Oh no, you're going to make me dig up scientific and statistical facts on a Saturday to prove I'm right? :-D

It depends what point you are going to prove. But please do, because people that drive slowly in the passing lane is one of my biggest pet peeves. Especially in traffic-ridden Calgary. Stupid people.

It's the whole socialist "we'll tell you what's good for you" mentality. If I want to drive an H2 and get 5mpg and/or get 5 tickets a month, that's NO ONE's business but my own.

As far as someone's ability to "react" being hindered -- there's many situations to which that argument just doesn't apply. I've been in situations where it wouldn't have mattered if I was going 80km/h or 140km/h -- the result would have been the same. And what about a situation where I drive faster than everyone else to get away from a "herd" of cars, placing me further up the highway than everyone else? And then a deer jumps out in front of that "herd" of cars being me, which is being caused by left-lane drivers? I tell you what happens:

Blood city.

Oh yeah.

Crap. I meant "heard of cars behind me" .. Sorry!

Exactly. I drove an RX-7 that gave me about 15mpg and drank premium gasoline. My wallet's problem and nobody elses. If I decide to take the risk of getting a ticket and getting to Regina 20 minutes faster (from Stoon) by speeding, so be it.

i agree with you completely stephen, as i said when i commented on saskboys blog about this. there is no reason anyone should drive in the left lane of a double lane highway unless they are passing someone. as someone who drives for a living and has the responsibility to keep a schedule there is nothing more infuriating than being blocked by someone driving the same speed in the left lane as the person in the right that i am trying to pass. and i especially agree with you stephen in regards to the differences between speeds of 100 and 120, the only difference is the length of the rope or chain that will be needed to pull me out of the ditch if i pack it in during the winter months.

I could imagine it be even more frustrating as a bus driver, or someone else who has to keep a schedule.

I do, however, find it very frustrating when semi's ride my ass even though I'm going 115 or 120.

A point that I don't think I've made yet:

This situation is rampant on Sask highways. Although I realize that in other places, they actually have signs that say "Keep Right Unless Passing" and such. Personally, I've never seen one. I bet there'd be a whole lot of people with "open-mouth-insert-foot" disease if there were signs like these all over Sask highways. How about some "...scientific and statistical facts" to prove that?

I was sure I had seen those signs on Sask highways, but it must have been just in Alberta or something.

If the signs aren't already posted, then they definitely should be.

We used to have those signs on the highway in SK, but according to one now retired Dept of Highways worker, the lanes were unevenly deteriorating, and it cost more to fix only one lane. So, to save the province money, the signs went down.

As to the choosing to drive faster, what about the environmental impact?

LOL! Typical Saskatchewan government cost saving measure: piss everyone off.

As for the environment. Is there really that much of a difference to the environment if I choose to go 120km/h in my Aveo, as opposed to someone going 90km/h in their Hummer?

I bet I'm doing better by those standards.

It's a double-edged sword, but common sense will set you free. Here in Vancouver we routinely see pretty much the worst driving I've ever encountered.

I lived in Calgary until I was 23 and I generally found the driving to be good. Here people do one of two or three things. Not so much too slow in the passing lane - rather single occupants in HOV lanes. Or, driving way too fast in whatever circumstances they're driving in WHILE THEY TALK ON THEIR CELLPHONES. Or turning, pulling out, or cutting off others without looking.

You should try riding a bike on main roads in Vancouver.

I DO disagree vehemently, however, with the previous commenter's notion that gas guzzling and high levels of pollution are no one's business but your own.

You can call it socialist propaganda or whatever you want. The fact is, disregarding your use of resources and contributions to broader problems is irresponsible at best and selfish and immature at worst.

Stephen, I knew I read your blog for a reason. :)

You're absolutely right and in fact it's been proven (and if you want the technical terms, correlated with regression) that:

Drivers who tend to speed (within a certain percentage of the limit) tend to have better driving records. This no longer holds when you have people going 180, but 120/130 on a double-lane, yes.

In fact, SGI no longer deducts safety points for speeding tickets (unless a dangerous driving charge is issues) as a result.

When I drive, I go a speed I feel safe/comfortable, and that is a product of conditions, traffic, etc. You can't tell me that one golden speed is a better or safer solution.

Further, I think most people tend to actually see the speed limits as, literally, speed LIMITS. They are not legislated that way. They are legislated knowing full well that people travel at that speed under good conditions, and, on average 10-15 km/h faster. They are, then, recommended speeds.

The government should change the way it rates its roads and introduce a 'recommended speed' as well as a hard and fast limit 10 km/h above which is a dangerous driving charge. Then it would be respected, you wouldn't have these people saying that speeding is a crime, etc, etc, etc.

The left lane should also have a minimum speed that is greater than the recommended speed to ensure faster traffic is not snarled behind slowpokes. They do this in places in the US and it's a good idea.

Anyway, I could rant on driving for a while, so I'll leave my comment here...

James, Dean (hehe) thanks for the good comments.

James: I do agree that we are all responsible for the use of our resources and the affect that said usage has on our environment. However, I don't think it's fair to say that by speeding you are having a large negative impact on the environment. Vehicles are getting a lot better in emissions reduction and do you really believe that speeding an extra 15 or 20 kilometres an hour is that much worse than the speed limit?

Dean: I was starting to wonder why my speeding ticket didn't affect my insurance discount. Good to know that SGI actually respects it's customers to some degree.

I somewhat agree with your views on speed limits... they truly are anything but limits. I do however think that a dangerous driving charge for exceeding the 'recommended speed' by 11 kilometres/hour would ever fly.

Sorry, you misunderstand me, my fault no doubt. The 'recommended speed' would be set to something close to what it is now, perhaps 10 km/h higher.

There would ALSO be a speed LIMIT which would be, say, 140 km/h. Anyone travelling more than that (with some leeway to take into account inaccuracies in speedometers and radar - hence 10km/h) would be a hard and fast dangerous driving ticket.

Why this will never fly: profit. Speeding tickets are a great source of revenue, a 'speed' tax if you will.

I could absolutely get behind something like that. Unforunately, you are right. Speeding fines are a major source of revenue for cities and nothing like this will ever happen. Too bad. :(

I can't begin to express my hatred of left lane bandits but I don't think the issue comes down to speeding. You should drive in the right lane unless you are passing. I think that left lane bandits are dangerous because they make other drivers act stupid. If someone wants to speed they should have a clear left lane in which to do it but if grandpa is doing 10 under the speed limit in the left lane now the speeder has to lane change. I'm not condoning speeding but they are out there and we aren't going to stop it. We can make the roads safer for everyone though by keeping in the right lane. It is not your job to make people drive the speed limit and you aren't making the road any safer by doing the speed limit in the left lane infront of faster traffic.

Another reason would be for safety of people in the right lane. If you need an escape route you'll have one if the left lane is empty but if everyone drives in both lanes you can get boxed in. Sure you usually have a ditch to the right if you need it but its not always there.

For me it all comes down to driver training. Most people drive badly because they don't even know the rules of the road. This is why 4-way stop signs are dangerous. No one knows when to go or what to do when two people arive at the same time. Almost anyone can get thie license here. Five rights, five lefts and a parallel park is all you have to do. I really wish we had a system closer to European countries. Maybe that would keep some of the speeding, makeup applying, cell phone talking 16 year old girls off the street. It might just keep our insurace rates down too.