Just came home on the freeway from visiting Dad. Lots of folks pulling trailers- travel trailers, quad haulers, jet-skis, dirt bikes- are heading south from whereever they have been for Labour Day weekend. Is it just my imagination or do some of these folks not know enough to stay in the right hand lane when they are moving slowly ? There are guys going 45-50 mph on the freeway, in the left lane, and they seem oblivious to the fact that lots of us would like very much to get around them. Are some folks out there nervous when they are trailer pulling ? Or are they using a truck with too small of an engine to keep up with traffic while pulling their trailer ? Am I being unreasonable to think if you pull a trailer you should maintain 70-75 mph, like other travelers. This is on level road, it is daylight, and there is no rain or fog. Am I just impatient, or do some of the rest of you get tired of getting stuck behind slowpokes ? DinosaurFan

 

Most people that are equipped to tow do know that in most cases you should stay in the right lane, or the middle lane on a three lane. However there are cases where good manners are overcome by road conditions. For instance, some Interstate Highways are so rough in the right lane that it is hard to handle the rigslamming back and forth. Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge, LA and Houston, TX is one. Rattle your teeth. There are others. Some times I run in the smoother left lane, do the speed limit, and get the bird from people passing me at 85 to 90 MPH in smooth riding cars or SUV's. If they get hung up and blocked out behind me that is their problem. They will just have to get over it. When the road smooths out I get back in the right lane. There is a four mile long section just outside Birmingham, Alabama on I-59N that is so rough that the 18 wheelers just pull on out into the left lane and ride it for awhile. So if you see me in the left lane just pass on the right, or the shoulder, or the middle or don't pass. You drive your rig and I will drive mine. Thanks a bunch and see you down the road, I will buy you a cup of coffee at the truck stop.

 

Sorry for the bad news but don't expect people to be doin 70-75 with trailers. Only an idiot would do that, it takes you twice (if not more) the amount of room to stop, and in a panic stop, you can hardly control that trailer back there. The extra 10mph, increases your stoping distance by atleast 40 feet, you won't catch me above 65 towing a trailer, i'm not in the left lane though.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Heavyduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Weighs around 7,000lbs w. 65mph top speed, who wants to race me!

 

Actually I take my 40 feet number back, it's more than that. Most cars can stop in 130-135ft or so from 60 mph. Pump that up to 70, and the average is right around 160-170 feet I think. So with a trailer, and the heavyness of a truck, i would guess around 270 or so feet to stop from 60mph with a truck/trailer because the rule of thumb is a trailer doubles your stopping distance. From 70, maybe 340 feet (twice the stopping distance of 70mph). 340-270, 70 extra feet just from 10mph (at 70mph)! My math is rounded but it's not that far off. 340ft, and that's if you can control the trailer....


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Heavyduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Weighs around 7,000lbs w. 65mph top speed, who wants to race me!

 

Oh, sorry for the mult. posts, but if you're wondering why the extra 10mph adds so much to the stopping distance, is because it's an inverse square law, I think it's called, from my days of phyics (few months ago i'm 18 haha).


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Heavyduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Weighs around 7,000lbs w. 65mph top speed, who wants to race me!

 

from my fairly extensive time on the hiway--I believe that there are Some drivers who are just absolutely Stupid---and their driving reflects same ; some drivers who drive at exactly the speed limit when if they would adjust their speed with the Ebb and Flow of the traffic Everybody would get "There" alot sooner--and alot of drivers don't know how to look fairly far afield and anticipate future conditions and plan accordingly---they focus on the vehicle immediately in front of them and mimic whatever that vehicle does which results in multi-car pileups---I thimk I will sell all my vehicles except my 77 f250 and get me a prairie schooner with a set of 33's and a oiled canvas top and move out to that state that starts witha "U" where the lady's like to have one one old fart and about 10 wives and start some kind of business(if i have the time and energy) maybe an auto parts business , or maybe A porta crapper rental business that will take change and if you don't pay--you don't get NO paper --boy wouldn't that be radical----I might get wiped out of I'm not careful!!!!!!!!!!fd

 

I drive a big slow vehicle. I still follow the same rules as when in a car or pick up. Left lane is for passing only. Period. If you wanna go in the left lane, you gotta keep up. If you cannot or will not keep up, live with the bumps in the right lane. On the autobahn, you can get your liscence pulled for passing on the right. Over there I have been going 200 KPH and had to look more in the rear view mirror than in the windshield, because of all the BMWs, Mercedes and Porsches coming up at *300 kph*.

In most states in the US, keep right except to pass is the law.

I even go further, if I am climbing a big grade, I will use the pull outs just to be sure I am not holding anyone up, assuming I cannot walk away from the guy behind me.

Often times though, the big V-10 assisted by 4.63 gears actualy does walk away from 4 cylinder passenger cars and 6 cyl pickups at WOT, much to their amazement. Even pulling 12 or 13k lbs and 31' of motorhome around. I pull in the truck lane up the hill, they make a feint to pass then I just walk on by.

LLBs (left lane blockers is the polite interpretation of the term on the SHO forums - you can guess the more common versions) just don't get it.

-Jim

2001 E-450 V-10 Superduty

 

Well put HiTec. I doubt if it will help. It seems that those that ride in the left for little or no reason wouldn't catch on if you slapped 'em silly. It's so ez to pull out and pass and when you are clear signal and move back over. One exception is when there are emergency vehicles on the shoulder allow those people the courtesy of using the left as you go past.

 

My personal favorite is the semi doing 65 mph decides to pass a semi doing 64 mph on a hill in a 75mph zone backing up 10 to 20 cars and trucks behind them for two or three miles before he gets past.
Den

 

Hmm, 200 KPH, autoban. I don't think I ever drive there. Does it matter here what they do in Europe? If I want to drive in the left because of road conditions that is what I do. That is why there is only one steering wheel in my rig, I decide. MOST of the time I prefer to drive in the right hand lane. Law? the LAW in most states, for interstate travel, is a minimum speed of 45 MPH and stay to the right, the right of oncoming traffic. There will be signs that say slower vehicles keep right, but at the speed limit is not slow, it's maximum and faster than the speed limit is not legally allowed. Ever see a sign written vehicles exceeding the limit just stay left? The problem is that the speed limit is just that. If I am holding you up by going the speed limit then you are attempthing to break the law, a more important law than who stays right or left. Every one here thinks that they own the road, didn't you guys get the memo where it belongs to me?

 

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one. You are breaking the law by staying on the left and not passing anyone and holding people up. People are going to go faster than the speed limit, i'm sure you do it everyday, everyone does it. With all due respect, that still shouldn't make you be a jerk to other drivers around you and make them get suck behind you.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Heavyduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Weighs around 7,000lbs w. 65mph top speed, who wants to race me!

 

OneOf6,

I have no problem with you saying you want to follow the speed limit law precisely. But doing that is not licence to break the other law.

The speed limit is NOT more important than keeping right. The law is as you wrote it - slowER traffic keep right. Not slow traffic. If you have people behind you, you are slower. You need to keep right. Not to mention, their speedometer undoubtedly has a different calibration than yours. Your vehicle is not the authority of what the maximum speed limit on the road is for anyone else. "One steering wheel", right? If they go faster than you when their speedo says it is doing the limit, then *to them*, from their perspective, you are being inconsiderate and illegal driving below the limit in the left lane. While they are trying to be 100% legal - driving at the limit as their speedo shows it, and going left to pass then back over to the right.

But either way, I miss the point of making an argument on the grounds that you are following one road law when you are breaking another.

-Jim
2001 E-450 V-10 Superduty

 

Mustang
Reading for comprehension is required here, with all DUE respect. I wrote, "road conditions" when they are bad in the right lane I drive in the left, only then or to pass. Many others wanting to pass is also a road condition, if I feel like it I get back right. Often, the speeders are so intent on passing that they just stream by on the right and you can't get back over safely. Breaking the law? No, left lane travel at the speed limit is not breaking the law. How many tickets you ever seen for speeding compared for staying in the left lane to long? Many for speeding none if any for left lane travel I would wager a buck to ten. Brings out the road rage in folks when they can't pass at the first second they happen to want to. Why just talking about seems to rile up some folk, they get to passing insults like "jerk". It hardly seems to matter that there are miles of vehicles going over the limit that never get back in the right lane regardless of the road conditions. I get to see it all, tailgating, speeding, no turn signals, DUI, passing on the shoulder ect. There are many assumed rules, and some assumed law, you are not totally correct in your assumption that it is a requirement to stay in the right lane except to pass. It makes my day when a goof ball gets angry flys down the road and I get to toot my horn at him and the Trooper as he gets a ticket on the side of the road.

 

HiTech, you wrote:
"But either way, I miss the point of making an argument on the grounds that you are following one road law when you are breaking another."

I agree with you, you miss the point.

 

This is what Lawyers really love to do----the give and take of the language and the conceptual misconceptions that result because none of us reads as closely or as accurately as we are capable of doing....Weave a web of complexity and someday we may end up in the US congress helping the lobbyists write legislation that helps the corporations and screws the voter!!!!!!fd