🚀 go-pugleaf

On 30 Oct 1998 21:21:45 GMT, Joshua_Putnam <josh@WOLFENET.COM> wrote:
>In <71d4pu$40t$1@samba.rahul.net> c.c.eiftj@22.usenet.us.com (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
>
>>In <71cnue$h46$1@sparky.wolfe.net> josh@WOLFENET.COM (Joshua_Putnam) writes:
>
>>>If all the traffic moves slower than the speed limit because of
>>>congestion, does everyone have to pull out of the left lane?
>
>>>And if most traffic is moving above the speed limit, is it safe
>>>to have one self-righteous speed enforcer driving slow in the
>>>left lane?  Or should speed enforcement be left to the police,
>>>who have the proper safety flashers when they obstruct traffic?
>
>>These are good questions.  Another one that I often ask is:
>
>>   Is it possible to legally drive in the leftmost lane?
>
>>The answer is almost never yes.  Either you are speeding or you are
>>obstructing traffic.
>
>In general, at least under Washington law, the left lane is a
>passing lane.  You aren't supposed to be there unless you're
>passing someone, or preparing to take a left exit.

Of course, someone crossposted to ca.driving, where California law is
different than Washington law.

>
>If traffic is so congested that all the other lanes are moving
>below the speed limit, moving into the passing lane allows you
>to pass traffic without speeding.  That's the explicitly stated
>legilative intent of the law requiring drivers to stay right
>except when passing.

No such law in CA.

>
>>So, if to drive in the leftmost lane, you must break some law, which one
>>should it be?  Is it better to be speeding, or to be obstructing
>>traffic?
>
>None of the above.  use the lane when it's legal; don't when it
>isn't.

It's not a passing lane in CA, it's perfectly legal to be there on an
empty road, answer doesn't in CA.  Given the traffic volumes in most
urban areas and many inter-urban areas, it should not be, either.

>
>>Based on what you write, I assume you think it's better to be speeding
>>than to be obstructing traffic.  
>
>Legally speaking, niether.  If you can go faster than traffic by
>moving into the passing lane, then by all means pass people in
>the passing lane, but do it at a legal speed.  If you would have
>to speed to pass people, then you have no legal reason to be
>passing them.

No passing lane, answer doesn't apply.

>
>--
>
> Josh@WolfeNet.com  is  Joshua Putnam / P.O. Box 13220 / Burton, WA 98013
>                       "My other bike is a car."                   
>                     http://www.wolfenet.com/~josh/

jg
-- 
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