How fast should people drive in the carpool lane?

[RayW]

drive as fast as the car in front of you, but no faster

 

[T34ME]

you calling the "vast majority" of people "arrogant" is quite a stunning statement to me. I'm certain most of your friends and family members drive over the speed limit, whether in the carpool lane or otherwise. Do you call them "arrogant" to their face, or do you just do that to us here on the internet when you can be anonymous and sabre rattle from your high horse?.

I call anyone who flips me off arrogant. They should get off their high horse while hiding in their car.

Some close family members do drive faster than the speed limit. They do not flip me off. We agree to disagree.

I am willing to tell anyone, to their face, who flips me off they are much worse than arrogant.

I would be more than happy to meet anyone on TMC face to face to discuss differences. This is not a physical challenge because at my age, I doubt there is anyone here (including women) who couldn't "clean my clock."

 

[T34ME]

So you're the person the rest of us hate with the fire of 10,000 suns holding up everyone else in the carpool lane?

Yes, I am the one you hate and will continue to hate because I am going to continue to occasionally drive in the carpool lane when the traffic in the regular lanes is jammed (less than 25 mph). I exit the carpool lane when traffic clears.

I don't hate you, even when you flip me off. I am just feel sorry for you how intolerant, impatient, and immature you are.

 

[TT97]

For your reference, I believe this is the law that Jeff is referring to. Any lawyers or law enforcement officers care to chime in?
Law section

A Carpool/HOV Lane is a special use lane and does not apply to the Law you referenced. On roads with carpool lanes, Lane 1 is the left most lane next to the carpool lane(s) (which are typically referred to as HOV1, HOV2, etc.)

 

[T34ME]

If you are going the speed limit in the right-hand lane few people will fault you because they can pass you on the left.

My experience is that if I am going the speed limit in the fr left lane, say it is 65 and the truck limit is 55, some truckers (not all) will tailgate and blast their horn to get out of their way because THEY want to go 70/75 mph. What lane am I supposed to use?

If you are going the speed limit in the left-hand lane and not yielding to traffic approaching behind you *even if you they going 20mph over the speed limit* then in most jurisdictions you are breaking the law.

I don't believe that is correct here in California as far as carpool lane. I am going to check with my local CHP office.

 

[Mokuzai]

In California if you get pulled over for speeding you'll typically get cited for vehicle code 22350 which reads:

No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.

Law section

It doesn't mention anything about the posted speed limits. I'd be curious to hear what the CHP officer you talk to thinks about keeping with the flow of traffic if it is going above the posted speed limit.

 

[ChrisH]

Bahaha wait, people are saying someone going the speed limit (but slower than other cars) in the car pool lane is breaking the law? You guys have heard of the posted speed limit and the law of speeding right?!

 

[ORB]

Flow of traffic criteria aside, I’m a bit conservative about not driving faster than about 55 in the HOV lane when the next lane over is packed at slow speed, as I prefer having a bit more time to react if someone there suddenly pops into the HOV lane without warning.

Oliver

 

[McRat]

Some of our worst traffic jams are caused by accidents due to folk who do not understand the HOV/Toll Roads.

They are a separate road but often without a safety barrier, so speed differentials can cause serious grief. Because we as a species suck at driving.

When traffic is going fast in the regular lanes, the HOV lane is not a passing lane, it often moves slower. Why? Vanpools, large SUVs, and other wide/heavy/erratic vehicles with lots of people inside are the ones who really belong there. Few folk have the nerves of steel required to drive 85mph in an extra wide vehicle heavily loaded within 12" of a concrete barrier and trapped debris.

What invariably happens though, is Ricky Racer Junior is his little 100k mile econobox POS is zinging down the HOV at 85 mph, barely in control, when a vehicle from the 5 mph congested fast lane decides to jump into the HOV. The outcome is seldom good.

You can't really control a light crappy car at 85mph to begin with, and they have lousy brakes. So you spin it then slam into the Fast Lane Invader. When you see an SUV or econobox rolled and debris everywhere, it is often caused by this.

How fast should you drive in the HOV lane? No faster than you are willing to crash at. So if you like crashing at 80mph, then drive 85mph in the HOV lane when traffic is going 5 mph. If 25 mph is more to your liking for disassembling your car, then you should probably go 30 mph next to nearly stopped cars. If somebody is only doing 55 mph in the fast lane, and that is as fast as they feel safe, do you REALLY want them to drive faster than their talent allows?

Personally, my vehicles handle well, and I have a lot of experience. I often know you are about to do something stupid before you know it. I see you getting antsy from a distance, and toying with the idea of jumping lanes. You haven't tagged me yet, not on an MC, Vanpool, truck, or sedan. A lot of that is giving up speed when traffic is stopped.

 

[T34ME]

Let's compromise and have you go at least 70, with 75 preferred.

Cars are slower than the reported speed.

To NOT be an anarchists and be harmonious with society one must observe the speed limit +5 rule.

You might not believe me but being one who can read the emotions of cars around me, going at 65 in the slow lane is going to kill someone one day. If you want to be stubborn and have that on your conscience, you can answer to God.

If I go 70, which I do where permitted on the 10 out near Palm Springs, the guy behind me flips me off because he wants to go 85.

According to GPS, my car is 3 miles faster than indicated.

Let's be harmonious and just go the posted speed limit.

So now I can't even go the posted speed limit in the slow lane? This is really getting weird! Speeding is going to kill someone one day. Do you want that on your conscience? And besides, GOD is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

[T34ME]

Flow of traffic criteria aside, I’m a bit conservative about not driving faster than about 55 in the HOV lane when the next lane over is packed at slow speed, as I prefer having a bit more time to react if someone there suddenly pops into the HOV lane without warning.

Oliver

Heaven help you! Take cover with me over here in this foxhole.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

It really depends on the lane restrictions.

If the lane is restricted to being an HOV lane than I'm okay with it being treated as such where you simply need to maintain the speed limit. Obviously its for high occupancy vehicles, minivans, etc.

But, if it's one of those that only has a specific active hours then outside those hours it should be treated as the left most lane. Where you keep to the right except to pass. It's not a lane for the lazy people who are too busy with their cell phones then to bother actually driving.

 

[jeffro01]

Yes, I am the one you hate and will continue to hate because I am going to continue to occasionally drive in the carpool lane when the traffic in the regular lanes is jammed (less than 25 mph). I exit the carpool lane when traffic clears.

I don't hate you, even when you flip me off. I am just feel sorry for you how intolerant, impatient, and immature you are.

I'm not a confrontational person from a road-rage standpoint so yeah, I won't give you any clue that I hate you with the fire of 10,000 suns...

Jeff

 

[ewoodrick]

I am giving you a big DISAGREE on this one. I too am an Orange/Riverside County driver and occasionally I use the carpool lane when traffic is jammed in the regular lanes. I drive the posted speed limit in the carpool lane which is usually 65 mph. As soon as traffic clears in the regular lanes, I move over, when it is safe to do so at a designated location. You can flip me off as much as you want, I don't pay attention anymore. I don't take kindly to your attempt to intimidate and bully me while you are driving a lethal weapon. Driving faster than the posted speed limit in the carpool lane is illegal, unsafe, and arrogant and not a good practice. I don't care what the flow of traffic is, if it is faster than the speed limit, it is illegal and potentially unsafe. If I were to drive at 75 mph in the carpool lane, there will be someone behind me who will flip me off because they want to go 85. It is a no win situation for me.

If you don't like the posted speed limit, change it through the legal process called an Initiative. In the meantime, I will continue to drive occasionally in the carpool lane at the posted speed limit. I'm the one in the Pearl White model 3. You can always right down my license plate and file a complaint with the CHP that I was driving the speed limit in the carpool lane. See how far that goes!

I believe that you will find that there are also laws against being hazards to traffic.

I really wish that you could see what traffic around you looks like when you are going significantly slower than traffic in a lane, any lane. What you will see is that it significantly adds to congestion in all lanes. And overall it causes a lot of problems.

But heck, it's LA, drive slow enough in the left lane and someone will probably take out some road rage on you.

When driving it is MUCH better to think about others than yourself. If traffic to your right is moving faster than you, then you need to move to the right. It's the people who swing to the left lane and then go slowly and stay happy because there is no one in front of you that is one of the biggest problems with congestion.

 

[roblab]

Yes, the law as I have understood it for 50 years is "slower traffic keep right". Easy as that. If someone is behind you, you pull over and let them pass.

I have a bad attitude about people who dawdle in the fast lane. I drive up behind many who don't seem to be paying any attention to driving, nor to the traffic around them. I often pull over one or even two lanes, as there is generally plenty of room to do so, and drive around them, pulling back into the fast lane in front of them. In about half the cases, they pull over to the next right lane.

People who look up and see me in the rear of them and then obviously knuckle down and drive ahead at the speed limit or less, I just pass, but it's sad that some seem to feel it's their job to police or pace the traffic. As we don't have much education in the US as to getting a license (Germany used to take a year of classes and it cost $400), it will never change. Just pass.

I also love that my car will accelerate fast enough to pass several cars idling down the two lane roads, divided by the passing strips. If I can see the road, I'm going around. What surprises them is that I can do it in about half the time most people take.

Passed a Highway Patrol once in his unmarked car. He pulled me over, but couldn't come up with any infraction, and we instead talked about Tesla for a bit.

 

[roblab]

For those that are concerned about having a car pull out in front of them while they are doing "five over" the speed limit, I'd like to remind them that cars pull out in front of traffic at any speed. If they pull out of a parking space while you are doing 35, well, it might be different than swerving into your lane doing 40 while you're doing 75, but maybe not. It's not the speed so much as the difference.

And, yes, the speed limit was set for the little grandmother driving her 1980 Honda (My wife is a 75 year old grandmother, and she moves), or the 1965 Pickup, or the transit bus. If you can safely do five over -- or more -- most police won't do anything around here.

 

[xianking]

I have a bad attitude about people who dawdle in the fast lane.

It's also against traffic laws in a number of states. (Left-lane campers, this means you: State Patrol conducting crackdown this week)

The HOV lane is not, however, a passing lane during the times it is an HOV lane.

 

[seattlite2004]

Was "anatari" in the HOV lane or in the left most general purpose lane?

 

[T34ME]

But heck, it's LA, drive slow enough in the left lane and someone will probably take out some road rage on you.

When driving it is MUCH better to think about others than yourself. If traffic to your right is moving faster than you, then you need to move to the right. It's the people who swing to the left lane and then go slowly and stay happy because there is no one in front of you that is one of the biggest problems with congestion.

I drive the posted speed limit in the carpool lane. When I am not in the carpool lane, I drive the posted speed limit in the furthest right lane. I have no idea what you are talking about that refers to me.

 

[xav-]

I am giving you a big DISAGREE on this one. I too am an Orange/Riverside County driver and occasionally I use the carpool lane when traffic is jammed in the regular lanes. I drive the posted speed limit in the carpool lane which is usually 65 mph. As soon as traffic clears in the regular lanes, I move over, when it is safe to do so at a designated location. You can flip me off as much as you want, I don't pay attention anymore. I don't take kindly to your attempt to intimidate and bully me while you are driving a lethal weapon. Driving faster than the posted speed limit in the carpool lane is illegal, unsafe, and arrogant and not a good practice. I don't care what the flow of traffic is, if it is faster than the speed limit, it is illegal and potentially unsafe. If I were to drive at 75 mph in the carpool lane, there will be someone behind me who will flip me off because they want to go 85. It is a no win situation for me.

If you don't like the posted speed limit, change it through the legal process called an Initiative. In the meantime, I will continue to drive occasionally in the carpool lane at the posted speed limit. I'm the one in the Pearl White model 3. You can always right down my license plate and file a complaint with the CHP that I was driving the speed limit in the carpool lane. See how far that goes!

I absolutely agree that if there is a ton of traffic in the adjacent lanes driving the speed limit (or even slower) makes perfect sense.

Keep in mind that I did not start this thread. A mod started it on my behalf. My comment was in response to someone who got rear ended while driving 65 mph on the carpool lane. I certainly did not mean to bully anyone. Take it easy bro

I keep the belief that driving 65 mph in the carpool lane (again if there is a lot of traffic obviously that is perfectly appropriate) can be very unsafe.

I would also argue that driving 65 mph in the carpool lane can easily lead to tailgating which is the last thing that I like when I am on autopilot. With the way the carpool lanes are designed in CA (double set of yellow lines in most places) tailgating is guaranteed to happen.