Bill targets left lane cruisers...

[Ed W]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090401_16_A9_OKLAHO170794

This bill proposes to require all vehicles use the right hand lane except to pass.  One commenter on the TW thread says there's already a 'keep right' provision, but when I checked Title 47 section 301, I was surprised to find that Oklahoma does not have such a provision.  Maybe it's somewhere else?

[patric]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090401_16_A9_OKLAHO170794

This bill proposes to require all vehicles use the right hand lane except to pass.

The right lane is where the potholes are.
Where does the bills author live?

[nathanm]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090401_16_A9_OKLAHO170794

This bill proposes to require all vehicles use the right hand lane except to pass.  One commenter on the TW thread says there's already a 'keep right' provision, but when I checked Title 47 section 301, I was surprised to find that Oklahoma does not have such a provision.  Maybe it's somewhere else?

One should not need a law to enforce common sense, but sadly it is indeed apparently necessary. Sort of like the "move over for emergency vehicles" law. What idiot isn't bright enough to do it on their own? (A lot of them, apparently) As if one should only move over for police, fire, and EMTs.

[Red Arrow]

It's about time. 

A few years ago, a teen wrote a piece in the Satellite section of the TW about how she was stopped after going slow in the left lane of 169.  The police tried to get her to change lanes by flashing headlights etc but she was too dense. Traffic in the other lanes prevented the police officer from passing her on the right.  She was pulled over but the only thing the officer could cite her for was obstructing traffic. At least at that time there was no law preventing someone from going slow in the left lane(s) as long as they were above any posted minimum speed.

It's difficult to stop people for obstructing traffic if the police are at the tail end of a string of traffic.  An ex-TPD friend told me they don't generally enforce that anyway.

[Hawkins]

It's about time. 

A few years ago, a teen wrote a piece in the Satellite section of the TW about how she was stopped after going slow in the left lane of 169.  The police tried to get her to change lanes by flashing headlights etc but she was too dense. Traffic in the other lanes prevented the police officer from passing her on the right.  She was pulled over but the only thing the officer could cite her for was obstructing traffic. At least at that time there was no law preventing someone from going slow in the left lane(s) as long as they were above any posted minimum speed.

It's difficult to stop people for obstructing traffic if the police are at the tail end of a string of traffic.  An ex-TPD friend told me they don't generally enforce that anyway.

I remember that article. It showed a complete lack of understanding of traffic rules by the author.

We live in a world that is becoming less and less courteous, and this extends to rude drivers who won't yield the left lane to faster moving traffic.

I also see a lot less of drivers switching to an open left lane when cars are trying to merge into the right lane from an on-ramp. This is a common, polite practice that is practiced on highways throughout the nation.

Oklahoma drivers can be such docile creatures, however, that they seem afraid to switch lanes at any time. So they end up either driving slow in the left lane, or making merging from the right lane more dangerous.

[Red Arrow]

I also see a lot less of drivers switching to an open left lane when cars are trying to merge into the right lane from an on-ramp. This is a common, polite practice that is practiced on highways throughout the nation.

I would like to see more drivers try to merge with traffic by going nearly the same speed as traffic rather than 10 to 20 mph slower.  That would cause less need for lane changing that disrupts whatever flow of traffic there is.  Remember, the Yield sign is for the entering traffic, not the thru traffic.

[sgrizzle]

I'm perfectly fine with this bill. I used to do an 8-5 commute on the BA and found that through Tulsa, the left lane was usually the slowest and the right lane the fastest. This was caused by people entering the highway and moving to the far left to "avoid all those lane changers."

It's not as bad during non-peak hours.

[kylieosu]

I'm perfectly fine with this bill. I used to do an 8-5 commute on the BA and found that through Tulsa, the left lane was usually the slowest and the right lane the fastest. This was caused by people entering the highway and moving to the far left to "avoid all those lane changers."

It's not as bad during non-peak hours.

This is definitely true. I do that drive every morning/afternoon from Denver to Yale and back.

[cannon_fodder]

Holy crap people, it isn't hard.

ON a 4 lane divided highway the right lane is for driving, the left lane is for passing.  It is acceptable to briefly occupy the left lane to allow traffic to merge if you need to.  Otherwise, DRIVE in the right lane.

On a 6 lane (3 each way) highway, the right most lane is for merging and exiting.  The center lane is for driving.  The left most lane is for passing. 

The busier things get the more the system breaks down.  At those times it is advisable to generally occupy the lane that suits your desired purpose.  If you are exiting soon, right lane.  If you are going faster than most people, left lane.  If you are somewhere in the middle . . . drive in the middle.

It is a self feeding loop.  If there is some dumbass going 45 in the left lane more people have to drive in the merge lane, which cases more congestion, which means there is denser traffic, which means even more people are stuck in the merge lane.  AhhhhH!

And while we are at it, MERGE lanes are for MERGING.  Don't stop at the top of a marge lane.  If you exit and have a yield sign, YIELD - don't stop.   Sometimes you are given your own lane to occupy upon merging onto or exiting a highway, use them.  If you are currently on a highway and someone is merging, get over.  If no one is in the left lane(s) and you refuse to move over for me to merge I reserve the right to shoot you in the damn face.

XoXo,

c_f

[patric]

It's about time. 

A few years ago, a teen wrote a piece in the Satellite section of the TW about how she was stopped after going slow in the left lane of 169.  The police tried to get her to change lanes by flashing headlights etc but she was too dense. Traffic in the other lanes prevented the police officer from passing her on the right.  She was pulled over but the only thing the officer could cite her for was obstructing traffic.

Today you would be charged with Failure to Yield to an Emergency Vehicle.

A friend at work came in with such a ticket from OHP when the trooper decided he didnt get out of the officer's way fast enough.  The trooper apparently didnt have any lights or sirens going prior to the traffic stop, and he musnt have been in that big a hurry because he took the time to write the ticket.
Failure to Yield was a good idea, but it has a lot of holes open to arbitrary interpretation and abuse.

[YoungTulsan]

It's difficult to stop people for obstructing traffic if the police are at the tail end of a string of traffic.  An ex-TPD friend told me they don't generally enforce that anyway.

Not to mention that some people just automatically start driving ridiculously slow the moment they see a police car nearby.  I would hate to be a cop for that reason alone.

[Wilbur]

Tulsa already has the ordinance:

Title 37 Section 640 (A)  -  Driving on lanes streets

[Red Arrow]

Tulsa already has the ordinance:

Title 37 Section 640 (A)  -  Driving on lanes streets

Does that also apply to roads patrolled by the OHP rather than TPD?

[Red Arrow]

If no one is in the left lane(s) and you refuse to move over for me to merge I reserve the right to shoot you in the damn face.

If you even attempt to adjust your speed to fit in a space between cars, pretty much anyone will be willing to help. If you keep pace with someone (expecially in a much larger vehicle) you may end up driving on the shoulder until you change your mind and speed up or slow down to find a space where there is no vehicle.  It's not that hard.

[Delmo Gillete]

Much ado about nothing. The very tiny minority who've been ticketed recently will disagree (very loudly) but our worsening traffic problems don't beg for yet another law. The answer (like it or not) is enforcement. We have none. How many people do you see every day pulling stunts that would have landed even a judge's kid in jail 20 years ago?