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Germany and Austria

Electrify said:
I wouldn't mind seeing different speed limits for different lanes. Example: 100 in the right, 110 in the middle, and 120 for the left lane.

Another idea would to use the orange speed signs, which represent recommended speeds, with the standard speed limit signs. So the orange sign would say 100 recommended, while the white sign would say 120 maximum.
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I would think that having different speed limits for different lanes could cause some problems for people moving from 1 lane to another. There's already enough trouble with people merging from an on-ramp doing 90 when traffic is doing 120.

I would think you'd be better off saying "trucks stick to the right lane, except when passing", leave the centre lane to slower moving cars, and the left to fast moving cars. It's more of a road education issue than a speed limit enforcement issue.
 
Drove to Munich today from the Austrian border. Avg speed 180 kph, with brief run at 195 kph. Best thing about the autobahn is that the right lane never ends, so the trucks can sit there all day. If a lane has to end it's the left lane. Why didn't we do this in Ontario?
 
I have also driven around Switzerland, Germany and all over Italy and France, (helps having a swiss girlfriend) and I have to say, the highways there are much better maintained, people drive much more carefully in terms of signalling, and being generally courteous of one another, and almost everyone obeys the move to the right once you pass rule. People there generally have a love for driving, but driving properly and within reason. Maybe one reason we don't have higher speeds is because we don't deserve it? (I realize that is not the case, but especially in the city I find a lot of people drive like A**holes, thinking only of themselves and how they can get ahead of everyone else without letting anyone else in front of them.) I never came across that in Europe any time I've gone there and I always hope it will change. Even in Quebec, and the States I find people are more careful to stay on the right most of the time compared to here. Anyone know any reasons why this might be the case so much in Toronto and cottage country? I thought maybe it was just because of traffic volume is so high, but I wasn't sure.
 
That's a very good question. There must be a reason for it. It's not like driving schools don't teach staying in the right lane, they do. It's simply a rule that's ignored.
 
Admiral Beez said:
Drove to Munich today from the Austrian border. Avg speed 180 kph, with brief run at 195 kph. Best thing about the autobahn is that the right lane never ends, so the trucks can sit there all day. If a lane has to end it's the left lane. Why didn't we do this in Ontario?
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This is a very, very good question and one of the biggest shortcomings of efficient highway design in North America IMO.

I've heard a number of people who tend to stick themselves in the middle lane justify their decision by the fact that the right lane has a habit of turning into an off-ramp.
 
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Well I think it a edjucation problem here in toronto, people dont respect others at all. I was on HWY 401 once in the left lane going 120 that is already 20 over and you WILL get fined for it. Behind me was a Dodge Ram and im in BMW325, he was riding my ass, but problem is that my car can stop in less than half the time so this means if something happen he will 100% rear end me. I was so pissed off, also there was a car infront of me but im no ridding his ass, so when infront of me cleared I quickly slam the brakes then floored it, causing the Ram to loose control and side swipe the guardrail. I guess I just gave him some edjucation!

I always respect others in the road, but some need to learn the hard way.

Looking for Realtor, come be with the best!
 
CDL.TO said:
This is a very, very good question and one of the biggest shortcomings of efficient highway design in North America IMO.

I've heard a number of people who tend to stick themselves in the middle-lane justify their decision by the fact that the right lane has a habit of turning into an off-ramp.
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I usually stick in the middle lane on a 3 lane highway because I tend to travel at middle of the pack speeds. I leave the right lane for trucks and slowpokes, and the left lane for people who want to risk getting speeding tickets. I can set my cruise to a reasonable level in the middle lane, and cut into the left lane when I need to to pass someone.
 
Well I think it a edjucation problem here in toronto,
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you need to stop embarrassing yourself.

so when infront of me cleared I quickly slam the brakes then floored it, causing the Ram to loose control and side swipe the guardrail. I guess I just gave him some edjucation!
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you're an asshole.
 
gweed123 said:
I usually stick in the middle lane on a 3 lane highway because I tend to travel at middle of the pack speeds. I leave the right lane for trucks and slowpokes, and the left lane for people who want to risk getting speeding tickets. I can set my cruise to a reasonable level in the middle lane, and cut into the left lane when I need to to pass someone.
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This is why the middle lane is full. Not because the right lane exits. It's because the right lane is full of people speeding up, slowing down, or just going slow in general.
 
CDL.TO said:
"Keep right except to pass"?
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And if by some miracle, there will be a greater than 30 second interval where there won't be one of the aforementioned vehicles in the right lane, I will indeed move over. I'm not surprised that others don't, considering that it's never long before you'll find yourself having to merge back to the middle lane. (Which, in the tragic irony of the situation, is difficult to merge into because there are so many people in it.)
 
Markster said:
This is why the middle lane is full. Not because the right lane exits. It's because the right lane is full of people speeding up, slowing down, or just going slow in general.
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I don't see a problem with it. Keep the right lane for trucks and slow drivers, centre lane for drivers driving at a constant and reasonable speed, and the left lane for passing and fast moving drivers.
 
Electrify said:
I wouldn't mind seeing different speed limits for different lanes. Example: 100 in the right, 110 in the middle, and 120 for the left lane.

Another idea would to use the orange speed signs, which represent recommended speeds, with the standard speed limit signs. So the orange sign would say 100 recommended, while the white sign would say 120 maximum.
Click to expand...
I think this might be confusing for Americans/tourists, who already have issues with mph and kph, but it's not too bad of a problem. At worst they just yo-yo in speed a bit thinking the limit is going up and down a lot.

gweed123 said:
I would think you'd be better off saying "trucks stick to the right lane, except when passing", leave the centre lane to slower moving cars, and the left to fast moving cars. It's more of a road education issue than a speed limit enforcement issue.
Click to expand...
This is ineffective from my experience. Unless you have police or camera enforcement, trucks are going to drive where they think they'll have the most fuel/time efficient line. Also, with the 401 traffic, a truck could be "passing" other trucks from Milton to Cobourg (not really, but you get the point).

We tried a couple schemes in England for a 'lane 3' truck ban, going up hills or along curvy sections. Two years of monitoring didn't yield any statistically significant reduction in use or collisions.

Admiral Beez said:
Drove to Munich today from the Austrian border. Avg speed 180 kph, with brief run at 195 kph. Best thing about the autobahn is that the right lane never ends, so the trucks can sit there all day. If a lane has to end it's the left lane. Why didn't we do this in Ontario?
Click to expand...
It goes back 100 years to be start of the networks. The first autobahn routes were grade seperated with well-spaced exits and gentile slops (4% or less). For a small country will many large cities in a grid pattern this worked well. Ontario went a different way because of different population and usage patterns.

Most of our oldest 400-series highways started as two/three lane single carriageways starting with Lake Shore Road between Hamilton and Toronto. We've continually designed to lower immediate construction costs instead of designing for eventual capacity. Instead of building 'valley bridges', we have roads that ride the hills up and down, thereby limiting sightlines and making high speed collisions more risky and more likely. The reason why we don't upgrade to an autobahn standard now is because it'd cost too much and be used too little.
 
I must say, Ontario drivers are really slow. On average I've seen people barely doing over 100kph standing on the left lane when there's no traffic.
Also, Ontario drivers seem a lot (and i mean a lot) less aggressive then drivers in Quebec.
They seem to be afraid to merge into traffic.
 
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