We went out with a trooper today and the drivers he pulled over were very surprised. The danger is, if someone is camping out in the left lane, emergency vehicles cannot pass. That's the main reason the law was put into place.
By driving 60 or 62 on a 65 mile per hour highway, most drivers think they're playing it safe. Think again. "If you're driving 65 or slower, you have to be in the right lane. Are you aware of that law?"
Charles Casey got a warning for driving under the speed limit in the left lane.
(Abby) "Do you think it's a good law?"
(Charles) "Not really. No, I don't think so. I think it's a cheap shot, really."
Cheap shot or not, the law says drivers going under the speed limit must stay out of the left lane. That lane is only meant for passing and turning left.
"You were going 62. That's under the limit."
"That's the first time. I was going to call my mom because I have never gotten pulled over for that," says Kristen McKeever.
For OHP troopers, the left lane law is very much on the radar. They say too many drivers don't follow it, creating a dangerous situation for other cars on the road. Trooper Troy Gilmore|Oklahoma Highway "It does become a problem," says Trooper Troy Gilmore. "A lot of times if we're trying to get somewhere quick and we're running lights and sirens or if the fire department or an ambulance is going quick we need to slow down before we can get over."
"I agree with it because people drive me crazy when they drive too slow. It's supposed to be a passing lane."
"I think its absurd."
Fortunately for drivers, so far troopers have only given out warnings. But, they say soon that's going to change. Left lane violators will get a 206-dollar ticket -- a hefty price for supposedly 'playing it safe.'
"I'll stay out of the left lane from now on."
If you see someone driving too slowly in the left lane, you can take down the tag number and call *55 on your cell phone.
A couple of other laws trooper say many drivers may not know about are people not using their turn signals and also people who don't move over to the far lane when an officer has pulled someone over on the side of the road. Both of those violations could also cost you more than 200 dollars.
The "Slow Keep Right" signs are applicable to ALL CARS who are going slower than those behind them. NO MATTER WHAT SPEED THEY'RE AT. EVEN IF ITS 75.
If you are in the leftmost lane, and someone behind you is faster than you, then YOU are the one who needs to move. Not only is the the law in most states, but beyond just that, it's also the most logical thing to do, for the sake of traffic flow.
Drivers such as Bill are the Cholesterol of the freeways. They block arteries and traffic, all due to some insane power trip based in the numerical "posted limit".
There is NO REASON that Bill cannot just stay to the right of the road, except for his own fragile ego on the road wanting to stubbornly block anyone behind him who is faster.
The National Motorists Association says: "From a very practical perspective, speed limits do not represent the actual travel speeds on most highways. These limits are typically based on arbitrary political numbers that have no relationship to valid engineering based standards. As a result, a motorist doing "the speed limit" in the left lane may be in serious conflict with the prevailing traffic. This results in abrupt lane changes, erratic speed changes, and no small amount of hostility."
In every action in life, one must do what is the most logical. And on the road, there is no reason to be a slowpoke in the left lane, except for babylike stubbornness.
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