Why does everyone overtake on the left?

[ufis]

Even if you are travelling in the right lane at a legal 120km/h and someone comes up behind you (speeding) you have to move over by law. If you do not the person is allowed to flash there lights at you.

It always amazes me how quick speeding drivers point to the "law" that you have to move over for them. What you do forget is that when I do 120 in the fast lane, you are by law not allowed to overtake me, because then you will be speeding.

http://www.polity.org.za/polity/govdocs/regulations/1999/roadregs10.html

(3) The driver of a vehicle on a public road shall, except in the circumstances referred to in the first proviso to subregulation (1), upon becoming aware of other traffic proceeding in the same direction and wishing to pass his or her vehicle, cause his or her vehicle to travel as near to the left edge of the roadway as is possible, without endangering himself or herself or other traffic or property on the roadway, and shall not accelerate the speed of his or her vehicle until the other vehicle has passed.

When I do 120 and you want to speed past, allowing you to pass will be to allow you to endanger other traffic on the road, as you are speeding and therefor endangering others.

The left hand lane (and to a large extent the middle lane too) are used by heavy trucks. This causes a crap road surface.
The right hand lane, on the other hand, have a better surface. THAT is why I drive in the right hand lane, or middle lane if it is good. If you keep to the speed limit I would not be in your way.

Keep to the law and keep to the speed limit. If you cannot do that do not whine about drivers being in your way.

 

[Creag]

Drive left pass right

In the US, yeah

 

[Creag]

Scenario: I'm driving on the highway, at normal speeds. Someone wants to drive faster. There's a lane open on my left, a lane open on my right. Which one do you think 90% of South African drivers choose?

It really gets on my nerves, I wanna keep billboards in my car to flash at these *******s.

Equally it bugs me when people hog the middle or right hand lanes, and I am forced to use the left hand lane to pass. But what choice is there ... apart from waiting with infinite patience for the car ahead to use their rear view mirror and notice me.

 

[Claymore]

When I do 120 and you want to speed past, allowing you to pass will be to allow you to endanger other traffic on the road, as you are speeding and therefor endangering others.

Rubbish. You are not authorised to enforce the laws, nor are you in a position to accurately measure the speeds of other cars.

However, there is an *explicit* law that *requires* you to move over on a freeway, and there are no exception listed (like "other driver is going to fast for my liking).

 

[ufis]

Rubbish. You are not authorised to enforce the laws, nor are you in a position to accurately measure the speeds of other cars.

However, there is an *explicit* law that *requires* you to move over on a freeway, and there are no exception listed (like "other driver is going to fast for my liking).

(3) The driver of a vehicle on a public road shall, except in the circumstances referred to in the first proviso to subregulation (1), upon becoming aware of other traffic proceeding in the same direction and wishing to pass his or her vehicle, cause his or her vehicle to travel as near to the left edge of the roadway as is possible, without endangering himself or herself or other traffic or property on the roadway, and shall not accelerate the speed of his or her vehicle until the other vehicle has passed.

Bold part looks like an exception or condition.

I am not enforcing any law. I am not pulling you over and giving you a fine. I am using my common sense to determine that your speeding car is a danger to other road users. Therefor allowing you to pass and continue speeding endangers not only myself, but other road users too. Based on that I am not required to move over.

Point remains: You are not allowed to speed. By law. Once you can get past that we can talk about me moving out the way.

 

[genetic]

When I do 120 and you want to speed past, allowing you to pass will be to allow you to endanger other traffic on the road, as you are speeding and therefor endangering others.

Wow. If that's your logic, you shouldn't be on the road.

 

[SaiyanZ]

without endangering himself or herself or other traffic or property on the roadway,

Erm, that just means that YOU must get out of the way as soon as YOU can without endangering anyone else.

 

[GrahamWhite]

That logic seems to be really broken.... but we seem to have a lot of that here ----- Where are those "Keep Left Pass Right" Signs? Do they need a donation for them ? I am prepared to offer R1,000.00 - it will really make my, and other people knowing system contraints life better (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint)
Maybe we can also ask the traffic department to concentrate on traffic flow - instead of blocking off another lane (to help at an incident) - Do they even get taught that at Traffic School? Do they know how they will help the economy?

 

[genetic]

Where are those "Keep Left Pass Right" Signs?

On most major highways.

 

[Bona Botse]

Bold part looks like an exception or condition.

I am not enforcing any law. I am not pulling you over and giving you a fine. I am using my common sense to determine that your speeding car is a danger to other road users. Therefor allowing you to pass and continue speeding endangers not only myself, but other road users too. Based on that I am not required to move over.

Point remains: You are not allowed to speed. By law. Once you can get past that we can talk about me moving out the way.

see below:

the law legally allows me to drive up to 132km/h ACTUAL speed (as measured on a GPS unit, for instance), whereas if you're going according to your speedo at 120km/h, you're probably doing an ACTUAL speed of 110km/h. which means that even though i'm still obeying the law, i'm driving at 22km/h faster than you. so, i can overtake you on the left without breaking any laws, meanwhile you're breaking the law by staying on the right when you're not overtaking.

 

[ufis]

Wow. If that's your logic, you shouldn't be on the road.

If you are speeding you should be the first to not be on the road. When you are gone people will not have to worry about speeding drivers that want to overtake well above the speed limit.

Erm, that just means that YOU must get out of the way as soon as YOU can without endangering anyone else.

And when I get out the way I endanger YOUR life by giving YOU the opportunity to speed.

That logic seems to be really broken...

The logic that is broken is everyone here getting stuck on the laws to force people out of your way, while conveniently forgetting that it is breaking the law to drive over the speed limit.
When you keep within the law it would remove the need for you to worry about me.

see below:

the law legally allows me to drive up to 132km/h ACTUAL speed (as measured on a GPS unit, for instance), whereas if you're going according to your speedo at 120km/h, you're probably doing an ACTUAL speed of 110km/h. which means that even though i'm still obeying the law, i'm driving at 22km/h faster than you. so, i can overtake you on the left without breaking any laws, meanwhile you're breaking the law by staying on the right when you're not overtaking.

The law tells you to drive at a max speed of 120km/h. There is leeway up to 130 (not 132) to accommodate various equipment that is not 100% accurate.

The rest of your post just assumes that you are the only person on the road with accurate speed measurement.

You are also mistaken that you are obeying the law. The law states that you may not drive faster than 120km/h. The 10km/h allowance is for inaccurate equipment. Since you are able (so you claim) to accurately measure your speed you should keep to the law, and not push the allowance.
In any case, 132km/h will get you a R250 fine.

 

[HapticSimian]

uFiS, the simple truth of the matter is that you are not in a position to make that call, not regarding the speed someone else is actually travelling, nor regarding their possible motivation for wanting to exceed the speed you're happily hogging the overtaking lane at. Maybe they're feeling feisty and just want you to move over for the sake of it. Maybe they're trying to get to an emergency. It really doesn't bear any consequence on yourself.

Just be in the left-most lane you can reasonably and safely be. It just isn't more complicated than that.

 

[ShaunSA]

left wingers...

As opposed to right whingers?

 

[ufis]

Just don't speed. It just isn't more complicated than that.

 

[HapticSimian]

Just don't speed. It just isn't more complicated than that.

I'll make that decision myself based on traffic, the condition of the road & prevailing weather, but thanks for your interest. I'll drive at 20km/h below the limit between Dullstroom & Belfast because the road is constructed out of potholes, and I'll drive at 30km/h over the limit between ***amas and Keimoes if I so desire.

It's none of your concern.

 

[SaiyanZ]

And when I get out the way I endanger YOUR life by giving YOU the opportunity to speed.

Yay, so kind of you. We really need more people like you out there. Holding my hand when I want to cross the road or walking beside me in dodgy areas protecting me from muggers.

 

[ufis]

I'll make that decision myself based on traffic, the condition of the road & prevailing weather, but thanks for your interest. I'll drive at 20km/h below the limit between Dullstroom & Belfast because the road is constructed out of potholes, and I'll drive at 30km/h over the limit between ***amas and Keimoes if I so desire.

It's none of your concern.

I will also make the decision on which lane to drive in myself. It is none of your concern. See how this goes round and round?

You are in no way willing to change your style of driving to suit anyone else (and stay within the law), yet you require others to change their driving style to suit you.

And your driving is of concern to me. While I am on the road, or anyone I care about is on the road your driving has the potential to have a direct influence on my life. But you do not get that. All you care about is your own need to get where you want to be as fast as possible and **** anyone that will not allow you to do that.
Just think a bit further than your own selfish needs.

 

[genetic]

I will also make the decision on which lane to drive in myself. It is none of your concern. See how this goes round and round?

You are in no way willing to change your style of driving to suit anyone else (and stay within the law), yet you require others to change their driving style to suit you.

And your driving is of concern to me. While I am on the road, or anyone I care about is on the road your driving has the potential to have a direct influence on my life. But you do not get that. All you care about is your own need to get where you want to be as fast as possible and **** anyone that will not allow you to do that.
Just think a bit further than your own selfish needs.

What you've just said probably applies more to your driving style than anyone else's.

Hogging the right lane is asking for trouble. You drive with a big wooden spoon - so be prepared.

 

[Bona Botse]

If you are speeding you should be the first to not be on the road. When you are gone people will not have to worry about speeding drivers that want to overtake well above the speed limit.


And when I get out the way I endanger YOUR life by giving YOU the opportunity to speed.


The logic that is broken is everyone here getting stuck on the laws to force people out of your way, while conveniently forgetting that it is breaking the law to drive over the speed limit.
When you keep within the law it would remove the need for you to worry about me.


The law tells you to drive at a max speed of 120km/h. There is leeway up to 130 (not 132) to accommodate various equipment that is not 100% accurate.

The rest of your post just assumes that you are the only person on the road with accurate speed measurement.

You are also mistaken that you are obeying the law. The law states that you may not drive faster than 120km/h. The 10km/h allowance is for inaccurate equipment. Since you are able (so you claim) to accurately measure your speed you should keep to the law, and not push the allowance.
In any case, 132km/h will get you a R250 fine.

the whole premise of this thread was with the OP hogging the fast lane and complaining about people overtaking him on the left. so, while hogging the fast lane, do you have a problem with people overtaking you on the left?

 

[HapticSimian]

I will also make the decision on which lane to drive in myself. It is none of your concern. See how this goes round and round?

You are in no way willing to change your style of driving to suit anyone else (and stay within the law), yet you require others to change their driving style to suit you.

And your driving is of concern to me. While I am on the road, or anyone I care about is on the road your driving has the potential to have a direct influence on my life. But you do not get that. All you care about is your own need to get where you want to be as fast as possible and **** anyone that will not allow you to do that.
Just think a bit further than your own selfish needs.

My personal bugbear with lane hogs has zero to do with teh lawz and everything to do with the fact that even someone with the mental acumen of a gnat can figure out that "keep left, pass right" makes sense and helps traffic flow. If you read my posts on the matter, in this and previous threads on the issue, you'll see that my reasoning is seldom if ever motivated by selfishness. I do not expect people to drive into the back of pantechnicons so I can blast through. I do not expect others to sit wasting away in queues of traffic because I might be flying up from behind. If I'm not overtaking someone else, I'm as far left as I can reasonably and safely be regardless of my speed. I merely expect the same courtesy from others.

Funny that I've never been involved in an accident, never had a fist shaken in my direction and never been threatened by a fellow road user. Can you say the same?