When you come upon a vehicle doing 20+mph under the posted limit, and the highway has no posted minimum, is it the slow drivers responsibility to let faster drivers by, or is it the faster drivers responsibility to make their own way around when safe?

Theoretically or really?

Theoretically, they should realize that they are going well below the speed limit and let you pass. So theoretically, it is his responsibility.

Fat chance. These drivers are not going to acknowledge it is their duty to move over.

So in reality, you as the faster driver, need to take that responsibility on yourself.

Wait…is this a two lane or a 4 lane? If it’s a 2 lane, exactly how would the slower driver “let faster drivers by” without creating a whole other set of issues?

@Dutchess_III by pulling into a pullout when they see a few vehicles behind them and letting them go by.

In Californfication, there are highway signs requesting slower traffic to drive on the right.

To me, this implies that the primary responsibility, is for the slower drivers to yield by moving to the right.

Secondarily, it’s always the responsibility of the faster driver to pass safely, regardless of whether the slower driver yields.

However, lingering in a fast or passing lane while going below the speed limit, is also unsafe.

In summation, I agree that the slower traffic should yield.

When I’m on vacation in the place I love, I’m so mellow I usually drive about 45. And I watch the rearview mirror. Anyone comes up behind me and if it’s safe I pull over and let everyone by. If I want to go slow, I have to get out of the way for people that are trying to work.

Tractors are required to pull over and let people pass. Many interstates have miminum speed limits and you can get pulled over for going too slow.

When I’m sightseeing on my local road (one way in each direction), if someone is up my ass, I pull over so I can enjoy my sightseeing without interfering with their ride.

When I’m going fast on our highways (the main one I travel is three lanes in each direction), I expect the slow guy in the left lane to pull over. It’s not safe for me to pass him on the right. I hope he is going to be a courteous, considerate driver and pull over so I can pass him.

Around here, people will flash their lights at the slow guy in the left lane, or they may cut him off to teach him a lesson. Someone going slow in the left lane and stubbornly refusing to move over is taking a personal risk.

In my opinion, the slow moving vehicle should pull over if the opportunity arises before the faster vehicle can saftley pass. I live on top of a windey mountain and at least twice a week I get stuck behind someone who is afraid of the curves. There are a lot of turn outs and I always scream in my car when people don’t use them.
The only exception might be if it is a truck, Motorhome or trailer that is going up hill. I wouldn’t expect them to pull over because it would be dificult to get any momentum back if they did.

I was just driving across the state this week on a 7 hour road trip. I always assumed the leftmost lane was to be reserved for passing only. I can’t stand when people drive like hell in the left lane and get all enraged with the light flashing and tailgating. A few times, I’d pass a slow moving car, and someone who was far off when I started would go nuts because I wouldn’t push hard to pass some guy. I wasn’t going slow at all, but these people seemed to think that the left lane was reserved for people going at least 15 mph over the speed limit.

Many places have an unposted minimum speed limit. Just because it isn’t posted, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist; it merely means just being there you should already know the law. For instance, if you don’t see a sign on a Seattle street, the speed limit is 30, and all Seattlites know this as we are familiar with local and state laws.

Regardless of posting, here is what WA state law has to say:
I. No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede
the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. ‘46.61.425(1)
II. No person shall drive continuously in the left lane of a multilane
roadway when it impedes the flow of traffic. ‘46.61.100(4)
III. When driving a vehicle on a highway having two or more lanes of
traffic in the same direction, a person shall drive in the right-hand lane
except when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow.
‘46.61.100(2)

Those all put the responsibility on the slower vehicle to either stay right or find another route where they won’t be holding people up. Failure to do so is illegal no matter what the signs say (or don’t say).

It’s not an “or”, it’s both.

The slower driver generally needs to stay to the right. Some places have “slow vehicle turn-out lanes.” Specific laws may vary.

The faster drivers also need to get around safely, and slow down if the difference in speed or lack of room might be unsafe. They’re generally coming from behind and so have better vision on the situation and opportunity.

However, in many places, you are not supposed to “undertake”, which means passing on the right. So the slower drivers should get to the right to make room for the faster drivers to overtake on the left.

What is a “pull out” @SQUEEKY2?

I think a “pullout” is where it’s safe and roomy to pull over to the side of the road.

Oh. Well. We don’t have those here.
If it’s a 4 lane and somebody is cruising in the passing lane, it IS their responsibility to get over. In a perfect world, they wouldn’t be in that lane to begin with. In a perfect world everyone would understand that rule.
But they don’t. In my younger years I was more aggressive. I’d get up behind them and flash my lights. Most of the time they’d pull over. Now, I just pass them on the right, which I hate to do, and leave them behind.

I just let my bus driver deal with it.

I’ve heard of people being cited for driving too slow on freeways here (California).

It is the slow driver’s responsibility to keep right and not block the left passing lane. It is the faster driver’s responsibility to pass with caution.

^^Why are we having such a hard time getting that through people’s heads? Well, my Mom once noted that some old person going 50 in a 65 might think they’re going FAST. They don’t see themselves as a “slow driver.”

Like I said in the very first post, what people should do and what they actually do are two totally different things. It’s fine and dandy to state “slower drivers should move over*, but the fact is – they don’t.

So gripe all you want, but the driver behind – the faster driver – has to take responsibility for safety.

I don’t understand why people will be motoring along at a legal pace, but slow down to pass a truck. I speed up to get past the truck quickly. I don’t want to spend a lot of time in his blind spot! If you’re afraid the truck is going to tip over, that’s all the more reason to get past him quickly.

Agreed, @Judi. It makes my stomach queasy to be along side of those Squeeky transport trucks. Of course, I almost got merged into one when I was just barely 16, had my license for two weeks. I was taking the Vega to the gas station to get the oil changed, which was just outside of town, off of a highway. My dad was following me. I started passing an 18 wheeler Whateva! on the right….I was about ½ way past….and he started moving into my lane.
I laid on the horn and punched it and thankfully he did see me and pulled back. Or…maybe he was teaching me a lesson that I never forgot.
My dad reaffirmed that lesson when he met up with me at the gas station.
“Never ever pass on the right!!”
My poor Dad….had to sit there and watch that shite play out…..

And the truck shouldn’t have been hanging out in the left lane either @Dutchess_III !

We had just come outside of town, not even ¼ a mile. He really wasn’t just hanging out. He was in the left lane while in town, for what ever reason, then prepared to move to the right lane for highway driving.
I would never do that today.

Actually, @elbanditoroso “you” are always the driver responsible for safety. It’s part of being a defensive driver. You should never assume the other person is going to behave the proper way and drive accordingly.

@keobooks – 100% agree – that has been my point all along

Why aren’t there ads and programs and stuff to drive this point home? MOST drivers out there are all about “me!” and “Watch out for me!”

@Dutchess_III – they woudln’t be effective. People would say “that can’t pertain to me”.

People are oblivious.

Have to agree with ya on that one @elbanditoroso ,my late Father in law thought he was exempt from red lights and stop signs because he was a senior citizen.

So ironic that your FIL was running red lights and stop signs, and yet he was still late. ;-)

@Dutchess_III you wouldn’t believe how many idiot drivers on a divided highway hangout right beside my drive tires for miles,if one of those tires blew it would go right through their car, but there they are ,they must find the hum relaxing or something.

Sheesh! Damn fools!

@SQUEEKY2 I’ve seen idiots doing that, or driving 3 or 4 feet behind the trailer. I heard a NASCAR driver say get as far away from trucks as you can get. Nothing good is going to happen to you next to one.

Not only trucks, but all other vehicles on the road, unless you intend to pass. I stay a good 1/8 mile back, if not more That way I can see what’s coming up and have plenty of time to react if something does happen. It also leave folks plenty of room to pass with ease.

I’ve been with drivers who are only 3 or 4 car lengths behind another vehicle, with no intention to pass. They insist that there is plenty of room between them and the car in front for some one to get in to if they pass.
They don’t factor in that the faster you’re going the more visual spaces compress. For example, did you know the yellow lines on the highway are actually as long as a car? Anyway, it may be 4 car lengths, but to someone moving up on it it looks more like 1 and that makes for nervous / dangerous driving.

So MANY excuses to be dumb.
In town, “Why don’t you speed up or slow down to get out of this guy’s blind spot?”
“Hey! I’m doing the speed limit, period.”
Whatever.