Tail-Gating, Speeding, Overtaking Lane [Voting Poll]

WaterMark on 08/03/2017 - 20:07

Hello fellow wise owls. Felt bored and always wondered what the general consensus is regarding these issue(s). Please be honest and please don't judge or hate/personal attack anyone.

Here's a driving scenario with all these variables at once:

  1. Speed limited 100km/hr
  2. Multi-lane motorway (say 3+ lanes and not countryside)
  3. Lanes moderately congested (traffic moving smoothly and within speed limit)
  4. Not sign-posted "keep left unless overtaking" but usual law of 90+ km/hr rule apply
  5. You are driving far right lane at 105km/hr
  6. Someone tailgating you to force you over to the left

This is not what you would do but rather what is right or wrong based on law? Although it's illegal to stay in right lane, but isn't tailgating to overtake at a higher speed (much higher than 105km/hr) also illegal?

Many thanks for your honest input everyone.

Poll Options

  • 9
    go LEFT, tailgating to overtake RIGHT
  • 56
    go LEFT, tailgating to overtake WRONG
  • 0
    stay RIGHT, tailgating to overtake RIGHT
  • 8
    stay RIGHT, tailgating to overtake WRONG
Travel

Comments

  • Strahany on 08/03/2017 - 20:33
    +7

    I assume that, if you're going 105km/h, then you're gaining on cars in the middle lane, thus gradually overtaking them. In this case, then tailgating is wrong.
    But if you're sitting at 105 and so is the driver in the middle lane, then that's a bit of a dick move, in which case the tailgating isn't so bad.

  • altomic on 08/03/2017 - 20:40
    +1

    discussed previously here and here

    • WaterMark on 08/03/2017 - 20:42

      Yeh discussed though not polled.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2017 - 21:34

    Try driving in Melbourne. I moved from Sydney to Melbourne and absolutely hate driving here. Hardly anyone follows rules here. Pathetic drivers.

    • Looking4Bargians on 09/03/2017 - 09:14
      +3

      I have same opinion for Sydney. Pathetic Drivers in Sydney.

      • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2017 - 19:32

        Thats coz you are from Melbourne. You dont know how to drive.

        • outlander on 10/03/2017 - 16:53

          Little tip, if it seems like everyone else on the road is a bad driver, you're probably the bad driver

  • bobbified on 08/03/2017 - 21:46
    +17

    It's simple - the sign says "Keep Left Unless Overtaking".

    It means exactly that! Regardless of what speed you're doing, if you're not overtaking cars in the middle lane, then get out of the right lane.

    I'll admit I go over the speed limit regularly, but if there's someone travelling faster than me in the right lane, I move out of their way. Usually at the next gap in traffic on my left hand side (even if I have to slow down a little to merge safely into the middle lane).

    • SirFlibbled on 09/03/2017 - 12:36
      +3

      This.

      If I'm in the right lane it's because I'm over taking. If the (profanity) behind me want's to drive faster, they'll have to damn well wait until I've finished overtaking and can safely re-enter the left lane.

      IMO what's the main problem are people sitting in the middle lane doing below 100KM. Get the in the left lane you morons.

      • elliebargain on 09/03/2017 - 13:17

        Yes! Its those middle lane people who just sit there going slow when they could be in the left lane that are the worst. I have a friend that always sits in the 2nd to left lane even with zero traffic because her parents taught her it was the safest lane D:

        • SirFlibbled on 09/03/2017 - 14:54
          +1

          Do you tell her she's the worst human in the world? I would.

        • elliebargain on 10/03/2017 - 09:54

          @SirFlibbled: Awwwww would you? Even if she was your friend? I have gently mentioned it- and hopefully she's gotten more confident with age, about changing lanes and stuff :P

  • Ughhh on 08/03/2017 - 22:05
    +2

    Although it's illegal to stay in right lane, but isn't tailgating to overtake at a higher speed (much higher than 105km/hr) also illegal?

    A Strahany said above, if you're blocking the right lane when you are able to move into the middle lane, then you're being a dick and you're kinda inviting trouble.

    Tailgating is never right, but you're not the police, its not your job to stop them. Too many self righteous ignorant stupid people on the road.

  • djmm on 08/03/2017 - 22:19

    I slow down when people tailgate me.

    • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2017 - 23:11

      Thats quite safe isnt it.

  • airal3rt on 08/03/2017 - 23:03
    +7

    Imbeciles camped in the overtaking lane are the worst thing on the roads. Completely self-absorbed morons oblivious to the line of traffic stuck behind them while they continue at the same speed as the car in the left lane right next to them. Wish the cops would crack down on that.

    • Kangal on 08/03/2017 - 23:50

      I tend to stick to the right lane, as per your definition of "moron" when I'm travelling 101km/h, there's no-one tailgating me, there's lot's of cars in the middle lane driving 94km/h. Where I could pull into the middle-lane, only to have to tap the breaks and conform to the line of cars. Or continue driving smoothly/safely in the right lane.

      I do pull into the middle-lane though, as long as there's a sizeable gap, I don't care about which line I travel in as long as its smooth/safe.

      I think in such a position I can justify "hogging" the right lane.
      Otherwise, it seems a great waste to lay the groundwork and to never use the service that has/is been funded.

      • SirFlibbled on 09/03/2017 - 12:42
        +1

        If you are overtaking cars in the lane directly to your left, then you are not hogging to right lane. It's when you don't get over to the left when you're able to and you don't that you become the moron.

        • Kangal on 09/03/2017 - 14:15

          Yes, but upon a technicality a police officer could still pull me over.

          It wouldn't be moral or just, or even safe.
          But legally it depends how he feels, and if he's filled his quota for the day.

          Just putting that out there.

        • SirFlibbled on 09/03/2017 - 14:45
          +2

          @Kangal: For speeding yes but not for staying right while overtaking as you are overtaking. As I said, once you stop overtaking you should get immediately into the left lane. If you don't do so, then yes you're a moron.

  • captobvious on 08/03/2017 - 23:53
    +1

    Being tailgated? Might be time to wash that windscreen

  • Geewhizz on 09/03/2017 - 08:23
    -4

    This is not what you would do but rather what is right or wrong based on law?

    We could start with driving at 105 when the speed limit is 100? If you need to go over the limit to overtake, then you shouldn't be overtaking.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2017 - 10:19
    +1

    if only the "keep left unless overtaking" law was policed properly.

  • pjetson on 09/03/2017 - 10:27
    +3

    If you're being passed on the left, you're in the wrong lane. Simples.

  • dasher86 on 09/03/2017 - 14:09
    -3

    If only people would not exceed the speed limit.
    If a person is doing 100 km which is the speed limit in the right hand how can a person pass them if they were not speeding?
    Yes you can speed up to overtake but what is the point to overtake if the driver is already doing the speed limit and you should not exceed this?
    (unless of course you feel unsafe with the vehicle in front of you due to erratic driving etc).

    I personally stick to the left lanes.

    • airal3rt on 09/03/2017 - 14:44

      Maybe the person behind you has a more accurately calibrated speedometer. Maybe the person behind you has a passenger having an asthma attack or going into labour and they need to speed to the hospital. You can't stick your fingers in your ears and say "lalala I'm travelling at the speed limit so I'll sit in the overtaking lane", there's more occurring on the roads than what's in your little bubble.

      You seem to think speed limits are important because they are a law. You know what's another law? Not sitting in the f u c king overtaking lane.

      • dasher86 on 09/03/2017 - 15:12
        -3

        someones getting touchy here.
        I've posted that i do follow the law of sticking to the left hand lane.

        You think one law precedes another? Speeding kills. I doubt sitting in the right hand lane kills as many people.

    • SirFlibbled on 09/03/2017 - 14:53
      +1

      The problem is usually the person in the middle lane going well below the speed limit. If they're doing 10 under, sometimes more (this is regular in Sydney) in the middle lane, it forces everyone who wants to do 91-100 into the right lane. If someone is doing 95 gets in the right lane to over take someone doing 90 and someone comes along doing 100, this is where the issue is.

      There's absolutely no reason why the person doing 90 shouldn't be in the far left lane.

      This isn't a hypothetical either, this is how it is whenever I travel on Sydney motorways (M4 is particularly the worst offender for this) I drive almost exclusively in the right hand lane because so many people in the left are driving well under the speed limit. All I want to do is drive the speed limit.

      In a perfect world the three lanes should be || under the speed limit || at the speed limit || over the speed limit||

      Unfortunately it seems to be || Trucks doing the speed limit || under the speed limit || everyone else ||

      This forces people often to constantly change lanes from far right to far left and undertake, in order to get around the slow asses in the middle lane. As someone else in this thread said, if someone is undertaking you - you're in the wrong lane.

    • Flying Ace on 09/03/2017 - 23:39
      +1

      It's not your prerogative to stop someone from speeding by sitting illegally in the right lane if you aren't overtaking.

      • dasher86 on 10/03/2017 - 08:37
        -3

        I never said i did.
        But then it's not the prerogative of the person behind you illegally tailgaiting to get you out of the right hand lane.

  • TheProcess on 09/03/2017 - 18:27

    Most of the time I am in the right lane driving just over the limit (but not enough to get a speeding fine) and am slowly overtaking others, however when I see someone speeding up behind me in the distance I will change left ASAP to let them overtake me, even before there is even a chance for them to tail gate me. I have been rear ended twice! (Although not from tailgaiting, not a fun experience regardless)

    Note: When I drove an older car (2004) I used to cruise at 101 ish and zoom past majority of cars.
    Now with my newer car (2016) at 100km/h on cruise, cars were tailgaiting me / zooming past me. So I have utilized multiple GPS sources to confirm my speedo is set 4under (found this the case in many newer cars) (so If I am set at 104km/h I am technically going 100km/h.

    I drive to and from work ~600km / week with 90% freeway kms.

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