Quote:
Originally Posted by AzNMpower32
I tend to merge later and use the lane to near its full extent. After all, thats why the engineers built the extra pavement in the first place. It's particularly helpful in NC where there are three painted arrows indicating the end of an acceleration lane onto the freeway, so I tend to use that to the best extent possible.
(In VA and SC it's anyone's guess when the lane ends......)
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This actually brings up an arcane and hypertechnical issue about laws and highway engineering and signage ....
Published National standards state that 'lanes' are defined by lines on the roadway...and that signs, such as 'do not pass' are intended to 'reinfrce' the restriction on passing .... But many lazy highway construction places 'do not pass' signs well before the lanes end. And police will write tickets for failing to obey the sign, even though the road marking allows passing, people are cited, and found guilty of failing to obey an 'illegal' sign.
The sign must be placed AT the point that the passing lane ends, which IS where passing is prohibited.
(note- this is based on the federal MUTCD, which most states adopted, with some modifications...)
And yes, I did beat the ticket.
