Saturday's Question of the Day - Apr 5

I saw an accident in front of me today. Driver A, who was in front of me, hit Driver B who was coming out onto traffic from across the street. There were dents, but both drivers were unhurt, so I left the scene.

I can't say who was at fault. Driver B didn't see A, and A could have braked in time if she went slower.

So today's question is loosely related: When driving on roads that has two or more lanes per direction of traffic, do you normally drive on the fast lane (towards the middle) or slow lane (generally nearer the curb or sidewalks)?  

I like driving on the "fast" lane. Firstly, I like driving relatively fast - usually about near the speed limit for the road - if it's a straight road. Michigan roads are horrible for potholes, and those tend to appear on the slow lane, so I can avoid them by using the fast lane. 

Fast lanes are also less prone to vehicles stopping or braking to make a turn (America has "turning" lanes, which I thought was a really cool concept when I first came here), as opposed to the slow lane for right turns.

I drive in the "slow" lane except for passing or when there's a whole convoy of trucks in the right lane. Since I rarely drive above the speed limit, there's no sense in my sticking to the passing lane and having to pull over to let speeders go past me. Besides, I've seen too many people being ticketed for staying in the left lane.

I drive fast and have a bit of a lead foot, so I'm always in what is considered to be the passing lane. It is rare that I actually drive the speed limit, usually about ten miles over whatever the limit is. And I don't like getting behind people who think it's OK to be driving the speed limit in the passing lane. The passing lane is for passing. Either move or drive, but do something.

I'm also a speeder. Not as bad as I used to be, but I still tend to move along.

l'm also lead-footed (is this perhaps a cat-person trait?) but after l pass someone l always go back to the right lane. lt's the law here to drive on the right with passing on the left and usually it's followed. 

I used to drive in the fast lane, until I got 2 tickets (speeding and tailgating) that cost me $600 bucks!

Now I force myself to drive in the slower lane so I can keep my speed in check!

this reminds me, I still need to take a driver's ed cost to knock out the points on my license

I got a ticket when we were in Minnesota a couple years ago. We were driving through one of the reservations and neither Rick nor I had seen a speed limit sign for miles and miles. Evidently there was a speed limit because I exceeded it....I was driving 74 mph, according to the police.

It was kind of funny, though I didn't think so at the time. I saw the flashing lights in my rear mirror. I pulled over and so did the cop. He got out of his car and he was bald,  heavyset, and was wearing shades. When he got out of the car, he hitched his pants up and I told Rick, "Oh my dear sweet lord, I may have watched way too many movies, but we are so screwed!" (I know......stereotype much, Pam?) I forget exactly what the fine was, but it was pretty high. We got the fine in the mail and Rick sent them a check. From then on that day, I drove through Minnesota with the cruise control on and right around 60 mph....that lasted for a while until Rick made me pull off so he could drive. He couldn't handle staying at 60.

Rick has actually gotten more speeding tickets than I have. *knock on wood*

I drive in whichever lane the semi trucks aren't in. If I can help it, I never drive in front of big trucks.

I was in a multiple-car accident a little over a year ago, and the driver of a 16-wheeler was distracted and the car in front of him had to break suddenly. He did break, but not in time, he smashed into the car, pushing the trunk of the car and the back seat up to the front seat. All that was left was the front half of the car, it was horrifying, thankfully nobody was in the back seat! 

Winchester said:

 And I don't like getting behind people who think it's OK to be driving the speed limit in the passing lane. The passing lane is for passing. Either move or drive, but do something.

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Butbut everyone else drives slower than I do.

I can't drive but I have had a ticket for Jay walking!

SwampWitch said:

I drive in whichever lane the semi trucks aren't in. If I can help it, I never drive in front of big trucks.

I was in a multiple-car accident a little over a year ago, and the driver of a 16-wheeler was distracted and the car in front of him had to break suddenly. He did break, but not in time, he smashed into the car, pushing the trunk of the car and the back seat up to the front seat. All that was left was the front half of the car, it was horrifying, thankfully nobody was in the back seat! 

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That sounds bad and good that you were alright. I hate the semi's here where I moved. There are so, so, so many of them and I figured out that is why Indiana is called the Crossroads of America.

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I tend to drive faster than most on the highway. Not out of control though - in total control and prefer to stay in the far left lanes - fast lanes.

Winchester said:

 
I drive fast and have a bit of a lead foot, so I'm always in what is considered to be the passing lane. It is rare that I actually drive the speed limit, usually about ten miles over whatever the limit is. And I don't like getting behind people who think it's OK to be driving the speed limit in the passing lane. The passing lane is for passing. Either move or drive, but do something.

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I'm ashamed to say I have gotten three speeding tickets. Luckily all several years apart, so I was able to get all of them reduced to prevent points on my license. They're not cheap, though. And the last one, which I got a week after I moved near Chapel Hill, I had to hire a lawyer because I couldn't miss school to go to court. So that cost a ridiculous amount of money, all said and done. Close to $500 for the one ticket. 

That chaps my bum, too. It's a divided highway, so two lanes each side, and they set a speed trap at the bottom of this big hill. There was no other traffic around me, and I wasn't even thinking about my speed. Just gliding down the hill. No idea I was going so fast. So they got me for 65 in a 45.

What really makes no sense to me, though, is that this is a commuter route. It's 45 at this point, with on and off ramps, no intersections. When you get about five miles up the road, it's two lanes (one each direction!), with lots of residential and commercial zones, frequent intersections, and a TON of morning and evening traffic, and the speed limit is 55. Who thinks up this crap?

We got caught once when I was still married speeding from bethlehem to Jerusalem.
We made a day out of it. Was and me. The judge was surprised we got a ticket as it was just a little bit over the speed
Limit. Not too ksrge a fine and that was a that.
Some of the excuses that people gave were ridiculous. It wasn't me. 'My dad had his foot on the accelerator' Ead one.

I think I must be the goody two shoes of the lot of us.. 

I was pulled over recently for flicking my lights to let oncoming traffic know there was a policeman with a speed camera behind me.  Little did I know there was one in front of me as well, and they saw me.   They couldn't book me for warning people so they booked me for using high beam to oncoming traffic!  It was the daytime for heaven's sake!

Anyway, apart from that I've had one speeding ticket in 42 years of driving.. and it's because I'm a woosie.  I stay in the left lane unless I'm overtaking, and tend to stick to the speed limit  

But I still warn people about speed cameras...

Mani said:

 
I think I must be the goody two shoes of the lot of us.. 

I was pulled over recently for flicking my lights to let oncoming traffic know there was a policeman with a speed camera behind me.  Little did I know there was one in front of me as well, and they saw me.  

They couldn't book me for warning people so they booked me for using high beam to oncoming traffic!  It was the daytime for heaven's sake!

Anyway, apart from that I've had one speeding ticket in 42 years of driving.. and it's because I'm a woosie.  I stay in the left lane unless I'm overtaking, and tend to stick to the speed limit

 

But I still warn people about speed cameras...

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I would go to court and plead not guilty to that charge. A federal judge ruled this year that flashing one's headlights to warn oncoming traffic of police presence is a constitutionally protected free speech right. Here's an article, but you can Google for a thousand more. 

Oh, I just looked and see you're in Australia. So, yea... our court rulings maybe don't apply there! >_> 

Well, if Australia has a similar ruling/law (which would explain why they've hit you with a secondary charge), I'd considering contesting it!

Mani said:

 
I think I must be the goody two shoes of the lot of us.. 

I was pulled over recently for flicking my lights to let oncoming traffic know there was a policeman with a speed camera behind me.  Little did I know there was one in front of me as well, and they saw me.  

They couldn't book me for warning people so they booked me for using high beam to oncoming traffic!  It was the daytime for heaven's sake!

Anyway, apart from that I've had one speeding ticket in 42 years of driving.. and it's because I'm a woosie.  I stay in the left lane unless I'm overtaking, and tend to stick to the speed limit

 

But I still warn people about speed cameras...

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Come to America! Only a couple of months ago a federal district judge ruled that warning oncoming traffic is a free speech protected under the First Amendment (Elli v. City of Ellisville). Tee hee!

Back home in Malaysia my parents get pulled over quite a few times for the same thing, but we fast drivers must stick together!   

LaraLove said:

 
I would go to court and plead not guilty to that charge. A federal judge ruled this year that flashing one's headlights to warn oncoming traffic of police presence is a constitutionally protected free speech right.

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*highfives @LaraLove*

@LaraLove @Fhi09   I did consider contesting it.  I have a friend who is very involved in Civil Liberties here and he passed it by one of their lawyers.  He said that because they had charged me with using high beam within 30 metres of oncoming traffic, which is definitely a law, I didn't have a legal leg to stand on. (Initially I thought it just used normal lights, but it defaults to high beam when you 'flick' them.)

That's too bad, because it's obvious upholding that particular law is not why you were charged with it. 

LaraLove said:

 
That's too bad, because it's obvious upholding that particular law is not why you were charged with it. 

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Yes, it's a very self-serving law in this instance.  But if the civil liberties lawyers don't think it will hold up in court, it's a bit tricky. (maybe they just didn't want to get landed with it)