new traffic law in tn

[down_home]

july 1 those, impeding traffic in the left lane on three land highways, will be fined 50.00.
doesn't matter about speed limit, if you are impeding traffic, other vehicles behind you to back up or stopping someone going faster to slow down etc they will be fined.
won't do much about two lane highways, like yesterday a jeep, going up the mountain was staying at about 45, when the speed limit was 55, and traffic was moving faster than that.
flashed lights and she ht the rakes trying to cause an accident.
semis in right lane doing about 30.
she passed them and we were clear and tried to go around, she hit the gas and went bck down to 45 when she approcahed the corner of another semi in the right lane.
she would not get over.
got past her and she she shot us the finger.
how dare we. it was her lane and she was enforcing her speed limit.

[3oaks]

wnjj wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
fair number of states won't allow any towing in the 3rd or 4th lane of a mulilane highway in many places. WA is one of them. going through spokane I've seen many a trailer or semi pulled over when they moved to the leftmost 3rd lane to pass traffic. bummer when your stuck in the middle lane with SLOW traffic below the speed limit and can't move over to pass.

Yep. I once pulled a small, empty flat bed trailer up I5 in Washington where there are three lanes. I spent a couple miles sitting behind the slow idiot in the middle lane as he tracked the traffic in the right lane. I eventually gave up and just passed in the totally empty left lane.

Sometimes laws needed to be bent under some conditions.

That doesn't make you any less guilty of breaking the law. I would call that picking and choosing what laws you want to obey and what laws you think don't apply to you.

[down_home]

We have very serious problem with overloaded Interstates, on i24 and i75 in Tn into Ga through Nashville and on I65 both directions from Nashville.

[WTP-GC]

coolbreeze01 wrote:

WTP-GC wrote:
So....
They've created a law that will force you to break the law in order to keep the law so that others may break the law.

BTW, I don't impede traffic and regularly drive at an elevated (but safe) speed if I'm in the left lane...but I can assure you that flying up behind me and flashing your lights will not help your case.

So you don't let faster traffic get around?

Yes and no...don't misinterpret what I'm saying. Hypothetically, let's say the speed limit is 70 and I'm traveling 78. I will not move over for anyone in such a scenario. If I'm going 70, then it's a judgement call. Flashing lights or giving me the finger doesn't make me go faster or slower. Life is a lot better when you quit caring about how someone you've never met feels about you.

Recently I was pulling a trailer on a 2 lane interstate. I'm in the right lane doing 67, but I come up on someone that's doing far less. The left lane is open. I slide over there to the left lane just to make the pass, but I get hung up there because a plethora of impatient drivers being passing me on the right...despite my right turn signal being on. Naturally, some of them gave me the finger or made some other motion as they passed. Oh well, not my problem.

But back on topic, any law of this nature is basically unenforceable and practically illogical unless someone is intentionally trying to impede traffic by fluctuating their speed or hanging with the car next to them. In a more normal scenario, if a slow car is in the left lane, then you should just pass them on the right. If you can't pass them on the right, then maybe it's because the traffic on the right is slower. If you have passing ability but choose not to, then you are the one impeding traffic. Maybe they can't get over because of traffic. Far too many subjective factors come into play.

[mich800]

WTP-GC wrote:
So....
They've created a law that will force you to break the law in order to keep the law so that others may break the law.

BTW, I don't impede traffic and regularly drive at an elevated (but safe) speed if I'm in the left lane...but I can assure you that flying up behind me and flashing your lights will not help your case.

And that is why these laws are passed and hopefully enforced. Drivers on power trips do nothing to help keep traffic flowing.

[wa8yxm]

As for the fine. Your millage may vary depending on the state of offense.

But in MANY (if not all) states there is a poke-a-long law that fines those who drive slow in the left lane..
Where I am a friend (Whom I spent much of today with) was telling me of a day she spent in court.. Just observing, not participating.. Several were paying fines for doing 90 to over 100 MPH in the 70 Zone.. ONe elderly man got a ticket for doing 70 in the left lane "he would not move over" Judge read the issuign officer a riot act and, dismissed.

In California the judge also dismissed one such ticket, but seriously warened the "offender" to try and keep up with traffic (he was doing the posted limit).

As a police dispatcher I got a 9-1-1 call... Caller was upset that one of my Troopers was doing... The speed limit.. and nobody was willing to risk passing him.. Transferred caller to supervisor (Sgt.) since I could not make him happy.. Sgt did not make him happy either.. hindsight we shoudl have gotten his ID (non emergency call to 9-1-1 is a 500 dollar offense per FEDERAL law). After Identifying the trooper and confirming I ask the Sgt. if he had any message.. Perhaps "Good Job" Sgt. said YES, tell him that.

[Mich_F]

hi having issues posting :h
For some reason it's not posting what I wrote.
It must be not allowing it because of a link I put in the post ?
It was a link to an article that says that Florida has also passed a iaw, that as of July 1, you can be ticketed and receive a $60 fine (I thought signs I saw on the Fl. Tpk were for considerably more money) for going 10mph less than the posted speed limit, in the left lane.
I believe it's also 3 point moving violation on your license.
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2013-06-27/story/left-lane-slowpokes-face-fines-under-new-florida...

[colliehauler]

valhalla360 wrote:

colliehauler wrote:

ken56 wrote:
Signs?? Who reads signs? I see no indication that signs do anything at all. Orange barrels?? What the heck do they mean? Road workers present? Just speed on by....I didn't see anyone. People are plain oblivious or just don't care. From what I see here in east tn. it won't make any difference..... but one can hope.

I will give people a heads up for interstates in Kansas. Construction zones are enforced worker's present or not, fines are doubled. We have had highway workers killed and they are very serious about enforcement as they should be.

If the zones are properly set up including reasonable speed limits, I agree.

Unfortunately far too many times, speeds are randomly set thinking the sign will change the speed of traffic (it doesn't). Then people wonder why drivers don't respect the signs.

Signs really are only to help those unfamiliar with the road. I'll give you 10-1 odds, you can't remember seeing every sign on the way to work last Monday (I don't mean can you recall ever seeing the sign but can you specifically recall seeing each sign that day). To expect otherwise is fooling yourself.

You would lose the bet, I'm retired. :B

Mine was a simple heads up warning trying to keep money in your wallet. Can't speak for other states but Kansas has huge bright orange signage in construction zones, kind of hard to miss.

[Dutch_12078]

Imagine how loud we'd be screaming if LEO's strictly enforced the posted maximum speed limits. That someone can be ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic while traveling at the maximum legal speed should be a bit troubling I would think...

[valhalla360]

colliehauler wrote:

ken56 wrote:
Signs?? Who reads signs? I see no indication that signs do anything at all. Orange barrels?? What the heck do they mean? Road workers present? Just speed on by....I didn't see anyone. People are plain oblivious or just don't care. From what I see here in east tn. it won't make any difference..... but one can hope.

I will give people a heads up for interstates in Kansas. Construction zones are enforced worker's present or not, fines are doubled. We have had highway workers killed and they are very serious about enforcement as they should be.

If the zones are properly set up including reasonable speed limits, I agree.

Unfortunately far too many times, speeds are randomly set thinking the sign will change the speed of traffic (it doesn't). Then people wonder why drivers don't respect the signs.

Signs really are only to help those unfamiliar with the road. I'll give you 10-1 odds, you can't remember seeing every sign on the way to work last Monday (I don't mean can you recall ever seeing the sign but can you specifically recall seeing each sign that day). To expect otherwise is fooling yourself.

[colliehauler]

ken56 wrote:
Signs?? Who reads signs? I see no indication that signs do anything at all. Orange barrels?? What the heck do they mean? Road workers present? Just speed on by....I didn't see anyone. People are plain oblivious or just don't care. From what I see here in east tn. it won't make any difference..... but one can hope.

I will give people a heads up for interstates in Kansas. Construction zones are enforced worker's present or not, fines are doubled. We have had highway workers killed and they are very serious about enforcement as they should be.

[ken56]

Signs?? Who reads signs? I see no indication that signs do anything at all. Orange barrels?? What the heck do they mean? Road workers present? Just speed on by....I didn't see anyone. People are plain oblivious or just don't care. From what I see here in east tn. it won't make any difference..... but one can hope.

[ryoung]

If drivers cannot comprehend what the signs "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT" or "SLOWER TRAFFIC USE RIGHT LANE" means, no amount of new laws are going to solve the problem.

ryoung

[lbrjet]

Dano1955 wrote:

alaska315 wrote:
I'm sure I'll catch some flak but I am a retired LEO and I used to enforce that law in my State and did it with a smile on my face.

Actually nailed a few DUI's that way.

No FLAK to any LEO. Thank you for your service, you are there to protect us all. :C

X100

[colliehauler]

Won't do a nickels worth of good in less it's enforced.

[Homer1]

I run into this scenario every day. Someone piddling along in the passing lane and no amount of people passing on the right seems to affect them at all. I have tail gated them to get their attention, most of the time with out any success. I have honked the horn at them and gestured for them to move back to the right lane. Most just stare at you in their mirror as though you are crazy, some have even slowed down. Thank God I eventually get around them, they usually just continue driving in the passing lane until they are out of sight.