Florida Introduce Left Lane Law

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by nerdogray

When did it become a thing to drive with your lights off at night? I saw that a lot when I was in Ft. Lauderdale last year.

I see it every night where I live, at least once per outing. I'm in ATL a few miles north of the city. I don't recall seeing it once when I lived in Florida, I was there for 13 years (west coast, Tampa Bay).

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by DocL

For the 40 years I've been driving this has always been a source of frustration. There was an article written about it in Card & Driver back in the 80s. I wrote a letter to the editor about the article and it was published in the next magazine. I have no idea where my copy went.

What month/year was it published? I have most all C&D from early 70s on up.

[FC4]

Originally Posted by dab1981

I was stationed in Germany for a while, and they have very strict left lane laws. Other drivers would call the Polizei if someone was hanging out in the left lane. It was a big safety concern, especially in the parts of the autobahn without a speed limit.

I wish we would have more left lane enforcement in the US. It's a bigger issue in my opinion than just speeding.

I've driven in Germany several times, mainly Frankfurt to Nurburgring and back on 4 separate occasions.

The biggest disappointment in Germany second only to the inedible food is the autobahn. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I found their left-lane etiquette only slightly better than here in CA. It was nothing close to the way the internet makes it out to be. I'd often find myself parked behind a basic BMW or Audi for a good 30-seconds at <180 KPH in the unlimited secions, which would only be unlimited for a short time anyway, followed by endless construction zones.

[irunalot]

Problem is no one here follows that law

[irunalot]

Originally Posted by nerdogray

When did it become a thing to drive with your lights off at night? I saw that a lot when I was in Ft. Lauderdale last year.

I see that all the time, there are a large number if idiot savants in south Florida, but I still love the place.

[SteveMD]

As a British ex-pat, this is most welcome.

Now please do it in Maryland!

[Lance_Goodthrust]

One of my favorite bumper stickers:

"If I passed you on the right, you're in the wrong lane!"

[IsleOfMs]

When people think about left lane hogs, they probably envision a clear example where someone could obviously move over but continued to drive 2 abreast despite a queue building up due to the discourtesy.

But a law, worded as this one appears to be, is INSANITY. Unless you're deep in the heart of BF-nowhere, your hwys cannot function at half capacity (or 2/3 capacity, etc depending on the total number of lanes). Every moderately developed area is operating with insufficient lanes as is. Nobody has a lane to spare for passing only.

I hope the law is enforced but only in the less common situation (Sunday nights at 2am?) where there is ample room for all the traffic to fit in N-1 lanes. I'd much prefer to see it written in a way that acknowledges that most of the time, every lane is packed bumper to bumper and nobody has any room to move over for anyone. Not to mention, the guy "in your way" is most often stuck behind other cars in a queue that goes on well beyond the horizon.

[Westside Guy]

I can't stop cracking up on what was stated in the article, "The statute would only apply on roads, streets or highways with two or more lanes and a posted speed limit of at least 65 mph."

This is a joke as nobody does the speed limit here anyway and the average speed in the left lane on I-95 where I live is 85 mph.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by dab1981

I was stationed in Germany for a while, and they have very strict left lane laws. Other drivers would call the Polizei if someone was hanging out in the left lane. It was a big safety concern, especially in the parts of the autobahn without a speed limit.

I wish we would have more left lane enforcement in the US. It's a bigger issue in my opinion than just speeding.

That's good to know and shows how silly all those ppl were defending that left-lane hog testing the top speed of some Bugatti or something a few months ago. The guy was left-lane hogging all the way and driving dangerously, all it took was for someone to step out. So selfish, treating it like his private closed track. It's all about *relative* speed, not that he was technically passing.

Anyway, back on topic, good idea but the whole sys failed because this should've been emphasized from the start during teaching, not as a -ive reinforcement after-the-fact once everyone is ingrained in their bad habits. I had to find out on my own.

[///MPhatic]

I drive for a living, and I can tell you that left lane driving is a major issue, and is NOT a ticketable offense, so the law just lets it go. Unfortunately it is the SOURCE of much of the traffic we see today. The other source is 60-mph governed 18-wheelers. They should be relegated to the right lane forever.

It'll never be fixed

[ppointer]

Originally Posted by unluky

LOL - the one and only time I drove in Italy for a few days I thought I was going to DIE! Maybe just the area I was in, but I feel like I could hear a horn 80% of the time and saw multiple people use sidewalks to cut corners and traffic! Maybe just the area and time I was there - Germany is usually not like that at all and the highway driving in Germany is like heaven. Good to know - I need to give Italy another shot then.

Yep give it another shot. I've done three multi-week driving trips there and loved every minute of them. Waze works like a champ. People there really take pride in their driving and it shows on the autostrada and country roads. Sure, the cities are challenging, but no worse than NYC. Just have to watch for the millions of mopeds that the citizenry ride (with skill, of course). Hertz rented me A4 Avants, and they fit in perfectly with the rest of the traffic.

[chris719]

This won't do anything. It's a ticketable offense in many states / counties and never enforced anywhere I have been in the US. You have to be going like 20 under to get pulled over for this.

The issue is that every American thinks they can do whatever they want. They see they are going near the speed limit and FU if you are going faster. Germans are educated to understand the flow of traffic and consequences on others, plus they do not demonize speed so much.

[ratepace]

I was stationed in Germany for a while, and they have very strict left lane laws. Other drivers would call the Polizei if someone was hanging out in the left lane. It was a big safety concern, especially in the parts of the autobahn without a speed limit.

[Bayernzeit]

Originally Posted by ppointer

I've driven in Germany several times, mainly Frankfurt to Nurburgring and back on 4 separate occasions.

The biggest disappointment in Germany second only to the inedible food is the autobahn. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I found their left-lane etiquette only slightly better than here in CA. It was nothing close to the way the internet makes it out to be. I'd often find myself parked behind a basic BMW or Audi for a good 30-seconds at <180 KPH in the unlimited secions, which would only be unlimited for a short time anyway, followed by endless construction zones.

Bummed your experiences didn’t meet expectations. I’m going on three years living in Bavaria (near the A93/A6 interchange) and I’m in a driver’s paradise, even in the dead of winter now.

I think Autobahn experiences certainly will vary depending on where and when you travel. Mostly empty, unrestricted Autobahn are a part of my daily commute. It’s a thing of beauty. Becomes a very different story as you approach the major metro corridors.

[________]

Left lane passing law is BS. Just leave it as is as cars are allowed to pass on the right anyway, all good.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by Onesie

Left lane passing law is BS. Just leave it as is as cars are allowed to pass on the right anyway, all good.

What? It’s a great law, it’s just never enforced. Passing on the right is more dangerous.

[DocL]

Originally Posted by CSBM5

What month/year was it published? I have most all C&D from early 70s on up.

Sometime between 1983 and 1986.

I wrote that I give the left lane squatters a blast of my dual Fiamm air horns lol.

[DocL]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

I can't stop cracking up on what was stated in the article, "The statute would only apply on roads, streets or highways with two or more lanes and a posted speed limit of at least 65 mph."

This is a joke as nobody does the speed limit here anyway and the average speed in the left lane on I-95 where I live is 85 mph.

At 85mph in Palm Beach County you're going to be the slow driver. I'm consistently doing 90-100 to keep up with the flow lol.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by DocL

At 85mph in Palm Beach County you're going to be the slow driver. I'm consistently doing 90-100 to keep up with the flow lol.

I am further south and most of my driving on I-95 is in the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale area where the roads are more congested. Further north I agree people drive faster.

[SteveinArizona]

I think all of you horrible drivers have moved out here to Arizona. I have become convinced that the left lane is the slow lane, the middle lane is the I don't give a crap lane and the right lane is for faster drivers if you trust that some asshole in the middle lane is not going to swerve at you.

Some of it is folks who are clueless (how in the world they passed the driver's test I will never know). But some of it is entitled jerks like the ones described in this post who are being passed by cars on their right and slow down and give you the finger if you flash your lights at them to move over.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by chris719

What? It’s a great law, it’s just never enforced. Passing on the right is more dangerous.

Ya, ppl need to know how awesome it is to be driving 'in formation' w other drivers who know as well, keep as right as much as possible (no, not just the right lane over from the left-most lane, but as much as possible, depending on one's speed). It's simply a well-oiled machine seeing how all the vehicles flow smoothly and interact w each other, but, alas, it rarely happens.