Driving Etiquette

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I'm a "normal" driver (I think). I obey the speed limits (adding a few extra miles, just not enough to get a ticket).
But there is always someone behind you that seems to be shitting in his pants, because he is trying to pass you no matter what.
My question is, if you are in a 45MPH road and you are already 48-50 on the left lane (yes, speeding already), and some prick starts tailgating you like trying to force you to move, is it considered rude to not move from the lane?, I mean, I'm already over the speed limit, so I shouldn't move from the fast lane... or should I just move to the right and let him pass?

[lordsmurf]

No. He can **** off.

Let the ******* pass on the right, the shoulder, against oncoming traffic, wherever he wants to go. More often than not, the person behind you will whip over in another lane (like the right lane), without a blinker, and end up rear-ending you at high speeds (which can be a fatal accident for both vehicles). Just stand your ground at a normal pace and let the crazy idiot kill himself, playing cat-and-mouse between traffic.

I live in an area that has 4 major interstates (plus loops) and at least a dozen large state and U.S. highways. This is a daily issue.

Of course, try to stay out of the left lane if you know you're not going to go insane speeds. Stay in the center or even the right lane. But in those situations where you pass slower traffic, or the other lanes are under the limit, and you happen to be in the left, just stand your ground. Move over when it is both convenient and you feel it is safe. When some moron is bearing down on your back bumper, it is NOT safe to move over.

I've witnessed a number of crashes at 70mph or faster, where the speedy jerk hit the car that was attempting to move over, rear-ended it, because speedy whipped over into the lane where the slower car was trying to move into.

[hudsonf]

Why are you driving in the left lane? In my state the left lane on a dual lane highway is for passing. Nothing personal but we also have a name for people who drive in the left lane and backup traffic "Left Lane Dick"

[adam]

Yeah where I'm at the left lane is supposed to be for passing on the interstate. You can drive there all you want but if someone comes up on you that wants to speed even more than you do, than you get out of the way. I just always pay attention and I can tell well ahead of time that someone is coming up fast so I move over. I'd never ride someone that is going over the speed limit already but I do think moving over is the polite thing to do. Let's face it, if everyone drove the speed limit than the highways would be permantly gridlocked. Speeding is a fact of life. So the left lane is reserved for the faster car, regardless of what speed you're going.

Now if someone is going like 100mph than I don't care what lane they're in, they are an ass. But if they want to push 80mph and I want to play it safe at 75mph than I should get out of their way.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

Why are you driving in the left lane? In my state the left lane on a dual lane highway is for passing. Nothing personal but we also have a name for people who drive in the left lane and backup traffic "Left Lane Dick"

Humm... let me see

The particular road I'm talking about is a 2 lane road 45MPH limit. I go to work every day on it and I push 50, sometimes 55.
The right lane is full with 30 MPH people, that's why I am on the left side almost all of the time.

But there is always someone at least at 60-70. That's why I asked if it was right or not to remain there since I am already speeding.

[SquirrelDip]

If there is significant traffic and you are doing the average speed for the left lane then don't move over. If it's no big deal to move over and let him by then why not - increasing his (and your) aggravation is never a good thing.

If there is little traffic then you shouldn't be sitting in the left lane regardless of how fast you're going.

I really hate the self proclaimed speed police - people who sit at or slightly above the speed limit in the left lane. I've usually seen these people in Seattle and Vancouver (i.e. Pacific North West). Most other places in the states I think they'd get shot.

I also dislike the fact that most roadways speed limits are set artificially low. Firstly, most cities post their speed limits at 10km/h below the design speed. Secondly the design speed is, basically, set for that little old lady driving a 1977 Lincoln on bald tires. Of course in residential areas and school/park areas the limits are, IMO, sometimes too high but on the express ways and collectors the speed can generally be driven somewhat faster safely.

Not knowing the roadway you're talking about 70mph in a 45 zone is probably too fast - I'm still going to say move over and let him by (radar will catch him eventually).

[waheed]

Why are you in the left lane.

The left lane is for slow moving vehicles. Its the right lane thats the face lane...

(for the UK that is)

At OP, you are under no obligation to move, but personally, I dont like people tailgating me so I move over.

[Jester700]

If there is significant traffic and you are doing the average speed for the left lane then don't move over. If it's no big deal to move over and let him by then why not - increasing his (and your) aggravation is never a good thing.

If there is little traffic then you shouldn't be sitting in the left lane regardless of how fast you're going.

+1. BTW, if you use your turn signal a few seconds before lane shifting, any speeder behind you should have no problem NOT hitting you as you move. Of course, there ARE total morons out there...

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

If there is significant traffic and you are doing the average speed for the left lane then don't move over. If it's no big deal to move over and let him by then why not - increasing his (and your) aggravation is never a good thing.

If there is little traffic then you shouldn't be sitting in the left lane regardless of how fast you're going.

+1. BTW, if you use your turn signal a few seconds before lane shifting, any speeder behind you should have no problem NOT hitting you as you move. Of course, there ARE total morons out there...

Yeah, this is what I usually do, as soon as I notice someone coming behind me "faster than a speedin' bullit ", I just turn on the turning signal and switch lanes, but in my mind I think... Damn!, and I am already speeding!

[hudsonf]

The particular road I'm talking about is a 2 lane road 45MPH limit. I go to work every day on it and I push 50, sometimes 55.
The right lane is full with 30 MPH people

They are the drivers that are going to cause someone to get hurt or killed.

But there is always someone at least at 60-70

70 is definitely to fast in a 45 mph zone. If I was in this situation I would move to the right lane if safe and after the other car passed I would get back in the left lane. I hate slow drivers more than a driver going to fast.

[waheed]

Same here. I hate slow drivers too.

Sometimes you get (mainly senior citizens) doing 25MPH on a 40MPH road with the road being only a single lane. Makes it difficult to overtake especially when there are several cars behind the slow driver and you're behind all of them. None of the other drivers bother to overtake which means you cant overtake either.

[reboot]

Move over, get out of the way, let them pass, then move back over and resume speed(ing).
Where I'm at in Canada, you will get a ticket for blocking traffic if you don't move over. Speed limits are simply an indication of what the government feels is appropriate that particular week.
The consensus of the police and traffic enforcement is; keep up with the flow of traffic in front of you, or move to the right one lane. If you can't handle that, move over another lane to the right. Keep moving to the right until you are parked on someone's front lawn, because that's the only place you won't be blocking traffic.

[Noahtuck]

Why are you driving in the left lane? In my state the left lane on a dual lane highway is for passing. Nothing personal but we also have a name for people who drive in the left lane and backup traffic "Left Lane Dick"

Thats what i was thinking also but MeDiCo_BrUjO elaborated a little more.

Me, i guess it depends on the situation,
If i am on a two lane two way road & already speeding and they are really being dicks, if i'm in my winter beater pickup i brake check them BIG TIME

If it's a two lane two way road and i'm already speeding and can get over, i will, let them get to the cops first and distract them :P

If i'm on my bike i will slow down making them slow down, because tailgating me while i'm on my bike will get you a helmet busted upside yer head 8)

i usually always ride the right lane unless there is someone really going slow then i just pass them and move over.

If i can't go anywhere because traffic in front of me is goihng the same speed and the dick behind me is being impatient and can't go anywhere anyways i slow down, they usually back off otherwise... back to the brake check
Slam on yer brakes for a split second so your car jerks and the lights lite up you'd be amazed how fast mofo's back the f off

[ZAPPER]

Too many varibles. My mood, the traffic situation, their perceived attitude, the size of my vehicle compared to theirs, the proximity of witnesses and so on. I would like to say that I always move out of the way and let them by (possibly the safest and most polite thing to do if not the law) but I have been known to hold my ground, er lane I mean, and I have also been known to tap the breaks if the driver seems too aggressive to wait until I can get out of the way.

Basically if I see someone coming I will try to get out of the way because I hate the idiots that don't get out of my way!

[thecoalman]

If you're in the left lane you better be a) passing slower traffic, b) be on a very congested road and keeping up with the traffic in front of you or C)need to be in that lane for an exit. Othewise you don't belong there.

3 things that probably cause most accidents on the highways is the guy going too damn slow in the left lane, the guy going too damn fast in the left lane that comes up on guy going too damn slow and the guy passing on the left because of the guy going too slow in the left lane. The second 2 can be avoided if the guy going to slow moves his ass out of the fast lane where he doesn't belong. The Autobahn is one of the safest roads in the world, the first and second problem I listed are illegal and strictly enforced....

[Corkhead]

Here in the UK the police and traffic authorities call the lanes 1, 2, 3 etc. So whether you are driving on the right or left (as we do here) you should always be in lane 1 unless overtaking.

Where I live (the Isle of Wight) we only have about half a mile of dual carriageway - the rest is two way. And in some cases only narrow roads where you cannot get two cars along and you have passing places. It is a bit of a problem if you meet a tractor coming the other way!

So if anyone is tailgating - tough! :P

[Xylob the Destroyer]

I must agree with reboot & hudsonf.
if it is a divided road (a median between the opposing lanes), in the state of Colorado, YOU will get a ticket for impeding the flow of traffic -- regardless of his or your speed.
get the **** out of the left lane!!
BTW, if people are passing you on the right, it means only one thing -- YOU ARE IN THE DAMN WAY.

I also do my best to obey ALL traffic laws very strictly, with exception to the speed limit. I signal every turn and lane-change, never change lanes in an intersection, complete stop when making a right, never stop in the cross-walk, blah blah blah.

[Corkhead]

Another annoying thing is when you are waiting at traffic lights and you can see that someone has left a huge gap between themselves and the car in front and you know that when the lights change you are not going to get through!

[adam]

That is probably my biggest driving pet peeve of all. You can sit there and count the car lengths in between each car, and you know that, that is about how many more cars could have gone if everyone was paying attention.

[Craig Tucker]

If someone tailgates me I continually blip the brake pedal until they back off.

[lordsmurf]

The one that bothers me most is the person that goes 30mph on the onramp to the Interstate. Meanwhile, cars whiz by at 80mph. They sit and block the ramp with the blinker on, as if anybody on the road is going to stop or something.

[thecoalman]

The one that bothers me most is the person that goes 30mph on the onramp to the Interstate..

Annoying and dangerous in most cases, truck drivers hate this as the acceleration needed is not there. Gererally if I'm getting on a on-ramp the accelerator pedal is to the floor and I still won't be up to speed when I merge.

[Corkhead]

By the sound of it, whereever you live, the problems are the same!

[ZAPPER]

The one that bothers me most is the person that goes 30mph on the onramp to the Interstate..

Annoying and dangerous in most cases, truck drivers hate this as the acceleration needed is not there. Gererally if I'm getting on a on-ramp the accelerator pedal is to the floor and I still won't be up to speed when I merge.

Much truth spoken here!


One af the few places that I really exceed the speed limit, is the on ramp. You can't really judge the speed of traffic at the merge until you are actually there. And like I posted somewhere else, I can go 90 MPH to 0 quicker than I can go 0 to 90. That dumb SOB sitting at the end of the ramp has caused me more skipped heart beats than a doctor would reccomend. And to make matters worse, now some on ramps have traffic lights at the end to control the flow. Who was the moron that got my tax dollars for that idea?

[waheed]

Another annoying thing I hate is that when driving and wanting to turn right, there is usually an seperate lane on some UK roads just for turning. Some drivers position the car half in the turning lane and half in the other lane and wait for oncoming cars to pass so they can turn, meantime because of the position of their car (half in the normal lane), you cant pass until they are turned.

Cant drivers be F**KING in the correct lane fully for turning.

[VCDHunter]

In the UK I see the main problems as -

a) A total failure to indicate, anywhere.

b) A total lack of motorway knowledge.

c) An almost paranoid fear of merging.

I also see a lot of tailgating, but this is easily remedied by taking your foot of the accelerator. Truck and van drivers may not like doing 70mph, but they'll like 65, 60,55, 50 even less.

Roundabouts are a source of complete mystery to some people, as are slip roads and disabled parking spaces.

I'd estimate that around 10-15% of poeple driving have the skills required, the rest are simply a menace.

[Corkhead]

Mini roundabouts are worse. Consider if everyone arrives at the same time, who goes first? I (despite my great age) edge out to make my point!

I know what you mean about lack of motorway knowledge. As I said I live on the Isle of Wight and there isn't any motorway and only half a mile of dual carriageway. Some people never drive on the mainland. (I do! )

[RottenFoxBreath]

Mini roundabouts are worse. Consider if everyone arrives at the same time, who goes first? I (despite my great age) edge out to make my point!

I know what you mean about lack of motorway knowledge. As I said I live on the Isle of Wight and there isn't any motorway and only half a mile of dual carriageway. Some people never drive on the mainland. (I do! )

if its got say 4 roads all leading onto the one roundabout regardless of size,or roads really,the traffic to your right has the right of way.
i know that the traffic on the right of you has the right of way,as a recent car accident got me over £3000 for my sapphire cosworth.
i pulled up to a roundabout,nothing on my right at all,next i knew..fannyboy racer in standard clio with skirts attached shot out of the junction to my left-result- i hammered right into his side door,getting a great view of his "i think ive just shit my pants" face.
£3k was for the cosworth engine,as it took the brunt of the force,almost pushing twattyboy right into his passengers lap.,and i was only doing about 10-15 miles an hour.
he was bitching and screaming for the police,so they were called,1 witness was behind him saying he was speeding down his road anyhow,and not 5 minutes after they appeared,he was cuffed and lead off.
driving without due care and attention,speeding and resisting arrest were amongst his charges.
he got a 3 year ban,and if memory serves me,quite a big fine,no jail though-pity

**another thing that ******* pisses me off is that nowadays,you need a certain amount of mind reading ability to be able to determine where they are going,you know the ones,driving along,and suddenly just pull over to one side or the other,or turn a corner,with no indicating at all.

[waheed]

another thing that ******* pisses me off is that nowadays,you need a certain amount of mind reading ability to be able to determine where they are going,you know the ones,driving along,and suddenly just pull over to one side or the other,or turn a corner,with no indicating at all.

That must be the taxis

They do it all the time.

[Corkhead]

I understand what you are saying but everyone at that sort of roundabout has the right of way. We all arrive together, all have someone on our right, all roads are the same size - then what would you do?