Driving as far left as practicable

**Suzii** · 30-09-2013 12:45 AM

Hi guys,

I just want your opinion one this situation:

I was driving on the Princess fwy.

Truck behind me was tailgating and high beaming me (I was going the limit at 100km).
So I braked to 85 cos the ****er was pissing me off. Which was stupid, I know.

Turns out it was a booze bus and the cop car behind it turned the sirens on.

I threw my ciggie out the window (copped a fine)

Got breathalyzed (0.059) copped another fine and lost my license for 6 months (another stupid move by me (first AND LAST offence)).

What I don't get was why I was given a fine for driving on the 3rd lane of a 4 lane freeway. I questioned this, and the cop said I should have been on the LEFT lane, not second from the right?

Was he having a shit day/ trying to prove a point? Or is this legitimate?

**Integra-GSi** · 30-09-2013 06:13 AM

A little from column A, and a little from column B:

I've noted over a long time driving and holding a license for more than 10 years that cops will often high beam you to get your attention when you're doing something wrong before putting their lights on. By this time it's already to late anyways, they're just testing how you're going to react.

You failed... instead of not reacting, you reacted in the worst possible way, instead of not reacting the situation where the officer was probably just going to pull you up for not driving in the left lane unless overtaking you copped a raft of fines.

However, being 0.059 you were probably also at the point where you were driving erratically on the road. You probably also wouldn't have noticed this. The alert officer was probably also wondering why and this may have been another good reason for them to pull you over.

On the rules of the road... The rules of the road are keeping as far left as practicable unless overtaking. This is for good reason, as its actually quite dangerous to pass another motor vehicle erratically on the left, particularly when its far less easy to notice in a right hand drive car... In all honesty I'm just more than a little tired of this uncivilised road situation we've got ourselves into by allowing people to overtake on the left hand side of the road though also.

If you're not overtaking stay out of the right lanes.... It's already illegal as it is for me or anyone else to pass you on the left hand side of the road, so not only are you breaking the law, but you're forcing every other driver on the road to break the law in order to pass you when you're likely, travelling under the speed limit on a 110km/h stretch of road.

**Grayfox** · 30-09-2013 10:48 AM

Laws state
"Keep left unless overtaking"
"Your P.A.C must be 0.049 or lower"

Throwing your cig out the window was a bloody stupid thing to do.
How many bushfires have been started because of this?

**ctx** · 30-09-2013 03:21 PM

I agree with Integra-GSi

85 in 2nd right lane is pretty annoying

although i do petty road revenge on annoying drivers (tailgaters) too

**Stevil** · 30-09-2013 03:46 PM

Your 100kmh may not be accurate so why the dont you keep left ? seems to me your attitude is typical of many idiots on the road these days. Your got your dessert so I hope you enjoy eatin it !!

**EKVTIR-T** · 30-09-2013 03:52 PM

**curtis265** · 30-09-2013 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Stevil

Your 100kmh may not be accurate so why the dont you keep left ? seems to me your attitude is typical of many idiots on the road these days. Your got your dessert so I hope you enjoy eatin it !!

what's the speedo accuracy got to do with anything?

**ctx** · 30-09-2013 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Stevil

Your 100kmh may not be accurate so why the dont you keep left ? seems to me your attitude is typical of many idiots on the road these days. Your got your dessert so I hope you enjoy eatin it !!

yes..peoples attitudes are a big problem these day

**RenzokukenJ** · 30-09-2013 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Stevil

Your 100kmh may not be accurate so why the dont you keep left ? seems to me your attitude is typical of many idiots on the road these days. Your got your dessert so I hope you enjoy eatin it !!

Your posts really don't contribute to anything do they?

**Suzii** · 30-09-2013 05:43 PM

So to answer my question, driving on the third lane of a four lane fwy is not allowed and that the fine was warranted. And thanks for pointing out the obvious. As if I hadn't acknowledged the errors of my ways. However to assume that my attitude is "I don't give a ****" is completely incorrect. Ta

**sensei_** · 30-09-2013 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Suzii

Was he having a shit day/ trying to prove a point? Or is this legitimate?

I would say it is a combination of shit day (partially contributed by your actions), proving a point to ensure you never do it again. As for the legitimacy, yes tailgating is wrong, but so again is littering, drinking under the influence and sudden braking on the road regardless of what the other (idiot) was doing.

We have all been guilty of doing the wrong thing from time to time. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and move on.

I have to admit I too am guilty of driving in the centre lane on the freeway (and ive driven on the princess freeway before). Why? Because often I have found that on certain sections the inner most left lanes have pot holes and road damage.

**Integra-GSi** · 30-09-2013 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by curtis265

what's the speedo accuracy got to do with anything?

If your speedo is wrong you may be sitting under the limit. Instead of doing 100 you might be doing 90. It's frustrating enough as it is with our ridiculously low speed limits when you've got someone sitting in the right lane and more so particularly when they're sitting 10 or 20 km/h under the limit.

If you're not overtaking the law states you must be as far left as is possible. It would really help traffic flow if people understood this road rule. We all are hypocrites of course, we've all driven drunk "just to get home" at one point or another, or driven in the right lane when we shouldn't have. It's almost impossible on most freeways these days not to... It doesn't change the message though.

You got pinged by the officer legitimately... What might have made it worse is the fact that you pretty much dropped the soap at the same time. Next time don't drop the soap. You've got to understand that these people make a living out of giving people a hard time, many of them are narcissistic about it. You don't want to invite any more trouble into your life when it comes to the law than is humanly possible. If you do, you're going to get bent over, one way or another. Remove yourself psychology from the trap and you will have so much less to worry about.