As a fellow Coloradan, I rejoice. Now we need a law that keeps all semis out of the left lane period.

The law forbids motorists on multi-lane state highways from driving in the far left lane except to pass or to make a left turn.

A left turn on a highway?

How often does that happen?

Not often, Rosignol. But there are a few left-hand exits, such as the southbound Nevada exit here in the Springs.

Have to disagree about the women with cell phones deal. They are much better at keeping speed while talking. It's their forte, they don't even have to think about forming words while driving. Men, OTOH, will slow down an average of 10 mph the minute they pick up the phone. Every time.

You're right about Volvos, however. Please add Cadillacs and Navigators to the list. And now, this comment section will devolve into road rants...

I find that my air horns are considerably more effective than left-hand-lane laws so far as waking the elderly and stupid up.

In the days of prehistory, aka the Eisenhower administration, the left lane was for passing only. Then along came Nixon and the agony of 55 mph from sea to shining sea.

Everyone was moving along so slowly that it really didn't matter if you passed on the left or the right. Most drivers rightly thought they were already in hell, so what did it matter which lane you were in.

Now that the speed limit is approaching where it should be in most states, passing on the right has become dangerous again and trucks tooling along in the left lane make driving 80 on two lane roads pretty exciting.

Though we've driven in Colorado, I don't remember the traffic being especially dangerous. Nothing like I 95 from Richmond - Washington - Jersey Tpke - NYC corridor. The Connecticut Turnpike has almost, but not quite, surpassed the LIE for the title of longest parking lot in the world. Every inch of I 95 from the Keys to the Canadian border is being simultaneously repaved or widened or just torn up for the fun of it.

That's why folks, we've located to a small southern town where rarely is heard a police siren.

You know, I did my damnedest to resist coming to your blog, but alas, here I am and lmao, too.

At last. Thank you Colorado, now do someting about your court system.

Joan - in San Diego here - I have to disagree. Men and women are equal offenders at driving poorly with a cell firmly planted in the ear. Women, however, seem to be heavier offenders in terms of their numbers IMHO. What the hell are they all talking about that couldn't have waited until they got to a destination???

In my experience, Seattle-area drivers are the absolute worst at staying out of the left lane. Passing-only is a concept that hasn't even penetrated their consciousness. A little left-lane policing would probably ease the traffic jams more than any light-rail system could.
Of all the places I've driven, I find interstate SoCal is the best for left lane awareness.

Now if only we could institute escalator reform too.

A very useful law, but I don't think it'll get rid of the problem of left-lane slowpokes altogether. In my experiences driving in the Northeast, the most frequent bottleneck-builders in left lanes are people driving just a little bit faster (say, 10-12 mph over the speed limit) than those in other lanes, and don't switch regardless of how many cars line up behind them. Technically, they are passing people, so they wouldn't need to switch lanes under this law. But they nonetheless beome an enormous pain for those of us who want to burn rubber. For some reason, I find that New Yorkers are disproportionately represented in this group.

As an aside, I fully ditto erp's comment about the Connecticut Turnpike. It's a nightmare from New Haven to the NY state line, and by and large, the latte-sipping suburbanites in these parts don't have the initiative to demand a major upgrade to the Turnpike or the Merritt. I think the way we're letting our infrastructure degrade even as we clamor for more handouts is a much larger sign of our softness and decadence than anything in our foreign policy.

Whenever someone tells me they hate tailgaters, I tell them how that proves they are assholes.

As it happens, I just drove that segment the day before yesterday. In a minivan. Solid bumper-to-bumper in *both* lanes. Narry a chance to get into the right lane. Average speed: 30mph. No letup whatsoever until C-470. The traffic thinned out in Denver. The new law is completely useless in that stretch.

Which brings up HOV lanes. How is it efficient to have 10,000 cars containing one person, traveling 15-30 MPH, so 500 cars with two people aboard, can go 65MPH?

Unless one wants to promote "group commuting," of course. As I recall, our "group commuting" resources here in Colorado, run at less than 30% full, on average.

Walter, when I'm going 10-15 MPH over the speed limit in the left lane and someone is tailgating me, you are damned right I hate tailgaters. Now you're going to tell me I'm an asshole? Up yours.

Thank you, David R Beatty! Hating tailgaters proves you're an asshole?? What a moronic thing to say.

David, I think "asshole" is too strong a word, but people like you do irritate the hell out of me on the roads. A common rule of courtesy on European highways is that when you're driving in the left lane and a car comes up to you from behind, you get out of the way, no matter how fast the other car is going. That's why the Autobahn can function the way it does without causing large numbers of accidents from speeding drivers shifting in and out of lanes.

Personally, I don't care if I'm going 90 mph in the left lane; if another car catches up to me from behind, I temporarily change lanes at the first opportunity. All I ask is that I be extended the same courtesy by other drivers.

I've spent some time in Steven's neck of the woods, going from Colo Springs to Denver and back several times a week. There were quite a few cases of Left Lane Bandits, and with the varying topography and high speed limit (is it 80 or 75, Steven?) it made for some interesting traffic. But after living in the DC/Baltimore area for 6 years, I can honestly say most drivers in that part of the country are obviously not aware of the "Drive Right, Pass Left" model.

And Joan, for the record, the problem with cell phones isn't speed- it's lack of attention, and not actually turning your head before making turns or lane changes.

Eric, I get out of the way as quickly and safely as possible, but the person behind me can be courteous as well and wait until I'm out of his way. Since I am not a professional sports car driver nor is the person behind me likely to be one, tailgating at 75 MPH or more is dangerous.

David, point taken. My comments deal more with those drivers who never feel the need to change lanes as long as they're going faster than drivers in other lanes, whether or not they're being tailed by the driver pulling up behind them.

Colorado drivers are absolutely terrible when it comes to hanging out in the left lane. I took driver's ed here--I know it was taught. This is actually my #1 pet peeve driving here; well, that and people who think that a safe following distance on I-25 at 75 mph is 10 feet.