A-hole highway drivers...

[tboy]

It is surprising how many people here feel they have the legal right to be an obstacle on the highway by driving 100km/h in the left lane. Know wonder there are so many accidents on the roads.

Good point and I wonder what ELSE they do?

Just think, if the 3 people on here are any indication of who is on the road, I'm surprized traffic moves at all. If you take 3 out of the 50 who posted in this thread as a baseline, that would mean that there are about 20,000 drivers that think this way (based on about 1,000,000 vehicles on the road at any given time).

 

[mmouse]

Tboy, just to clarify, I never stay in the passing lane unless I'm passing, and I always drive 110-125 on 400 series highways unless there'es congestion. I don't believe I usually do anything to impede traffic flow.

What I don't appreciate is aggressive drivers who either tailgate me or cut into my lane too close to me when I am doing 120 in the right or middle lane. Safe driving means keeping a reasonable distance in front and behind. If someone decreases that distance, they are endangering me, and thus an asshole.

Anyway this is off topic from the original poster, cos I totally agree that people who hog the passing lane are idiots too.

 

[dreamer]

Sorry, you're dead wrong

I am not sure why people think that any form of speeding for drivers is legal. The term "normal" is used to cover the situations where due to traffic the flow is moving at a lower speed than the speed limit. The reason "normal" does not cover the situation where you are in excess of the speed limit is because there are other sections of the law that state that you cannot exceed the speed limit.

In your interpretion, it is ok to speed if everyone else is speeding.

 

[dreamer]

Good point and I wonder what ELSE they do?

Just think, if the 3 people on here are any indication of who is on the road, I'm surprized traffic moves at all. If you take 3 out of the 50 who posted in this thread as a baseline, that would mean that there are about 20,000 drivers that think this way (based on about 1,000,000 vehicles on the road at any given time).

Sorry, you are completely out to lunch about what causes traffic problems.

The obvious reason is too many cars and too few roads and lanes.

If everyone drove the speed limit, kept space between themselves and other vehicles, signalled lane changes etc etc there would be less traffic jams and you would get to your destination faster.

Given that, I do agree that you should not be in the passing lane if the traffic is moving nicely and it is not your exit lane. On the other hand I do not appreciate it when someone passes me in the passing lane going at a rediculous speed.

 

[sorely]

I am not sure why people think that any form of speeding for drivers is legal. The term "normal" is used to cover the situations where due to traffic the flow is moving at a lower speed than the speed limit. The reason "normal" does not cover the situation where you are in excess of the speed limit is because there are other sections of the law that state that you cannot exceed the speed limit.

In your interpretion, it is ok to speed if everyone else is speeding.

What is "OK" and what is legal are often different.

Sometimes "the law is an ass"

 

[dreamer]

What is "OK" and what is legal are often different.

Sometimes "the law is an ass"

You are absolutely right.

One day driving 120 is acceptable, next day zero tolerance pulls everyone over.

 

[tboy]

Well, there are plenty of times when exceeding the posted speed limit is legal. Do we all know why x driver is going hell bent for leather in the passing lane? Maybe his kid was injured, maybe his wife is giving birth, maybe he's injured himself and is bleeding profusely and is on his way to the hospital? (this has happened to me btw).

But, as stated, if everyone on the highway is doing 120, then the police will NOT pull everyone over. I've passed many a speedtrap on the 401 to Montreal and never been pulled over (I was doing 120 easily).

As for causes of traffic jams: Everyone driving too slow IS one of the problems. Look at it this way: If you have a 10 gallon barrel that refills every 10 minutes that you have to empty, is it better to let it drip out or to tip the thing over and pour it out quickly? Just remember: every 15 minutes there are another 1000 cars coming onto the highway. the quicker you get off, the more room there is for the next batch coming along.

Another example: You have to get 10000 ppl into a building through 1 door. Is it faster to let them through 10 at a time, every 10 seconds or 10 at a time, every 5 seconds? (if you don't know already, time and volume is how they measure the usage of the 401, it used to be just west of keele at the express lane exit but I think they've moved the measuring zone).

IN addition, tell me, you've never seen a slow moving truck in the right lane, and some wingnut only doing 10 kph faster in the middle lane? Typically there are about 2000 cars lined up behind this rolling road block trying to get over to the far left to get around them. Then you have someone like mmouse who is only doing the speed limit, not one click more and you've now got gridlock.

 

[mmouse]

You're an idiot. I've said twice in this thread that I usually drive over the speed limit. If you're not going to read posts then why bother replying.

 

[dreamer]

Another example: You have to get 10000 ppl into a building through 1 door. Is it faster to let them through 10 at a time, every 10 seconds or 10 at a time, every 5 seconds? (if you don't know already, time and volume is how they measure the usage of the 401, it used to be just west of keele at the express lane exit but I think they've moved the measuring zone

traffic jams are not that simple

traffic jams are caused by breaking, breaking is caused by not leaving enough room between vehicles, switching lanes at the last second, gawking etc etc

excessive speed during high volume traffic can cause others to break as well, thus adding to the traffic jam

 

[scrooge]

As I posted earlier, "Normal" means a slower speed up to the speed limit. It is not meant for the situation you described. If you are going the speed limit in theory no one can legally pass you.

While you may be of the view that "normal" means not exceeding the speed limit, that is not what the law says. There is a legal doctrine which says if the legislatures wanted "not exceeding the speed limit", it would have stated so in the legislation.

Even if we give you the benefit of the doubt that "normal" covers the situations you mentioned, what about section 148? If there is another car trying to pass you, you are supposed to go to the right of that car.

Why would anyone want to slam on the brakes or slow down to be a traffic cop? That is the stupidest thing you can do. You are endangering both your life and the tailgater's. When you see an idiot doing 180 km/h on the 401, just let him (or her) go by. Sooner or later, the OPP will catch him or you will catch up to his accident scene.

Oh yeah, one last thing - in addition to the things you mentioned, traffic jams can be caused by people who are just not in a rush. Take a look at this coming long-weekend on the QEW to the Falls. You will not be able to count on two hands the number of minivans loaded full of families in the passing lane who just won't speed up even though traffic is picking up.

 

[tboy]

100% well said. Aggressive drivers are assholes and, while I never stay in the fast lane nor drive under the speed limit, will slow down if someone tailgates me, just to piss the fuckers off.

Ummm who is the idiot now? Did you not write the above? sure looks that way.......

My example stated that everyone would be trying to get around the mobile roadblock by cramming into the passing lane. So obviously they are going to bunch up and someone will be "tailgating" you so as you stated, you will slow down to piss them off....

Why don't YOU read the posts, even what you yourself POST .....

 

[goodtime]

That makes no sense!

You cannot be convicted for driving too slow if you were driving the speed limit.

Remember the Truck driver fuel price protest. The Farmers with their tractors & pick-ups. And the taxi drivers around queens park. LE threaten to give them obstruct traffic tickets should they unreasonably impede traffic.

Few University student drove side by side on 401 at speed limit as their social science project, OPP pulled them over & threaten ticket.

 

[goodtime]

Sorry, you are completely out to lunch about what causes traffic problems.

The obvious reason is too many cars and too few roads and lanes.

If everyone drove the speed limit, kept space between themselves and other vehicles, signalled lane changes etc etc there would be less traffic jams and you would get to your destination faster.

Given that, I do agree that you should not be in the passing lane if the traffic is moving nicely and it is not your exit lane. On the other hand I do not appreciate it when someone passes me in the passing lane going at a rediculous speed.

Take a look at this
http://roadscholar.on.ca/lateststory.html

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~daganzo/explain2.html

Tor. Star had few special articles on impact of traffic jam & loss of productivity. Big biz considering moving out of southern Ontario away from the high rent space & traffic.

P.S.: There's a York Computer model company slowly making name for themselve in traffic management.

 

[Quest4Less]

Jail time anyone?

If you want to take it further at the side of the road... I would be more than happy to introduce your face to my fist and stomp a mudhole in your ass.

I love being a dick

I love people like you... they always cry when they are arrested and convicted for "uttering threats". Then when they are in jail they cry some more while a guy named "animal" turns their ass into a lot worse than a "mudhole".

 

[Papi Chulo]

I love people like you... they always cry when they are arrested and convicted for "uttering threats". Then when they are in jail they cry some more while a guy named "animal" turns their ass into a lot worse than a "mudhole".

been there, done that and hate to burst your bubble, but there was no tears and nobody fucks with me in the joint.

 

[mmouse]

Ummm who is the idiot now? Did you not write the above? sure looks that way

You really are stupid aren't you Tboy. Here's what I said: "while I never stay in the fast lane nor drive under the speed limit, ..."

Have a little trouble with the word "nor" do you? Before you try to be the big man in the forum, brush up on your English.

Ummm so who's the idiot now? Thanks for answering the question. It's you.

 

[dreamer]

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~daganzo/explain2.html

P.S.: There's a York Computer model company slowly making name for themselve in traffic management.

Interesting stuff.

I studied queue theory in university and our group did a model for highway traffic. As with any model our own beliefs may have influenced it, however we created what we called the perfect gentlemen model. We kept increasing the traffic flow from roadways into the highway until a traffic jam occurred. We then started programming things that would cause breaking, such as speeding, lane changes, etc etc. The non-gentlemen model quickly turnned into a traffic jam with much less traffic. Of course it was a model based on our assumptions so it was only as good as those assumptions. But we did receive the top mark.

Next time you are way back in line at a red light imagine what would happen if everyone was a safe distance apart (not far) and everyone started to accelerate at the same speed when the light turned green. Many more vehicles would get through the green, of course that is not human nature.

 

[dreamer]

hey guys, for the record, I agree that slow drivers should stay out of the passing lane, however when traffic is heavy I will continue to stick to my lane even though someone is tailgating me

 

[CapitalGuy]

hey guys, for the record, I agree that slow drivers should stay out of the passing lane, however when traffic is heavy I will continue to stick to my lane even though someone is tailgating me

yip. there are no fast lanes or passing lanes when all 4 lanes are bumper to bumper. sometimes that left lane is simply there to handle volume.

 

[pussylicker]

If you feel that it is your right to break the law by speeding... then I will also continue to break the law and drive the speed limit in the left lane.

If you choose to break the law again and pass on the right, then I choose to also break the law and drive with my high beams on.

If you want to take it further at the side of the road... I would be more than happy to introduce your face to my fist and stomp a mudhole in your ass.

I love being a dick

And it's people with your attitude that shouldn't be driving. Driving with your high beams on is illegal when following or approaching oncoming traffic. If I get by you, you won't catch me to make an ass of yourself flailing your arms around in empty space. So I guess you never get to introduce your fist to my face.

Got to love it, go away for a few days and come back to a thread like this. Every time I drive up hwy 11 from Barrie to Muskoka, I get the same thing. So if I have to pass on the right, I do. People driving at 85 to 90 kms in the fast lane, or even 100 kms, if they are slowing traffic down, should be in the slow lane. The cops will ticket you if you are impeding the flow of traffic. Most cases they don't, because it isn't worth their time.

My observation is that the slower drivers are the cause for most of the fender benders, because they don't look before changing lanes, don't signal before changing lanes, and change lanes without enough clearance. They can't judge a driver's speed that is following them, and pull out too late, cutting him off, and causing the faster driver to lock it up. Or they pull out to pass, too early, and it takes them over a minute to pass the vehicle they are trying to pass.

BTW, I've never had the cops come to my door or mail me a notice about my "poor" driving habits.