Turnouts

Common sense prevails:

Forcing others to go slow because you don't think they should drive that fast or because you don't think you should have to move over is impeding traffic.

Not being able to safely pull over and driving slowly due to the vehicle size, capabilities, etc., is not impeding traffic.



It also works for the left lane on the interstate, towing or not.
If you’re sightseeing and relaxing pull over and practice that. Let others pass.

The law they use is impeding traffic. If you are just ignoring a growing line of vehicles behind you, driving well under the posted speed limit, and there is no reasonable explanation for your doing so and not pulling over when possible to let folks pass - then you can get a ticket for impeding traffic.

The OP's observation was a group of young folks purposely impeding traffic and they got ticketed for it - that is exactly what should happen.

Driving a motorhome or towing a trailer and not being able to reasonably pull over for a few vehicles is a totally different beast. You are unlikely to get ticketed because you are not purposely impeding traffic.

Once you have 10 or more vehicles behind you and are ignoring turnouts that you can easily turn into, then you have past beyond "reasonable" and into "impeding traffic".

Common sense prevails:

Forcing others to go slow because you don't think they should drive that fast or because you don't think you should have to move over is impeding traffic.

Not being able to safely pull over and driving slowly due to the vehicle size, capabilities, etc., is not impeding traffic.

Turnouts are always optional as long as you are not below a posted minimum speed. Where there are many miles of curves and hills, its a nice gesture to pull over and let behind traffic pass but nothing more than that. It's not a legal or moral obligation and Frankly I don't feel too compelled to turn out and almost never if I am going the speed limit. It's almost always a scenic area and locals and the impatient need to understand that some may have driven hundreds of miles to take that route, relax and enjoy the scenery.

you just have to do your best and let life move on.

ktmrfs wrote:

It's worst when traffic is moving at 50+ mph. Often on windy roads I (and traffic) is going slower and makes it easier to use wide spots in the road to pull over.

And I don't want to be on the brakes, and then off the brakes, and in the turnout, then out of the turnout, etc.

PNW_Steve wrote:
I am of a similar mind.

I do my best to be courteous and accommodating to the drivers around me but never at the expense of safety.

If I cannot see far enough ahead to feel safe using the turnout, I don't.

me three. Gripes I have is at times the sign for the turnout is way to close to the turnout to see what the turnout looks like, slow down and safely get into the turnout.

And as mentioned there doesn't seem to be any consistency of minimum turnout length or turnout pavement ( or lack thereof)

It's worst when traffic is moving at 50+ mph. Often on windy roads I (and traffic) is going slower and makes it easier to use wide spots in the road to pull over.

Yep. I won't pull over if it's a short unpaved spot - not enough room to safely slow down. I also won't pull over going uphill as it takes too much to start back up from a stop. But a downhill with a longer turnout, preferably paved, I will pull over. And if passing is allowed, I will slide over to the right edge of the road so folks can see past me to pass. I will also slow down as they pass.

Courtesy and safety.

I learned the hard way. I saw a place to pull over that wasn't a paved turnout, and the potholes were so bad, I was fortunate not to damage my truck.

I am of a similar mind.

I do my best to be courteous and accommodating to the drivers around me but never at the expense of safety.

If I cannot see far enough ahead to feel safe using the turnout, I don't.

It makes a difference if you know the road you are traveling. Last Friday we were traveling to a campground about an hour from the house. There is about a 25 mile long section of 2 lane we travel. And really only one location along there that is large enough to pull over and let others by. It's not an official "turnout". If you look for one of those here in PA you will never find one. Just a spot where a local small business has gravel and parks some truck trailers. It sits just around a curve in the road and if you don't know it's there you drive by saying "Oh, I could have pulled off there" as you go by.