Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

Today the legislature for the state of Missouri finally did something right, they passed a law mandating that trucks (over the road type and straight trucks) have to stay out of the left lane..............Yay!

The law applies to all interstates especially in urban areas, and was passed in order to facilitate traffic in those areas, so that cars will not get stacked up behind slower moving trucks. Now, it's been my experience that most of the trucks in Missouri are moving at about 80 -85mph, left lane or not, so I'm not sure if it's really gonna speed up traffic flow but I welcome not having one of these guys riding up my ass in the left lane too.

At any rate, score one for cars...............and no, the truckers are not happy about it.

Are they allowed to pass in the left lane or cannot enter it at all?

on a two lane road? this is impossible...and potentially dangerous. getting passed on the right by a car is bad enough.

kenshin138 wrote:Are they allowed to pass in the left lane or cannot enter it at all?

My understanding from reading the article in today's KC Star is that they will get a ticket (if caught, obviously) for being in the left lane unless posted - such as a left lane exit like I-35 NB onto 635 NB or I-35 SB onto I-70 EB.

Now it's time for them to step up and give us a law against using cell phones while driving!

Don D

Esmter wrote:on a two lane road? this is impossible...and potentially dangerous. getting passed on the right by a car is bad enough.

If the people being passed on the right weren't in the left lane, then there wouldn't be a problem. If there is room to go around someone on the right, then there is room for that person to have gotten out of the way.

DDodge wrote:Now it's time for them to step up and give us a law against using cell phones while driving!

Don D

Cell phones are really not the root of the issue here, but people can't seem to understand that.

The problem is people in this country are not prepared to drive when they are given their license. This is evident by the multitude of people who can't:
-maintain their lane or speed
-don't signal turns or lane changes
-don't understand that the left lane of a multi-lane highway is for passing, not traveling
-only pay attention to what is happening directly in front of them.
The list goes on and on. In general, people who are driving put the actual act of driving about fourth or fifth on their list of important things. People don't pay remotely enough attention to what's happening around them. Nobody seems to really care enough about driving to pay it enough attention. People don't check their mirrors before changing lanes. They don't look ahead to the light at the next intersection to see what color it is.

It seems that not only do people in general not care about this, but also the police. I've seen people do incredibly dangerous things when they are in clear view of a police car. Things like running a red light, cutting off someone while changing lanes, passing someone on the shoulder of the highway. Hell, you name it, I've probably seen it. But the cops just don't seem to care. However, if I happen to be going 10 mph over the speed limit, I'm somehow a pariah.

As I read the article (which was very early this morn) that is only on roads with 3 or more lanes each way i.e. minimum of 6 lanes.
It does not apply to 4 lanes (2 each way).

sliboa, I couldn't agree more.

I ride a motorcycle in addition to my mini. From that higher viewpoint, with no pillars and obstructions to your vision, what you see is frightening. They are not only talking on their phones, they are dialing and text messaging, and this is not just at lights!

The phone is just another symptom of the poor driving we see everywhere. These morons need all the attention their small brains have on what they are doing. The phone is a dangerous distraction to even a good driver.

To all: If you are one of those people who talk on your phone while driving, please stop doing it for the sake of the safety of the rest of us. If you need to talk on the phone, pull over and do so. Your phone will take a message and does not need to be answered while in motion.

Don D

mcconned wrote:As I read the article (which was very early this morn) that is only on roads with 3 or more lanes each way i.e. minimum of 6 lanes.
It does not apply to 4 lanes (2 each way).

This would make the most sense. Otherwise how is a truck driver suppose to pass somebody driving wayyyy under the limit (say, 45 in a 65 or something)?