Driving in the left lane at the speed limit

I’m not a lawyer, but I believe that in at least some (maybe most/all) states, “speeding” is defined as driving above the speed limit for a given distance. Driving above the speed limit over a relatively short distance is not speeding, and therefore would be legal while passing, as CTLAWYER said.

@Meno
Nowhere in my post did I say it is legal to drive above the posted speed limit. Please don’t put words in my mouth and then state I said something was legal.

Many states have a ‘fair and reasonable’ doctrine that can be used in defense of a traffic ticket. For example:
‘Your honor, there day was sunny and clear. There was little traffic, tghe car ahead of me in the right hand lane was only going 55 in a 65MPH posted zone. I accelerated in the left lane to 68 MPH to overtake the slow car, returned to the right hand lane and resumed a speed of 64MPH.’

Police radar guns clock a diriver at an instant in time, there is no recording of how long you exceeded the speed limit to decide whether or not to issue a citation.

In the UK, at least, staying in the overtaking lane whilst not overtaking is an offence, and as of a couple years ago can now get you a fine, too. I don’t know if this will be applied if the driver is driving at the speed limit, but I see no reason why it shouldn’t. A simple answer is that an ambulance or police car, travelling legitimately above the speed limit, might need to pass. But just as simple is the fact that the overtaking lane is officially reserved for overtaking. Undertaking is illegal. It could therefore cause issues to other road users regardless of speed. Of course, in the UK, the right hand lane is for overtaking.

And it’s considered speeding no matter how long you’re over the speed limit for. What may have confused the above poster is that speed cameras generally work by measuring speed over a certain distance, like 100 yards. If you brake sharply and go under the speed limit whilst within the distance, it won’t register as speeding. But that doesn’t make it legal, and if a policeman using a radar gun catches you speeding, it doesn’t matter if it’s only for a second. What is true, again, in the UK at least, is that they allow a certain amount of leeway, usually a couple of miles an hour, before they give a fine. It doesn’t make it legal, the guidelines are just flexible. They’re actually planning on changing that soon, so that drivers are penalized even at 1mph over the limit.

Joseph, you misunderstood. I was trying to express two different ideas. 1. It can be dangerous to travel at the speed limit when everyone else is significantly exceeding it (just as it is dangerous to be doing 35 on an Interstate). 2. There’s a real speed limit which is greater than the posted speed limit (as explained to me by the officer who stopped me for traveling at perhaps 45 in a 30 zone).

Joseph,

I believe this was already mentioned, but it bears repeating. In many states the law is you drive on the right and pass on the left. The left lane is not for straight driving.

So driving in the left lane, at the limit or otherwise is against the law and you can rightly get a ticket.

@Joseph
Passing or overtaking a car>>>you are driving behind that car in the same lane. You signal a left lane change and move into the left lane, gain enough speed to get ahead of that car to the point it is visible in your inside rear view mirror. Signal right, switch back to original lane and resume driving at safe speed.

Cutting off a car, you change lanes quickly to get in front of a car in the other lane and continue driving in that new lane,

How is the passing driver to know whether the other car that he’s passing will apply the brakes

By using your brain. If you pull too closely in front of him, he will be required to apply the brakes in order to avoid hitting you.

What if the idiot was hogging the left lane while the traffic was passing him in the right lane. Ain’t he deserve being cut off?

What are you, 5 years old? Pass him carefully on the right.