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Old 10-26-2020, 07:47 AM   #1
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How many cars do you stack up?

As I travel down the road I sometimes see long lines of vehicles backed up behind slow moving RV or TT. My question is how many people do you let behind you in a line before you pull over?

I generally travel at a peak speed of 63 mph as that seems to be my sweet spot for fuel mileage. So when you have the following situations how many vehicles to you stack up behind you?

1. When you are going below the posted speed limit? (For me it's 4)
2. When you are going the posted speed limit? (For me it's 4)
3. When exceeding the speed limit? (I don't worry. We're all breaking the law :-)

Out west there are states with up to 80 mph limits on the freeways and 65 on the two lanes so it can become an issue. Thanks for your input!
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Old 10-26-2020, 07:54 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boucherk View Post
As I travel down the road I sometimes see long lines of vehicles backed up behind slow moving RV or TT. My question is how many people do you let behind you in a line before you pull over?

I generally travel at a peak speed of 63 mph as that seems to be my sweet spot for fuel mileage. So when you have the following situations how many vehicles to you stack up behind you?

1. When you are going below the posted speed limit? (For me it's 4)
2. When you are going the posted speed limit? (For me it's 4)
3. When exceeding the speed limit? (I don't worry. We're all breaking the law :-)

Out west there are states with up to 80 mph limits on the freeways and 65 on the two lanes so it can become an issue. Thanks for your input!

I don’t understand what kind of road you’d be on where that many vehicles would stack up behind you.

If you’re driving at 63 mph (and that’s my sweet spot too) on a two lane highway, I’m betting the posted speed limit is probably NOT more than 60. If you’re on an interstate highway, they can and should go around you in the other lane regardless of the posted speed limit.
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Old 10-26-2020, 08:04 AM   #3
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There are plenty of 2 lane highways with 65 speed limit. Locals often want to go 10 over that.
I can't answer your question tho because I'm usually keeping up with traffic. In the western mountains I will duck into an overlook occasionally if I have a line behind me but again, I'm usually keeping up with the trucks and much of the traffic.
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Old 10-26-2020, 08:10 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by kenandterry View Post
I don’t understand what kind of road you’d be on where that many vehicles would stack up behind you.

If you’re driving at 63 mph (and that’s my sweet spot too) on a two lane highway, I’m betting the posted speed limit is probably NOT more than 60. If you’re on an interstate highway, they can and should go around you in the other lane regardless of the posted speed limit.
California law requires you to use a turnout to let faster traffic pass when 5 or more vehicles stack up behind you.
IMO, 63 mph is pretty slow for a two lane highway and is a recipe for frustrated faster traffic if passing lanes are infrequent. I use turnouts in mountainous areas whenever possible.
Choosing to drive at or near posted speed limits should not be used to prevent others from exceeding it.
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Old 10-26-2020, 08:25 AM   #5
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One thing to NOT do is move over and drive on the shoulder to let them pass, even if you slow down considerably. That is dangerous and illegal.
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Old 10-26-2020, 08:25 AM   #6
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Depends on the road, not the number behind. Lots of places pulling over is not an option.

If they have a truck lane I always use that and will sometimes slow down more if the line is long so they have more time to clear.
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Old 10-26-2020, 09:08 AM   #7
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Being safe is top priority for most of us when towing, at least I hope so. But, if I'm creating the traffic flow problem, then,
I'm either going to pick up the pace, or continue to go with the flow of traffic in the lane I've chosen to ride in regardless of the speed limit.
We all have a right to make decisions, but some choices people make, can sometimes endanger other people's lives. I do my best to keep from backing up traffic regardless of the time of day.
Road rage is not something I want to create.
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Old 10-26-2020, 09:14 AM   #8
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I tow at 65MPH or the posted speed limit, whichever is less and unless I need to pass someone going even slower than myself I hang out in the right lane. I could care less how many people are hanging out behind me.
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Old 10-26-2020, 09:32 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody View Post
One thing to NOT do is move over and drive on the shoulder to let them pass, even if you slow down considerably. That is dangerous and illegal.

Depends on local customs...

Years ago, I went on a vacation with my mother to visit relatives in Poland. They drove us around the country to see the sights and other relatives. It wasn't unusual to see 4 lanes of traffic on a 2 lane road. It took me a while to get used to it though. We were in a slower car and were the ones driving on the shoulder.
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Old 10-26-2020, 09:40 AM   #10
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California law requires you to use a turnout to let faster traffic pass when 5 or more vehicles stack up behind you.
Citation, please.

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Old 10-26-2020, 10:17 AM   #11
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Can’t see people behind me when towing my 5th wheel, so no need to pull over. 🤣[emoji23]
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Old 10-26-2020, 10:30 AM   #12
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California law requires you to use a turnout to let faster traffic pass when 5 or more vehicles stack up behind you.
^^^^We do this when a good turnout lane is available. Unfortunately, there are places where the turnouts are in very poor condition and pulling into the turnout would cause damage to the rig or possible loss of control of the rig. We pass those up and look for a good turnout.
There are places in the west where the shoulder is paved and basically an unmarked second lane, but it's risky and possibly illegal. If the lane is paved or our lane is wide, we'll pull as far right as possible to give the vehicles behind us enough visibility to determine if it's safe to pass.
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Old 10-26-2020, 10:33 AM   #13
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I only worry about traffic behind me on a two lane. Around here, most two lanes are 65mph. If I'm going the speed limit, I don't care how many stack up behind me. If I'm going slower than the speed limit, I'll pull over if and when I find an easy, safe place to do so.
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Old 10-26-2020, 10:35 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody View Post
One thing to NOT do is move over and drive on the shoulder to let them pass, even if you slow down considerably. That is dangerous and illegal.
This is from a Texas excerpt.

(a) An operator may drive on an improved shoulder to the right of the main traveled portion of a roadway if that operation is necessary and may be done safely, but only:

(1) to stop, stand, or park;

(2) to accelerate before entering the main traveled lane of traffic;

(3) to decelerate before making a right turn;

(4) to pass another vehicle that is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn;

(5) to allow another vehicle traveling faster to pass;

(6) as permitted or required by an official traffic-control device;  or

(7) to avoid a collision.
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Old 10-26-2020, 10:58 AM   #15
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We will go 5 MPH over the posted speed with a max of 65 when hauling our 5er. I stay in the right lane (on multilane roads of course) and don't give a rip if there is a line of cars behind me. If they want to pass....go for it. But with 25k#s of force (16 5er and 9 truck), I'm not going to be reckless just because someone is impatient.
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Old 10-26-2020, 11:01 AM   #16
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I can certainly understand why the OP is asking the question. Growing up in Indiana farm land up until my early thirties, there was a regulation in the green book Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that truckers had which stated if you were operating a SMV (less than 35 mph including farm equipment) if 5 or more vehicles were behind, you were to pull over and allow them to proceed. In the late 80's after I moved to Wisconsin there was a rash of fatal accidents involving people passing SMV's on the highways. At the scrapyard were we shredded the vehicles involved we were discussing the accidents and I got hold of a new copy of the FMCSR book and found the regulation had been removed.
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Old 10-26-2020, 11:37 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by NMWildcat View Post
I only worry about traffic behind me on a two lane. Around here, most two lanes are 65mph. If I'm going the speed limit, I don't care how many stack up behind me. If I'm going slower than the speed limit, I'll pull over if and when I find an easy, safe place to do so.
X2 on all accounts.

I will pull over where it is safe for me to do so. If not safe they can wait a little longer no matter how many there are. Usually 4 or 5 will have me looking for a place if I am unable to do the posted limit.
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Old 10-26-2020, 11:46 AM   #18
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If I'm on a two lane road, I'll pull over or slow down and wave cars past me, if I've got even one or two cars behind me, regardless of whether I'm going under, at, or over the speed limit. I absolutely can't stand slow vehicles that slow down those around them without a care in the world about it. I would never advocate going at a faster speed than is safe to do or to pull over where it is unsafe to do so, but if there are safe appropriately sized turnouts available and cars are behind you, do the courteous thing and let them pass, even if you think the speed you are going is appropriate. If for no other reason, a line of frustrated drivers bunched up behind you is dangerous for all involved, yourself included. I can control how I react to situations ahead of me. I have little to no control on how those behind me react to me. I'm much happier and safer without cars following behind me.

Let them go around you, even if you are going at or over the speed limit. If you feel it is safe to go at the speed limit in a big RV, chances are it is plenty safe for the cars and passenger trucks behind you to go over the speed limit. Don't be the aggravating moving speed limit enforcer that creates dangerous frustrated drivers intent on getting past you.
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Old 10-26-2020, 11:51 AM   #19
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Citation, please.

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Old 10-26-2020, 11:59 AM   #20
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Citation, please.

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California DMV Handbook, Section 16, "Lanes" cites the 5 cars trailing pull over law.
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