Passing lanes.

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sr2, Jun 30, 7:52pm
crankypants69, Jun 30, 8:54pm
Seems logical, but still pisses me off that they're not aware about whats going on around them!
whqqsh, Jul 1, 4:10am
been there
saxman99, Jul 1, 6:04am
I just put the loud pedal into the carpet and pass them anyway.
jonners2013, Jul 1, 6:13am
exactly. it's just incompetence if you're not aware of what's happening around you.

how about we stop making excuses for bad driving and actually try teaching people how to drive properly rather than just teaching people how to pass a test.
kazbanz, Jul 1, 6:31am
There is a simple change to the law that would INSTANTLY solve this problem. Change the speed limit specifically in passing lanes to 95 in the left lane and 105 in the right. better still 90 and 110 but we couldn't do anything that dangerous.
dublo, Jul 1, 8:00am
Kazbanz's solution is so simple and logical that the government would never consider it. Even just making the left lane limit 90 would help.
saxman99, Jul 1, 8:20am
A miracle happened recently. I did some driving in Australia and some of the highway speed limits were set at 110km/h, so I drove at 110km/h and didn't die! No children died either, no dolphins - it was amazing!
saxman99, Jul 1, 8:21am
I'm pretty sure I'm the only one meeting it or possibly exceeding it slightly every now and then. Everybody else is under it.
intrade, Jul 1, 8:22am
plenty money for john key to be made in the left lane then, since that is the reason behind speeding fines anyhow , should get him rub his hands on that one no problem.
tintop, Jul 1, 8:48am
Good article - the reverse is also true, one of the tools available for use in 'traffic calming' is to create artificial areas where the road is in fact narrowed, so in addition to humps, one way zig zag paths between traffic islands is to narrow the carriageway down by creating kerbside islands and a central raised island.

Some times referred in the jargon as increasing the 'side friction'
tintop, Jul 1, 8:50am
And the standard of the roading environment ?
tintop, Jul 1, 8:52am
lol - and the drivers that can manage 96 would still take the entire length to pass. ?
tweake, Jul 1, 9:10am
and the slow drivers will just sit in the right hand lane.
saxman99, Jul 1, 10:33am
Same as ours.
petal_91, Jul 1, 10:38am
Why not just blast past these people at whatever speed necessary? Can't see the big deal about doing that. If there is a cop car or speed camera at the end of the passing lane it ought to be easy enough to spot.
whqqsh, Jul 1, 10:40am
many drivers cant follow the basic road rules now let alone show any form of courtesy so I cant see this making any difference. Also it would just encourage the slowcoaches, who obviously have a superiority complex already, to pull out to accelerate as everyone else is going past causing yet more havoc. There are already enough doing this, usually 4WDs, not enough speed to overtake & wait until halfway up a hill to move over, shower everyone with black smoke with foot to the floor yet going nowhere fast & blocking the outside lane
richardmayes, Jul 1, 10:44am
The trick is to do whatever you have to do, to get past them as soon as you can - and once you are in front of them, THEN you can ease your speed back down a bit.

If you don't have a lot of power, drop back a bit from the car in front when you see PASSING LANE 400m AHEAD, and then step on the gas at the right moment so that you catch up with them again just as you enter the beginning of the passing lane. You will be going "about 104" and they are hopefully still fluffing along at their slower speed, and that is your opportunity to get past them BEFORE they decide to speed up.

[We have a 1.3 litre Ford Laser and a 4 litre Ford Falcon. whichever car we are using we can usually pass anyone we need to on passing lanes. Obviously in the Laser it's much more important to time your run on the approach to the passing lane as described above, as that car is never going to win a drag race if the slower driver decides to speed up.]

And remember, it's not compulsory to wait for passing lanes. !
tweake, Jul 1, 11:13am
thats much the norm.
however i've struck a fair few of late that will speed up just before the passing lanes. including the corner before the passing lanes (ie they know the lane is there well before you see the signs).
that also includes some of the straights where they know they can be overtaken.
then there is the swerving across trying to stop you from overtaking.
changing lanes in front of you
driving in both lanes
swerving across center line
tweake, Jul 1, 11:21am
come to think of it, theres getting more and more trucks speeding up and blocking on passing lanes. i don't think its intentionally, they get a run up before the hill and would normally end up crawling up it. traffic would pass with ease. but with the more powerful trucks these days, they can maintain speed or loose very little speed.
mecanix, Jul 1, 12:38pm
i usually slow down by about ten k to let as many cars past as i can but only when i have passed any trucks or slower drivers than me.
lookoutas, Jul 1, 4:30pm
So we overtake in the right lane at a good speed - I like that. and then we're supposed to move over into the slow lane unless overtaking?
Don't think I like that part kaz
whqqsh, Jul 2, 7:14am
check out this from General. "Tag Team OverTaking: I have used the technique of "Tag - Team- Overtaking" where I overtake the slow driver as soon as the passing lane begins then brake to 60 kmph to hold back the slow driver and prevent him from speeding up but not so slow that he/ she is tempted to overtake me, to allow a greater number of the vehicles being held up to overtake than at 100 kmph. Then at the end of the passing lane I accelerate back to 104 kmph leaving the slow driver behind."
yup thats the way to improve traffic flow, show courteous driving & decrease road rage. everyone else has been advocating steady & consistant but not this winna. And yet another guy with a God complex of 'I'm doing the right thing so everyone has to do as I want' but even better under the guise of 'helping others'. I'm amazed he hasnt been shown the error of his ways roadside after being pushed into a ditch
mrfxit, Jul 2, 7:47am
Very well stated for the average driver.
poppy62, Jul 2, 12:13pm
I'd suggest painting the overtaking lane as a flush median barrier, most of the idiot drivers won't use it because of it's perceived 1 metre height and it would also serve as a perceived narrowing of the lanes, thus, making the slow and cautious stay left with no increase in speed.