Get out of the left lane.

[sgrizzle]

From our friends at KTUL: http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0108/486306.html

quote:
Troopers Warn Slow Drivers About Left Lane Violations
  posted 9:53 pm Tue January 08, 2008 - Tulsa
from NewsChannel 8 - http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0108/486306.html
A warning to slow drivers and a bit of relief to those who get stuck behind them. If you drive too slowly in the left lane of the roadway, it's very likely you will get a ticket.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is pulling people over who drive under the speed limit in the left lane. The law says the left lane is only meant for drivers who are passing or turning. It's a law not many people know about.

We went out with a trooper today and the drivers he pulled over were very surprised. The danger is, if someone is camping out in the left lane, emergency vehicles cannot pass. That's the main reason the law was put into place.

By driving 60 or 62 on a 65 mile per hour highway, most drivers think they're playing it safe. Think again.

"If you're driving 65 or slower, you have to be in the right lane. Are you aware of that law?"

Charles Casey got a warning for driving under the speed limit in the left lane.

(Abby) "Do you think it's a good law?"
(Charles) "Not really. No, I don't think so. I think it's a cheap shot, really."

Cheap shot or not, the law says drivers going under the speed limit must stay out of the left lane. That lane is only meant for passing and turning left.

"You were going 62. That's under the limit."
"That's the first time. I was going to call my mom because I have never gotten pulled over for that," says Kristen McKeever.

For OHP troopers, the left lane law is very much on the radar. They say too many drivers don't follow it, creating a dangerous situation for other cars on the road. Trooper Troy Gilmore|Oklahoma Highway "It does become a problem," says Trooper Troy Gilmore. "A lot of times if we're trying to get somewhere quick and we're running lights and sirens or if the fire department or an ambulance is going quick we need to slow down before we can get over."

"I agree with it because people drive me crazy when they drive too slow. It's supposed to be a passing lane."

"I think its absurd."

Fortunately for drivers, so far troopers have only given out warnings. But, they say soon that's going to change. Left lane violators will get a 206-dollar ticket -- a hefty price for supposedly 'playing it safe.'

"I'll stay out of the left lane from now on."

If you see someone driving too slowly in the left lane, you can take down the tag number and call *55 on your cell phone.

A couple of other laws trooper say many drivers may not know about are people not using their turn signals and also people who don't move over to the far lane when an officer has pulled someone over on the side of the road. Both of those violations could also cost you more than 200 dollars.

[EricP]

Good. May the tickets for these drivers flow like water. Sorry, but if you are putting along under the speed limit in the left lane, you clearly aren't aware of your impact on your surroundings nor the law.

[safetyguy]

How many troopers will they have to hire to really see a real impact? It's great that the law exists, but it's another thing to be able to enforce it.

[AngieB]

Yes! It's about freaking time they enforced this!

STKR!

[Wrinkle]

Does this mean they're going to remove the 30mph signs they just finished installing from all the left lane exits?

[EricP]

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

Does this mean they're going to remove the 30mph signs they just finished installing from all the left lane exits?

If you're talking about some of those left lane exits on 244(the only ones I can think of,) I would think that'd be a highway with some exceptions to the left lane rule, personally. In order to stay on the fast side of traffic when I used to take 244 home it took a lot of avoiding merging traffic and switching sides.. pretty much a big fark Somewhere in the middle is probably  the right place for your average driver there, because no lazy inattentive driver is going to be on their toes enough to shift right to left and back again to stay with slower merging traffic.

[Wrinkle]

I think this is unenforceable for the most part.
Sure, there's times people are actually inhibiting traffic flow. But, the law does not _require_ you to go the speed limit, even in the 'passing' lane. Seems as long as you're going faster than the car you're passing, there's no foul.

The trooper who was interviewed on the news seemed more concerned about his open road than ours. Seems they have to slow down when there's cars in front of them. I was trying to recall the last time I saw a trooper going under the speed limit, even without lights and/or sirens.

Given that, if they're stopping to give a ticket instead of proceeding to the 'emergency', then there's another problem.

[Wrinkle]

Hope you never get 'parked' in the left lane during rush hour. Remember, single file. Leave the left lane for troopers.

[Wrinkle]

Personally, I've had more near misses from people passing on the right. Even though I go the speed limit, they don't wait for you to move over and jump into your cover, causing a near catastrophy, probably a real one in many cases.

Not only are they speeding, they create a real hazard much more serious than a semi-pokey left laner.

[TeeDub]

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

Personally, I've had more near misses from people passing on the right. Even though I go the speed limit, they don't wait for you to move over and jump into your cover, causing a near catastrophy, probably a real one in many cases.

Not only are they speeding, they create a real hazard much more serious than a semi-pokey left laner.

If you have given them enough room to pass you on the right, then you had more than ample time to semi-pokey your donkey into the right lane.

The real problem is people like you who don't understand that the left lane is for passing and not for "holier-than-thou" drivers to help the police enforce speed limits.

[EricP]

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

Hope you never get 'parked' in the left lane during rush hour. Remember, single file. Leave the left lane for troopers.

Anybody who pulls over onto the left shoulder of a narrow highway for a traffic stop should get another ticket.. I've seen this several times. It screws up traffic 10 times worse than a normal stop and is more dangerous.

[tulsa_fan]

Hmmm, I've never heard the going below the speed limit in the left hand lane, I was always told the left hand lane is for passing only.  So if two slow people are going down the road and one decides to pass, they can pass, but I didn't know there was some MPH requirement!

Does it make it OK to be in the left lane if you are going the speed limit?  That's not correct.

I'm glad they are working to get people out of the left lane.  I think drivers believe it is there personal right to get in the left lane to slow people down, they are not the speed patrol!  It ought to help some in road rage as well.

[Wrinkle]

quote:Originally posted by TeeDub

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

Personally, I've had more near misses from people passing on the right. Even though I go the speed limit, they don't wait for you to move over and jump into your cover, causing a near catastrophy, probably a real one in many cases.

Not only are they speeding, they create a real hazard much more serious than a semi-pokey left laner.

If you have given them enough room to pass you on the right, then you had more than ample time to semi-pokey your donkey into the right lane.

The real problem is people like you who don't understand that the left lane is for passing and not for "holier-than-thou" drivers to help the police enforce speed limits.

...yep, you're probably the one of whom I speak.

If I'm going the speed limit in the left lane, you are the problem, especially since you'd be breaking the law going faster than me. Selective enforcement, right? And, to accomodate who?

btw, just what is the proper clearance between you and vehicle you just passed at 65mph before you slam it back into his lane, 3-feet?, a car length? Because, often if it's a car length + 1-foot, you're the guy who racks the works.

The law also says car-to-car clearance in one lane is one car length for each 10mph.

[Wingnut]

Getting on northbound 169 at 21st this morning, some dufus was doing about 55 and, of course, cut in front of me on their trek into the left lane. There was almost no traffic, but they apparently needed to be there going slow.

It's time to arm the missles....

[Wrinkle]

quote:Originally posted by EricP

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

Hope you never get 'parked' in the left lane during rush hour. Remember, single file. Leave the left lane for troopers.

Anybody who pulls over onto the left shoulder of a narrow highway for a traffic stop should get another ticket.. I've seen this several times. It screws up traffic 10 times worse than a normal stop and is more dangerous.

Who said anything about shoulders?
I'm talking about when all lanes are full and parked.

But, yeah, that also screws up flow.