Cold temps = slow drivers?

[Bagley]

Yeah, I've noticed a lot of this too. I can understand when temps are around freezing and there's the potential for ice formation, but it's 10 degrees outside! At the very least get out of the left lane!

Around freezing? On the Fahrenheit scale, 10 degrees is 22 degrees below the freezing point of water [[32 degrees). On overpasses and bridges, which don't benefit from the warming effect of the ground like most highways, it is common to see ice when the air temperature is 32 degrees and below. Further, I drive more slowly because people think that US temperatures are Celsius.

[Lowell]

The Lodge's speed limit is 55. Not for trucks, for everyone. There also happen to be a couple of pesky left lane exits on the Lodge in both directions..

Hah, try driving 55 on the Lodge and you'll get tail-gated with flashing lights, abruptly woven in front of, fingered and run over if they could. The Lodge is not for the faint of heart.

The left lane exits are probably why that car was sitting out there at 50.

On the other hand, it amuses me that drivers who break the speed limit think they are entitled to the outer lane, that everybody else should get in over the right lane and deal with the trucks and blind entry lane traffic just so they don't have to pop out of their cruise control while they break the law. IMO the only safe lane on the Lodge is the center lane and even that averages 65.

Avoid the left lane when approaching Davison and I-94 where entry traffic comes in blind and often at high speeds from the left. Watch for drivers entering on the exits before and illegally cutting across traffic to make the left exits. What a mess that design is.

[Ray1936]

Consider this: When the Lodge and the Ford first opened in the early '50s, there was NO center guard rail at all. Just a raised median. After a number of multiple-fatal head on wrecks, the guard rails went up, and much later, the concrete barriers.

[Detroitnerd]

I've noticed slow drivers in the cold. I don't think they understand the physics of driving in extreme cold when it's dry. No doubt some of those tires are bald, or nearly as bald as mine.

Besides, I thought that in order to drive a van, truck or SUV on Detroit roads, your driver-side rear tire has to be slightly deflated. Seems to be mandatory, from the look of things.

[Hamtragedy]

Consider this: When the Lodge and the Ford first opened in the early '50s, there was NO center guard rail at all. Just a raised median. After a number of multiple-fatal head on wrecks, the guard rails went up, and much later, the concrete barriers.

Hey Ray, wasn't the Ford also notorious for two other safety hazards?

1. The lightposts were too close to the road

2. The new concrete barriers, when built in the mid 70's, didn't they somehow aid in cars becoming airborn into oncoming traffic because of their design [[not high enough?)

[East Detroit]

I can understand when temps are around freezing and there's the potential for ice formation, but it's 10 degrees outside!

There is no ice at 10 degrees?

[detroitsgwenivere]

Sorry Lowell, left lane is for us speeders. Unless you want to be part of the firey crash...

[DJ Tom T]

I believe that 95% of traffic jams and freeway car accidents are caused by people driving too slow in the left lane.

And spare me the "left lane exits" argument, ESPECIALLY on the Lodge. 9 times out of 10, the person going slow in the left lane isn't exiting on any of those left lane ramps.

I have no problem if you want to drive slow, just do it where you're SUPPOSED to - on the right. You aren't doing anyone any favors by going 50 mph in the fast/passing lane or even the middle lane for that matter. It hurts more than helps.

If everyone followed the system, driving would work so much better.

[DJ Tom T]

On another note, left lane entrance/exit ramps are such a safety hazard. Always issues exiting or entering - damned if you do, damned if you don't. Terrible design.

[313WX]

On another note, left lane entrance/exit ramps are such a safety hazard. Always issues exiting or entering - damned if you do, damned if you don't. Terrible design.

The biggest problem I encounter is people entering the freeway almost never match the traffic flow of the lane they're entering, even with the regular freeway entrances. If I had a nickel for the people who cruise onto the freeway at 40 MPH and I'm stuck behind them, I'd be quite wealthy. Even in driver's training you're taught to AT LEAST enter the freeway at its posted speed to prevent accidents.

Then there are those who hog the right lane when they know traffic will be accelerating onto the Freeway from those entrances. If you have to hog the right lane for several entrances to exit the freeway, then you quite frankly don't need to be on the freeway.

[JBMcB]

My pet peeve is people who move into the right lane from the middle lane at the end of an entrance merge lane. That should be an instant license suspension - it's tricky enough getting on the freeway in heavy traffic without morons trying to sideswipe you.

Regarding cold weather - yesterday morning I was behind a guy on I96 who hit a patch of black ice over a bridge and ran into the shoulder. They had to tear the doors and B-pillar off to get him onto the stretcher. He wasn't speeding, I was going 60 and he was maybe going 70, but he was still going too fast. It was lightly snowing and there wasn't any accumulation, but it was enough to send him to the hospital.

[Ray1936]

Hey Ray, wasn't the Ford also notorious for two other safety hazards?

1. The lightposts were too close to the road

2. The new concrete barriers, when built in the mid 70's, didn't they somehow aid in cars becoming airborn into oncoming traffic because of their design [[not high enough?)

Yes, now that you mention it, the street light placement was a problem at first. But it wasn't the concrete barriers that allowed cars to imitate aircraft, it was the wood post/steel barrier guardrails that allowed that. Once the concrete barriers were in place, their design causes cars striking it to 'bounce' back into their own lanes/direction. There was one dandy on the Edsel Ford about 1970 up around Cecil where an airborn car landed on oncoming traffic killing about ten people. Cleaned 'em up with blotters.

[jackie5275]

Regardless of how the cold affects your vehicle, it affects your body too. I've been too frozen to move my hands & feet this past week. But I do watch my speed on the Lodge as it is curvier than other freeways.

[Chinman]

the only law in michigan the the left lane is for passing is that if the road has only two[[2) lanes going in each direction. if one[[1) each direction, you may pass if on-comming traffic lane is clear and you are not in a no-passing zone. any higher lanes than two[[2) in each direction, passing lanes do not exist. it is merely considered a courtesy.

[Vic01]

...any higher lanes than two[[2) in each direction, passing lanes do not exist. it is merely considered a courtesy.

Let's hear it for "courtesy"... must be something like common sense... many folks come up short