dangerous lane for obvious reasons is just plain dumb headed.

Left for passing and/or boogieing
Middle for those driving through at a steady speed
Keep the right clear for exit and entry.

When that is adhered to, traffic moves relatively smoothly.

Two lane slab - yeah - stick to the right lane unless passing or travelling faster than the traffic flow.....now who would do that ??

•••

and yes our speed limits for slab are stupidly low given the highway design and actual traffic speeds.
Here it's 120 ( rarely enforced as far as I can see ) and 100 in the rain. Given how hilly and curved even the slab is 120 for many areas and most vehicles is a realistic limit.

 

[AF4iK]

Haha that video was great! I really wish cops would do this here.

I recently saw a car enter the highway at a ridiculously low speed of no more than 65 km/h max. As I passed, the car started merging into the first lane, then the second... in my rear view I watched him/her change all the way over to the left lane and remain at that slow speed because pretty soon it was just a dot on the horizon. The 401 was near empty too so there was absolutely no reason for it.

And it's not just highways. Even on local roads people seem to want to drive in the left-most lane. I watched two cars pull up to a red light in front of me. Both cars were the only ones in their lanes (except for me behind them of course). The car on the right swerved into the left lane and cut the other car off like you see people do when they want to get into the shorter line. The light turned green about a second later and I thought the dude was gonna punch it but he just puttered along. I passed them and in my rear view I expected to see him make a left turn soon because what other reason was there for him to do that right? Nope. He kept driving along until the car behind got fed up and passed him on the right. Really. WTF.

 

[imnothng]

So our OP wants everyone in the most dangerous lane - brilliant. If you are travelling through - not exiting then leave the right lane to those that are entering and exiting.
.

Just like you seem to want everyone in the second most dangerous lane - brilliant.

Drove to niagara falls and back last night mostly in the right lane doing 120, past lots of idiots chilling in the middle lane. I'm crazy dangerous yo!

 

[Rnoodles]

In the U.S its illegal,as I believe it is here to drive in the passing lane except when passing. Cops in the U.S heavily enforce this law leading to always moving traffic. Theres no enforcement here which leads to the gridlock traffic. I used to drive a truck to California and back and never got stuck in traffic unless there was a serious accident.

 

[RonnieRev]

The right lane is the new fast lane !

 

[mxs]

In the U.S its illegal,as I believe it is here to drive in the passing lane except when passing. Cops in the U.S heavily enforce this law leading to always moving traffic. Theres no enforcement here which leads to the gridlock traffic. I used to drive a truck to California and back and never got stuck in traffic unless there was a serious accident.

Good on them. Maybe the Ontario cops need to learn something there.

 

[inreb]

Theres no enforcement here which leads to the gridlock traffic.

If everybody goes the same speed, whether 50, 100 or 150 how does it help the gridlock situation if a few always need to go faster than everybody else? I really need to understand this so I can shut the f up. thx.

 

[01cbr]

Drivers weaving in and out of traffic and those who dont know how to properly merge are the ones who actually cause traffic headaches.

 

[Apollo95]

...

 

[Apollo95]

...

 

[inreb]

Simple.
Right lane for entering and exiting on ramps. or for the driver who wants to go below the speed limit.
Middle lane for 90% of drivers who want to do Speed limit maybe 10-20kmh over.
Left lane for PASSING ONLY. so even if middle lane is doing 140kmh, and you're in the left lane BUT you're not passing the car in teh middle lane to allow passing. you get out of teh left lane, just pull into the middle and do whatever speed (even if over speed limit) in the middle lane. leaving left lane for the guy who wants/needs to change lanes in a safe manner thus needing to exceed the middle lane speeds (whatever they may be).

Yes, I get all that and practice it myself. But in a high volume to gridlock situation is it reasonable or even realistic to have 90% of all traffic limited to 33% of the available road? Why not spread it around evenly and have everybody go more or less the same speed? I could accept the odd rare exception for VIP's on this board of course.

 

[imnothng]

Simple.
Right lane for entering and exiting on ramps. or for the driver who wants to go below the speed limit.
Middle lane for 90% of drivers who want to do Speed limit maybe 10-20kmh over.
Left lane for PASSING ONLY. so even if middle lane is doing 140kmh, and you're in the left lane BUT you're not passing the car in teh middle lane to allow passing. you get out of teh left lane, just pull into the middle and do whatever speed (even if over speed limit) in the middle lane. leaving left lane for the guy who wants/needs to change lanes in a safe manner thus needing to exceed the middle lane speeds (whatever they may be).

Idiotic. No matter what lane you're in, if you're not passing the guy on the right, gtf-over, all the way over.

Now that is simple.

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