On 6/9/2010 3:17 AM, scott wrote:
>> idea that in the general case they have some basic human right to
>> drive over the speed limit in the left lane and someone driving the
>> limit in the left lane is breaking the law.
>
> How do you know you are going the speed limit? Speedometers in cars
> usually underread significantly at high speed.

I dunno, according to my GPS the speedometer on my car is still accurate 
at around 70-75 mph.

> Besides, it's not your job to enforce other drivers to keep to the speed
> limit, and you certainly shouldn't do anything illegal or dangerous. In
> the UK there is a famous video from an unmarked police car that is
> catching up with another car doing ~100 mph on a 70 limit motorway. A
> member of the public obviously has got annoyed by these fast drivers so
> pulls out right in front of the unmarked police car and forces it to go
> at what he thinks is the speed limit. Both drivers were stopped and
> prosecuted.
>

And rightfully so! Pulling such a stunt is dangerous and stupid.

Regardless, you're still technically breaking the law if you're driving 
over the speed limit even in the left lane. But, I do go slightly over 
when overtaking a car that's going only a few mph under the speed limit 
just to limit the amount of time I spend in the left lane.

On another note, another legitimate reason to be in the left lane: It's 
generally considered a courtesy to move left (if safe to do so) when 
someone is entering the freeway, especially in situations where there's 
very little room for the entering motorist to accelerate.

-- 
~Mike

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