On March 7, I sent the following e-mail to each of the elected North Carolina Legislators. Only one had the courtesy to respond and she still didn't say anything. I believe there are 175 Legislators. Evidently they have forgotten November of 2010. Hopefully in 2012 more will be fired by the voters of this state:
"I would hope that during your ride to Raleigh this morning that you were on a four-lane highway and that you encountered people in the left lane that refused to move over for you and were determined to stay in the left lane because they know there isn't a damn thing that can be done to move them over.
“The NC Highway Patrol refuses to enforce the impeding traffic law on the books. This is the third year I’ve asked you to make a law like other states have wherein drivers have to move over for faster traffic. These states also have signs up reminding you of this. Their Highway Patrol also enforces this. I have asked Pat McElraft and Jean Preston to resolve this situation and all I get is that ‘studies have/are being done’!
You encounter this problem every time you go to Raleigh and return home. Your license plate does not impress those who refuse to move over. This one situation causes a lot of road rage.”
— Vernon Hill
Morehead City
Totally agree, Vernon. Some of the left lane sitters are on their phones and have no earthly idea how fast they are going or who is stacked up behind them. They are rude and clueless. Others are regulators who think the speed they are going is the fastest anyone should be going. These do-gooders are a huge source of problems as they encourage others to pass on the right which is not nearly as safe.
It’s pretty simple, really. Move over and let the person behind you pass by. They might actually have an emergency. You don’t know.
Hear hear!!!
This is a pet-peeve of mine, too.
But the ‘impending traffic law’ is about using the ‘inside lane’ (ie left) at rates below the marked limit. It would appear there is nothing illegal about driving the speed limit in the ‘fast’ lane. Annoying, yes. Illegal, no.
Please correct me if I am mistaken.
http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/safety/Reports/completed_files/docs/STKR.pdf
I know some of you guys- you’re the ones hanging on my bumper as I’m driving 10 mph over the limit, past a full right lane of traffic. I’m looking for a way to get out from in front of you without attracting a speeding ticket, while you are back there “teaching me a lesson” for being in your way.
It is legal to pass on the right on NC 4-lane roads. Feel free to pass me on that side- I’ll know you plan to do that if I see your turn signal.
If you still feel that it’s safer to chase me into the right lane than to go there yourself, I will move over as soon as it’s safe- I really don’t want your road rage.
I’m with you, greese007. The problem ain’t “impeding traffic” in the left lane, it’s disrespect of you and me when we are stuck in the left lane trying to drive safely AND WITHIN THE LIMIT.
What does it say about “B.S.” when he finds it “legal but annoying” that someone impedes his traffic by obeying the speed limit?
Big Al-It ‘says’ that I read the letter writer’s claim that the Highway Patrol refuses to enforce the law, went and researched said law(and posted a link so you can verify it for yourself), and saw that there is nothing to be ‘enforced’, since it is not illegal for someone to drive the speed limit in the fact lane.
In other words, it says that I am informed. And you?
Edit: fast lane
Is it not illegal to ‘follow too closely’? If it is not illegal, it certainly causes worse accidents. These are the same people who do this no matter the circumstances: slow lane, fast lane, the last in the lane behind all the others who only drive 10/mph over… They even do it when they could move over to the faster lane. Makes me think some of these driver’s in larger vehicles just like to see whom they can intimidate.
@justMe Not to mention their obsession with cutting two people off to get ten feet ahead in a pack of cars all going the exact same speed. Way to endanger us all, moron!