Turnouts

[DarkSkySeeker]

I am happy to pull over in turnouts, even when I see only one or two cars behind me. I don't aspire to the notion that if I am going the speed limit, I don't need to use the turnout.

The problem I have is not knowing the length of the turnout. Unless I can tell for sure that I have a lot of room to safely brake and then accelerate back up to speed before coming up to the end of a short turnout, I won't pull over.

Of course, it is really hard to tell how long the turnout is, when there is no "turnout" sign or the sign is on a curve.

I have never seen a turnout sign that reads like this, "300 foot long turnout ahead", but I would like that. Some stretch on for quite a while and some are really short.

[DarkSkySeeker]

This is what the California Department of Motor Vehicle says,

'Special “turnout” areas are sometimes marked on two-lane roads. Drive into these areas to allow cars behind you to pass. Some two-lane roads have passing lanes. If you are driving slowly on a two-lane highway or road where passing is unsafe, and 5 or more vehicles are following, you must drive into the turnout areas or lanes to let the vehicles pass.'

[hotpepperkid]

I will pull over if I can see far enough ahead to safely slow down to pull over,
my safety over rides your desire to go faster, other wise your just going to have to follow me

[myredracer]

Sometimes turnouts appear out of nowhere and sometimes can be ridiculously short. I wish our Garmin GPS would show turnouts so we at least can have a heads up there's one coming up. Not sure if we can change the setting on the GPS.

[TurnThePage]

Yes, it would be awesome if they would post signs at at least every other turn out. Many times I would have gotten out of the way if the opportunity didn't keep flying by.

[toedtoes]

Yes, you can be ticketed for impeding traffic by driving too slow. It will be based on multiple factors, including your attitude if stopped.

Road conditions, your vehicle, your reason for driving slower, weather, your actual speed versus the speed limit, available places to pull over and let others pass, etc., will all play a factor.

The biggest thing is common courtesy. If you want to go slower that's fine, but move over and let folks pass when possible to do so safely. You are unlikely to get ticketed this way.

If you want to relax and enjoy the scenery, then pulling over on occasion should not be a problem.

When I'm driving the clipper or towing on curvy roads, I won't pull over unless it's pavement because of the need to reduce speed quickly while moving off pavement. I also won't pull over going uphill as it is too difficult to regain my speed (as slow as it may be). I always move to the right when I hit a passing lane and I will pull over while coming downhill. On flat straight roads, I will move as far to the right as I can get so others can pass me when safe. As I often get waves as folks pass under all those conditions, I believe that I am reasonable in my behavior.

[Jayco-noslide]

For those posts that state that you can be ticketed for "impeding traffic" even though you are following all speed laws; just going below the speed limit with vehicles following; are you stating that based on legal knowledge? I'm dubious and would certainly go to court to dispute a ticket. Maybe I would be a jerk or just wanting to relax, enjoy the scenery and not worry about turning out every mile or 2 for today's world in a hurry but I don't think I would be violating law. If the speed limit is 55 and I'm going 42, I don't think so. I guess if I'm going 22 then there's some legal judgement involved. By the way, I wouldn't go that slow but I will go slower than most want to.

[ktmrfs]

D.E.Bishop wrote:
Is there a law that says you can't stop in the turnout? What's the big deal?

I hope not since more than once I have stopped in a turnout to let all the traffic by.

Now what I've found a few times is some idot that thinks the slow moving single lane traffic turnout with no shoulder is a nice place to park and have lunch, hike etc. So you pull into the slow lane only to find some idiot parked in the traffic lane. And of course where do they park, either at the beginning of the turnout, or about half way down.

[time2roll]

Yea a week ago I got several gestures after running slow with at least 20 cars behind me for 20+ miles.
I think they expected me to pull off into the gravel ditch :R

I agree it can be difficult to verify a safe turn out while on the fly. If there is an actual sign I have always found it was plenty of room to pull off and stop.

[D_E_Bishop]

Is there a law that says you can't stop in the turnout? What's the big deal?

[ktmrfs]

Jayco-noslide wrote:
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.

while I somewhat agree with your philosophy, if you have a string of cars behind you pulling over when possible is just common sense and in some states the law. In oregon if you have more than a certain number of vehicles behind you, even if you are doing the speed limit you legally have to use a slow moving vehicle pullout and let traffic by. IIRC it is something like 5 vehicles. And if that means stopping in the pullout to let traffic by, that's what you legally have to do.

On the major OR state highways almost all the turnouts have a sign 1/2 mile or more in advance that a slow moving vehicle turnout is coming up and the placement is such that there is no excuse for not using them. OR county roads another story, sometimes they aren't marked till you get to them and they are on a curve.

[campigloo]

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.

[toedtoes]

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.

[Jayco-noslide]

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.

[edbehnke]

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