How Slow is Too Slow?

[Kevin H]

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your being ridiculous if that what you do and its against the law.why would you do something that blatantly wrong ? for what reason?

Actually, ticat, the only ridiculous thing I am observing lately is your need to come on here and berate people. Show me the law I am breaking. Also, if you ever get hung up behind a slower rig be sure to tell him how wrong he is for making it easier and safer for folks to pass.

[Tex Bigfoot]

don't know about this small obscure county in texas that would allow such a dangerous situation to happen but IN BC Canada had a Farmer tryed that stupid manuver would see him handed a heavy fine and cease and desiste order.He would half to have a wide load permit, remove the 15 blade and have pilot sevice

So far as I know and I have pulled a lot of farm loads . So long as it is a US or SH then all that is needed is 1) daylight hours 2) a slow moving triangle on the rear signifying that the equipment is traveling at or near 20 MPH, this obviously does not work on the interstate . Others may know for sure and if so I will stand corrected ,but I am sure that you can pull wide loads with a tractor without being in violation so long as it is a farm load such as a plow or baling equipment .

[Barbaraok]

Actually, ticat, the only ridiculous thing I am observing lately is your need to come on here and berate people. Show me the law I am breaking. Also, if you ever get hung up behind a slower rig be sure to tell him how wrong he is for making it easier and safer for folks to pass.

 

Well put.

 

Barb

[docj]

Actually, ticat, the only ridiculous thing I am observing lately is your need to come on here and berate people. Show me the law I am breaking. Also, if you ever get hung up behind a slower rig be sure to tell him how wrong he is for making it easier and safer for folks to pass.

 

Depending on how far you slow down, I do think your actions could be misinterpreted by drivers behind you who may become less likely to pass you because they are uncertain as to your intentions. If I were behind someone who suddenly started slowing down I might refrain from passing out of concern that you were having difficulties driving the vehicle.

 

I also dislike driving on the shoulder in the MH (although I will do it in the CR-V), but I try to make my intentions clear to those behind me that I am assisting them to pass me. What I do instead is to move all the way over to the white sideline and accompany that move by slowing down slightly. Once they start to pass I will let the vehicle slow further to reduce their passing time.

[Big Z]

To slow is when traffic is stacking up behind you! ... Two lane roads!, use turn-outs, side roads, or safe place to pull over as to NOT IMPEDE!

... Freeways in the slow lane!... Have a happy trip!

 

I try my best to do 5mph over posted!.. (conditions permitting)... or 65mph MAX

[bigjim]

There are some people out there that are just plain afraid to pass. Some may have at least a reason they are afraid to pass like they don't trust their ability to judge the speed of oncoming traffic and the distance needed to pass. Some may be driving a vehicle they are not confident will accelerate fast. Some may be unwilling to exceed the posted speed to pass the slower vehicle. Probably a lot more reasons. BTW I think it is actually not legal to exceed the posted speed when passing in at least TX and maybe others. Just my observation fwiw.

[Guest ticat900]

Actually, ticat, the only ridiculous thing I am observing lately is your need to come on here and berate people. Show me the law I am breaking. Also, if you ever get hung up behind a slower rig be sure to tell him how wrong he is for making it easier and safer for folks to pass.

maybe I misread your post? the way I read it was you say you stay in the outside lane.slow down and let people pass u on the right? if not and you keep to the right and let everyone pass on left as per law them my bad and I apologize

[bigjim]

To be clear Kevin H, are you saying that when you come to a slower traffic lane to the right so others can pass on the left that you never move right if you are significantly slower? Or is it on a case by case based on the traffic circumstance and the slow lane available? I do know some of these lanes that are far too short and come back into the speed lane almost abruptly with no way to bail out if you are squeezed by passing traffic including the inevitable one that tries to push it to get past you even it is not safe for either of you. There are definitly some of these short blind slower traffic lanes in east Texas. Not being critical just for learning if this is correct are you saying that is the training from Greyhound. Other than that I would say I concur with at least most of your method stated in post 47. Maybe more once I understand.

[Barbaraok]

maybe I misread your post? the way I read it was you say you stay in the outside lane.slow down and let people pass u on the right? if not and you keep to the right and let everyone pass on left as per law them my bad and I apologize

 

 

Yes, you misread him. He said he slowed down so that everyone in the passing lane (not his lane, the passing lane) could get by.

 

Have you ever been in Texas? Do you know anything about the Texas FM roads - that is Farm-to-Market roads? They have IMPROVED shoulders - and most of them are pretty well maintained. There is a long history of these shoulders being used to farm produce/animals to markets and to move BIG equipment between farm sections - - which can be miles and miles apart. And it seems to work pretty well.

 

Barb

[bigjim]

Again for clarity Barb, are you saying that when you come to one of these lanes that they are supposed to move right and pass you on the right while you are staying straight ahead in the same lane? IF that is the case I disagree but am not clear on what you are saying.

[Barbaraok]

No, they don't move to the right, the passing lane is in the middle. When the passing lane is formed, if you are hugging the right edge, you are still on the right edge and the passing lane forms in the middle. Where did the idea of staying in the middle lane and letting people pass on the right come from? And passing lanes are different from the improved shoulder that you find on a lot of FM roads in Texas.

 

Barb

[Kevin H]

 

If traffic is behind me and we come to a passing zone, I may slow down appreciably so everyone can pass while in the zone, but I stay in my lane.

 

 

I see the potential for confusion in what I said. My comment was for when I am on a single lane highway with one lane each direction. The passing zone I was envisioning is when the number of lanes remains one each way and the yellow line is broken for my lane. I will slow down so those behind me can pull into the other (opposing) lane and quickly get by. I will pull as far to the right as possible without driving on the shoulder. I slow gradually. I agree that slowing abruptly could cause confusion and/or alarm to other drivers.

 

When I approach a passing lane on the right marked 'Slower Traffic Keep Right' I signal and go into the new right lane The left lane becomes a passing lane just like the left lanes on a multiple lane highway. As bigjim said sometimes the passing lane is short. If I get in a jam I just slow further to let everyone pass.

 

When I am on a multiple lane highway I am almost always in the right lane. The left lanes are left open for faster traffic.

 

My practices are pretty well the same as everyone else's with the exception that I will decrease my speed so followers can get by quicker.

 

ticat - your explanation and apology is noted and appreciated.

[Kevin H]

Again for clarity Barb, are you saying that when you come to one of these lanes that they are supposed to move right and pass you on the right while you are staying straight ahead in the same lane? IF that is the case I disagree but am not clear on what you are saying.

 

If you have not encountered one of these passing lanes it is a bit hard to describe.

 

You are proceeding along a two lane highway, one lane each direction. You come to an upgrade. There will be an additional lane added to the right of the uphill lane. It will be marked "Slower Traffic Keep Right". The result is now three lanes: two on the uphill side and one on the downhill side. The far right on the uphill is for slow traffic and the left on the uphill is for passing/faster traffic.

 

Once you get to the top of the grade, the temporary rightmost lane will merge back into the main lane and you are again with a total of two lanes, one each way.

 

The shoulders don't matter in this situation.

 

The driving on shoulders thing is a long time Texas practice where slower drivers will pull off the main lane onto the shoulder ostensibly allowing others to pass. The shoulder remains the shoulder, not an added lane as above.

 

It was probably born as a courtesy but in reality is a bit discerning due to most drivers not being used to having moving traffic on the shoulder. From a safety perspective, there is no margin for error when the shoulder and the main lanes are both occupied. Also, as noted, there is a lot of debris on the shoulders. Things can and do get thrown up.

 

I have seen many instances where a vehicle pulls onto the shoulder just barely across the fog line (the white line that separates the main lane from the shoulder) A faster car still in the main lane will pass the slower car on the shoulder with oncoming traffic in the opposing lane. All three meet at the same time in a scary moment with hardly any room for error. Not safe at all IMHO.

[Barbaraok]

 

 

I have seen many instances where a vehicle pulls onto the shoulder just barely across the fog line (the white line that separates the main lane from the shoulder) A faster car still in the main lane will pass the slower car on the shoulder with oncoming traffic in the opposing lane. All three meet at the same time in a scary moment with hardly any room for error. Not safe at all IMHO

 

Guess I just got use to it, never really bothered me. Because the fellow on the shoulder is really going a lot slower (often a tractor, or PU pulling a trailer loaded with hay) you are by them very quickly - and if there is a car coming the other way they usually pull onto the shoulder if it is empty to make sure everyone has room. I traveled a lot of the FM roads from Tyler down to Austin and back (UT had lots of meetings for directors from the various campuses, most of which were in Austin) and this (along with knowing when to slow down for the tiny town - 15 mph in one town) was just a normal drive. Worst part was always getting on & off of I-35 in Austin.

 

Barb

[Kevin H]

Barb - I know from whence you speak. We lived in Austin for 20 years and are there visiting as I type this. If you can believe it, the traffic is getting worse! Sheesh.

[Pat & Pete]

 

Guess I just got use to it, never really bothered me. Because the fellow on the shoulder is really going a lot slower (often a tractor, or PU pulling a trailer loaded with hay) you are by them very quickly - and if there is a car coming the other way they usually pull onto the shoulder if it is empty to make sure everyone has room. I traveled a lot of the FM roads from Tyler down to Austin and back (UT had lots of meetings for directors from the various campuses, most of which were in Austin) and this (along with knowing when to slow down for the tiny town - 15 mph in one town) was just a normal drive. Worst part was always getting on & off of I-35 in Austin.

 

Barb

 

Sounds a lot like almost any back road in any state .

[bigjim]

I did not picture it entirely correct in your first explanation. My mind went directly to what I guess is the lane for slower moving traffic vs the passing allowed based on the yellow line markings. Your second expanation cleared it up for me. I assume one reason you move as far to the right without going on to the shoudler whether paved or unpaved is to help with vision for the following traffic which is what I try to do. I know of several of the short lanes that end around a curve or just over the crest and depending on traffic circumstance I "might' not move to the right as it can create a bigger problem than it solves. I have come across these elsewhere but I know the ones in east TX from experience.

[Kevin H]

Yeah - they are not unique to Texas. I can think of one in particular on the southbound side of highway 120 as you approach Cody,WY. I suspect they are all over the country.

[Barbaraok]

Barb - I know from whence you speak. We lived in Austin for 20 years and are there visiting as I type this. If you can believe it, the traffic is getting worse! Sheesh.

 

Unless we absolutely had to go to Austin, we always cut over to Highway 77 at Waco. There is just no decent way going down I-35 to get through Austin. Almost as bad as going through the mix-master in Dallas - essentially where I-30, I-45, US 75, North Dallas Tollway and I-35E all come together in a short space of time - if you have never done this, you don't know what you are missing!

 

Barb

[Vette Racer]

A comment about pulling over to let traffic pass: When I am towing at 62 MPH, most of the time you cannot see a pull out large enough and far enough ahead to slow down and get into it within reason without slamming on the brakes. If there is a marked one ahead I will use it but most of the time the folks behind just have to figure out how to pass as I maintain my speed. If I do run across a straight piece of highway I will slow down once the passing starts to help but that's about all I can do. Of course this is dealing with two lane roads. I do get agitated when these topics come up that claim we ought to pull off to let people pass when in practice that is not usually possible.

[Barbaraok]

Or the ones about leaving plenty of room between you and the person ahead and you soon feel like you are going to have to go in reverse because the moment there is a comfortable space between you and the vehicle ahead, someone always pulls in!

 

Barb

[TheDuke]

Key word is MAY and no. 5. I will try to find the citation and see what section he refered to.

Sec. 545.058. DRIVING ON IMPROVED SHOULDER. (a) An operator may drive on an improved shoulder to the right of the main traveled portion of a roadway if that operation is necessary and may be done safely, but only:

(1) to stop, stand, or park;

(2) to accelerate before entering the main traveled lane of traffic;

(3) to decelerate before making a right turn;

(4) to pass another vehicle that is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn;

(5) to allow another vehicle traveling faster to pass;

[Big Z]

A comment about pulling over to let traffic pass: When I am towing at 62 MPH, most of the time you cannot see a pull out large enough and far enough ahead to slow down and get into it within reason without slamming on the brakes. If there is a marked one ahead I will use it but most of the time the folks behind just have to figure out how to pass as I maintain my speed. If I do run across a straight piece of highway I will slow down once the passing starts to help but that's about all I can do. Of course this is dealing with two lane roads. I do get agitated when these topics come up that claim we ought to pull off to let people pass when in practice that is not usually possible.

 

I don't consider 62 a pull out or over speed! ..... The Thread is, How Slow Is To Slow!... and made my comment based on that. 45 in a 65 pisses me off! And the only thing worse is the impeding driver that's coming into a passing lane and does 75 to stay in front then back down to 45/50 when the lane ends!

[Roger & Karen]

Unless we absolutely had to go to Austin, we always cut over to Highway 77 at Waco. There is just no decent way going down I-35 to get through Austin. Almost as bad as going through the mix-master in Dallas - essentially where I-30, I-45, US 75, North Dallas Tollway and I-35E all come together in a short space of time - if you have never done this, you don't know what you are missing!

 

Barb

I drove the motorhome pulling the Avalanche in rush hour through the mix-master. I didn't have a problem. I would put on my blinker and watch for a car behind me to slow down and blink their highs at me. Driving during rush hour in any metro area takes planning. I would stop before entering the area to walk the dogs, get a bite to eat and use the restroom. I would also take out the map, and write the directions down and tape it to the steering wheel.

 

Karen

[vermilye]

Rules for driving on the shoulder are different for other states - for example, here in NY, it is illegal to drive in the shoulder. In fact, there are often signs reminding drivers of that to try to prevent driving on the shoulder to get around someone making a left hand turn on a 2 lane road. I have to admit it takes a bit of driving in Texas before I can adjust to their shoulder "rules".