Stuck behind a Leaf in HOV lane

My morning's commute was behind a brand-new Leaf driving 50 to 55mph in the HOV lane, leading a long line of frustrated nose-to-bumper cars wishing they could be driving 65. No HOV lane stickers, or license plate on the Leaf.

Please don't be this person in your car. It gives electric vehicle drivers, and Leaf drivers in particular, a bad name.

DeaneG said:

Please don't be this person in your car. It gives electric vehicle drivers, and Leaf drivers in particular, a bad name.

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+1. At the very least drive at the legal limit (though other drivers will still want you to go faster). If you can't for whatever reason, then duck out of the lane entirely.

And don't use that lane at all until you're legally allowed to. :twisted:

DeaneG said:

My morning's commute was behind a brand-new Leaf driving 50 to 55mph in the HOV lane, leading a long line of frustrated nose-to-bumper cars wishing they could be driving 65. .

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And they were stuck behind TWO Leafs!

Did you get the license plate? :lol: [Edit: There wasn't one. Oh well.]

I dont take the tailgaters that seriously between the 710 and the 10. There is always a back up...go look on sigalert.com.

pretty much in LA HOV lanes, you cant do 65 or even 60, during commute hours.
Also, going 70 for three miles just gets you to the rear bumper of the inevitable slow down two minutes faster than if you drive 65 or even 60.


The tailgater behind me today was a lone driver in a mustang. we caught the cars in front in two miles.

Drivers like this, in any vehicle, make me want to perform the Pit Maneuver when the car pool lane is completely open ahead!!!

Out of curiosity, were there two people in the Leaf? If not, he would be subject to ticketing for that alone...

DeaneG said:

My morning's commute was behind a brand-new Leaf driving 50 to 55mph in the HOV lane, leading a long line of frustrated nose-to-bumper cars wishing they could be driving 65. No HOV lane stickers, or license plate on the Leaf. Please don't be this person in your car. It gives electric vehicle drivers, and Leaf drivers in particular, a bad name.

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While it is illegal on at least two counts and very inconvenient.... I worry more about drivers that actually cause a potential hazard such as tailgaters.

the other issue I have between the 710 and the 10 with going more than 65 or even 65, is it is dangerous. there are always dummies who jump the double yellow cause they cant stand the crawl in the regular lanes and cant wait for the access break.
I see that multiple times each trip.
I find going somewhat slower allows me a margin of safety.

I do get folks who on occasion pull around me, and I slow to let them back in, safely.

I do love the D drive for my jumping in and changing lanes when I am in a crawl and moving over to the left.
the old Leaf has some hop.

My understanding of California motor laws is that you are *required* to drive the speed limit if you are in any lane but the right most *and there is traffic behind you*. If you don't drive the limit and are holding up traffic, you can be ticketed.

I assume that applies to the HOV lane too - but have never seen that clarification to be certain.

Proof once again that EV drivers can be every bit as incompetent and inconsiderate as ICE drivers...

mwalsh said:

DeaneG said:

Please don't be this person in your car. It gives electric vehicle drivers, and Leaf drivers in particular, a bad name.

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+1. At the very least drive at the legal limit (though other drivers will still want you to go faster). If you can't for whatever reason, then duck out of the lane entirely.

And don't use that lane at all until you're legally allowed to. :twisted:

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As one of the slow eco drivers on this board, I wouldn't pull a stunt like this. It is just plain bad manners!

TomT said:

Proof once again that EV drivers can be every bit as incompetent and inconsiderate as ICE drivers...

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But certainly that doesn't apply to MLF'ers

Please, oh please don't let this old stereotype become the perception of the Leaf:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiWnLG-G6E

As funny as it is, it will become the norm if people keep encountering slow driving Leafs.

TomT said:

Proof once again that EV drivers can be every bit as incompetent and inconsiderate as ICE drivers...

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Correct, but that's life. The same person who will smile and gladly let you ahead in line at the grocery store is the same person that will fly through the parking lot at 30 mph and honk at everyone who is backing up just to get out ahead of everyone. :lol:

I cannot stand left lane campers, EV or ICE. If you're blocking the flow of traffic, move. If someone wants to go 90 mph and I'm in the left lane going 80 mph, I will gladly move over, even if it requires a momentary reduction in my speed.

LakeLeaf said:

TomT said:

Proof once again that EV drivers can be every bit as incompetent and inconsiderate as ICE drivers...

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But certainly that doesn't apply to MLF'ers

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woah, did you mean MNL'ers? MLF means..... :shock:

LakeLeaf said:

My understanding of California motor laws is that you are *required* to drive the speed limit if you are in any lane but the right most *and there is traffic behind you*. If you don't drive the limit and are holding up traffic, you can be ticketed.

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Not quite accurate - as long as you are passing traffic you don't have to be doing the speed limit - otherwise everyone in a traffic jam would be violating that law.

Simple rule of thumb that's posted all over the place, but is often ignored: Slower Traffic Keep Right!

When there is an HOV lane that is the left lane and you are in it, this means you should be moving slightly faster than the speed of traffic in the regular lanes. If that speed is over the limit, then you probably should move over to the regular traffic lanes.

drees said:

Slower Traffic Keep Right

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Yup. This is the rule no matter what you are driving. HOV is at least the posted speed. Bottom line: If you are THAT worried about your range needs, there are a lot of other cars to choose from.

TRONZ said:

... HOV is at least the posted speed...

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Can't agree. Technically, exceeding the speed limit is NEVER acceptable. If you are impeding traffic, you need to move right, but "at least the speed limit" makes no sense.

Flow of traffic is a defense when exceeding th eposted speed limit. You can still be cited, but flow of traffic is defined in the CA Vehicle code, and if memory serves it is 5 vehicles all doing the same speed, and that speed is safe for road conditions.

In the OP, the driver up front slowing traffic is required to allow others to pass (By pulling over and stopping off the road if need be) when 5 cars (3 in some states) have caught up. Failing to do so when safe, would be citable for impeding the flow of traffic, and perhaps failure to yield the right of way, even if the posted speed was being exceeded, which is often the case in the HOV lanes.

If you don't want to drive those speeds, don't get in those lanes, or get out when required for safety. Causing traffic to slow from 70+ to 50 is a danger, and will get you cited, hov stickers or not.