Highway Driving (speed, passing and etiquette)

[brianman]

That is correct--although I've never found a speed--not even in rural Saskatchewan--where someone isn't passing you, only the number of passers per mile gets lower.

I've never had someone pass me at 130 mph. Although I've only done that twice in my life.

[Waverider]

I've never had someone pass me at 130 mph. Although I've only done that twice in my life.

I-15 La to Vegas in the middle of the desert at 2:00am, it happens. Used to be me when I was young and gas was cheap.

[daniel]

That is correct--although I've never found a speed--not even in rural Saskatchewan--where someone isn't passing you, only the number of passers per mile gets lower.

I drove through rural Saskatchewan once, about 22 years ago. Drove from North Dakota up to Winnipeg, picked up a couple of friends, and then on to a big gathering about 200 km north of Saskatoon. As soon as we crossed from Manitoba into Saskatchewan, driver behavior changed: Every time we came up behind another car on a two-lane road where passing was difficult, they'd pull over and let us pass. Once back in Manitoba on the way home, nobody did that. A decade later I ran across someone from Saskatchewan and asked her if there was a law there, requiring that. She told me that in fact it's illegal, but everyone does it anyway. Though I've heard that with the influx of new people to work in oil, it doesn't happen any more. I might have moved to Saskatoon if it wasn't so dadblamed cold up there in winter. Same reason I eventually left North Dakota.

Sorry for the off-topic post. I really loved Saskatchewan.

[VolkerP]

I've never had someone pass me at 130 mph. Although I've only done that twice in my life.

Well 130mph can be a convenient traveling speed on a German Autobahn, on weekends when there is little lorry traffic. I was startled when some Mercedes (AMG?) came thundering along the left lane with >200mph.

[NigelM]

Well 130mph can be a convenient traveling speed on a German Autobahn, on weekends when there is little lorry traffic. I was startled when some Mercedes (AMG?) came thundering along the left lane with >200mph.

Done that - was driving a Mercedes McLaren back then.

[ElSupreme]

Well 130mph can be a convenient traveling speed on a German Autobahn, on weekends when there is little lorry traffic. I was startled when some Mercedes (AMG?) came thundering along the left lane with >200mph.

It is in the USA also. ... Until you stumble upon a police officer. Or one of our many terrible drivers decides to move into the left lane, doing 60mph, and no one is in front of them for miles (happens all the time).

[gg_got_a_tesla]

It is in the USA also. ... Until you stumble upon a police officer. Or one of our many terrible drivers decides to move into the left lane, doing 60mph, and no one is in front of them for miles (happens all the time).

Yeah, what's up with that?! I wonder which world these drivers' heads are at when they do that? Forces one to pass on the right - less than desirable if not unsafe - to get ahead.

And, I don't think our freeways here can support those speeds anyway. Most freeways around here have fine crater patterns and even the smooth stretches are inherently bumpy.

[AnOutsider]

Yeah, what's up with that?! I wonder which world these drivers' heads are at when they do that? Forces one to pass on the right - less than desirable if not unsafe - to get ahead.

More than undesirable, I believe it's unlawful in many areas.

[NigelM]

Yeah, what's up with that?! I wonder which world these drivers' heads are at when they do that? Forces one to pass on the right - less than desirable if not unsafe - to get ahead.

More than undesirable, I believe it's unlawful in many areas.

On the contrary, it's almost mandatory in FL.....

[smorgasbord]

Forces one to pass on the right - less than desirable if not unsafe

This is a big reason why I don't drive Hwy 5 between SF and LA anymore - It's drive on the left except to pass. Because no-one wants to be behind a big truck, but it's scary to pass it at 65MPH, so you just sit on a diagonal across from it and block the whole road. Which is OK because you own it, right? And the trucks make the parement in the right hand lane bumpy, so you don't want to drive in it even if you're only doing 50MPH in a 70 zone.

Also, there's quite a bit of antagonism to what the rules in this flipped world should be - Do you actually pass on the right? Do the cars in the left lane need to let you in? What's the right period of "waiting" for other cars to go by before moving over?"

Thanks - I needed to vent. I'm really bummed that the Tesla SuperCharger will be on Hwy 5 between SF and LA. I really like the Rabbobank locations along 101 and may continue there even despite the additional time. I just really really hate driving Hwy 5.