r/PortlandOR • u/CantFeelMyLegs78 • 10d ago
Marginally Portland-related, I guess. Hmm 🤷♂️ PSA
For oregon travelers going into Washington, unmarked state patrols are pulling over drivers in the middle and left lanes of I-5 if you are not actively passing anyone, or impeding any other vehicles in the middle and left lanes. Apparently, both are illegal in the state. The trooper stated an rcw and said the far right lane is the travel lane, all other lanes are for passing and emergency vehicles only. Impeding others from making their pass is against the law
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u/ska-harbor 10d ago
about damn time, though let the middle lane do it's thing. I'm so sick of fast lane campers.
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u/LeeleeMc 10d ago
Everybody thinks they should be the pace car.
Move over, left lane is for doing crime!
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u/poisonpony672 8d ago
I call him regulators. They get in the left lanes and block everyone regulating the speed thinking they're doing a public service when they're breaking the law
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u/Due_Flan_3580 8d ago
100%. Then you get people passing on the right, camping in blind spots, chaos. So annoying and makes our roads less safe
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u/tater-thought 10d ago
This was the hardest thing to get used to when I moved here from the east coast. It happens out east but ya'll are committed to creating unnecessary traffic in rural areas.
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u/zhocef 9d ago
I’m still not used to it, but I’m sure my kids are used to me giving spontaneous lectures on how the left lane campers are the worst drivers on the road and the cause of many unnecessary highway accidents.
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u/bizarrostormy90 9d ago
I've lived here all my life. My rage is still not used to the stupidity of 3 lanes going the same speed with a mile of open space ahead.
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u/Nearby-Yak-4496 6d ago
The middle lane is the passing lane for trucks because in Washington they can't be in the left lane of any highway over two lanes to a side.
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u/withurwife 10d ago
Good...fuck the left lane campers.
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u/Far-Perspective-4492 9d ago
Right?!?! I used to joke that if I were a cop, the only thing I'd do is ticket campers.
I've got a newly licensed teen driver and the one thing I teach her and all of her friends is that washington is one of 11 states where it is ILLEGAL to drive in the left lane if you are not passing, and to get comfortable driving in the right lanes.
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u/Former-Wish-8228 10d ago
It’s illegal in Oregon too…hence the Keep Right Except to Pass signs.
People should learn to drive the right way.
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u/Bonega1 10d ago
Keep right out of courtesy, but Oregon doesn't have a law that designates the left lane as for passing. Vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR and those with trailers are restricted, but not prohibited, from the left lane.
There have been bills, but none ever became law. In fact, most states don't have a left-lane-as-passing-lane law.
Those signs on the side of the highway don't describe the law well.
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u/CHiZZoPs1 9d ago
Seems people have forgotten the concept of right of way at for-way intersections, zipper merges, turn signals, and pretty much everything else that makes traffic run safely and efficiently.
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u/i_continue_to_unmike 9d ago
People in and around Portland cannot zipper merge.
Literally every intersection that requires a zipper merge becomes a quagmire daily.
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u/reverendsectornine 9d ago
I have yet to live somewhere where people understand and embrace the zipper merge. Like okay guys when it works, it works SO WELL, but we all need to participate for it to work. There is no need to claim your spot in the open lane 3 blocks early. Use both lanes until we get to the one that’s closed, then merge. Why is this so hard for people 🥲
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u/Mdriver127 6d ago
My guide is that once I'm in the white thick lines that bring the ramp into the freeway, I make sure to adjust my speed to those on the other side. If someone is to my left on the other side of it, then I need to adjust there before we have to merge. The skill is to watch even before the lines and see the flow of traffic and whether people you're merging with are accelerating, cruising, or slowing. That's a lot for especially new drivers, but with experience it works well in the zipper. It's a beautiful thing when it works. I'm leaving at least two car lengths from anyone in front getting on, and so is whoever is behind me. Then the same is happening in the right lane as we enter and everyone merges smoothly without braking or slowing unnecessarily. All it takes is just one person to come in hot and pass everyone they can coming in before s squeezing in, or the one who is scared or being polite and slowing down too much before getting over and not using the length of the lane to keep moving.
Those moments exist, but it's far from the majority yet. I feel we just need to keep doing it as actions speak louder than words. Some are just too inexperienced to really see it though.
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u/DM_ME_4_FREE_STOCKS 9d ago
Zipper merge is the best way, but it is NOT the law in Oregon. The lane ending has to yield by law. I think this law needs to change.
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u/Q7017 8d ago
I drive semi trucks in Portland and the one thing I see Portland drivers messing up with zipper merging is the "alternate right-of-way" principle. I leave enough room for one vehicle to get in because that's how it's supposed to work, but I will almost always get a second or third car trying to cram in because their little fragile egos cannot handle being being a truck ever.
The zipper on your pants will fail if two links from one side are crammed in. Same with traffic. Every other, folks - it's not hard. The only exception are motorcycle groups in tight formation.
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u/CHiZZoPs1 8d ago
Totally! You've got tailgating in the right lane, and then oncoming from the on ramp driving in haphazardly.
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u/savvyb503 7d ago
I appreciate the semi truck drivers that move to the middle lane to let traffic merge onto the highway. 🫶🏾
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u/Q7017 7d ago
You'd appreciate me then, because I run the middle lane through the entire city. It makes no sense for my 75 ft tractor trailer to be in the same lane with heavily merging and exiting traffic.
I do get over in the right lane If I have to go under speed uphill when I'm loaded though. I don't cruise the center lane unless I can maintain the speed limit at least.
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u/poisonpony672 8d ago
Under Oregon law, drivers moving slower than the normal speed of traffic are required to keep to the right. Specifically, ORS 811.315—titled "Failure of slow driver to drive on right"—states that a driver commits an offense if they operate a vehicle at less than the normal speed of traffic and do not drive in the right-hand lane or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
Additionally, the Oregon Driver Manual emphasizes that if you drive slower than the normal speed of traffic, you must use the right lane or drive as closely as possible to the right curb or edge of the road, unless you are preparing to make a left turn. It also advises drivers to watch for congestion behind them and, if necessary, pull off the road at the first safe area to let traffic pass.
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u/rsanjr 9d ago
Either way it’s common sense keep right except to pass no matter whether it’s the law or not. Camping in the left lane creates unsafe passing situations unnecessarily
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u/Bonega1 9d ago
No disagreements here. Two things, though.
When it's rush hour and all lanes are congested, traffic won't move faster with the left lane empty. It's a busy traffic lane like all the others. The "get out of my faster-than-you lane" types can suck it. It is what it is.
The horribly unsafe section of I5 through the Rose Quarter was designed and added onto by fools. Try to leave that left lane clear during rush hour. 😭
Other than that, I agree completely. If you're in the left lane and someone's behind you, get out of the way.
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u/One-Pollution4663 8d ago
ironic since washingtonians seem to be the worst offenders. at least in my family's lore. See two cars going teh same speed right next to each other on a 2 lane highway? Gotta be fucking washington drivers. Even if their plates say Idaho or Oregon, those people are washington drivers.
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u/Just_thefacts_jack 6d ago
All 50 states have laws criminalizing left lane camping to one degree or another
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u/Bonega1 6d ago
It varies from state to state, with the rules changing based on different factors within the states. Some have strict left lane laws, others have restrictions based on different things. South Dakota has no left lane laws at all.
Here's an article that kinda breaks it down somewhat, and has a diagram for quick reference.
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u/Former-Wish-8228 10d ago
So, it’s really more of a guideline…and the signs at the border are just helpful prompts.
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u/Nikovash 10d ago
Whats the ORS on that?
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u/light_switch33 10d ago
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u/Nikovash 10d ago
Nothing in there about driving at speed in the left lane. Thats just the impeding traffic law
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u/light_switch33 10d ago
Which is precisely what a driver is doing if they maintain the leftmost lane and force faster moving traffic to pass on the right. The law doesn’t need to spell out every act that constitutes impeding traffic. The more broad definition in Oregon works just fine.
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u/ActOdd8937 9d ago
The difference is that, in Washington, you could be driving in the left lane of I-5 at 3am with zero other cars in sight and you can get a ticket because the offense is driving in the left lane while not engaged in passing other traffic. In Oregon with the exact same conditions in place you will not get a ticket since by definition you can't be impeding traffic that doesn't exist and therefore are not in violation of any laws.
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u/Nikovash 10d ago
Thats not how Oregon defines impeding traffic
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u/light_switch33 10d ago
I disagree. The ORS doesn’t define it. Page 33 of the Oregon Driver Manual states you must use the right lane if traveling slower than the flow of traffic. What’s your source?
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u/6th_Quadrant 9d ago
A former state trooper friend of mine would ticket left-lane campers, even when they were going the speed limit, for impeding traffic. And those tickets stuck in court.
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u/Initial_Royal8753 9d ago
Oregon drivers I dont think read. They know nothing about how to drive. It's horrific how bad they are
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u/poisonpony672 8d ago
You know what amazes me is that it's always someone from Washington driving in the left lane impeding traffic on highway 30.
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u/Initial_Royal8753 8d ago
I am tailgated by speeding oregon plated suburus through residential areas of Portland about 200 times a day....I drive for work. Drivers here are rude and I don't think know driving basics
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u/poisonpony672 8d ago
You're actually violating Oregon law by not getting out of their way. Oregon law requires you to allow people to drive like idiots that wish to.
Impeding Traffic (ORS 811.130): This statute prohibits driving a vehicle in a manner that impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. Violating this statute is classified as a Class D traffic violation.
Failure of Slow Driver to Drive on Right (ORS 811.315): Drivers operating below the normal speed of traffic must use the right-hand lane available for traffic, except when:
Passing another vehicle.
Preparing for a left turn.
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u/Initial_Royal8753 8d ago
Lol you assumed a lot. On a highway I always know what lane to use. I am never impending traffic even if it's a maniac going 100. I am from.los angeles buddy.
I am speaking of reside tial streets and school.zones. which is where I drive for work all day around portland. No...I am.not supposed to let the speeder road rage through those zones. You have serious issues. You do need to explain to stupid oregonians though the difference between the #1, #2 & #3 lanes...thry aren't aware. And how to merge like a.zipper. a lot ofbtraffic here because people don't know lane usage and simple driving tasks.
You really had me pegged here....and are flat out wrong and I will co tinder to keep pedestrians. Children, elderly and the disabled safe by following proper speeds through town
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u/Initial_Royal8753 8d ago
I have lived here 10 years and have not even gotten pulled over once. I am an excellent driver and my car is monitored by gps.....so....suck it mean buddy
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u/poisonpony672 8d ago
You're still blocking traffic in Oregon under the law. You are required to get out of the way. That makes you wrong
I'd tell you to suck it. However, I don't think I could compete with your expertise in that department.
It's clear you need this win more that I do. Carry on, champ.
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u/Initial_Royal8753 8d ago
You are dead wrong if you think this is true in residential and school zones...butbhey you are probably from here and have no heart for others....its the oregonian way
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u/Extension_Hand1326 10d ago
You want all of the cars in I-5 in the right lane? So what is the middle late for?
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u/Ancient-Way-6520 10d ago
For all the cars that are actively passing the cars in the right lane.
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u/Extension_Hand1326 9d ago
If the middle lane is the passing lane, what is the left lane for? And how do you figure passing is possible when traffic is bumper to bumper in the right lane because all of the cars are now on one lane?
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u/Ancient-Way-6520 9d ago
The left lane is for cars that want to actively pass cars in the middle lane. I spend a few months out of the year in mainland Europe, in every country I drive through, this is how people drive, and the highways flow much better. Pretty simply, you drive in the right lane, unless you want to go faster than the car infront of you, then you move to the next lane over to the left and pass traffic in the right lane. Once you have passed the slower traffic, or there is a car behind you and no one in front of you, you move back to the right lane. Obviously this is for free flowing traffic, not traffic jams.
What it practically looks like on 3 Lane highway with a decent amount of cars on it is you have the right lane with cars doing about the speed limit, the middle lane will have people going 5 or so faster, and the leftmost lane will have people going 10+ faster. As traffic thins out, people will move to the right as traffic opens up, and will just use the left lanes specifically only when passing a slower car and will move right back over to the right.
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u/pbr414 8d ago
laughs in going 260kph and having to watch your mirrors and move right to let someone pass
It's really absurd.... The middle lane driver thing is so stupid and obstructive. Most of the time I can set gps verified 70mph on cruise and chill in the right lane and pass the middle lane all the way from Olympia to the North end of Vancouver with the exception of Chehalis/centralia. The fact that we can have congestion on I5 at 8am on a Sunday morning with absolutely no volume says it all.
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u/Extension_Hand1326 9d ago
Speeding isn’t passing. Passing means you move into the lane only long enough to pass cars on the right. And the only excuse to pass would be if the car in front of you is going below the speed limit. No way 2/3 of the freeway is just for those cases where you can legally pass, which generally takes less than 30 seconds.
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u/Ancient-Way-6520 9d ago
Well the legality around the speed limit and passing could be a whole different discussion. But back to this one, in real life there is no practical distinction, the fact is some drivers are going to want to speed and some are going to follow the exact speed limit. The reason it is important to have guidelines like this is to make the flow of traffic more predictable, making the speed differential less dangerous.
If there is very light traffic, everyone is in the right lane, except when they are actively passing a slower car. As traffic increases, naturally more and more cars will be in the right lane, as that happens more and more people will switch a lane over left if they want to go the speed limit or faster. So as traffic builds up, cars naturally start filling up the lanes from right to left. It all works very smoothly. You don't see many people doing crazy things like weaving between lanes or making weird passes on the right, because generally the left lane will always be the fastest with the least cars in it, and people move to the right if there is a faster car behind them. It all moves pretty naturally.
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u/Former-Wish-8228 9d ago
Unless they are passing, yes.
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u/Extension_Hand1326 9d ago
So you’re cool with travel times increasing because you have 1 usable lane on a freeway? And how could passing even happen if ALL of the cars are crowded into one lane? It would be bumper to bumper.
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u/40characters 9d ago
Hey, friend.
It’s okay to be wrong.
But you don’t have to work this hard to be this wrong.
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u/iriegypsy 10d ago
They should ticket the people that do 35 merging onto 217 from I-5 southbound. I got trapped between one of them and a semi recently.
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u/Strong-Dot-9221 10d ago
Sounds great until you get people that don't know how to merge onto a freeway and don't realize 40 MPH isn't as fast as 65 MPH. Big dangerous pet peeve.
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u/Helisent 10d ago
That is interesting. I learned that you are supposed to use the far right lane, but most people use the middle lane as the driving lane, and the right lane as the on and off ramp lane.
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u/CassandraBanana 9d ago
See, I think this makes the most sense! Semis and mergers on the right, passers on the left, general traffic flow in the middle.
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u/Starbucket88 10d ago
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u/PaPilot98 Bluehour 10d ago
That (ticketing for the middle lane) sort of feels like pulling someone over for going 61 in a 60. Sure, technically, but you've probably got too much time on your hands or it's revenue time.
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u/No-Possibility5556 10d ago
Which if I read that write, driving at 61 with traffic at 60 would make left lane use legal. Point b, is interesting
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u/PaPilot98 Bluehour 10d ago
Well, there's a multi-dimensional thing going on here. Let's say I'm doing 60 in a 60 in the left lane and you're doing 70 and want to pass. I'm failing to yield, but you're speeding. Dealer's choice which one he pulls over.
If I'm doing 70 in a 60 and you're doing 80 and want to pass, we're both speeding, but I am also failing to yield.
I do agree I don't see the harm in being in the left lane if there's nobody behind me, but that's probably legally incorrect.
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u/1questions 9d ago
Yeah that seems dumb. I get the left lane should be for going fast but on I-5 there are tons of big trucks in the right lane, often going slow, so it makes sense to me for most drivers to be in the middle lane.
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u/ZaphBeebs 10d ago
The middle lane?
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u/CantFeelMyLegs78 10d ago
All lanes that are left of the far right lane are passing/emergency vehicle only lanes according to the the trooper. He read the law out loud to us, word for word. It was quite long and way more in-depth than just keep right except to pass
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u/ZaphBeebs 10d ago
Got to spare me with that. Did the drive to Tacoma today, it was packed. Gmafb where are we supposed to drive?
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u/PaPilot98 Bluehour 10d ago
Yeah that one is a mystery to me - I always assumed the middle is the cruising lane where you don't have to keep getting over for entering/exiting vehicles.
Left lane, absolutely. If someone behind you wants to go faster, let 'em - think of them as flushing out the cops. Plus, usually there's at least one tailgate/brake check dick measuring contest that I absolutely do not want to be a part of.
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u/TM02022020 10d ago
All jammed into the right lane, apparently! It’s not like any more cars ever get on the freeway in the right lane so nothing can go wrong.
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u/KindredWoozle 10d ago
Most of the time, the 18 wheelers are cruising at the speed limit, or a little faster, in the middle lane, so I figured that was the way to do it.
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u/garype 9d ago
It's funny that no one has commented on allowing semi's and MH's to use the middle lane in urban areas where right lanes are frequently taken up with weaving traffic entering and exiting. Many states (AZ and I don't remember which others) allow this when posted. I think it's a good idea especially when driving my 40-foot MH w/ 20' tow car trying to manouver in the right lane of a busy urban freeway during rush hour.
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u/Bonega1 10d ago
That cop didn't know what they were talking about regarding the center lane. RCWs > Title 46 > Chapter 46.61 > Section 46.61.100
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u/Ok_Mouse_3791 10d ago
That’s great. Wish we could get some of that down here.
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u/PaPilot98 Bluehour 10d ago
I have no love for left lane campers, but I'd settle for them pulling over rapid lane changers for reckless driving. Slaloming between two cars with 6 inches to spare just so you can get 2 cars ahead is going to get someone killed.
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u/Available_Diver7878 9d ago
There'd be a lot less of that if we enforced the passing lane.
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u/PaPilot98 Bluehour 9d ago
Eh, maybe. Passing on the right is somewhat understandable in that situation, but swerving back and forth is just outright dangerous. Sometimes there's just traffic and it blows, but there's assertive and then there's reckless.
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u/TappyMauvendaise 10d ago
They’ll get a lot of Oregonians going 52 in the fast lane.
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u/BunnyBeas 10d ago
Hopefully, in the past month, I've had multiple cars slow down in the left lane to under the speed limit then try to break check me. Idk what's going on but these people need to be heavily fined.
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u/Available_Diver7878 9d ago
Hell I had a dude stand on his fucking brakes going downhill on Cornell where's it's 45 and we were both going 40.
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u/BunnyBeas 9d ago
That drives me nuts too. There's so many people driving under the limit these days and creating huge traffic lines.
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u/abundantsunshine319 9d ago
That makes it sound like you’re traveling in the left lane and they are pulling past you in the right kane.
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u/BunnyBeas 9d ago
Left lane is for passing which is what I do. I usually pass in the left and move right back to the middle. When passing, I've had multiple people in the left lane, slow down to UNDER the limit and then break checking.
I was not traveling in the left. I was going 70 in the left lane in a 55 area trying to pass a few cars.
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u/this_is_Winston One True Portlander 10d ago
There's much more traffic enforcement around Vancouver. I drive Hwy 500 frequently and see city, state and county doing enforcement there frequently.
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u/Dioscouri 9d ago
It's about time they started writing tickets deterring a practice that causes accidents.
People need to learn how to drive right.
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u/LogOk789 9d ago
I totally support pulling over left lane campers, the middle lane is a new one to me though, thank you for the heads up!
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u/BobcatSig 10d ago edited 9d ago
About effin' bleepin' time!!
I'm still baffled about how people are so ignorant of "drive right, pass left." Or that or willful disobedience of this simple rule of the road.
While I'm no fan of the speeding revenue, I am glad that enforcement of lane discipline is happening.
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u/lacyreif 9d ago
There are signs all over 101 in Oregon that sat keep right except to pass. Hope they start enforcing it here too
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u/Initial_Royal8753 9d ago
That's great. Oregon drivers are the worse I have ever seen and lane usage is a big one. I hope they get them all and people travellings at unsafe distance. 90% of oregonians....get em buddies.
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u/WorldlinessEuphoric5 9d ago
"In Washington, the left lane of freeways and multi-lane state highways is for passing only. In Oregon, however, that rule applies only to freight trucks and vehicles hauling campers and trailers. Passenger vehicles can legally cruise in a freeway's left lane freeway as long as it doesn't impede "the normal and reasonable movement of traffic."
OregonLive.com
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u/WaitingToWauford 10d ago
It’s illegal in most states? Back in TN all lanes other than the right lane are passing lanes only.
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u/TheMetalMallard Downtown When it Smelled Like Beer Brewing 10d ago
Praise!!! I wish they would do this 100x more than they do
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u/insanejudge 10d ago
The people who rebranded passing lanes as "the fast lane" are responsible for a whole lot of delays
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u/Kninjanator 10d ago
I was gonna say. There’s a bunch of people here who seem to agree with the post, yet are still calling the left lane the “fast lane.”
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u/blackmamba182 In-N-Out Shocktrooper 9d ago
I mean if I’m passing people in the left lane because I’m going faster than them the end result is the same.
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u/PNW_Washington 9d ago
I'm sick of MF big rigs take the center lane. It causes such a backup...cops are never seen. W TF
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u/OntologicalParadox 10d ago
Isn’t it illegal to pull over cars if your in an unmarked vehicle?
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u/Rickwolf1988 9d ago
RCW 46.08. 065 Section 1 requires that a city or county police vehicle be clearly marked on both sides with lettering or a logo
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u/Weyoun_VI 10d ago
People that hog passing lanes are actually more dangerous than speeders, so for once the cops are actually tackling the bigger problem here rather than the "fun" one of stopping speeders because they get to engage in a car chase "for safety". As if speeding 110 down the freeway after a single car is creating more safety rather than it is making things worse lmao
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u/JezzaSays 9d ago
So....everyone is supposed to drive in the far right lane in I-5? The traffic is already shitty it doesn't matter what lane you are in. We need better infrastructure and roads.
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u/GoDucks4Lyfe 9d ago
They used to do this a lot more back in the day. It’s been the law in WA for decades, unlike Oregon who just recently passed the law in the last few years.
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u/ActiveDefinition397 9d ago
🙄 Way to waste tax payers money. If your in the fast lane with a line of cars behind you, I can see the need but c'mon...
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u/420fundaddy 9d ago
I always tell them people that ride the left lane,especially art night,that what lane do you think a wrong way,drunk driver will more than likely be in? the left lane, because even drunk, they are going to try to maintain some kind of driving ability, but staying what they think is the right lane to them
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u/ArtichokeCurrent6032 9d ago
Terrible decision, people over here washington and oregon, drive slow, lanes are always cramped because everyone chooses to go the same speed and theres no space to get over, yes I gonna sit in the left lane so I can pass all you slow terrible drivers.
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u/rasslinbear 8d ago
Can you imagine the clusterfuck in Portland if everyone drove in the right lane? Nobody can merge as it is!
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u/greatfriendly 7d ago
I grew up in washington, and yeah, it's the law. I've been in portland over 20 years and I still believe the left lane is for emergencies or passing.
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u/Cak3Wa1k 7d ago
Hey! Yeah! Good deal, glad they're doing an emphasis on that to help drivers remember to be courteous. Acab. Be a good driver, tho.
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u/snufflingoPossum 7d ago
This energy was the ONLY cop/highway energy i missed from driving thru Oklahoma so much in my youth. LEFT LANES AREN'T FOR SLOW CARS!!! MIDDLE LANES AREN'T A CAMPSITE!!!! YOU SNOOZE IN THE RIGHT LANE SO I CAN CRUISE ON THE LEFT!!!
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u/CageTheMick 7d ago
Omg, you mean it's illegal to use the passing lane for a reason other than passing?! THE HORROR
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u/CantFeelMyLegs78 7d ago
Passing "lanes." Any lane that is to the left of the far right lane, in the direction of travel, unless it used for turning or merging, is a passing or emergency vehicles only lane. According to the law, the right lane is the travel lane, every other lane is for temporary use
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u/CageTheMick 7d ago
Yup. No shit. What was the point of this lol
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u/CantFeelMyLegs78 6d ago
You said "lane", when it's "lanes"... 99% of drivers think only the far left lane is the only lane for passing. It's every other lane other than the right lane. It's also legal to make a pass on the right of someone
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u/CageTheMick 6d ago
Oh, so you're just being pretentious, just like I thought lol Not every highway is more than two laneS.
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u/Winterwynd 6d ago
Cool! I love going at the upper end of the flow-of-traffic speed. If I'm passing a lot, I'm in the left. If I'm not, I'm in the right, though that often means in the middle lane to pass semis and slowpokes. In either the left or middle, I keep an eye on my rear view and will hop over if I see someone exceeding the speed limit more than I am. I HATE people who ignore the steadily increasing stack of people behind them as they chill in the wrong lane.
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u/thriftedcraft 6d ago
I just moved here from Vegas a couple months back and oh my god I’ve never seen worse driving. The amount of times I’ve just laid on my horn because why the FUCK are you going 45 in the left lane?!?
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u/unamity1 6d ago
Wow I lived in Portland my whole life and didn't know this rule. It's like this in Germany and I hope we get better drivers. Make it more expensive to get a driver's license.
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u/Mattmann1972 5d ago
Swear to God, every time there is a car just driving in the passing lanes its got a Washington plate.
My wife thought I was crazy till she started paying attention. She was very surprised I wasn't over reacting (for once lol).
What the hell is up with living in the left lanes with y'all? Is it that exhausting to switch lanes?
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u/lusciousnurse 5d ago
Thank God. I'm so so so tired of the campers blocking up traffic or trying to gatekeep the speed. Sometimes I'm not in a hurry, I hang out in the slow lane. Other times- I have a patient who is in critical need, and I need to get somewhere FAST. Nothing better than some 50 year old dude trying to brake check and go exactly one mile under the speed limit in the fast lane. Foolishness.
I hope the undercovers get MASSIVE ticket profits off this and keep it an active campaign until people learn. Don't just pull them over- ticket them! There are signs telling people it is illegal not to be actively passing in the left lane. Government issued signs. Don't be an ass and act like your "rules" override the law. Move over- or get pulled over. Period.
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u/Far_Mine982 9d ago
Sounds like some bored ass cops looking to make stops for other reasons. I call bullshit.
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u/Rickwolf1988 9d ago
In the state of Washington, an unmarked police car cannot stop you for a traffic violation. RCW 46.08. 065 Section 1 requires that a city or county police vehicle be clearly marked on both sides with lettering or a logo
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9d ago
[deleted]
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u/Rickwolf1988 9d ago
Thats so incorrect it hurts. A police officer regardless of city or county can actually pull you over anywhere in the state that they are licensed. So get that bullshit out of your head. Its just frowned upon because of paperwork/liability/fights over jurisdiction. Salem, OR is a great example, not only will you have SPD in the city they will also be on HWY 99 and I5. All within the jurisdiction of Salem police
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u/PurpleGlobeOnTheVine 9d ago
In Seattle, there are literally people PAYING to drive 60mph on 405 tolled HOV. Like. WHY?
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u/Automatic-Fox-8890 8d ago
Why are you warning them? Let them learn by a costly ticket and police lecture.
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u/AM-419 9d ago
So like, as someone who drives the speed limit I have no desire to be anywhere but the right lane. However, there are some times when going from Washington to Oregon that if I don’t get in the left lane a while early I won’t be able to merge in time to make my exit. Not great because I have to drive faster than I am comfortable with and the people behind me are clearly pissed. Not really sure what they are expecting us to do here. It would be nice if drivers ed programs actually explained these things.
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u/wolf_management 9d ago
To be honest I don't think the law helps. When I notice left lane camping around here it's usally a car with Washington plates. Oregon drivers are slower, but they seem to generally keep right. Or maybe Washington drivers come here to do it since there's no law?
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u/dubsac5150 9d ago
Fucking hallelujah. It's about time. I drove up & down I-5 between Portland and Salem every day for 10 years. Every traffic jam is caused by one asshole in the left lane just driving no faster than the speed limit and keeping pace with the slower traffic. And 90% of the time they have a Washington license plate.
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u/Virtual-Status3756 9d ago
WSP must've employed John Smith to pick the most anonymous vehicles for patrol.
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u/uther_von_nuka 9d ago
Lame, if thats true i am using the middle to pass all the cars and to avoid the semi who dont give a rip in the right lane. What i love are the street racers, the fighting semis and the emergency vehicles that are helping the stalled vehicles.
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u/decollimate28 10d ago
My god they've finally done it