What is with the fast lane on 95?

[DisneyGerry]

I like to set the cruise control at about 70-75 on 95 from Maryland. I like to travel on the weekends since I rather deal with a little more traffic but less trucks. We drove straight down and back with 3 young kids on Saturday the 12th of August and back this Sunday the 20th. Congested traffic on way down basically through NC. Seemingly a lot less traffic on Sunday coming back.

Anyway, noticed more and more cars like to drive in the left lane. No reason to do this on the rare portions of 95 with 3 lanes (thanks GA). Sometimes there would be a crowd of a few cars in the left lane and no one to be seen on the right?
I think on those stretches where speed limit is 70--if I dont drive at least 75 Ill get run over from the guy from behind at 80+. But I approached a bunch of vehicles in the fast lane driving below the speed limit--some were on there phone or talking with a passenger. And I didnt notice too many senior members of our society as well.

Anyway

Thanks

Gerry

 

[OhMari]

I am going to move this over to the Transportation Board. Hope you had a great vacation at the World.

I did a little bit of traveling on I95 this weekend, New Jersey likes to call it "New Jersey TurnPike:, hence pay us to drive on it. Anyways, yes traffic was flying 80. I really don't think people use the left lane anymore as a Passing Lane, people consider it a lane to use to travel on.

We spent Thursday, Aug 17-Sunday, Aug. 20 in Old English Town in New Jersey. We drove in from Wisconsin. I counted on our way home in one hour how many vehicles we passed and then how many were on the cell phones. Over 75% of th people we passed were on cell phones talking.

The reason I counted was we almost had an accident because a young girl(talking on her cell phone-cut us off, we were pulling a 40 ft trailer. She had no idea how we almost ran her over - we almost jack-knifed the trailer trying to slow down. We eventually passed her and my son was so mad he yelled out the window-"we almost killed you when you cut us off". She yelled back, "Sorry".

 

[tms295]

Haha Funny you should mention New Jersey Drivers... I think they are the worst drivers! They are known for jumping from lane to lane to get 2 cars ahead... and making everyone they just cut off slam on the breaks! Which leads to traffic back ups... Which leads to why there are so many cars in the Left lane/passing lane that are not passing.

In regards to paying to use their roads... I think it is funny that they let you into the state... no charge via the walt witman & ben Franklin bridges in Philly... so you can drive on their roads and pay money... and then when you go to leave you have to pay 3$ to get back into PA via the WW & BF bridges

 

[WillCAD]

Haha Funny you should mention New Jersey Drivers... I think they are the worst drivers! They are known for jumping from lane to lane to get 2 cars ahead... and making everyone they just cut off slam on the breaks! Which leads to traffic back ups... Which leads to why there are so many cars in the Left lane/passing lane that are not passing.

In regards to paying to use their roads... I think it is funny that they let you into the state... no charge via the walt witman & ben Franklin bridges in Philly... so you can drive on their roads and pay money... and then when you go to leave you have to pay 3$ to get back into PA via the WW & BF bridges

I can't speak to the Jersey thing, since I never drive up there, but we have some pretty awful drivers in Maryland, and not just on I-95.

I used to commute 30 miles each way to work, and every day I would count the number of people who tried to kill me. It averaged 2 each way, but I had it go as high as 5 people trying to run em off the road, swerving into me, cutting me off, etc. per commute.

I don't know what it is about interstates that makes people think that it's okay to go 10mph below the speed limit in the left lane, but I have encountered that here plenty, on I-95, I-695, and I-83.

 

[pbharris4]

What we call them here is "Left Lane Huggers." Regardless of how fast they are going they just like to "Hug" the left lane. They do it on some of the other roads too..so they don't have to deal with people merging off/on, etc. Another reason could also be because in Virginia (at least Northern VA) Tractor Trailers are not allowed in that far left lane. IMO, if you are going to go the speed limit or a little below you should get over.

However, there are people who go way too fast in that lane as well. What I really don't get is when you are going with the pace of the other cars and you're in the far left lane..and people are in the lanes next to you..someone flies up behind you and starts flashing the lights for you to move out of their way. Gosh, I hate that! Umm..like if I could move, I would.

 

[lkjasd]

I too was on the New Jersey Turnpike this past weekend and have decided two lane interstates should be outlawed. No accidents, no construction but you can get two idiots driving next to each other doing 50mph for whatever reason and from that point on the road is gridlocked. We actually had tow cars exchange places in front of us about 50 times while trying to jockey for position behind the rolling roadblock. What I didn't undertsand is, if you are going to drive like this, why not just pass on the shoulder and be done with it?

A few years ago, I moved back to Maryland (where I grew up and learned to drive) from Michigan and the first thing I noticed was that my Michigan driving was not suited to Maryland. At 5:30 on a Saturday, in light traffic, on I95 with a posted speed limit of 65, the average speed was 55 and cars were scattered in all lanes. I ended up setting my cruise at 65 and having to weave in and out of the traffic. Very strange. I guess people had not gotten used to the raised speed limits. I think it has gotten better but luckily I don't have to drive the interstate except on rare occasions.

Michigan had the best drivers (for my driving style). Every lane was the fast lane. No one, it seemed, drove slow. Probably fear of the trucks with 15 axles barreling down on them. Or maybe it was the that the roads were in such horrible shape that people just wanted to get off of them.

 

[ploto]

This is one of my pet peeves as well. It seems that when traffic is heavy (as it normally is) many drivers get in the left lane to pass a slower vehicle - then there is a huge gap before the next vehicle in the right lane, but they stay left because they are afraid if they get over they will never get a spot to get back to the left lane. This leads to huge lines in the left lane, and you have to decide whether to go right and try to get around the culprit or just hold your spot. Very frustrating. If everyone would just make their pass and go back right it would sure make interestate travel easier.