Left lane on BC roads

[bcneil]

what about the flippin' retards that leave one or two car lengths between their car and the car in front of them when stopped at a light or waiting to turn in the left turn lane?

wtf are they worried about... that the driver in front of them is accidentally going to put his car in reverse and smash into their darling honda? :frusty:

Actually driving schools teach this. When you are coming to a red light, with cars already stopped. You are suppose to stop a full car length behind. Wait for the car behind you to come to a stop, then you drive forward. Theory is, if the car behind you rear ends you, and pushes you into the parked car in front of you.......this is what I was told at my driving school anyways.

They also teach people, not to even be closer than a half car length from the car in front.....in case that car stalls or cannot drive. Then its easier to get around, then if you were a foot behind.

 

[blackcad]

I don't know about that, it basically says vehicles have to be confined to the left side of the road except for...and gives the exceptions. So, it you are not engaged in one of those exceptions, you're in violation. I had a driver ticketed under that section.

Apologies uncleg....Peaceguy's posting of the actual law has me at a 100% disadvantage where I'm clearly now about to dine on my own words.

I was told by a recently retired 35 year police Sgt who spent almost all his years enforcing traffic laws in BC, that no such law exists...It obviously does.. I wrote (and now must eat my humble pie) that I can guarantee that this is not up for legal debate because until now I thought who better to be versed in traffic laws then a traffic cop of 35 years...Maybe he wasn't the sharpest tack in the box because I clearly remember an argument I had with him where I told him that he should ticket left lane blockers......and he was certain that he had no power to ticket them.....perhaps many other officers are vague on this and that is why people continue to do it here.

Normally, I would actually look up the law myself before posting something so definite, but my excuse is that I was on my smartphone, in public, and posted very quickly on something I thought I had the scoop on. Touche Peaceguy....good on you for catching me.

When in doubt, refer to the actual law, and the answer is there. Thanks for the education, Peaceguy.

 

[uncleg]

Apologies uncleg....Peaceguy's posting of the actual law has me at a 100% disadvantage where I'm clearly now about to dine on my own words.

I was told by a recently retired 35 year police Sgt who spent almost all his years enforcing traffic laws in BC, that no such law exists...It obviously does.. I wrote (and now must eat my humble pie) that I can guarantee that this is not up for legal debate because until now I thought who better to be versed in traffic laws then a traffic cop of 35 years...Maybe he wasn't the sharpest tack in the box because I clearly remember an argument I had with him where I told him that he should ticket left lane blockers......and he was certain that he had no power to ticket them.....perhaps many other officers are vague on this and that is why people continue to do it here.

Normally, I would actually look up the law myself before posting something so definite, but my excuse is that I was on my smartphone, in public, and posted very quickly on something I thought I had the scoop on. Touche Peaceguy....good on you for catching me.

When in doubt, refer to the actual law, and the answer is there. Thanks for the education, Peaceguy.

No problem...................it's not one that is often enforced, because bluntly, it's a hard one to make stick.................

 

[anyho]

I've given up fretting about this. The offenders would never read a rant such as this and have no clue about what they are doing. It only takes a small number of airheads and aggressive assholes to fuck things up for anyone trying to be courteous, hence why bother. Traffic is a constant headache and always will be until we have sufficient roadways to manage the volume … which we will never have. Why stress yourself about people you can’t change and a situation that you can’t control.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

Actually driving schools teach this. When you are coming to a red light, with cars already stopped. You are suppose to stop a full car length behind. Wait for the car behind you to come to a stop, then you drive forward. Theory is, if the car behind you rear ends you, and pushes you into the parked car in front of you.......this is what I was told at my driving school anyways.

They also teach people, not to even be closer than a half car length from the car in front.....in case that car stalls or cannot drive. Then its easier to get around, then if you were a foot behind.

well, maybe. but when i learned parallel parking, i was taught that you should leave 1.5m (5') between you and the car in front of you, SO YOU COULD GET OUT! 1.5m, not 1.5 car lengths...

if its the driving schools causing this, maybe they should be overhauled a bit too

There are sensors built in the left turn lane to activate the left turn signal if there is one. They may be trying to trigger it.

hi ferris

the first car maybe, but when the entire row of cars does this, only about 3 or 4 cars can get into the left turn lane, forcing the rest to spill out into the left hand through lane, causing a royal pain in the ass blockage. i would say its more like a completely oblivious attitude of 'i'm ok jack, i'm in front of you, so fuck your needs' on behalf of many of our new drivers

same thing with stopping for a traffic light. many stop an entire car length back from the stop line and stay there, despite the fact that there are concrete curbs and dividers that completely protect you when you pull right up to the stop line, then their bretherin leave 1 to 2 car gaps all the way down the line behind them - it's no wonder the roads are congested!

 

[vancity_cowboy]

^ ^ so whaddya think of me as a kid? we shore do get old fast... lol

 

[carvesg]

Finally the provincial government is doing something about the passing lane rules . Will we get predictable flow of traffic ??? Crossing fingers..... LOL

 

[EuroSZabina]

I have given up trying to figure this one out. It really has gotten bad in the past ten years with a variety of drivers either attempting to slow traffic down intentionally by hogging the fast lane or some who just say "screw it, I'm too lazy to move from left to right and I won't move over, period". The ones who kill me are the older people who do barely the speed limit in the HOV lanes. WTF, move over to the right lanes!!

If you drive in WA or OR you will find people do tend to use the left lane for passing and move over to the right lane. Alberta, well 'sometimes' they do that unless you are driving out to the rockies on a weekend. Then its every man or woman for themselves.

Oh so true
I have given up trying too.
I just slalom around like on the skii slopes. Can't be bothered anymore. Seems like no more friggin rules and turning into like South America.

 

[Lo-ki]

I find the drivers in the states much more savy when it comes to proper lane use, guess the thought of starin down the barrel of a 44. can make a difference! We really have some horrid drivers in our area, back in the 60's you could not take the drivers test driving an automatic you had to pass driving a standard which included stops on hills, parallel parking etc and they taught the left lane was for passing. Whom ever changed this was an idiot as it produced drivers who could actually drive, there would be less traffic on today's roads if they had left that test alone!

Not an issue in the states as the thought of starin down the barrel of a 44 DOES make a difference.

In Montreal it's NEVER an issue because they MORE THEN LIKELY carry a 44.

 

[badbadboy]

Washington State apparently has moved forward with making steps to curb the Left Lane Hoggers.

I recall leaving PDX, heading north and noticing a sign saying that Semi Trailers must use the slow lane. Fine $10,000

Seems they know where one of the problems comes from in heavy traffic.

I zipped out to have a drive over the weekend and noticed the HOV lane was full with slow moving drivers (again). I jumped in one of the right hand lanes and had clear sailing right up to the Port Mann bridge.

Just imagine the look on some old crusty driver getting a $170 approx ticket for going 75 km/hr in the HOV or fast lane. Finally!!

 

[carvesg]

A police officer reported a license held by a lady whose picture was not on it, family drivers license she explained, also her brake pedal was painted red and the gas was painted green.

LOL I was told that story by an officer claiming that he had done the arrest . She had driven through a yellow light according to her ....LOL( Which was RED ) But that was based on explanation in sign language because she could not speak English but kept showing the pedals. TOO FUNNY !

 

[future canadian]

Come on, I did that back in 2012! Damn metric speedometer. I have since correct my Canadian driving skills!

Drives me crazy too, especially when traffic is very light and two cars are going below the speed limit side by side. Maybe we can all pitch in a buy some billboards... They could look something like this:

And be all over the lower mainland. Prob wouldn't help though since people are that self-absorbed and ignorant....

Maybe we can get signs to keep in our car?

Or better yet:

Ok I'm out of ideas..

 

[uncleg]

Who told you the left lane was a passing lane?

If that were true, the only people that would ever be in it, would be someone passing.

It is just "accepted" that the left lane is the fast\passing lane.

Think I'm wrong? Which lane is the passing lane on a 6-8-12 lane highway?

"Keep right except to pass" it's the law in most States.

Here is a summary:

http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

I do not believe there is a similiar law in BC. There should be one.

I always move over from the left lane as soon as I have made a pass and the road is clear ahead of me.

If there is a car ahead that I can keep up with I will stay in the left lane until he moves over and I pass him or when I can't keep up with him I will move over.

I'm no saint when it comes to driving the speed limit. I can honestly say that I have NEVER been able to stay under the posted speed limit 100% of the time on any trip, long or short.

I do appreciate that if someone wants to drive even faster than me, it's their prerogative. I'm not the speed police.

Besides they do make the best radar detectors.

It's a law in B.C. just no teeth......going to get some dentures now.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

the driver's licence website lists the following languages as available for the written exams:

The test is available in English, Arabic, Cantonese (with traditional Chinese writing), Croatian, French, Farsi, Mandarin (with traditional Chinese writing), Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.​​

http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/new-drivers/Pages/Get-your-L.aspx

and did you ever notice that road signs don't have any language any more? they're all in pictograms