Why does everyone in Cleveland drive so slow in the left hand lane? It is for passing only! I just took my ohio drivers license exam and the book says that the left lane is for passing. I have lived in numerous cities and have never encountered a place where people just putter along in the left hand lane. When I pass them up in the right lane, they get all pissed off too! The police need to start enforcing this rule because it is driving me crazy!

Just an added note, I have also never lived in a city where the traffic on the highways (in general, not during congested times) moves so slow. Why is this?

probably because traffic in cleveland is not as bad as in other cities.

 

Cleveland has a lot of avenues which keeps traffic off of the highways/expressways as you find in most other cities.

I recall Cleveland being listed as one of the top offenders in this regard by some AAA "study". I put study in quotes because it was more likely just some guy throwing darts at a map in a dark room somewhere.

 

Regardless, yes -- it's annoying. I try not to turn and glare at the dawdlers as I pass them on the right. That tends to set the stage for a road rage encounter.

 

The state troopers were patrolling for a few weeks last month and had a significant effect on driving behavior for the few miles stretch on 90 they were camped on. I imagine if we created a full time post here for them they could enforce more minor things like this. There was a good article about in the PD last month, but I'm not sure if it made it onto UO or not.

 

 

the annoying left lane cruising habit is an ohio thing, not just a cleveland thing. iv'e heard it come up during discussions of driving habits around the country. personally i do notice it all over the state -- more so than other states, expect maybe florida where it's worse, at least on I-95 (lots of old people driving).

i know on I-77 its the way the highway is designed since everything is oriented to get downtown as both of the left handed lanes, so you have people completely avoiding the right hand lane by the time E55th is coming up.    also as far as side streets with two lanes in cleveland some of them are a.) not marked with a dotted line or b.) constantly have people parking in the right hand lane when they shouldnt be.  This happens every now and then on Chester near the churches.  so a lot more people tend to drive in the left lanes. 

2 main reasons:

 

In Ohio, it's not against the law to hang out in the left lane.

 

Split speed limit. On four lane highways, semis are forced to go 55 while the rest of traffic can go 65, and many want to go 80 or 90. People don't want to be constantly weaving in and out of semis, so they just stay in the left lane, no matter what their speed. Most other states don't have split speed limits because they are actually more dangerous, lead to road rage and anger truckers. Between the Ohio State Highway Patrol's selective tough treatment of truckers and our split speed limit, many truckers refuse to spend money in Ohio or drive around the state when possible.

the annoying left lane cruising habit is an ohio thing, not just a cleveland thing. iv'e heard it come up during discussions of driving habits around the country. personally i do notice it all over the state -- more so than other states, expect maybe florida where it's worse, at least on I-95 (lots of old people driving).

 

I've encountered some of this in OH but it is a cakewalk compaired to FL. As a well traveled person I would say it is a nationwide problem, not unique to OH or FL.

I'd rather have people driving too slow than too fast... people turn into such animals behind the wheel.

I'll happily take OH drivers over the greedy, horn-happy A-holes behind the wheel here in NYC.

you know the saying -anyone driving faster than you is crazy, and slower than you, an idiot.

I wish we had turn-signal police.

I hate when people do not use them properly.

I don't mind if you cut me off, just give me a little warning first because you obviously need to go faster then I am... which is usually pretty fast anyways.

I'll happily take OH drivers over the greedy, horn-happy A-holes behind the wheel here in NYC.

 

Drivers in Southern Cali and Houston take the cake.  Atlanta, DC & S. Florida are bad but Those people in Houston are the worst.  I hate driving so I'm usualy just a back seat passenger, but even still, when in the car in Houston or Los Angeles, I'm scared to death. 

 

The guy im seeing in LA, drives like hes a participant of the LA Grand Prix, I'm white knuckled everytime I get in the car.  The 20 min it takes to go from the airport to the house, he is constantly saying, "just relax" or asking me "what's wrong?" my response .."how the hell am I suppose to relax when you're doing 70 MPH while driving on the shoulder??"

you know the saying -anyone driving faster than you is crazy, and slower than you, an idiot.

  I drive like an old lady - so I must be an "idiot".  lol

I'm fine with Cleveland drivers AS LONG AS THEY GET OUT OF MY WAY!!

I'm fine with Cleveland drivers AS LONG AS THEY GET OUT OF MY WAY!!

 

What make and model car do you drive so I can respect your wishes?!   :-(

A General Dynamics M1A2 Abrams combat tank with a 120mm M256 smoothbore gun.

A General Dynamics M1A2 Abrams combat tank with a 120mm M256 smoothbore gun.

 

Note to self:  Do not drive west of Ontario!

I think this is a problem only on I-77. Honestly, the first thing I said when I read this thread was, "I-77!!!" There is just some mentality for the people from the southern suburbs and the format of I-77 that causes slow drivers to take over the left lane. As Zaceman said above, I-77 was built very poorly and nothing is being done to correct the problem some 40 years later. The problem is this:

 

From Fairlawn (Route 18) to Pleasant Valley Road, I-77 is only 2 lanes. And from Rockside Road to Route 21 (the bridge over I-480) it goes back down to 2 lanes again. The bridge is being re-built and instead of widening it to 3 lanes, ODOT is replacing the bridge deck and keeping it 2 lanes. There is never more than 3 lanes, so all on ramps are yields. Then, from I-490's EXIT ONLY lane until half way over the I-490 overpass bridge, I-77 again goes back down to 2 lanes. It soon terminates and most drivers who want to continue, choose the I-90 exit ON THE LEFT. All of this causes drivers to keep as far left as possible, PLUS, there's only two lanes and that's not much to choose from compared to the likes of I-71 which is 4 lanes through or I-90 which has parts which are 5 lanes. The fewer lanes, the more likely to experience slow drivers in the left lane. This is not a Cleveland problem either. It's a problem wherever an interstate is 2 lanes or full of poor design elements. A typical drive from Akron to Cleveland on a 2 lane freeway involves merges with Route 8, I-76, I-277, I-80, I-271, I-480, and I-490. With 2 lanes (for the most part), who wants to drive in the right lane and deal with it? So intead, slow drivers take to the left lane. This was in the PD a few years ago. It's not only the reason for slow drivers in the left lane but it's also the reason for the bad traffic backups during rush hour that causes much of the stop and go traffic. And to think, it used to be so much worse before the Jennings freeway debuted in 1999!

I'd rather have people driving too slow than too fast... people turn into such animals behind the wheel.

 

problem is when you have grandma doing five under and suzy snowflake wanting to to 15 over, something has to give and usually its safety.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ohio should adopt the 85th percentile rule for most of its roads.

I'd rather have people driving too slow than too fast... people turn into such animals behind the wheel.

 

problem is when you have grandma doing five under and suzy snowflake wanting to to 15 over, something has to give and usually its safety.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ohio should adopt the 85th percentile rule for most of its roads.

I took a minute to try and figure the 85%tile out and can't..do tell. 

I'll happily take OH drivers over the greedy, horn-happy A-holes behind the wheel here in NYC.

 

speaking of -- if a se asian gentleman in an old white accord happens to be visiting our forum, i would like to apologize for my brooklyn (ex-clevelander) friend's road rage incident yesterday. perhaps you can use some of the handful of change he threw at your car for the tolls.

^Too funny!  Oh man do I not missing driving.

I'd rather have people driving too slow than too fast... people turn into such animals behind the wheel.

 

problem is when you have grandma doing five under and suzy snowflake wanting to to 15 over, something has to give and usually its safety.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ohio should adopt the 85th percentile rule for most of its roads.

I took a minute to try and figure the 85%tile out and can't..do tell. 

 

DOT monitors speeds over a period of time, they look at the distrubtion and percentiles, and set the speed at the 85th percentile. So if most drivers are going 70 mph and that's the 85th percentile, that's what the set the speed limit at.

^ Or if it's a freeway in Cuyahoga County, the speed limit is 60mph no matter what percentile.

^ Or if it's a freeway in Cuyahoga County, the speed limit is 60mph no matter what percentile.

 

which if you ask me, causes more harm than saving lives (or accidents)

2 main reasons:

 

In Ohio, it's not against the law to hang out in the left lane.

 

Split speed limit. On four lane highways, semis are forced to go 55 while the rest of traffic can go 65,

 

I agree with you there.  And in some parts of the freeway it is like this.

 

 

and many want to go 80 or 90.

 

Sad but true fact.  I don't think we should let them go 80 or 90.

I know plenty of cases of people going 80+ that end in disaster.

 

People don't want to be constantly weaving in and out of semis, so they just stay in the left lane, no matter what their speed. Most other states don't have split speed limits because they are actually more dangerous, lead to road rage and anger truckers. Between the Ohio State Highway Patrol's selective tough treatment of truckers and our split speed limit, many truckers refuse to spend money in Ohio or drive around the state when possible.

 

Yea its quite a situation.

Of course, careful safe and law-abiding driving is an all-around good solution, but I don't expect everyone cheer all at once -_-

I'd rather have people driving too slow than too fast... people turn into such animals behind the wheel.

you know the saying -anyone driving faster than you is crazy, and slower than you, an idiot.

 

George Carlin!

XD XD XD

I'd rather have people driving too slow than too fast... people turn into such animals behind the wheel.

 

problem is when you have grandma doing five under and suzy snowflake wanting to to 15 over, something has to give and usually its safety.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ohio should adopt the 85th percentile rule for most of its roads.

I took a minute to try and figure the 85%tile out and can't..do tell. 

 

DOT monitors speeds over a period of time, they look at the distrubtion and percentiles, and set the speed at the 85th percentile. So if most drivers are going 70 mph and that's the 85th percentile, that's what the set the speed limit at.

 

The only problem I have with this is that I've personally seen people driving pitfully at faster speeds.  Poor judgement, timing and decisions, I've seen it.  Perhaps it could work, but I'm still worried about the whole thing.