Road Construction/My Hazard Flashers my new Best Friends!

Just means you are both breaking the law. In choosing to "obey" the law, you're impeding traffic, which is breaking another law. If you're in the full right in a multi-lane highway, you're not impeding traffic so stick there. If you're on a two lane road, driving the speed limit (or even over the speed limit) and there are 5 or more cars lined up behind you, you better find a place to pull over.... because you're breaking the law.

Mike

 

Well, Judy, that may be, but Racine County is famous for pulling over IL drivers. There have been several stories in the papers about people being pulled out of a group of speeders going up I94 and being the only one ticketed because they were the only IL driver.

Moral of the story--be careful everywhere but especially after crossing state lines!:angel:

 

Danny--you actually found some place to drive around here that isn't under construction??

 

That plan didn't work out so well for Tom Ridge.

... Brad

 

In most states impeding the flow of traffic is the same level of offence as speeding.

 

In general I agree with the right of us all to drive within the legal limits of our roads. If someone wants to drive faster, then let them. With the issue with the truck driver, I suggested moving over for them because they are sometimes restricted to the right lanes. In all cases however, I absolutely don't agree with tailgating. It makes me very nervous indeed, and even if I am in a single lane with no way to pass I would rather slow down than speed up if someone is tailgating me. I figure "If you're going to hit me, I'd rather it be at a slower speed than a faster one." I also agree that just because the truckers pay for the right to be on the road it does not give them the right to speed. It's just common sense to stay out of their way. And some of them - certainly not all of them - feel that we in cars, especially Prius's, are little gnats that need to be swatted. It's incumbent on us all that we drive safely, and certainly not all of us do that. Admittedly, I do speed, but never more than 10% in the city where possible and 15 over on the highway. While in traffic, I go with the flow, but if it is more than I feel comfortable traveling at, I will move over to the slower lane and slow down. All this of course is in ideal conditions. Throw in some bad weather and it all goes out the window. Those freaks who think they can still travel at high speeds in the rain and winter all need to be lobotomized.

Buck

 

Was the 48 mph in the construction zone or in the regular 55 mph traffic zone?

 

The point is if you're going the speed limit and not allowing those around you to pass, you're impeding traffic and every state I know of has a law on the books for this. This would only apply usually on a two lane road though. So a quick break down:

You're driving the speed limit. 5 or more cars behind you are wanting to exceed the speed limit. You don't move over, you're breaking the law. You do move over, you're not breaking the law anymore. They speed past you, now they're breaking the law.... but you're STILL breaking the law if you do not allow them to speed (break the law) past you.

Mike

 

How about highways with two lanes versus three or more?

When 2 lanes, driving the limit in the right lane is OK 100% of the time, no matter how fast people are driving in the left lane.
Driving the speed limit in the left lane, impeding the flow of faster drivers, is wrong.

In a 3 lane highway, driving "slow" in the right lane can cause havoc with people getting on, or off, the highway.

So I drive the speed limit, and depending on traffic conditions, will middle lane or right lane at the speed limit (and below it for 55MPH).

Here in Quebec, the tree-laners are at 63MPH (100KPH), so when I drive between 87KPH and 92KPH, I do so according to the flow - not for beating my MPG (liter/100km) average.

In light traffic, I right lane, and in heavy traffic, I middle lane & go with the flow.

I do get "slow to respond" drivers that creep up to me occasionally, but with three lanes, they can move over.

In a two lane highway, in the right lane, I will drive with the flow at all times, and hope to meet a slow-mover...!

 

I agree. If more people followed your driving style traffic would be a lot smoother and there'd be much less angry drivers on the road.

Mike

 

The post you quoted was clarifying a previous post where I did in fact refer to a 2 lane road. I quoted my earlier response here.

 

If that's the case, then cool. This thread went a lot of different directions and at one point I believe I was referring to someone's post about driving in whatever lane they want as long as they're not exceeding the speed limit. There was also talk about moving into the left lane to allow a truck to pass on the right. I'd prefer to not reread the thread from the beginning to find the specifics. If this driving technique is in fact what you were doing and I either misinterpreted it or got it confused with someone else, you have my full apology.

Mike

 

I believe I was talking about moving to the right to allow a truck to pass on the left in a construction situation where signs were posted indicating that trucks were to remain in the left lane. The problem is that in this construction situation, the right lane has become an unofficial passing lane by the vehicles that want to significantly exceed the speed limit.

Since the left lane is usually the official passing lane, is it proper to move to the right (and get in the way of the passing cars) to allow the trucks to pass on the left?

Or since the right lane is being used as a passing lane, and the trucks are all driving slower than the prevailing speed of vehicles on the right lane, is it proper to remain in the left lane and unintentionally force the trucks to maintain the proper speed limit?

Keep in mind that there is no shoulder to pull onto, and that the prevailing speed of the trucks in the left lane is 60 to 65 MPH while the prevailing speed of the cars in the right lane is 70+ MPH. Meanwhile the posted maximum is 55 MPH with a $375 minimum fine for exceeding this speed.

No matter what I'll be impeding traffic. The question is what is the proper and legal way to drive on this road?

 

I can't vouch for the legal way. But the proper way to drive on this road is to stay with either the trucks or the cars and to keep up with the flow of traffic. Yes, it's technically against the Illinois law. But you are creating a hazard to yourself and to everyone on the road by forcing traffic to slow down. You may not see it, but your forcing so many people to slow down behind you could even be causing traffic jams a few hundred or thousand yards back.

Please, for your own sake if for no one else's (putting your MPG above your safety is a bit selfish, if I'm honest), keep up with the traffic. I'm sure you don't want to be rear-ended by an eighteen wheeler or by another car, for that matter. You, like everyone else in that traffic, aren't going to get pulled over for simply keeping up.

 

I just stay the hell away from the big rigs. I don't tailgate and I try not to allow people to tailgate me - sometimes it's not that easy. I go with the flow when I can and when I want to conserve, I do it when I'm not going to be in someone's way. In a word, I drive defensively.

Buck

 

Sorry, I've seen the speed traps set up in this construction zone, I've seen the speed camera that indiscriminately captures photos of those driving in excess of the speed limit to mail out tickets, I've seen the construction workers holding the "SLOW!" signs alongside the barricade while waving a red flag in front of the vehicles driving by. I'm not going to risk a $375 ticket, a mark on my driving record, increased vehicle insurance, and speeds that reduce the available reaction time with all that heavy equipment and those construction workers, just so others can drive recklessly and illegally. I'll stay out of their way as best I can, and I'll follow any legal convention regarding passing and avoiding impeding the flow of traffic, but I won't drive illegally just because someone else wants to.