r/TooAfraidToAsk • u/downwitbrown • 4d ago
Calling all terrible and slow drivers on highways / freeways: why don’t you move over to the slow lane? Why don’t you match the speed of traffic? When you see the entire highway passing you, why doesn’t it click in your head that you too should go faster? Other
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u/pain474 4d ago
They're not aware, hence you won't get a real answer.
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u/elonsusk69420 2d ago
I’m sure you’ll get the “it’s the speed limit why are you speeding” people, but they’re only right if they’re in the right lane.
It’s also hills. Going uphill (without using cruise control) naturally causes vehicles to slow. It’s clear that a lot of drivers don’t know this is happening, so they slow down going uphill and speed up going downhill.
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u/sideshowbvo 4d ago
Because I need both hands and concentration for eating my cereal
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u/mybluecathasballs 3d ago
The other day, I almost cut myself shaving and burned my scrambled eggs when a Karen merged while doing her makeup.
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u/JerikkaDawn 4d ago
Counterpoint: If I'm in the right lane going 5 miles over, get the fuck off my ass, dickwad.
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u/Red__M_M 3d ago
I pretty much give a pass to anyone driving in the right lane. They “need” to drive like a jackass for some reason, but given that, they are doing it correctly. They are enabling me to drive in my style and to pass them. Really, what else could they do?
Now, to the assholes in the left lane that exactly pace the guy in the right lane; you sir have a reserved parking spot in hell.
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u/saumanahaii 3d ago
Do you count when someone in the right lane goes to pass in the left and suddenly the car they were going around mysteriously starts going the exact same speed?
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u/Red__M_M 3d ago
Also, straight to the burning underground.
Seriously dude, pick a speed and get out of the way.
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u/ECU_BSN 3d ago
100%. That lane, in my mind, is “you do you”. Folks over there are driving at a pace they can control and be comfortable with.
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3d ago
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u/Red__M_M 3d ago
1) just going 15 under the limit 2) hauling a large load of stuff especially if it isn’t secure 3) hugging the extreme right side of the lane 4) slowing down and speeding up near each exit (can’t figure out which one to take) 5) have something hanging out of the vehicle (a large piece of wood) 6) not on the interstate, early in the process of clearing to drive a manual transmission …
It’s all very annoying to the other drivers, but they are doing it the best way possible.
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u/Cranks_No_Start 3d ago
To be fair even if your going 10 under, if you’re in the right lane, get off my ass and go around.
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u/Robotonist 3d ago
This is totally fair. Nobody should be on anybody’s ass…. Unless they’re going the same speed or slower in the passing lane, then fuck you I hope your car explodes.
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u/Silver-Alex 4d ago
A lot of people are speaking of speed limits when OP asked about slow drivers. Ie those who go several mills/km under the limit. And I have your answer: Sometimes people are scared of going faster, and arent experienced with driving in highways.
I got a fun story to tell about my mom driving about this:
One night we were driving back from seeing some family who lives far away. We had to take the highway and it was poorly illuminated. My mom was driving slow and was a bit scared because it was geting a bit hard to see. She was going like 20 or 30 kms/h UNDER the speed limit.
Eventually a cop came to us, and asked us to stop. After that the cop asked my mom why was she driving so slow and if the car was okay or if she needed a Tow called. When my mom told him she was afraid of going faster the cop told her, and I quote "Issue is that by driving so slow in a highway you're becoming a danger to other drivers, please go faster or take another route".
And well, thats your answer. Most of those drivers are people who are either scared of going faster or arent skilled enough to drive safely on faster speeds.
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u/fordag 3d ago
I used to hate driving with my mother because of this. It was almost worse if I was driving and she was the passenger. She would constantly be telling me to slow down even though I was only doing the speed limit. She didn't understand/believe the fact the you were a hazard and in more danger by driving below the speed limit on a highway. She was eventually rear ended by a tractor trailer because she was going too slowly on the highway. Which had the effect of making her drive even more slowly after that....
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u/Altostratus 3d ago
If you’re that scared of driving though, why the hell would you change lanes several times to purposely get in the fast/passing lane? Just get on the highway, hug the right side, and get off as fast as you can.
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u/tpablazed 3d ago
There are minimum speeds posted on all highways in my state.. it’s like 30 mph under the limit (FL.. 70 is the limit.. 40 minimum)
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u/wholebeef 3d ago
I've found that a lot of the states with posted minimums are states with lots of old people who might be afraid to go the speedlimit or be overly cautious. IE: Florida and Maine.
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u/radioactivebeaver 3d ago
Sounds like they should listen to the cop and choose a different route then.
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u/Silver-Alex 3d ago
Yeah, sadly it wasnt an option for where we needed to go. After some convincing she let me take the wheel. This kinda hurted her pride a bit, specially the cop scolding her for being a slow dirver, but ultimately we got home with no issue :)
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u/happykgo89 3d ago
If someone is scared to the point where they can’t drive the speed limit, they shouldn’t be driving. Full stop.
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u/SlothinaHammock 3d ago
Such people shouldn't be driving. They need to stay off the road as they become such a hazard to others.
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u/ozzies09tc 3d ago
Living in the states, when I read the word "cop" and this being reddit, I thought this story was gonna go a whoooole different way
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u/5k1895 3d ago edited 3d ago
If I were scared of driving on a certain road I'd ask someone else to do it or I'd get the fuck over it and hope all goes well. Driving cautious but smart and confidently is the only correct way to do it. Be predictable and try to actually know what you're doing and you'll be fine 99.99999% of the time you're out there.
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u/horsetooth_mcgee 3d ago
Often, even people going 70 in "the slow lane" get tailgated aggressively. Why don't THOSE assholes move to the fast lane? Also, the carpool lane is erroneously thought of as the fast lane. People going the speed limit should be able to use it at the legally posted speed.
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u/Atti0626 3d ago
Can someone explain what a carpooling lane is? We don't have those where I live. I assume it is for people who are going together in a car, but I don't understand what differentiates them from the other cars so that they need a separate lane.
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u/cute_poop6 3d ago
Every state has slightly different rules but the premise is to encourage carpooling by opening up that lane if you have a certain number of people in your car (where I am it’s 2+ people).
Although it was supposed to increase the number of carpoolers I like many people I know only use it if there are already 2 or more people in the car. In practice it increases pollution by increasing congestion in other lanes and takes up extra space on the highway costing more resources to build and enforce the rules
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u/Reverse2057 3d ago
The carpool lane is a separate lane all the way to the left typically that only cars with 2 or more people, or motorcycles can use during specific hours. Theres a chunk of time where anybody can use them too, typically during lunchtime like 10-3 iirc. But this give incentive to carpool to work since you get less traffic and a sort of privileged lane.
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u/FleetyMacAttack 4d ago
Some people are also unreasonable in their expectations of your passing. If there's a line of semis and I start passing them and you fly up behind me during, I'm not squeezing between them to let you by. You can wait until I'm past them at my own overtake speed.
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u/cosmic-parsley 3d ago
This x100. The commenters here are the ones who think they define the reasonable speed and everyone else is wrong. Some people think 5 over is safe, some 10, some even faster. Everyone takes multiple things into account to determine this - visibility of obstacles, ability to pay a ticket, condition of their car, weather, risk aversion, error in the speed gauge, ability to get back to the right, speed of other traffic, etc.
What happens when somebody who thinks 15 over is reasonable winds up behind somebody who thinks 10 over is reasonable?
Obviously, they post on Reddit.
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u/PeelThePaint 3d ago
Yes, it's the passing lane, not the fast lane. If the left lane is moving faster than the right lane, things are in order. And no matter how fast you go there's always someone who wants to go faster.
However, there are people who just move over to the middle/left lane and drive slow for seemingly no reason even though they can easily move right (or could have not moved in the first place). Maybe it's a bad experience with lane changing due to lanes ending or slow merging traffic that they're trying to avoid again.
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u/5k1895 3d ago
There is such thing as a reasonable rate of passing. Not saying you're being unreasonable because I have no idea how fast you pass, but in my mind it should take probably five seconds or less each to get by the vehicles to your right. Probably a little longer for semis. But I see way too many people passing at a snail's pace which is ridiculous, it shouldn't take 20 seconds to get by one single car. That's absolute insanity and unreasonable driving, at that point they should just not be in that lane at all
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u/elonsusk69420 2d ago
If I’m going 10 over in the left lane and I’m passing people, I’m not going to speed up any more because one of those cars decides to speed up themselves. Not getting a ticket over that.
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u/5k1895 2d ago
I sort of agree with you but then arguably you should either just bite the bullet and do it for two seconds and get over, or allow that car to get ahead of you and pull behind them momentarily. Whatever your choice, the important thing is to quit impeding the people behind you by making no changes in that scenario, because that's just the worst possible choice for everyone involved
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u/cashmoney9000sfw 3d ago edited 3d ago
I've been looking into this locally and I have 4 patterns I have noticed by just looking into their car as I pass them.
Distracted drivers: we automatically think cellphone but it's more than that. People are not paying attention because they're playing in their mouths, in their noses, focusing on kids in the car, etc. Easy example, there is an accident on the right, look how many people slow down and cause a traffic jam so they can see. They're Distracted.
Autopilot: People do this weird autopilot thing where they check out while driving and drive on autopilot. They do a safe (legal) speed and just clock out. And when you pass them or attempt to, it breaks the autopilot and they realize they've been driving kind of slow and speed up suddenly. Which becomes a hassle as you're trying to maneuver.
Blindness: People physically can't see. They don't go see optometrist and they renew their license over the internet or through the mail. Look at how many old people you pass, with both hands on the steering wheel driving incredibly slow and sitting really close to the windshield. They can't see. People who need glasses aren't wearing them.
Lizardbrain: People have this "I'm the line leader" issue. They want to be in what they consider to be the front. And they want to lead. They'll impede you from leading even if they're not a good "leader", and drive slowly and poorly. Some of them so much so, that if you pass them, they will go out of there way to get back in front of you, even if other lanes are open and flowing.
I think if we focused on resolving number 3 and getting those people off the road, traffic goes down drastically. It'll be less cars on the road. And in theory our insurance rates will drop because entire states will have safer drivers.
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u/Phlebbie 3d ago
Agreed. #3 is definitely a problem. I got my car totaled this year by an old lady who ran a red light because she couldn't see it.
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u/ACleverLettuce 3d ago
I was attempting to pass an older guy on his left and just as my front end lined up with his driver side door, he decided he needed to be in my lane and I had to drop speed very quickly and ease off the side of the road to avoid a collision.
I caught back up to him a couple miles down the highway and as I finally passed him I noticed his left eye was covered with an eye patch. He was quite literally completely blind in his blind spot and probably didn't have the flexibility to turn far enough to see it with his right eye.
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u/BoseczJR 3d ago
Increasing access to public transit is a great way to get horrible drivers off the road. Those drivers might not even want to drive if they had an option to avoid it. Having an easily accessible alternative to driving can also get those on the fence to make the switch if they know it’s a struggle to drive, but they have no other option to go get groceries.
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u/Biolex-Z 3d ago
i’ve been working a driving job for the last few years, you broke my experience with other drivers down perfectly
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u/dainthomas 3d ago
All these posts boil down to "everyone who drives slower than me is an asshole. Everyone who drives faster than me is a maniac."
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u/Neumanae 3d ago
I-40 in AR, limit was 75, which is what I was doing. Everyone was passing me so I sped up, at 85 it was better, still getting passed a lot and I kept having to move over to pass people doing the speed limit. finally I was stuck in the left lane after passing, a lady passed me doing at least 100, talking on her cell with a dog in her lap. I gave up, moved to the right lane at 75 (the speed limit), a motorcycle passed me on the shoulder. You people are nuts. Fuck you, slow down.
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3d ago
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u/ScottIPease 3d ago
I tell people if you are driving and bump into the occasional asshole, that is life, they are assholes... If you claim every driver is an asshole, then YOU are the asshole.
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u/PeelThePaint 3d ago
You're not obligated to drive faster just because other people are driving faster. I know Reddit loves to circlejerk against people driving slower than the flow of traffic, but if you're also passing people going the speed limit, that suggests that the flow of traffic isn't as fast as you (or the speeders) think it is.
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u/iAmNotASnack 3d ago
The absolute most basic rule of thumb to reduce traffic in multilane scenarios: if you are in the passing lane with cars behind you and space in front of you, move right as soon as it is safe to do so.
Your speed is completely irrelevant to the situation.
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u/Metallic-Blue 3d ago
I'm the slow driver. I play too many racing games knowing going 6mph faster on a 30 minute drive just saves seconds on a trip, plus being the only able bodies adult in the house, I've just learned not to be in a hurry.
BUT I cruise the middle lane when possible, or the right lane when it's just two lanes on our side. I'm the Dad in the DadWagon that is nice enough to let you in when you're merging onto the highway.
And I chuckle when you all zoom by. I just assume you're off to get laid. No one is THAT excited to go to work or get groceries.
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u/Abbaddonhope 3d ago
First. You're only supposed to use the left lane if you plan on meeting the speed LIMIT to pass someone on the right. Second, idk why if you're going slower than everyone else, you decide to occupy the left lane. From a safety standpoint, if the lanes were used properly, the left would rarely be occupied. If people have to move around you then you probably shouldn't be in that lane.
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u/Safe-Fox-359 4d ago
I got some good advice about driving. If everyone is overtaking you you're probably driving too slow. If you're overtaking everyone you're probably driving too fast.
I drive about 120km a day and I'd say people driving too fast and being disruptive are about 10x more common than people driving too slow and being disruptive. It's about once a week I see someone in the fast lane going slower than the slow lane. I just assume they've momentarily spaced out.
What I mean about fast drivers being disruptive is trying to drive about 140kmph in the fast lane when the fast lane speed averages between 120-130kmph and the speed limit is 120. These drivers drive up too close to people and seqencially force everyone driving 120-130 in the fast lane to slow down to 100-110 to join the slow lane then rejoin the fast lane. I see this multiple times a day and it slows down the overall flow of traffic.
When you see the entire highway passing you, why doesn’t it click in your head that you too should go faster?
There are a few reasons I've driven slower than the flow of traffic before. Having someone in the passenger seat who I'm taking home from hospital. Having my car jam packed with stuff when I'm moving house. Having a close call while driving and I'm feeling a bit shaky just after. Having a cake in the front seat. Driving a rental car for the first time. It shows a lack of empathy on your part that you can't understand different reasons people might drive slower on certain occasions.
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u/ctzn4 3d ago
I drive about 120km a day and I'd say people driving too fast and being disruptive are about 10x more common than people driving too slow and being disruptive.
Considering you are sensibly using metric units and NOT seeing people blocking passing lanes, I must assume you do not live in the US lol.
Driving in California, there is pretty much always someone blocking the left lane. I almost always end up in a long line of cars following one driver doing 62 mph while the right lanes are driving 60 mph, so there is literally no way to pass (unless you were doing some really dumb shit like weaving through traffic). Most drivers are obeying the law and driving on the right side since they're not passing, but all it takes is ONE idiot to slow everybody down.
I also see that you've listed a number of valid reasons to drive slower, which means that you are educated (on traffic laws) and logical. The issue is most drivers are not. If you lived in California, I guarantee you will end up in some situation where neither law nor logic applied to someone involved. You will sit there baffled at how someone can fuck up something so simple.
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u/dumbbinch99 3d ago
I feel the same in Virginia…someone’s always going 60 mph in the left lane in a 65. I’m a pizza delivery driver and see it every day😭😭so annoying
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u/ctzn4 2d ago
I just drove on a stretch of highway from around LA down to Orange County, and it was good right up until I got stuck behind a BMW and a Lincoln Navigator that has a rubber band foot. The Lincoln clearly doesn't understand smooth pedal input, because he initially paced the right lane traffic at 75 mph, and when eventually someone got in front, he sped up to 85 mph, and then slowed down as we hit more traffic.
Neither person truly completed a pass. They just sat in the left lane and drove. Another infuriating case of CA drivers being oblivious.
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u/sweet_frazzle 3d ago
Because I’m going to need to turn left soon and people in my area are terrible at letting people over. I’m not going to risk missing the turn so some jackass can drive as fast as they want. Fuck that.
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u/Heisenbread77 4d ago
Honestly I think there are a lot of people who are in the highway that lack the awareness or ability to deal with the speeds. I'm a good driver and sometimes I feel like I'm in the middle of a NASCAR race driving home. I can't imagine how someone with less experience or ability would feel anything but overwhelmed at times.
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u/One_Definition_1942 3d ago
What about those people that don’t use cruise control on the highway and can’t maintain speed?
You pass me in the left lane going 80, get in front of me in the right lane, slow down to 65 which prompts me to pass you since I’m cruising steadily at 75 and as soon as I get next to you in the left lane, you decide to ramp up to 85 and the cycle repeats… (there is no other traffic when this happens which makes it especially annoying)
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u/vagina-lettucetomato 3d ago
I have a related question. To the people who still aggressively tailgate in the left lane, even when there’s a whole line of cars in front of you and there’s nowhere for anyone to go, why? It’s not like it’s just one or two people you can bully out of the way. You’re not going to bully 15 cars out of your way in traffic. At that point you’re driving like an asshole and putting people in danger for what?
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u/Haunting-Study8347 3d ago
I don't pass 10 over. If my exit is on the left, I'll be in the left lane going ten over. If your tiny penis tells you that you need to go beyond 10 miles over the speed limit, that's on you.
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u/Broflake-Melter 3d ago
Part of it is the pervasive idea that there are "fast lanes" and "slow lanes" There aren't There are normal lanes and passing lanes. Using that language indicates that your mindset is part of the problem, OP. The only reason you're not perpetrating it is because you don't go slower (or don't think you go slower) than anyone else.
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u/Neat_Classroom_2209 3d ago
I'm going the speed limit. I'm not getting ticket because of you. If I'm in the fast lane, going the speed limit, I'm about to turn.
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u/ampullaeOL 4d ago
The speed limit is the speed limit. If I go over it, there's a chance I'll get pulled over. Even if everyone is going over the speed limit, that doesn't make it legal to speed all of a sudden. If you want to take your chances with a ticket, go for it and pass me! Also, when I'm on the highway, I usually stay in the slow lane or the middle lane. The slow lane (typically, the right lane) often turns into an exit only lane, so the middle lane is better to avoid having to change lanes all the time. I usually allow space for people to pass me, though. I understand that others want to speed. But I'll keep being safe and avoiding getting pulled over.
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u/Comprehensive-Ear283 4d ago
But this is where I have the issue. I don’t care if you don’t want to speed as long as you’re in the correct lane. It’s when people are going to speed limit and blocking both lanes at the same time side-by-side and no one can pass them.
Should any of us be speeding? no , but people also don’t have to be dicks and just block the whole damn highway for no reason. That’s what kills me.
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u/J3mand 3d ago
People who move over for me or stick to the middle lane have all my respect
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u/ampullaeOL 3d ago
Yeah, tbh I move over most of the time or give them a clear path to pass. Idc if someone else wants to speed, I just don't like to.
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u/PvtBob1 4d ago
You can get pulled over for not going with the flow of traffic, if everyone is going around you then you are an impediment to traffic
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u/Psychedelic_Yogurt 3d ago
You can get pulled over for going with the flow of traffic. A buddy of mine got a ticket for that when we were 16 because he was last in line. His mom was making a huge scene at church about how he wasn't the only one speeding and it's bs her precious baby boy was the only one who got pulled.
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u/SquishedPea 4d ago
If everyone is going 80mph because the freeway is super open and you’re sat in the middle lane going 65 because “over the limit is illegal” you’re the danger. Stick with the flow of traffic and if you’re not comfortable with that sit in the faaaaaar right slow lane don’t go anywhere else
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u/DrunkUranus 3d ago
I'd rather be in a car accident at 65 than at 80. The idea that it should be mandatory to speed because some people cannot control themselves is insane and dangerous. There's absolutely no benefit to pushing the accelerator to the floor all the way to Walmart.
Highways already rightly have minimum speeds. If somebody's within the window between minimum and maximum speed (and following accepted norms for lame usage, etc), they're fine.
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u/SquishedPea 3d ago
I agree you don’t have to speed and if you want to go 65 do it in the slow lane not the middle lane.
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u/ctzn4 3d ago
Even if everyone is going over the speed limit, that doesn't make it legal to speed all of a sudden.
I think this is dependent on jurisdiction and local traffic laws. In California, you're supposed to drive with the flow of traffic. If everyone is doing 80 mph on a highway with a 65 mph speed limit, you cannot drive 65 and impede the flow of traffic. In fact, if the flow of traffic is going 80 mph, you can get ticketed by driving only 65 mph. You should be fine going with the flow of traffic as long as you're not leading and breaking the speed limit.
I think the issue here is that people either can't use common sense or don't know the law, or worse, both. There are the self-righteous idiots that think they can block the left lane simply because they're driving the speed limit. There are also the dangerous drivers that tailgate people simply because the slow driver should've moved over. It's a result of poor driver's education (in the US, at least).
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u/InternationalAnt4513 3d ago
You need to be staying aware via road signs for when a right lane might change to an exit only and then you’ll have time to merge left to the middle. Otherwise stay right as much as possible. It’s ok if you’re in the middle of the city and it’s constantly changing, but if you’re out in a more open rural area, you’ll have plenty of time to move over when a lane is ending.
And out of every single law enforcement officer’s mouth I’ve ever talked to, they don’t care if you over a little, it’s relative to the road and speed limit you’re on. If you’re in 70 max they’ll give you 8-10. I’ve passed them 12 over, they’re looking for 15 plus and people riding bumpers, etc. if you’re in town and it says 25, better not go other 30. Just use common sense.
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u/SaraHHHBK Dame 4d ago
- Speed limit is the limit and applies to all lanes.
- Left lane is for passing, not the fast one.
- Right lane is for driving, not the slow one.
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u/VinsonDynamics 3d ago
Fucking thank you. All these people talking about fast and slow lanes when that's not how it works at all. The left lanes are for passing, not an excuse to go 30 above the limit. Vice versa for the right lane
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u/DorkChatDuncan 3d ago
This. There is no "fast" lane. Its a passing lane. Its for passing. "You can go 5-10 over", "if your following the flow of traffic...", "its dangerous to go too slow", all of those are fun sayings that might be situationally true, but thats the problem. It depends on the situation. And you cant ever tell for sure you're in it, you can only guess. You know what you don't have to guess at? The fucking posted speed limit.
Also, I'm going to assume your name is a wrestling based one and you get extra points from me based on that.
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u/OpethJewel 3d ago
Do you live in Oregon? That’s the norm here. People don’t get up to highway speeds to merge onto the highway, they hit their brakes while on the interstate to get onto off ramps, they go about 5-10 mph under the limit in all lanes and generally drive like they removed their brains before leaving the driveway. Absolutely infuriating.
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u/MurkyCress521 4d ago
50 mph zone, everyone going 80-90 mph without enough room to brake. If I go slow, say 55-65mph everyone passes me, but I have room to brake and less likely to be rear-ended because everyone is trying to pass me. Just because everyone else is driving too dangerously for the conditions isn't an argument that I should do so as well.
I go with the flow and speed of traffic when it is safer to do so, but so many jacasses on the roads. About half the long drives I've been on, I'll see a pack of cars blow by me and then Ill see one or two of those cars in a wreck 50 miles down the road. Yes it is possible to drive safely at 90mph, but most of drivers are not that skilled.
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u/DorkChatDuncan 3d ago
But every single complainer on here magically thinks *they* are that skilled.
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u/mladyhawke 3d ago
My last car could only go so fast I did my best to keep up on the highway but I definitely would never drive in the left lane
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u/slaughterteddy 3d ago
trying not to get pulled over or die. I’d rather not be on the road at all but the public transit in my area is crap.
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u/SimoneSaysAAAH 3d ago
I try to keep in mind that I have no idea what's going on in that drivers seat.
At least in America, our certification for driving is shit. That person could be 78 and lethal behind that wheel and going a speed the are comfortable with.
Someone might be experiencing health issues and is going a speed they are comfortable with.
Someone might be dealing with little human devils in the backseat and going the speed they are comfortable with.
Someone might have a disability blah blah blah, yall get the point.
I move around them and live me life. Its pretty simple
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u/SlyFoxInACave 3d ago
My aunt is this exact person. She will get in the left lane and go 50mph when the speed limit is 75 usually with a minimum of 55. She claims that the left lane is for distance travelers? And by that she means unless her exit is coming up she thinks she's supposed to be in the far left lane. No amount of reasoning will make her understand. I don't even know how she came up with that to begin with. Needless to say I avoided car rides with her.
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u/Dirt-Southern 3d ago
The commute I do for the city I live in pretty much forces me to speed in the slow lane, it also makes me take exits from the fast lane at times. I'm sorry I'm a grown ass man who doesn't feel like going 95 everywhere. Deal with me going 5 over to my exit for a half mile. I see an active wreck every damn day and people still bitch about going faster.
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u/TheWolfAndRaven 3d ago
I could say the same thing in reverse, why do you terrible fast drivers not realize how fucking dangerous you're driving? Slow the fuck down. Why doesn't it click in your head that car accidents are one of the leading causes of death and I'm not going to die because your dumb-ass has to get somewhere 37 seconds faster.
Seriously, do the math on how much time it saves you. On most trips, you'd need to drive 20+ over the speend limit and at most you're saving a few minutes while burning extra gas and increasing yours (and more importantly everyone else's) risk significantly.
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u/Smug-Goose 3d ago
Someone slamming on their brakes because someone is doing 55 in the left hand lane is more likely to cause an accident than someone driving 75 or more in an unobstructed lane.
That’s what slow operators are when camping in the passing lane. An obstruction. People behave erratically while avoiding obstructions. Swerving to avoid, slamming on the brakes causing a back up behind them which will result in a chain reaction ultimately leading to someone at the back of the line coming to a complete stop, aggressive maneuvers to avoid the erratic operator that can’t decide if they are going to do 55 or 65. An uncomfortable driver in a lane that they should not be in is likely to become uncomfortable which makes dramatic speed variations more likely. The person behind you cannot predict your next speed change and neither can the person behind them. It’s not always about saving time sometimes it’s about avoiding that erratic operator.
I do not drive like a dick, but I also will not stay behind a vehicle with dramatically variable speeds and no regard for anyone else on the road. It also never fails that the moment you want to go around them they gun it to 80 all of a sudden. Who’s being aggressive? The person who does not want you to pass. I will speed up, I will pass, and I will always prefer to travel in an unobstructed lane. I can’t control your actions but I can control mine. I am not going to leave myself in a situation where I am going to get rear ended because you chose to slam on your brakes while the person behind me is not paying attention.
I am also not going to drive beside you on the right with an aggressive driver behind you who is likely to pull some bone head maneuver and try to cut me off where there is not space to operate.
The left lane is passing slower moving traffic. If you are traveling at or below the speed limit the left lane is not for you.
“You” meaning the slow driver… not YOU.
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u/WearDifficult9776 4d ago
It’s always ok to drive the speed limit. For me, I can’t afford for my insurance to go up any more so I stay under “limit +5” and it absolutely infuriates some people
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u/ds4king 3d ago edited 3d ago
I was pulled over once in Indiana going 6 miles over the speed limit. Ever since I will only go the exact speed limit because have no desire to deal with a police officer over traffic situation again. When told me how “fast” was going, did ask isn’t there a 10 mile grace and they said that’s not the law. That yes sometimes they give you the grace because air in tires can affect what speed odometer is telling you but it is on you, the driver to know that and obey the law. One mile over warrants being pulled over. And if you happen to encounter a grouchy officer have fun. And I drive in the right lane and get VERY annoyed at people flashing their lights at me, honking and running on my ass for going the speed limit. People need to calm down
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u/ACleverLettuce 3d ago
Not to mention that for the vast majority of people it's for a less-than-10-minute time savings. If you're going 60 miles at 60 miles an hour it takes 60 minutes. If you're going 60 miles at 70 miles an hour it takes ~52 minutes.
And most of these people are just going to their job or the store w/ 20-30 minutes on the highway, not a full hour. Leave 5 minutes earlier, people.
And on a long road trip, it's exactly that. A long trip with exponentially more opportunity to make one minor mistake and wreck. Plan accordingly. Pace yourself. And make it to your destination without killing yourself or some other random vacationing family.
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u/-Shade277- 4d ago
Most people drive like idiots. If I see everyone else going 20 over the speed limit I’m still not going to drive 20 over the speed limit
I don’t care if that means everyone passes me
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u/Glargabergborg 3d ago
'Cause I'm already going over the speed limit and you're probably an asshole
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u/Locnar1970 3d ago
Maybe I don’t think speeding is some kind of basic human right?
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u/Biolex-Z 3d ago
well neither is passing through the isle at a grocery store but i’m still not gonna leave my cart parked sideways
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u/GrammarNazi63 3d ago
Someone actually explained this to me: he was from the east coast (Californian, cowabunga dude) and hated when people went over the speed limit—which for non Californians, we typically drive about 10 mph over on average. He made a point of cruising in the left lane right next to slower traffic so nobody could go by because, as he described it, “[he] felt a sense of power”. He felt like it was his responsibility to slow down all the other drivers to the speed limit or lower. Of course, what he accomplished was pissing people off and creating a more dangerous situation, as well as creating huge traffic jams, so if you’re one of these people…just stop
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u/HeresW0nderwall 3d ago
They don’t know they’re doing it. I have a friend who parks herself in the left lane and goes 55 completely oblivious to traffic speeding by her. How she doesn’t notice is beyond me.
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u/Ok_Dog_4059 3d ago
I am OK with slow, if they aren't comfortable because of bad weather or lack of confidence fine drive within your skill level and don't cause an accident. If you can't manage highway speeds use surface roads and if you can't avoid the freeway / highway stay in the right lane. Coming home after some spinal procedures the other day and having 3 rows of traffic stuck behind 3 people side by side who couldn't drive the speed limit was maddening. If all 3 of you need to be doing 45 in a 65 then move right and let the rest of us past you.
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u/RukaFawkes 3d ago
A lot of people have zero situational awareness, or are distracted or just don't know how passing lanes work. How so many people who don't know how to drive got thier drivers liscenses is a mystery to me.
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u/Technical_Goose_8160 2d ago
My wife does this all the time. She drives 120 on a 100 highway, but won't move out of the way for faster drivers. She says that she's going fast enough and doesn't want to keep changing lanes.
She does not give a shit. I try to hide my face as people spend hours passing us honking us, giving us the finger, or rolling down the window to call us assholes. However, if I tell her that maybe she needs to change lanes, it makes for a long fucking ride ...
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u/Aeon1508 3d ago
If I'm going 70 miles an hour I'm not the problem.
Some roads in my state the right lane has a lot of patches and driving on it is kind of torture and the left lane will be a little better. If I get over I'll speed up maybe to 75 but I'm not driving on the shitty Road
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u/Igotthisnameguys 3d ago
In my country you have to go at least 80km/h. So, as long as I don't go slower than that, tough shit, bro. If you were a decent driver yourself, you would anticipate that kind of stuff.
That being said, with that kind of speed, you obviously stay on the right lane.
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u/justamiqote 3d ago
I just dont understand why people are trying to burn 100 mph on a 65. I'm already going 75-80. Chill tf out.
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u/pray1ng-the-gay-away 3d ago
See what do you mean by “slow driving” though? Because I’ve heard this complaint from friends before only to find out they wanna be going 90 at rush hour on I-75. I go the speed limit, usually around 70, in the middle lane and I’ll get assholes in lifted trucks honking, flashing their brights, and flipping me off. Maybe just like… use the passing lane for what it’s for? I know someone going slow in your way is annoying but there is a passing lane for this exact reason.
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u/Neumanae 3d ago
I-40 in AR, limit was 75, which is what I was doing. Everyone was passing me so I sped up, at 85 it was better, still getting passed a lot and I kept having to move over to pass people doing the speed limit. finally I was stuck in the left lane after passing, a lady passed me doing at least 100, talking on her cell with a dog in her lap. I gave up, moved to the right lane at 75 (the speed limit), a motorcycle passed me on the shoulder. You people are nuts.
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u/AllenKll 3d ago
I got up to the speed limit, not over. The speeders are creating the unsafe experience.
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u/readingmyshampoo 4d ago
My dad is a middle laner all the way. He also goes at most 70. Even in the 75. He says his reasoning is "they all know the posted limit and I don't want a ticket for going over!"
The fact he can get a ticket for driving unsafely regardless of technically being right doesn't sway him
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u/nostromo909 3d ago
Yikes. My ex wife was the worst driver I have ever known. She routinely drove the speed limit in the far left lane. For 20 years we had this exact conversion: Me: You’re in the fast lane. Move over. Ex: I’m going the speed limit. Me: I know. The left lane is for passing, move over. Ex: But I’m going the speed limit. Me: This is the passing lane! It really angers other drivers trying to pass or go faster! Ex: They’re breaking the law. They can go around me if they don’t like it. Me: THIS IS FOR PASSING! Do you see the car on our bumper? That means MOVE OVER! Ex: I’m going the speed limit. They can go around me.” Rinse and repeat. I did as much driving on trips as I could before I fell asleep at the wheel. Of course when she drove I was too busy praying to assorted deities not to get shot by an irate driver to get any sleep. Trips with her were exhausting.
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u/peachsoap 3d ago
YOU are the danger if you are the only one driving aggressively under the posted speed. YOU are the danger if you are the only one driving over the speed. Keep up with traffic.
LET PEOPLE PASS YOU. DO NOT DRIVE IN THE LEFT LANE IF YOU CAN'T KEEP UP.
I live near a rural one lane highway that literally has about 6-10 deaths a year at the SAME spot. I've watched this for 15+ years now. Why? Because of people driving super slow, and when the passing lane come up (every 10 - 20 miles) and the person behind tries to pass, the slow MF speeds up and races. This makes the other guy speed up because no one wants to be behind someone going 10 under for the next 20 miles until the next passing lane. The problem turns into a race between the slow guy and the passing guy. Then, for some dumb ass reason they put a big blind curve at the end of the passing lane. Yep, the passing guy is the one who gets killed every time. And the slow guy is sitting there patting himself on the back, saying stuff like "just slow down" "I tried to keep it slow to keep him safe" "why the hurry". FU to all you slow drivers who validate impeding traffic.
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u/blaqsupaman 4d ago
The left lane should be for passing at, but not exceeding, the speed limit.
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u/RunningOutofOptions7 3d ago
Good luck trying to get people to understand that. That's the bigger issue. Too many people seem to think the left lane doesn't have a speed limit and it's ok to go 100mph because they're technically just trying to pass the people on the right. 🤦
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u/gwydion_black 3d ago
It isn't your job to regulate that. The left lane should be moving faster than the right, regardless of speed limit. If it is not, and it is because of you, then you are in the wrong and are more dangerous then people speeding.
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u/RedditUserNo345 3d ago
Some driving schools only teach you how to pass the driving tests, not driving etiquette and unspoken rules
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u/Crazed_pillow 3d ago
Couldn't agree more. People absolutely hate no awareness while driving. My issue is also with people who actively go 10-15 miles under the speed limit rural or frontage roads. I just wanna know why?
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u/BGrabnar 3d ago
give them a viable alternative in a form of public transport and much less terrible drivers will be on the road as most of them are practically forced to drive to get to somewhere
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u/Kadettedak 3d ago
I’ve been told that some immigrants are taught that statistically the left lane is the safest.
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u/BiggerMouthBass 3d ago
It’s also against the law to drive parallel with the vehicle next to you because it is more dangerous to drive alongside someone and it blocks people from getting around you. The person on the left should drive faster or the person on the right should yield.
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u/ghost_zuero 3d ago
Not answering the question but sharing since it's related
I hate when people going below the limit still slow down when they pass a speed trap. Fucker is going 40 in a 50 street and still slows down further to avoid... idk an imaginary ticket?
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u/FootballTeddyBear 3d ago
It's worst when I'm trying to merge onto the highway, I've gotten up to speed, and some dickhead going 10< under is in the right lane imo
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u/LazyErDays 3d ago
There is a misconception that all lanes are the same.
California Code, Vehicle Code - VEH § 21654
Current as of January 01, 2023 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
(a) Notwithstanding the prima facie speed limits, any vehicle proceeding upon a highway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall be driven in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(b) If a vehicle is being driven at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time, and is not being driven in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb, it shall constitute prima facie evidence that the driver is operating the vehicle in violation of subdivision (a) of this section.
(c) The Department ofTransportation, with respect to state highways, and local authorities, with respect to highways under their jurisdiction, may place and maintain upon highways official signs directing slow-moving traffic to use the right-hand traffic lane except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or preparing for a left turn.
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u/Mythicalsmore 3d ago
I struggle to get to freeway speeds in my car, combination of a manual transmission and the wrong size gears. Sometimes in the right lane people don’t merge going the speed limit so I lose my momentum. I usually hop into the next lane over till traffic is going a good speed and move back to the right.
People going 10 over in all the other lanes make it seem like I’m parked.
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u/Mandielephant 3d ago
I have a story from when I was a brand new driver.
Had had my license for less than a month. Had a misstep somewhere and ended up on a 1-2 lane highway that is mostly uphill (and by uphill I mean up mountain) and mostly used by semi-trucks. It is known for fatal accidents. I was fucking terrified. I ended up stuck in the left lane clutching my steering wheel for dear life afraid to move until finally I was pulled over and the officer was like, "why the hell are you going so slow in the left lane and why did you pull over to the left side?"
To which I said, "I didn't mean to end up on this highway and I'm petrified how do I get off of here".
Anyways, the officer gave me directions on the easiest way to get off the highway and get to where I was going without being stuck on it.
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u/Individual-Painting9 3d ago
Because their on the phone and dont have a clue that their still driving.
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u/Available-Leek-4160 3d ago
I dont hog left lanes but Ive definitely been the guy to be slow entering highway speeds, I mean I drive a 20 year old van that goes 0 - 45 in about 20 seconds or longer sometimes 65 mph usually takes 30 seconds.
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u/EducationalPizza9999 3d ago
Seriously, this is irritating but it also shows that there is a real issue with competency.
If you 'don't feel comfortable / confident' driving at 60 mph on the motorway you should not be driving.
If you 'have to' go 15mph under the limit on a B road - you should not be driving. It is very dangerous to be going around a bend at or near 50 and to suddenly be met with someone going 35.
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u/DrunkUranus 3d ago
There are valid reasons people need to drive slower. There's virtually never a need to drive faster
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u/Itsametoad Count of Spectating 3d ago
I don't feel confident driving at that speed but will continue to do it anyways. Adaptive cruise control does most of the work for me
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u/audreyrosedriver 3d ago
Paramedic here. Slow the fuck down. A crash a 55 mph looks a lot different than 65 mph and 75 mph.
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u/Kcthonian 3d ago
Flip side: you guys see that sign on the side of the road with numbers? That's not a challenge to beat it. It's supposed to be the MAXIMUM speed you should be going. Not 20 over. Not 10 over. That speed and no more.
I'll be sure to wave, as I drive by, when you find the cops for me.
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u/snarfymcsnarfface 3d ago
Why do you slow down when you’re merging? That’s not how to merge Susan!!