Hypothetically, of course, lets suppose your on a two lane highway with median strip (i.e., two lanes each direction). Speed Limit is 55. Traffic in the right lane moves at about 55 - 57. Traffic in the left lane moves at ~65. Cops DO set up speed traps in the median now and then (when its warm out). There are Left hand exits and right hand exits.

Traffic is moderate but moving with some breaks in each lane. Your doing 65 in the left lane and constantly passing traffic doing 55 in the right lane. You are already speeding.

Sooner or later someone is going to come up on your rear and insist you move over so he/she can drive 20 over vice 10 over.

Is it RR to just keep breaking the speed limit driving 10 over and not move over (after all, you keep passing cars)?

 

If you have room to move to the right and let faster traffic pass and you choose not to, you are willingly impeding traffic. It may be passive, but it is imposing your will upon other motorists for no other reason than you are in front of them and you can. It is extremely poor form.

 

Hypothetically, of course, remember your already passing cars on the right and have to find a spot to move over AND your already speeding. One argument could be you are "aiding and abetting" breaking the law by allowing someone to pass when your already breaking the law.

You are not impeding the flow of traffic. Traffic is moving at 65 in the left lane and 55 in the right lane. I'm talking about the the one guy who comes up every half hour or so and insists on driving WAY beyond the flow of traffic.

BTW, I forgot to add, passing on the right is perfectly legal.

So the question stands, is it RR to just keep going 65?

 

By definition it is not Road Rage itself, since Road Rage is defined generally as deliberately dangerous and/or violent behaviour under the influence of heightened anger (rage). However, the "knuckle draggers", people who do not move over for faster traffic, are the inciters for Road Rage - like the virus that causes the disease - thus they are just as responsible for resulting dangerous behavior IMHO.

Here are some good tips for dealing with tailgaters and avoiding RR:

http://www.monkeymeter.com/drivetips/tailgate_tips.php

Its an interesting site about it overall, enjoy

 

Road Rage Defined supposedly per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.monkeymeter.com/roadrage.php

Differences between aggressive driving and actual RR discussed.

 

Re: the above example, if I can move right safely and without slowing down to fit in, I will do so. If not, too bad for the following driver. If I am already speeding and you want to go faster, you find a way to get by. Not my responsibility to make you happy.

 

About a month ago, I was was driving our Insight and merged onto the highway. Limit was 65 and there was a fair amount of traffic so most everyone were going at or below the limit. When I merged, the lady behind me decided I wasn't going fast enough so she actually tried to pass me on the right (the merge lane that I just got out of ). Of course, she couldn't make it and ended up getting to my back quarter panel before she had to slam her brakes and duck in behind me when the lane ended.

After that, I assumed she would find an opening in the lane to the left to pass me. Well, she proceeded to tailgate me a few miles and had numerous opportunities to pass. When we came upon the next onramp to the highway, she did the exact same thing . This time she almost made it even with me when she had to slam on her brakes. This lady would not get out of the right lane . By this time, I'm coming up to traffic and get into the middle lane to pass (along with the bus in front of me). She races past both of us and starts tailgating the next slow person. If that wasn't enough, she finally decided to pass and cuts across two lanes of traffic into the far left lane. About 1/2 mile later, she decides to exit and cuts back across both lanes. I was amazed she didn't cause an accident.

If I was in the MINI, I'd probably have downshifted into 3rd and gotten the heck out of there when she started tailgating. The funny thing is that while all of this was happening, I was listening to this cd that State Farm sent so I could renew my steer clear discount

 

I would pull over to the right if I could and let them go on there way. Then hope the cops have a speed trap set up so they'll get caught and taught a real lesson. There's no reason to hold them up and have to worry about them on your bumper.

 

NO. Just going along is not RR.
When the blood pressure goes up, the palms are sweaty, you "talk" to another driver, and really focus on just that bonehead, then it would be RR.
A few years ago AZ Hwy. Patrol started driving "aggressive driver" patrol cars, like Camaros, Intreped, "normal" color Crown Vics with civilian plates, all with dark windows hiding the lights. As a recovering leadfoot, I at first didn't like the idea. But one day I was following one of these. Saw someone coming up behind us kind of fast, changing lanes every 5 seconds without signaling, tailgating. When they got a clear shot, they zoomed past the plain wrapper cop. He put his smokey hat on, flipped on the lights, and guess what? It's unfortunate that is what it takes to enforce the speed limit. I'm tempted to suggest they get a Chili Red MINI, because boneheads are always doing stupid things near me.
And if you make a habit of staying in the right lane (when conditions allow) to begin with, no problemo!

 

I normally drive pretty sanely (who am I kidding?), but today a white Miata actually tried to run my off the road and into the curb today for trying to pass him/her. It sure was nice to be able to floor it and shoot around him/her before they could say "road rage". Yeah, it might have been safer to slam on the brakes or something, but I reacted and came out on top. I am not sure what is scarier though, the people with road rage or my defensive driving reactions.

On a different note, once I attempted to pass a group of bikers on Harleys that were going under the speed limit. I was driving a big Caddillac. They decided to surround my car. Maybe I should have been scared, but they were on motorcycles and I was in a multi-ton metal shell of security. So I swerved around and sprayed them with my wiper fluid. You know, let them know that i meant business. As you can guess they didnt respond to this well, so for my own safety I cut them off and took the last exit before going up this long hill with no turnarounds. I stopped and got gas, knowing that we would then meet half way up the hill in opposite directions. It worked, and gave them one final wiper fluid spray goodbye.

Man I was a punk in my youth. Wait, maybe that wasnt that long ago. Maybe that wasnt on a much of a different note than the first story either. Maybe I have road rage? No, I have road fever. I guess my defensive driving is just a little aggressive. Sometimes I think I should be a traffic policeman, just so I could punish those that drive stupid.

 

 

Hey that says I'm a good driver, now only if I could get my insurance company to listen....

 

You don't think that act was road rage?

 

When you are surrounded by about 8 large men on Harleys, no. Its self defense. And fun.

I haven't read the aforementioned definitions of road rage, but I would guess that it would be more of an angry violent agressive action, not a get away from my dad's caddy you psycho biker gang action.

Man, those were the days.

 

I have an employee who goes home everyday for lunch & then hurrys back to work. The other day he merged into traffic on the way home and was frustrated because the car in front of him was only going 20 mph. So he passed them quickly, and then noticed that the next car in front of him was only going 20 mph as well. He was really upset this time thinking what the hay! So he passes this car a well, and low & behold the car in front of him again was only going 20 mph. This is when he realized that he had merged into a funeral proccession. .

 

Duh

 

Good thing it wasn't his own funeral.

Perhaps some people would like to define RR only after gunfire erupts...

 

I come up to a red light, most cars are in the left lane, some in the center lane, I pull up behind 2 cars in the right lane. Soon after this intersection the right lane ends. Usually the right lane takes off quicker, but not today. And usually the center lane drivers are courteous and let you in, but not today. Today the first (little white pickup) in my lane lugs along while all the center lane drivers tailgate, not allowing us in. I see it's becoming a clusterf***, flick the turn signal, and start earlier looking to merge. But today, the guy behind me squeezes into the center lane, and passes by me when it's obvious everyone is packing up behind the slowpoke!
So I lay on the horn for about 20 seconds to alert everybody that I exist, and manage to merge. Soon I pass the slowpoke (at least he was in the right lane), and I notice him with a sh**eating grin looking in his mirror at the cars still behind him. And I wasn't in a hurry, and was listening to mellow music to boot!
It's scary when so many selfish boneheads are together. [I understand it's typical in Boston]

 

Oops! Posted this thought elsewhere...

 

RANT: Left Lane Lemmings.
Two days ago, I was driving home on 4-lane 69. I had no cars in front or back of me, was doing 55mph "Special Enforcement" speed. Came up behind a couple in their 80-90s, she was driving a bronze Buick in the classic granny position... in the left lane.... at 40mph (yes forty). I paced just before my left turn, she didn't turn left at the 3 chances. I tried to give her a hint, but she only slowed down... in the left lane!
I normally see 5:1 left:right in light traffic. Just what I need is granny having a heart attack just before my intersection and at the last instant jerk into me. Give me some room!

 

Hey, that looks familiar!

 

Just trying to be proper here. Like sunrise/sunset technicality sort of stuff.

 

Speaking of road rage..
last night i was in the usual traffic on this main road in richmond and we were start, stop, start, stop for a while. I was inching forward when a nice big f-150 decided they didn't like the lane they were in that wasn't moving, and thought since my lane moved up 2 more inches than theirs, they'd cut me off. I hardly had enough room for them to put their front end in front of me, much less the whole truck. So i laid on my horn and decided to get over in the left lane and went around them. Then i noticed they'd slammed their brakes and no one was in front of them. I'd already gotten up enough speed to get past them and back in front of them. They did not like ME getting in front of THEM so they punched the gas in the little bit of room they had and slammed their brakes literally inches from my rear bumper and had the front end dip down so far the hood was hidden behind my boot. I thought for sure i was about to be hit and me and my b/f grabbed hold of the oh crap handles quick. But they were able to stop in time. Then they jumped over into the left lane and kept stopping beside my car, regardless of the traffic in front of them being 3-4 car lengths ahead. Idiots.

 

http://www.roadrage.com/

Best thing ever!! i love these...

there are so meny great ones!

 

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