June 25, 2008
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Driving Too Slow
It is possible in Seattle to receive a ticket for driving too slow even if you are going the speed limit.
“It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a
multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic.”So even if a person is going the actual speed limit, if they are holding up traffic they can be given a ticket. Here is the link: Link
Do you think a person should be given a ticket for driving too slow even if they are going the speed limit?
Comments (119)
hell yeah!
let me pass you! get over!
I saw this. its GREAT !
Pizza is tasty.
Yes. They need to get out of my way or risk getting a ticket.
Here it’s just common courtesy that the slower traffic keeps right… We have signs that say that, but I donno if they can give us tickets for violating it here…
We have a minimum speed on some highways out East. Ironically enough, most traffic is always below that minimum.
As long as the citation is worded as “impeding the flow of traffic” I’m fine with it.
People should know better than to drive in the left lane in certain situations rather than giving a self-righteous FU to everyone behind them while driving the speed limit.
The apparent hypocrisy of the ticket is obvious, but shouldn’t really be a big deal to anyone – unless they are for giving everyone who drives over the speed limit a ticket.
I saw them talking on the news about that this morning. Meh. Traffic sucks
I love crazy laws.
if they’re holding up traffic yes
yeah they should get a ticket,
hell yes. The fast lane is the fast lane for a reason get out of my freakin way. It pisses me off so bad. There are signs saying slower drivers keep right.
@mejicojohn - in FLorida when I took the driving test the correct answer was to move your car to the side but I know alot of people just chill in the middle of the road to make sure it’s clear for insurance purposes. Still lame though. They shouldn’t have gotten in a wreck in the first place.
I hate slow drivers, I don’t think ticketing them will solve anything. They best move out of my way though or see the power of my middle finger!
uh,,, even if your speeding,,, if your in the left hand lane,,, your blocking traffic if someone needs around you,,,,
that your not is as stupid a misconception as stopping your car wherever you wreck,,,,, hahahahahaha,,, youd be surprized how many people do that,,,,
get the stupid thing out of the way,,, more tickets should be passed out on that account,,,, the cops can tell by the damaged areas what happened,,,, duh,,,, they dont need to see parked cars in the middle of the street,,,
and,,, yea,,, if you aint passing someone,,,, your going too slow in the left lane,,,, always.
and thats nothing new,,, been that way,,, always,,, seems to me someone just had nothing to write about…. first time i heard about that,,, being stopped for traveling too slow,,, even tho they were going the speed limit was in about 1965,,, and its just now breaking news??? hahahahahaha
Do you think a person should be given a ticket for driving too slow even if they are going the speed limit?
Absolute not. If this is the case, then you’ve captured the driver in a double bind: However he drives, whether it’s ove ror under the speed limit, he is to be ticketed.
@onlyFORaLILwhile - hahahaha,,, yea,,, ive sat in the street for a half hour waiting for a cop to come tell the idiots to get out of the way….
No! You are going the legal speed!
@huginn - no,,, youve captured the driver breaking the law,,, get in the left lane to pass,,, then get back in the right lane after youve passed,,, altho its not as well advertized as buckle your seat belt,,, its the law,,,, everywhere id imagine,,, and ignorance of the law is no excuse,,,,
hahahahahaha.
disclaimer: not to insinuate im always within the law,,, hahahahahaha,,, thats probably a rarity,,,,,
Well, that would just be confusing, now wouldnt it?
@mejicojohn - Dan’s question was posed generically. The question did not ask about left lanes or right lanes.
No. Set a minimum limit if you want to ticket someone.
It sounds like they’re threatening to punish people for obeying the law. Geez, that should just make the law-abiding angry.
Nope. But they should keep to the right.
If they were going the speed limit, then of course not. The police there are simply realizing that it’s too much work to pull over all the speeders, so they’ll punish the ones obeying the law.
However, in fast-moving traffic, those who wish to go the speed limit really should keep to the right for their own safety.
@huginn - ”It is a traffic infraction to drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic.”
thats what i read,,, the only error i see in the statement is “when it impedes” it is illegal to drive continuously in the left lane under any circumstances,,,,, well,,, in most places,,,
what your saying tho is he (dan) misled everyone by his question,,,, thats the way polls are taken,,,, be careful out there,,,,,
hahahaha,,, what amuses me is when someone drives in the left lane on a 2 lane busy street,,, that would be 4 lanes all together ,,, 2 coming, 2 going,,,, nevermind the left lane is also the left turn lane,,, hahahahahahahaha,,, wont catch me over there,,, i dont have all day,,,,
i dont know why im ranting about this,,, hahahahaha,,, airforce1 dont roll behind any car,,, and i dont care which side i pass it on,,, and at a red light,,, im always the first one in line….. im outta here now,,,
No, of course not. They should be zapped by a special laser that safely picks up the offending car and safely sets it down on the shoulder, where car and driver are immobilized for 10 minutes as a penalty.
Welcome to West Coast Law,
And get out of my fast lane
LOL
Westsidelate…..
If a person is impeding the traffic by using the left lane, when the flow of traffic is at a faster pace that what that driver chooses to drive, then sure. Why not? The point of traffic laws are meant for transportation efficiency and public safety. Granny doing 5 under in the fast lane, forcing other cars to weave in and out of traffic to avoid her and the other drivers, can adversely affect both.
It’s kinda a pet peeve of mine. If a car is going faster then you, and you can easily get over- Do it! I don’t care if you are going 10 over, 15 over, 20 over or whatever. Let the faster driver go by. I mean, we all see the signs that state slow traffic keep right, right??
Should they move their stupid butts? Yes. Should they be ticked for obeying the law? No.
while i consider it to be bad driving etiquette to just go the speed limit in the left-most lane, i don’t think that it is right to ticket someone who technically isn’t breaking the law
@storyslut - you had me at laser and lost me at safely…
@ionekoa - You’re right, what was I thinking, the comment should end at “They should be zapped by a special laser”
If driving at the speed limit actually impedes the flow of traffic, then the flow of traffic should be ticketed.
Yeah.
I’m going to Seattle in a few weeks.
I just remembered that.Thank you.:D
No. That’s just stupid. Going above the speed limit you get a speed ticket. Now, driving according to the right speed limit you can get a ticket! That just does not make any sense! No one should get a ticket for following the law! I’m not suggesting everyone should drive slow because I’m the type who likes to drive fast. However, I don’t believe drivers who drive according to speed limit should get a ticket. Instead, the law enforcement can set up minimum speed limit. That would of make more sense before giving out tickets.
YESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thats bs.
well your not given a ticket if you are passing people at the speed limit in the left lane. Only if you are just chillin in the left lane.
I think its a great idea… last night I’m driving home on US 50 at 11pm… its a 65… this car in front of me decides to get in front of me in the left lane to pass someone… then they both just sit there at about 65 or so for 2 or 3 miles… Yes I think that person should be given a ticket. If they want to pass the person at 65 fine! but otherwise why block traffic like that. I finally ended up tailgating the person for a couple hundred feet so they slowed down and got in the right lane…*oops california driver* lol
YES! People like that bug me! I’ll be cruising along in the left lane and I’ll come up on someone crawling along in front of me. They will have space to get over but they just won’t leaving me to either wait for them to get the hint and move over or else I’ll have to pass them on the right! As far as I know, passing on the right is also some kind of traffic infraction. People who wanna drive slow should be considerate of those who wanna pass them just as those who are passing shouldn’t cut it too close. Hmm… maybe I’m just impatient?
uhh…ehh. no. hah.
technically you’re only suppose to pass on the left and stay to the right. So if you’re not passing traffic then you have no business to to drive in the left lane.
I’m pretty confident that is how it is in Oregon as well. Though do not quote me on that. I only passed my drivers test because I had to. Haha! Everything I studied happened to leave my brain the moment I received my license.
I don’t think this should be enforced. Common courtesy tells everyone to get over to the slow lane, but this is much easier to do on two-lane highways than other kinds. There are some freeways in LA that have onramps on the left side of freeways. A law might work in some parts of the country, but in others…no way.
Yes, when driving constantly on the left side is forbidden, why not!
Yes i have a tad bit of road rage, strangely more when I’m in the passenger seat
if they drive there like they do in portland, then yes.
stupid fucking portland drivers.
It annoys the shit out of me when you can see who is holding up traffic and can do nothing about it. They think that because they are going the speed limit, they can be on whatever fucking side of the road they want. THEY are the reason for road range! It creates SUCH a hazard.
No, that’s stupid. Just make a REASONABLE speed limit, then ticket people for going slower than that amount in the left lane.
@maje_charis - It seems to me that the speed limits are artificially low – particularly on interstates – because of politics. If someone gets in a crash and dies or is severely injured, politicians can appear to be “doing something” if the speed limit gets lowered. “Aha! Now the road is safe again!” The politicians get reelected and drivers learn that 5 mph over is generally a comfortable speed on regular roads, and anywhere from 10-25 mph over is comfortable on interstates (depending on what the actual speed limit is – in Atlanta, one of our interstates gets down to 50 mph maximum!)
So police, knowing that many speed limits are insanely low, selectively enforce a higher speed limit than is technically permitted. What we really should do is fix the limits.
@TillTheLastPetalFalls - Depends on how many lanes there are and whether there’s a left exit on the freeway. It also depends – if I’m going 10 mph faster than the middle lane, and there’s no one coming up behind me, I’ll drive continuously in the left lane, even during stretches when I don’t really need to.
@huginn - Or, they could set reasonable speed limits, so that a comfortable, safe flow-of-traffic speed is legal.
No way if it’s the actual speed limit.
Seattle: Hard working liberal success story.
The speed limit is really just a suggestion. Drivers should go as fast as the other cars on the road or they are risking getting into an accident just as people who drive too fast are.
yeah
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! You have to go with the flow of traffic. And, if you get on the left lane (which is the FAST LANE), you’re most definitely deserving of a punishment — like walking blindfolded on the highway. But, that’s just one of my brilliant ideas to rid the roads of *bleep bleep* drivers.
Grrr…. (((ROAD RAGE))))
YES. Most drivers don’t realize that the far left lane is for PASSING ONLY. I know of a few people, who were going speed limit in the far left lane when there were no cars in other lanes and they were ticketed.
if they are going the limit then no that should not be a ticket. The left lane seems to be the key issue for this ticket though…
That’s how it is here in Florida. If you disrupt the flow of traffic, you get a ticket and I definitely agree with it.
It said in my drivers handbook when I got my license: “70 doesn’t always mean 70.”
<3
YES!
The worst part is when people don’t know the speed limit is 55 when it’s not posted; so they just go 45. Argh!
@fullmetalbunny - These people are breaking the law by cruising in the left lane. There is no reason for them to be in that lane if they are doing the speed limit, they can just as well be in the right. This law has been on the books for a while in the United States, however I don’t think anyone has ever done anything to enforce it. This is how it is in many European countries and especially Germany, that is the main reason why they are allowed to travel at any speed they feel is appropriate. Just because you are doing the speed limit does not mean you should impose it on every driver behind you.
The crucial point appears to be “in the left lane,” which makes it basically okay, but there needs to be a few “ifs” there, relating to the speed of the traffic that wishes to pass.
wow… thats fucked up.
I hate traffic and slow drivers. Going the speed limit is okay. Like my daughter says you have to go with the flow of the traffic.
If they are not in the right lane for slower traffic, yes.
No. They shouldn’t have to pay for actually obeying the law.
Yes. That is a great idea.
If they are in the left lane then yes. I cannot stand when I am on the highway and in the right lane the car is going slow and in the left lane the other one is right next to them going slow. Either go forward and get into the right lane or fall in line…. thats what I do…
I have seen this in multi-lane highways sometimes too… and thats what causes traffic because the people behind have to constantly drive below the speed limit and push on their brakes not to hit the people in front of them.
However, it would be stupid to ticket somone in the left-slow lane for going to speed-limit. Maybe is they were going 5-10 miles under it then yes. It is most annoying on one-lane roads when people do that and it annoys the snot out of me, especially when they do not pull onto the gravel and let me pass them. Going 35-40 on a 60 mph road irritates me to no end!
* I do, however, admit to driving in the left lane once when I was driving from 4-6 AM when it was dark. The lines for the exits kept confusing me in the dark, so I stayed in the left lane because of the constant lines… ha ha
does that make sense or am I crazy? lol
Thats totally BS. I mean sometimes you come onto the highway and you can’t get over because people in the middle are driving fast and won’t let you in. Then what? I know I have bad nerves so I don’t drive (fast). I would be pissed for following the law to learn that I just broke it.
@ least in California, if you’re going the speed limit in the fast lane (which my parents actually do), people will fly around you, honk their horn, flip you off, cut you off, and slam on their brakes. I really don’t understand the last part because it seems rather counter-productive, but yea, doing the speed limit in what is considered the fast lane can be rather dangerous, if for nothing else than the way it makes the other idiots, I mean drivers react. My question is, why would anyone put themselves through the trauma?
Yay! I’m moving to Seattle now
PA has a similar rule where you can get in trouble for holding up traffic in the left lane. It makes for a pleasant state to drive in.
@huginn - Exactly. This is absurd.
Not exactly. Granted, people who drive too slow are annoying (especially on the highway), but that’s no reason to give them a freaking ticket.
If they were going 10 mph under the speed limit, I’d understand. But for going the speed limit? I thought that was the point of a speed limit, was for people to follow it!
Yeah, it really doesn’t make sense to ticket someone if there’s no minimum speed limit set for them to violate. And I don’t think it’s one of those things that can be “at the police officer’s discretion”.
YES. As a person who drives the interstate regularly, it annoys the hell our of me when a person feels the need to be a “left lane cruiser”, even though they’re moving slower than everyone else!
That’s stupid. Why bothering having that speed limit then?
did you know that in tombstone arizona it’s a law (as archaic as it might be but a law nonetheless) that if you spit on the sidewalk you can be cited and jailed. not that this has anything to do with what your talking about, however it is another example of wacky laws ~ jack
No, but they shouldn’t go in the left lane if they’re going to obey the speed limit law.
That sounds bizarre, but it’s the sad truth.
If you’re going to do that, why have a speed limit to begin with?
You shouldn’t be punished for obeying the law.
IT’S ABOUT #&$% TIME!!! The left lane is the passing lane. If you don’t know that, you haven’t read your driver’s training manual and you’re not qualfied to drive, aside from being incredibly inconsiderate. See ya in court!!!
P.S. You’re not violating the law by going the speed limit. You’re disobeying the law by driving continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway when it impedes the flow of other traffic.” In the immortal words of Jim Carrey, in Liar, Liar, “STOP BREAKING THE LAW!!!”
@la_faerie_joyeuse - Or, they could set reasonable speed limits, so that a comfortable, safe flow-of-traffic speed is legal.
Yuppers.
I pretty much stick to if you’re driving the speed limit or under, stay in the far right lane. Then you won’t have any worries!
no, why should someone get in trouble for following the law? makes no sense! however, people should just be driving with the flow of traffic. : )
Heck yeah they need a ticket…if they can’t tell they are driving too slow when they are holding up traffic and people pass them in the slow lane they need to find a different rd to drive on
Yes, Yes, Yes. I hate getting stuck at 64 in the left lane.
uh.. I don’t think so..
And now I have another reason to hate driving..
hate it..
In Georgia, it’s illegal to force someone to pass you on the right when you are very capable of just getting in the right lane reserved for slower traffic.
So yes. The left lane is for passing and for faster traffic.
change the speed limit then…
I find it one of the most annoying things when driving if there is a slower vehicle in the left lane…it is called a passing lane for a reason…as far as them getting a ticket for driving slow…well I guess I would be okay with that if they were holding other cars up, but if there weren’t and just minding there own business, then I would have a problem with it…
If a person can get a ticket for going the speed limit, how exactly is that fair at all?
Maybe if the person is unreasonably slow, but definitely not for speed limit.
A ticket for obeying the law and driving the speed limit?
That’s one of dumbest fucking things I’ve ever heard of.
No, but they shouldn’t be driving in the left lane if they are following the law and sticking to the speed limit!
Uhm…no.
I try not to go over 55 and I wish a cop would give me a ticket. When he starts putting gas in my car…then he can tell me what speed to go.
I think it’s rude when people drive the speed limit in the left lane because everyone knows that ninety percent of the population goes at least five over, but I don’t think it’s quite right to ticket them for it!
Speed Limits are Gay: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_speeder_arrested
Yes, and this is a common practice in every state where I happen to know a cop.
Which is a few states…. and I’m not going to tell you why I know all these cops.
I think that they should be given a ticket if they are intentionally impeding traffic. I used to date a surgeon that worked between several hospitals in south Louisiana. He would be called in for an emergency and would be rushing to hospital, just to get stuck behind some ass in the left lane, who felt it was their “right” to make him slow down and would not move over or speed up so he could pass.
I know that there are people that think its funny to force people to slow down behind them, but they really need to think that there may be a legitimate excuse that someone is flashing their lights at you, trying to get you to move over.
ABSOLUTELY!!! That is the most reasonable thing I have heard lately. If they want to go only the speed limit when the rest of the traffic is moving faster, they can use the right lane!
Yes! Absolutely! I was behind some dually in the left hand lane driving the speed limit – the same speed as those in the right lane and couldn’t get around him. He had a ‘WWJD’ emblem on his tailgate…I was screaming to myself, “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? HE’D GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE LEFT HAND LANE!”
idk… this is just a very weird thing… i mean … if you speed you get ticket if you too slow or just right… you get ticket its just like…
If he is within speed limit, then it’s obviously not too slow.
Speaking as a Jersey driver who has seen just as many near and actual accidents caused by slow drivers as I have fast drivers, without a doubt HELL YES. For example, one i deal with daily: If everyone is going 75, some idiots are going 85 and 90, and one guy is going 65 in the fast lane, there’s trouble. I’ve seen many many accidents come close to happening when the 65 guy decides to go in front of or block the 85-90 guy, and it’s not pretty. You are posing a vehicular hazard driving slower than the rest of the traffic in the fast lane.
just as much as if you’re the speeder… might I add..
No.
they should not be able to give tickets to people who are drivng the speed limit as long as they are in not in the fast lane. Tickets should be dismissed if you are driving at a safe limit.
@huginn – Drivers are already in a double bind with the way traffic is policed like a police state. If there wasn’t any money involved, this would be a non-issue.
No way, that’s ridiculous.
Maybe not if they are going the speed limit, but if they aren’t, then YES give them one pleeeease. I always get stuck behind the slow-pokes. Ughh.
this is not anything new. i know of a girl who received two of such citation. i believe this law is to keep the chaos on the highways to the minimum. i am totally for this statue. it would be nice to just let the person off with a warning rather than such a punishment. question if a warning has been issued by an officer does it remain in the system so the next officer is aware of it?
I’m fine with the idea but the existing laws must accommodate it.. is there anything on the books that says you can go above the speed limit if all traffic around you is going way over?