Virginia's interesting signage
 

Okay, I haven't been on I-81 in a few weeks, just drove it today and saw what I feel were rather confusing signs. These signs say that trucks and combination vehicles are to use the right lane WHEN going less then 65mph. Last time I checked, the speed limit in VA IS 65mph. :?

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmm. :roll:

Well, that's because some of those governed company trucks that can only do 62 mph like to hang it out in the left lane and attempt to pass someone over a 10-15 mile period. Really stacks traffic up.

TRUCKS AND COMBINATION VEHICLES USE RIGHT LANE WHEN TRAVELLING AT 65 MPH OR BELOW

Something more like that. I agree the wording makes you go Hmmmm. Maybe they're thinking of pickups towing horse trailers and campers, and RVs pulling fourwheelers behind them, but I doubt any of those people would comprehend "combination vehicle" anyway, because it's CDL speak.

These signs have gone up at the bottom of pulls from here south. Almost every pull. There are no signs cancelling these signs out, but based on their placement, they seem intended to discourage trucks from passing up the hills unless they can run at exactly the speed limit (with the implication that it's probably OK to exceed the speed limit somewhat, if possible.)

These have increased in number from, and have replaced the old signs that said you had to be in the right lane if you couldn't do 50 mph. (Which I always thought was a pretty reasonable figure, myself.)

I haven't heard anything official from the legislators, VDOT, or local news outlets about this one. It might be worth digging around for a press release.

I've also seen cops sitting at the top of some of the worst pulls. Caveat conductor.

It's not posted everywhere but here in NM we have a 65 mph minimum speed limit for the left lane on highways posted above 65 mph.

Since I got the pleasure of crossing Virginia today, I'd like to endorse those signs wholeheartedly. There's no reason for the guy going up a hill at 55mph to get in the left lane and pass the guy going 53mph. If you can't go 65, keep your ass in the right lane and relax.

The resulting 3 mile line of traffic from these jagoffs is utterly and totally obnoxious.

I agree completely, but that's not the point I was trying to make. The speed limit in VA is 65, so unless you exceed the speed limit (or stay exactly at 65 up the hill) you MUST be in the right lane.

It's rather interesting that the speed limit is 65, yet the sign says TRUCKS AND COMBINATION VEHICLES USE RIGHT LANE WHEN TRAVELING AT 65 MPH OR BELOW. Another words, according to the signs (both the speed limit and the new ones) trucks ,technically, MUST use the right lane all the time. :wink: :?

Yeah, I don't think they always think through the semantics of those things. The sentiment is right, but the language can be a little off.

In Georgia, the signs around Atlanta say something along the lines of 'trucks with more than 6 wheels' stay out of the left lane. My truck has six wheels, but not more than six wheels. I've been bobtailing through and been tempted to pass some slower traffic there. Somehow I doubt that they would let me slide on that one though. I've heard enough stories about the '3rd lane' tickets in Georgia.

WildK, the signs are up so that traffic doesn't get tied up due to 2 governed trucks trying to race one another. With the amount of traffic using 81, it is needed. You may not have seen it, but I have seen a truck doing 66 mph hogging the left lane for 15 miles just because he wanted to pass 2 trucks that were running 65 mph. Once he got clear, he merged over but the damage had been done, you had BBR's standing out in the left lane yammering about what the holdup was and you had 4 wheelers all stacked up and slicing between lanes cutting other 4 wheeler and trucks off. The state had to put the signs up due to some truck drivers lacking common sense before it got way out of hand with traffic deaths.

I understand and agree with that, but let me try to state my point another way. With those signs, they are either saying it's okay to be in left lane if you speed or it's just another way to say that all trucks must be in the right lane.

Believe me, I know the reality out there, just pointing out an observation about the "technicality" part of the signs. :wink:

In that case he was allowed to use the left lane since he was travelling OVER 65 mph. :P