REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

E=mc² · 07-20-2009, 02:05 AM

Hope the police members can chime in

I've NEVER heard of anyone getting a ticket like this in the city. I've heard it happen on the highway, which I'm glad. But not in the city.

90% of the people in canada/us/europe don't follow this rule on multi-lane roads in the city. Especially when there's a reasonable amount of traffic such that there are cars present in both lanes. I've seen shitloads of people, even COPS themselves, drive continously in the left lane in the city.

Just wondering if cops even bother with enforcing this law outside of the freeway? At the same time do you guys think this law is pointless? I mean the concept makes sense, but due to traffic volume, left turns, and traffic lights, it's practically IMPOSSIBLE to not have a lineup of cars behind you unless it's like late night you know. Due to this impossibility of not having cars behind you, it would be extremely impractical to be moving over to the right lane just because you "think" the person behind wants to go faster, and then moving back just to pass more people. This lane hopping is more dangerous it'd be much better to just stick to the left lane all the way and go with the flow if you want to pass people on the right. Right?

I drive down W broadway westbound 3 times a week at 6pm and I always drive in the left lane because the right lane is always way more congested (buses keep to the right because they need to stop at bus stops, tons of other cars drive in the right lane because it's farther from oncoming traffic and thus safer, also to avoid left turners). So basically the left lane is faster and I can't picture a situation where I'd be in the wrong with regards to the law and actually get a ticket.

I just can't imagine a cop giving out a ticket like this for city streets and actually winning if it gets disputed.

**Note I don't mean crawling at 30 in the left lane, I'm talking about going with the traffic flow, but doing so continuously in the left lane and have a line up of cars behind you. I'm referring to this aspect of the law.

Mugen EvOlutioN · 07-20-2009, 08:43 AM

doubt it, not in this city

since the citizens has no clue wtf that law is

BNR32_Coupe · 07-20-2009, 10:11 AM

dont think so but they definitely should. people here are so clueless to blocking the left lane, this includes HOV. i talked to one left lane blocker and he seems to not know about the rule. we need more signs that says 'slower traffic keep right'

E=mc² · 07-20-2009, 10:33 AM

^
I meant in the city though.

Haven't you driven down a major arterial street like Kingsway or something and notice that both lanes have cars? I can't imagine you would be able to pinpoint who's holding back who, as traffic from one pack, catches up to more left lane traffic the next block up, and so on and so on. Wouldn't it make sense to just go with the flow because you're still passing cars on your right, and most likely going at a pretty good city speed.

I'm pretty sure all of us who drive in the city would know that it's pretty impossible to not have cars behind you. How would you even know they want to pass you? I bet 90% of the time the people behind me want to go faster. Hell I always want to go faster than the guy in front of me, but we are all restricted to the speed of the person in front (but everyone is keeping up at least). If traffic is flowing nicely at 60, I will be happy to do 70 if the street is clear in front of me, but I can't because of the cars in front. So one can always argue that we are always "slower traffic". No way in the world would I expect everyone in front to move over.

I'm just curious as to whether cops even bother with giving a ticket for this. It'd be quite hard to prove they were impeding traffic. I'd imagine cops would rather just ticket someone for speeding instead lol

On the highway it's a totally different story. I keep to the right all the time except in areas where it's congested, then I stick to the left because that lane always flows faster than the right.

jlenko · 07-20-2009, 10:52 AM

Everyone in Vancouver (all the way out to 264th Ave on the highway..) seems to think they "belong" in the left lane because they're going at least the speed limit. In the city, on the highway, whatever... it's the same everywhere.

I stick to the right lane and I always pass the slowpokes in the left lane... I don't even need to weave lanes like some people feel the need to.

skidmark · 07-20-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BNR32_Coupe

people here are so clueless to blocking the left lane, this includes HOV.

Don't be too quick here...

Once you are in the HOV lane and there is a solid line to the right, you cannot leave it. So, regardless, a slower HOV lane user cannot move out of the way of a faster HOV lane user except at the broken lines.

E=mc² · 07-20-2009, 11:30 AM

Yes, but if you're in a hurry, you'd drive in the left too because it's much faster than the right assuming traffic is present in both lanes. I bet most people driving in the left lane are doing it because they are merely picking the faster lane. They may not know the concept of a fast/passing lane, but they realize "the right lane is so congested and has so many buses, I'm better off driving in the left, it's much faster." Can't blame them for this can we if they are keeping up with the person in front.

I almost want to get pulled over just to see if a cop is able to pinpoint someone for being the sole cause of impeding traffic behind them. With traffic lights and constant 'catching up to the next pack of cars', I'd say it's impossible to pinpoint anyone.

even the new kansas left lane law that passed on July 1st is only applicable outside the city where there are little to no traffic lights, and are 'freeway-like' roads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S-etDP_zhI

skidmark · 07-20-2009, 11:30 AM

Not like it will happen often, but I always wonder if staying in the right lane is a good idea. Those confused people that get onto the freeway going the wrong way are going to be aimed at the vehicles in the left lane.

!LittleDragon · 07-20-2009, 03:33 PM

What I don't understand is... everyone is taught to keep right and pass on the left when they were learning to drive. At what point do they forget this?

E=mc² · 07-20-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skidmark

Not like it will happen often, but I always wonder if staying in the right lane is a good idea. Those confused people that get onto the freeway going the wrong way are going to be aimed at the vehicles in the left lane.

So have you ever given out a ticket for failing to keep right in the city?

Quote:

Originally Posted by !LittleDragon

What I don't understand is... everyone is taught to keep right and pass on the left when they were learning to drive. At what point do they forget this?

Probably the same time most people forget that you can turn left on a red light onto a one-way street, or that you can turn left across a double yellow as long as you don't unreasonably impede traffic.

Anyway, to be honest, most people aren't trying to do this to be dicks in the city. As I mentioned, people are merely choosing the faster lane. So all those people in the left lane are "passing" because they are faster than the right lane. They aren't there to slow anyone down. They are going faster than the right lane themselves especially when the right lane is congested and has buses and trucks too.

Extremely hard to pinpoint if anyone's 'impeding traffic' within the city unlike the highway where you can glance 1 km up ahead and see the lead car in the left lane you know what I mean.

van_driver · 07-20-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !LittleDragon

What I don't understand is... everyone is taught to keep right and pass on the left when they were learning to drive. At what point do they forget this?

When they see no one else on the road is doing it

valent|n0 · 07-20-2009, 06:18 PM

they simply should be more considerate,

I read somewhere, driver in autobahn or highway in europe is very considerate. whenever they see a faster car approaching on the rear view mirror, they make a way. That is the best way I think.

But I think european driver still complain though saying that slower driver does not make away fast enough. Jeremy clarkson comes to mind when I think about it

E=mc² · 07-20-2009, 08:13 PM

^
can't compare man

European drivers >>>>> North American

eurochevy · 07-20-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MXQBLGH

^
can't compare man

European drivers >>>>> North American

x2 you go to europe ..literally EVERYONE is using the right lane/ pass on the left..main reason why european drivers don't follow that concept here either though is because of the other idiots on the road that don't follow it..either everyone follows it or the ppl get screwed who do follow it so you gotta blend it..its a sad truth thats why the speed limit also needs to be raised on the highways and diff speeds for each lane minimum like in europe or get a ticket for being in the wrong lane granny

ALuu918 · 07-23-2009, 12:04 PM

Sometimes it gets quite annoying.

zulutango · 07-23-2009, 12:28 PM

Just came back from Washington Sate and they have a law that requires slow drivers to pull over and allow traffic behind them to pass if there are 5 or more vehicles back. Wish we had it here. In BC is the sign says keep right except to pass and you did not and were holding traffic up then you could be charged with disobeying a traffic control device. As part of Police driver training we are taught to use the "lane of least resistance"..generally that means drive in the fastest moving lane.

sebberry · 07-23-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zulutango

Just came back from Washington Sate and they have a law that requires slow drivers to pull over and allow traffic behind them to pass if there are 5 or more vehicles back. Wish we had it here. In BC is the sign says keep right except to pass and you did not and were holding traffic up then you could be charged with disobeying a traffic control device. As part of Police driver training we are taught to use the "lane of least resistance"..generally that means drive in the fastest moving lane.

Those signs also say that the left lane is a travel lane, so people travel in it at the speed limit, or at the very least, at or slower than the flow of traffic in the right lane.

I did hear of one person getting a ticket on Blanshard street entering downtown Victoria for being in the left lane (allegedly holding up traffic...)

Makes me worried about moving into the left lane too far in advance of making my left turn. I make my lane changes further up where the road narrrows and goes into a bend. Get a few honks doing that but at least I am not obstructing the left lane

wnderinguy · 07-23-2009, 04:10 PM

the problem is more enforceable in sections where there are no left turns i.e.between Parksville - Qualicum or Sydney to just past Mackenzie.It would be unenforceable IMO if there were left hand turn lanes.

E=mc² · 07-23-2009, 07:42 PM

that's why I can't imagine anyone getting a ticket within the city.
How are they gonna prove you were holding up traffic? You could easily argue you were about to turn left, but because of traffic you changed lanes earlier so as not to miss your turn. You drive up to any intersection, and the minute you hit a red light, you'll have cars behind you lined up. Light turns green, you go up and catch up to the next pack up ahead, now you are no longer the lead car...the cycle keeps going like that.

How in the world would they enforce this unless it's like late at night with few cars. In those cases, passing on the right would result and nobody would be 'held up'.

based on zulutango's response, that means if there's no sign that tells you to keep right (ie. in the city), the police really won't care then as it's too hard to pinpoint who's holding up who unlike on the freeway where you can glance up 500 m and see the lead car.