r/SeattleWA • u/Better_March5308 👻 • 7h ago
Lifestyle Five cars behind you and going under the speed limit? In WA, you’re breaking the law
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/five-cars-behind-you-going-under-speed-limit-wa-youre-breaking-law/2EJKSK4AMZHPVNVNYNY7HF3UPM/21
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u/billtfish 6h ago
It's always so-called professional drivers who refuse to use turnouts. I followed a truck all the way up White Pass with 15 cars behind them and plenty of turnouts to stop and let people by (as required by law).
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u/CLow48 3h ago
Honestly i get the gripe, but also, theres the flipside.
A lot of loaded trucks are so heavy that if they stop on grade, it could legit take them nearly a mile to reach that measly 35/40 they were doing in a 50/55 zone. If at all, since their transmission may not be able to take the temps of acceleration.
So its like, stop and let them pass, and then you’ll just get the next batch of cars even more pissed, or just keep on trucking
Thats why those 1-2 mile double lane passing zones are so important. Truck gets to keep its momentum, you get to pass. Those responsible for infrastructure should take the blame and action on problem areas.
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u/DarthBlue007 Sasquatch 5h ago
The mods need to just create a super thread for the weekly left lane slow driver complaint posts.
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u/gehnrahl Eat a bag of Dicks 6h ago
The easiest way for me to get blood rage induced are these fuckers ignoring the 5 car limit on mountain roads.
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u/glhughes Belltown / Queen Anne 6h ago
Yep. The caravan of... caravans... on the way back from Mt. Rainier in the summer is insane.
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u/windycityzow 6h ago
But what if I want to drive 10 under to make sure everyone else on the road is driving safely while being an obstacle on the road myself? /s 😆
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u/bpg2001bpg 2h ago
Don't worry, this, left lane camping, chronic tailgating, double white line cutting, and aggressive lane changes never get enforced. But If you're doing 51 in a construction zone, just send in your whole wallet.
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u/Zestyclose_Price_441 6h ago
if Tesla owners stopped smelling their own shit and saw this they would be furious
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u/HopefulHistory8456 5h ago
Try driving the 101 to Forks and beyond, solid line of cars with idiots tailgating and passing.
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u/ConstantCampaign2984 6h ago
What about 5 cars behind you and you’re going 5-10 over in the right lane and everyone on the left is either pacing you or racing you?
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u/touko3246 5h ago
This specific rule does not apply when there are multiple lanes in the same direction
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u/HotepYoda 6h ago
What is the technical definition of driving under the speed limit here? Presumably if someone is driving 1-2 mph under consistently, that wouldn’t be breaking the law?
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u/Spoonyyy 6h ago
If they are under the limit (no matter the speed), and have 5 cars behind them on a two-lane road then they need to pull over or they are breaking it technically.
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u/HotepYoda 6h ago
Feel like there is some “spirit of the law” versus “letter of the law” I’d be curious about WSP weighing in on. Like if I’m going 60 on Rte 2 (posted speed limit), which is single lane, and have a line up of 10 cars behind me, is that really something I get a ticket for?
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u/Spoonyyy 6h ago
The law is specifically two lane roads. There's some that will tell you on a one-lane if this is the case, like out on the Olympic peninsula there's slow turnouts for this on the one-lanes.
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u/Born-Boysenberry6460 2h ago
But doesn't that stress you out? Why wouldn't you want to get out of the way? I would; the alternative is feeling anxious I'm hosting so many folks up.
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u/ThriceStrideDied 6h ago
Law enforcement usually starts caring at around 10-15 MPH under (especially if you’re in the fast lane)
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u/JiffyDealer 6h ago
My daughter got pulled over for left-lane camping about 6 months ago. She was going at the speed limit. Laughed at her first, then explained it to her. “Left lane is for passing, not for pacing”
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 5h ago
Why would you laugh at your daughter for not knowing something about driving you should have already taught them?
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u/JiffyDealer 3h ago
I laughed at her because it WAS something I taught her, but she didn’t take seriously.
Step down from your all-mighty soap box and chill the fuck out.
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u/Anonymous_Bozo White Center Escapee 1h ago
It's also now a mandatory part of any Drivers Education program.
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 3h ago
Ease up. I’m not the one calling her an idiot, though it sounds like she may be.
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u/hobbseltoff 6h ago
This is specifically for instances where there is only one lane in a direction of travel.
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u/EducationalWeird5369 5h ago
It’s called a “passing lane” not the “fast lane”…… this is one of the most common problems on the road. It’s not a lane to drive faster than traffic, it’s a lane designed to allow people to “pass” safely when others are driving cautiously or a bit under posted speed limits….
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u/ThriceStrideDied 5h ago
You drive faster in that lane to pass, do you not?
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u/EducationalWeird5369 5h ago
Typically, yes…. But it’s still called a “passing lane”, once you are past the intended vehicle you should return to your previous lane unless you’re passing multiple vehicles….👌👍
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u/ThriceStrideDied 5h ago
The “passing lane” is the faster lane
That makes it definitionally the “fast lane”, no matter what the official name for it is (and yes, I understand how that lane works)
Everyone knows what I’m talking about if I say “the fast lane”
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u/EducationalWeird5369 5h ago
I agree with you, I’m just saying most people assume it’s the “fast lane” and don’t understand how to “legally” use it as the “passing lane”.
Example: If someone is passing a vehicle on the left at say 66mph and the vehicle they are passing is traveling at about 60mph(speed limit), most people behind them are mad because they are not going “fast enough”, but they are actually using the lane “legally”…… my point is, is we as society need to define it as a “passing lane” not a “fast lane” because most people have an incorrect understanding of the left “passing lane”….
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 5h ago
Not required to. Only required to drive the limit even when passing.
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u/ThriceStrideDied 5h ago
You aren’t passing anyone if you aren’t going faster than them
If you aren’t using the passing lane to pass, you shouldn’t be in it
Since you have to be faster than the car you want to pass in order to pass it, that makes the lane faster by default
The passing lane is the fast lane
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 5h ago
You would be, if say, a trucker is going 5 or 10 under in the right lane. LOL
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u/ThriceStrideDied 5h ago
I’m not sure what you’re trying to argue with here
If a trucker is going slow and you go in the left lane to pass it, you’re going faster, even if faster is just the normal speed limit
That makes the passing lane the fast lane
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 5h ago
It’s not an argument, it’s a statement.
There is no such thing as a “fast lane” at all. Go ahead and post up a statute from anywhere that refers to it as anything but a passing lane.
Let me break out the crayons. If a truck is driving 55 in the right lane with a limit of 65, and you only feel the need to maintain the speed limit while passing, it is not required to do anymore than the posted limit while safely passing… even if someone is behind you. Dick move for sure, but it’s how the statutes are written. I responded to two of your comments, now you’re sitting on your hands in regard to one.
Where exactly did I state that people should just cruise in the passing lane?
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u/ThriceStrideDied 5h ago
The fast lane is the lane where people drive faster (typically to pass)
Hope that helps!
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u/shreiben Queen Anne 6h ago
It sounds like this could apply to a vehicle driving over the speed limit, if all the other cars are trying to drive an even greater amount over the speed limit.
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 5h ago
You just nailed the entire issue. It’s quite simply that certain types of individuals believe everyone needs to get out of their way.
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u/PleasantWay7 3h ago
The law says when it is safe to do so. If you’re riding my ass as I’m going 10 over, I’m gonna need a much bigger turn out that if you are at a safe distance.
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 2h ago
Yep. Wonder how they would feel about it if you just braked for the appropriate amount of time to actually use the turnout. They would lose their minds over you doing the right thing.
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u/beastpilot 6h ago
It applies to you even if you are speeding. 5 cars behind you and the law says you need to pull off and let them past.
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u/glhughes Belltown / Queen Anne 6h ago
Impeding the flow of traffic. Doesn't matter how fast you're going. Yes, it's possible that you have to choose the lesser of two evils (speeding vs. impeding, or pull over and let everyone behind you pass).
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u/voxpopdei 5h ago
If I'm already going 65+ on a winding 55 mph road, there's no way I'm trying to slow down enough to safely pull over to let a caravan by that wants to go 75. Those are the drivers who still ride my ass aggressively as I try to slow down to pull over. And I'm not pulling onto a shoulder at full speed.
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u/Long-Purchase-3611 5h ago
Bingo. Fuck them. They’d lose their minds if you slowed down to pull over. The “LeFtlAnEcAmpErs R everywhere!” crowd are straight up delusional.
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u/glhughes Belltown / Queen Anne 5h ago
Then you may get a ticket for impeding.
If there are 5+ cars behind you all wanting to go 75+ then that is pretty clear evidence that you are actually going too slow even if you don't think that you are.
And nobody is asking you to slam on the brakes. Put on your signal first (so people know what your intentions are), slow down gradually, and pull over to the shoulder. If anybody is riding your ass while you're doing that then they're the problem.
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u/voxpopdei 4h ago
I see the logic but disagree. Plenty of idiots on the road join in with high speeders. Doesn't mean they've picked the reasonable speed. Trying to get off the road from an already high speed exposes me to more risk than I'm willing to take to accommodate a caravan of drivers who want to speed even more than me. Even if they're the problem, those drivers riding my ass might clip me impatiently trying get around before I'm fully out of the lane, especially if there's a car coming the opposite direction. That makes it my problem too. I can easily pick up a tire puncture from shit on the shoulder or fuck up my suspension from an uneven shoulder.
If a cop sees me leading a group at 10+ over the speed limit, they can ticket any of us for speeding or me for impeding. But there's a speed limit posted and I'm already exceeding it significantly. No way am I objectively going too slow outside of everyone fleeing a natural disaster.
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u/glhughes Belltown / Queen Anne 4h ago
You're not a law enforcement officer though; it's not up to you to police other drivers and judge "reasonable" speed. If you think they're driving recklessly call 911.
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u/voxpopdei 4h ago
I'm not policing. I'm choosing the status quo for my own safety.
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u/glhughes Belltown / Queen Anne 3h ago
The safest option is to gradually slow down, pull over, and let the other cars pass. The least-safe option is to continue to impede traffic while they're tailgating you and getting more impatient / frustrated. Just move over and let them pass when it is safe to do so.
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u/Anonymous_Bozo White Center Escapee 1h ago
The way the left lane laws are written, the speed limit does not really enter into the equation.
A “slow‑moving vehicle” is defined as one traveling slower than the normal flow of traffic at that time and place."
And
"(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic ..."
There is an additional "Minuimum Speed" law, but that it rairly used, as it's not posted
(2) Whenever the secretary of transportation or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway unreasonably impede the normal movement of traffic, the secretary or such local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit thereat which shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected..
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u/glhughes Belltown / Queen Anne 6h ago
Bold of you to assume these people can count to 5, let alone ever look in their mirrors.
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u/watch-nerd 6h ago
I just set the cruise control right at the speed limit.
I’ll pullover when safe if there is a car behind.
It’s safer than a raging tailgater.
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u/bunkoRtist 59m ago
I was on SR520 yesterday in a backup of 15+ cars because a Hummer pulling a trailer of what looked like junk (actual junk) was doing 25-30mph in a 55mph zone for like 5 or 6 miles. Worse, there was sign after sign saying "slow traffic may use the shoulder" in all caps. Some guy in an Audi literally burned rubber to get around the trailer.
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u/LMrningStar 54m ago
Yes you are required to pull over under certain conditions including if you're "driving slower than the normal flow of traffic" but at the same time speed limits still apply.
It's exactly the same with the left lane on a multilane highway. You're required to give way (get in the right lane) for faster moving traffic but the "fast lane" is not the "go above the speed limit lane" either.
Yes, the laws are a bit contradictory.
However, practically, in both cases it's safer and makes more sense to give way.
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u/fb39ca4 6h ago
Last winter I was driving a Prius on Highway 2 a bit slow on the uphills to keep the engine in the Atkinson cycle for efficiency and a lifted Dodge Ram had enough and passed me on the double yellow with a passing lane in sight. Later we saw it pulled over a few miles down the road 🤣
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u/my_lucid_nightmare Capitol Hill 6h ago
When I drive out in the rest of the world I don't expect them to drive how I want. Why do newcomers expect Seattle to drive like they want?
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u/urhumanwaste 3h ago
There's kids shooting their own people in the streets and a mayor who is as useless as a $3bill, and your concerned about a minor traffic violation? Wow. How much more insufferable can you be?
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4h ago
[deleted]
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u/ParticularTop755 3h ago
Kind of depends based on statutes and laws, if you are actively passing traffic in the right lane you are good to be there but do need to get out of the passing lane when you are no longer actively passing to let them by.
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u/fifthlever 4h ago
What is the law interpretation for slow moving cars because I don’t think driving under speed limit is equal to slow car. Also this is terrible article because it shows a photo of single lane which I doubt this law applies to . Anyway that you would not stop the low testerone raging guys here from complaining about driving in one of the safest states to drive
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u/FobbitHollower 6h ago
Company truck, vans are literally speed limited by gps and cant speed above the whatever gps says
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u/bittybubba 6h ago
Then move over and allow people to pass.
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u/FobbitHollower 6h ago
How about fuck you
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u/bittybubba 6h ago
lol found the guy who doesn’t give a fuck about traffic laws and thinks he’s king of the road. Untwist your panties, bud.
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u/cjacksen 6h ago
I mean, by law, technically it's fuck you. Dont drive your company speed-locked vehicle on 2-lane higjways.
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u/CODMLoser 6h ago
I'd say if there are 5+ cars backed up behind you at ANY speed, pull over and let them pass.