Interstates versus secondary roads

MTPockets1 wrote:
Yep.... I don't care which state, you can't impede traffic if driving the speed limit.

False.

If 5 or more cars are stacked up behind you here in AZ on a two-lane highway where it is difficult to pass it is your legal obligation to move over when it is safe to do so, or via a turnout. It matters not if you are driving the speed limit. I don't see what is so hard to understand about that: if 5 or more cars are stacked up behind you, you are the problem.




Michael

enblethen wrote:
Even though I do not agree with some of the posts, in many states delaying 5 or more vehicles is breaking the law even if you are doing the speed limit.
Best thing to do is let the speeders go by sliding onto shoulder or turn outs.
Again, I would do this rather then trying to explain what happened to create an accident scenario.

I'll say it again. There is no way that going the speed limit, and presumably obeying all other laws, will put you in a situation where you have to defend yourself against accusations of causing an accident. The people speeding, tailgating or passing unsafely/illegally are the ones causing accidents.

The people who think you can impede traffic while doing the speed limit or even higher than the limit are taking one small section of the statutes and ignoring ALL OTHER sections. It's obvious that speeding is breaking the law.If you are also breaking the law by not speeding or failing to allow others to speed then you are in no man's land. You would be breaking the law just by driving down the road at any speed. This is obviously an incorrect interpretation of one small section of the law.

If I am in a hurry, interstates are the way to go, but if I have all the time in the world, I also avoid them like the plague. I wan't to see American, not smell her gas fumes. And think about this, we pay more for the privilege than car drivers with our 8 MPG rigs and $150 dollar fill-ups.
But saying that, I will also use pull outs as often as I can and 4 lane roads. Nothing worse that a harassed driver behind you

I don't believe for a nano second that you can be ticketed for doing the speed limit, it can NOT happen (unless traveling at the posted speed limit is excessive due to weather, traffic or road conditions). But.... just like when you get stopped for speeding how do you prove what speed you were actually going? :h

You could be driving down the road, doing the limit for hours and all of the folks that want to speed roar up and sit on your tail. You have done nothing wrong, they are all in violation of multiple statues but...

Along comes a LEO and all he sees is the line of vehicles backed up behind you. Yes, the officer notes that you are going the speed limit at that moment but what do you suppose he is going to assume? Yep, "this guy must have just speeded up to the limit but he obviously has been backing up traffic for miles." On go the red and blues and you are left to try and convince the officer that you were going fast enough to comply with the law (vs the speeder who is trying to convince him that he was going slow enough to be legal).

Chances are you will get the ticket and it is off to court you go to plead your case. Good luck with that by the way. My neighbor is a 27 year veteran of the CHP and he has assured me that once you are stopped there is absolutely nothing that you can say that will change the officers mind about giving you a ticket or warning. They have heard it all and will remind you that your signature on the ticket is not an admission of guilt but merely your promise to appear.... etc., etc..

Bottomline, when the chuckleheads start backing up behind you let them go by at the first safe opportunity to do so. You will be safer, they will be safer and it is such a treat to see them pulled over a few miles down the road getting their well deserved speeding/tailgating tickets for driving like jerks. Be sure to honk and wave (with all your fingers), as you go by.

:B

I find it somewhat amusing that it is claimed that secondary roads are more peaceful/relaxing/etc. than the interstates but that 99% of the issues complicating life that are given in this thread are related to two lane secondary roads.
bumpy

Terryallan wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

MTPockets1 wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

MTPockets1 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

mowermech wrote:

john&bet wrote:
From I read here most of you folk would want me to pull over if I am in front of a string of traffic that went thru a stop light 3 miles ago so they can go on even though all are spaced out as they should be and running at posted speed limit on a two lane road. I often encounter this half mile long string on my local US-50. As I see it some are not making sense.

Do as you wish, but be aware that in Montana (and some other states) if a Highway Patrol Officer sees you at the front of a long string of vehicles (4 or 5 or more), and you don't pull over and let them pass when it is safe to do so, you just might get a ticket!
That IS the law!
Good luck.

If I am running the speed limit and he gives me a ticket. My lawyer will have him for lunch. And the Judge will share the meal. In other words. It won't hold up.

. Yep.... I don't care which state, you can't impede traffic if driving the speed limit.

I think you could be in for a surprise on that!

If you are the front of the line and not a vehicle in sight in front of you, and 10 to 20 vehicles behind you you just might get a ticket if not a warning.

If not in a hurry and want to drive the speed limit or less, then be considerate and pull over. If you don't like to pull over do like me and go with the flow.

It is amazing when you go with the flow (within reason), it is relaxing in that while there are vehicles behind you and in front of you you will find there is not the big race to get around you when you do come up to a passing lane.

. "Impeding" would be driving under the speed limit. If driving at posted speed and traffic is piling up, everyone behind at some point was speeding. If One pulls over at the speed limit and everyone passes, they are speeding. We all know that most drivers exceed the posted limits, that does not mean the person driving the limit is wrong. All I'm saying is no judge would charge anyone for driving the speed limit regardless.

Hope you never need to test your theory, mine is i won't be cited for speeding while going with the flow. :S

On a similar topic.
Years ago I was driving (in my car, no trailer) on I90 from Spokane to Seattle, while near Ritzville the right lane was very rough and rutted, extremely light traffic, so I moved to the left lane with the cruse set at 70 in a 65 zone.
About 10 miles down the road, saw two WSP (Washington State Patrol) car sitting under an overpass. Didn't change anything 70 mph left lane.

#%(*^*%#%(*&)(+&, one of them pulled out as I passed and pulled me over! Got the standard question "Do you know why i pulled you over?". Well I had the cruse at 70, but figured that would not warrant a ticket. No I was pulled over for traveling in the left lane while not passing! I got off with a warning., just saying! :B

But you were NOT cited for impeding traffic, only for being in the wrong lane.
As to your GO WITH the FLOW theory. Several years ago we were going with the flow. We went by a Speed cop on the side. He didn't move. We thought we were OK. A mile down the road. Another speed cop was standing in the road waving over ALL the vehicles going with the FLOW. The FLOW ALL got speeding tickets. About 15 of us. So you go with the FLOW. I will go with the speed limit. Experience teaches, IF you are willing to learn. NEVER believe they can't get all of you. Cause they can. They can stop the FLOW real easy.

. Bingo! Common sense prevails.

rhagfo wrote:

MTPockets1 wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

MTPockets1 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

mowermech wrote:

john&bet wrote:
From I read here most of you folk would want me to pull over if I am in front of a string of traffic that went thru a stop light 3 miles ago so they can go on even though all are spaced out as they should be and running at posted speed limit on a two lane road. I often encounter this half mile long string on my local US-50. As I see it some are not making sense.

Do as you wish, but be aware that in Montana (and some other states) if a Highway Patrol Officer sees you at the front of a long string of vehicles (4 or 5 or more), and you don't pull over and let them pass when it is safe to do so, you just might get a ticket!
That IS the law!
Good luck.

If I am running the speed limit and he gives me a ticket. My lawyer will have him for lunch. And the Judge will share the meal. In other words. It won't hold up.

. Yep.... I don't care which state, you can't impede traffic if driving the speed limit.

I think you could be in for a surprise on that!

If you are the front of the line and not a vehicle in sight in front of you, and 10 to 20 vehicles behind you you just might get a ticket if not a warning.

If not in a hurry and want to drive the speed limit or less, then be considerate and pull over. If you don't like to pull over do like me and go with the flow.

It is amazing when you go with the flow (within reason), it is relaxing in that while there are vehicles behind you and in front of you you will find there is not the big race to get around you when you do come up to a passing lane.

. "Impeding" would be driving under the speed limit. If driving at posted speed and traffic is piling up, everyone behind at some point was speeding. If One pulls over at the speed limit and everyone passes, they are speeding. We all know that most drivers exceed the posted limits, that does not mean the person driving the limit is wrong. All I'm saying is no judge would charge anyone for driving the speed limit regardless.

Hope you never need to test your theory, mine is i won't be cited for speeding while going with the flow. :S

On a similar topic.
Years ago I was driving (in my car, no trailer) on I90 from Spokane to Seattle, while near Ritzville the right lane was very rough and rutted, extremely light traffic, so I moved to the left lane with the cruse set at 70 in a 65 zone.
About 10 miles down the road, saw two WSP (Washington State Patrol) car sitting under an overpass. Didn't change anything 70 mph left lane.

#%(*^*%#%(*&)(+&, one of them pulled out as I passed and pulled me over! Got the standard question "Do you know why i pulled you over?". Well I had the cruse at 70, but figured that would not warrant a ticket. No I was pulled over for traveling in the left lane while not passing! I got off with a warning., just saying! :B

But you were NOT cited for impeding traffic, only for being in the wrong lane.
As to your GO WITH the FLOW theory. Several years ago we were going with the flow. We went by a Speed cop on the side. He didn't move. We thought we were OK. A mile down the road. Another speed cop was standing in the road waving over ALL the vehicles going with the FLOW. The FLOW ALL got speeding tickets. About 15 of us. So you go with the FLOW. I will go with the speed limit. Experience teaches, IF you are willing to learn. NEVER believe they can't get all of you. Cause they can. They can stop the FLOW real easy.

MTPockets1 wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

MTPockets1 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

mowermech wrote:

john&bet wrote:
From I read here most of you folk would want me to pull over if I am in front of a string of traffic that went thru a stop light 3 miles ago so they can go on even though all are spaced out as they should be and running at posted speed limit on a two lane road. I often encounter this half mile long string on my local US-50. As I see it some are not making sense.

Do as you wish, but be aware that in Montana (and some other states) if a Highway Patrol Officer sees you at the front of a long string of vehicles (4 or 5 or more), and you don't pull over and let them pass when it is safe to do so, you just might get a ticket!
That IS the law!
Good luck.

If I am running the speed limit and he gives me a ticket. My lawyer will have him for lunch. And the Judge will share the meal. In other words. It won't hold up.

. Yep.... I don't care which state, you can't impede traffic if driving the speed limit.

I think you could be in for a surprise on that!

If you are the front of the line and not a vehicle in sight in front of you, and 10 to 20 vehicles behind you you just might get a ticket if not a warning.

If not in a hurry and want to drive the speed limit or less, then be considerate and pull over. If you don't like to pull over do like me and go with the flow.

It is amazing when you go with the flow (within reason), it is relaxing in that while there are vehicles behind you and in front of you you will find there is not the big race to get around you when you do come up to a passing lane.

. "Impeding" would be driving under the speed limit. If driving at posted speed and traffic is piling up, everyone behind at some point was speeding. If One pulls over at the speed limit and everyone passes, they are speeding. We all know that most drivers exceed the posted limits, that does not mean the person driving the limit is wrong. All I'm saying is no judge would charge anyone for driving the speed limit regardless.

Hope you never need to test your theory, mine is i won't be cited for speeding while going with the flow. :S

On a similar topic.
Years ago I was driving (in my car, no trailer) on I90 from Spokane to Seattle, while near Ritzville the right lane was very rough and rutted, extremely light traffic, so I moved to the left lane with the cruse set at 70 in a 65 zone.
About 10 miles down the road, saw two WSP (Washington State Patrol) car sitting under an overpass. Didn't change anything 70 mph left lane.

#%(*^*%#%(*&)(+&, one of them pulled out as I passed and pulled me over! Got the standard question "Do you know why i pulled you over?". Well I had the cruse at 70, but figured that would not warrant a ticket. No I was pulled over for traveling in the left lane while not passing! I got off with a warning., just saying! :B

MTPockets1 wrote:
"Impeding" would be driving under the speed limit. If driving at posted speed and traffic is piling up, everyone behind at some point was speeding. If One pulls over at the speed limit and everyone passes, they are speeding. We all know that most drivers exceed the posted limits, that does not mean the person driving the limit is wrong. All I'm saying is no judge would charge anyone for driving the speed limit regardless.

Nope.

ORS 811.130 wrote:

Impeding traffic
• penalty


(1)
A person commits the offense of impeding traffic if the person drives a motor vehicle or a combination of motor vehicles in a manner that impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.


(2)
A person is not in violation of the offense described under this section if the person is proceeding in a manner needed for safe operation.


(3)
Proceeding in a manner needed for safe operation includes but is not necessarily limited to:


(a)
Momentarily stopping to allow oncoming traffic to pass before making a right-hand or left-hand turn.


(b)
Momentarily stopping in preparation of, or moving at an extremely slow pace while, negotiating an exit from the road.


(4)
A person is not in violation of the offense described under this section if the person is proceeding as part of a funeral procession under the direction of a funeral escort vehicle or a funeral lead vehicle.


(5)
The offense described in this section, impeding traffic, is a Class D traffic violation.

Impeding in Oregon is impeding the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. I've highlighted what even you consider the "normal" movement in your post. The Oregon statute makes no mention of your or the other vehicles' speeds. Just because you pulling over could "allow" others to speed, it doesn't make impeding traffic at the speed limit legal.


What if you drive the speed limit but drop by 1 mph occasionally. Couldn't another behind you want to drive at the limit?

What if your speedometer is off?

It's not your job to play traffic cop and hold others back. It is in fact your obligation to pull over when you can.

enblethen wrote:
Even though I do not agree with some of the posts, in many states delaying 5 or more vehicles is breaking the law even if you are doing the speed limit.
Best thing to do is let the speeders go by sliding onto shoulder or turn outs.
Again, I would do this rather then trying to explain what happened to create an accident scenario.

. Can't delay or impede if going at posted speed limit. The front vehicle would be breaking the law if they had to speed up to outrun those behind. There will be lines of traffic at all speeds. The law is being misinterpreted. You don't need to pull over if going at posted speed.