Letter: Straight talk on the rules of the road

Monday, April 17, 2006 | 7:26 a.m.

Ah, the secret as to why our roads are so dangerous comes out in Joseph Contini's April 13 letter, "Common sense approach to driving," in which he makes several wrong statements.

1. The left lane is not, and has never been, a fast lane. It is called a passing lane and if you're not passing, you shouldn't be in it.

2. Mr. Contini also writes: "When driving, you should not go 10 miles over or under the posted speed limit." What's he doing, making up his own rules? There is never a situation where you're allowed to exceed the posted limit. There is also no law about the minimum speed you can drive, although I agree with him that if you're driving below the speed limit or the flow of traffic, you should be in the right lane.

3. He further writes: "If you choose to go over the stated limit, you should be on the left side; if going under you should be on the right and just the right amount in the middle! These are, in case you didn't know, the traffic laws in the city." I wonder where he read that in the traffic rules? I don't believe the statutes say anything about where you're supposed to drive if you're speeding.

4. His concept of speeding differs from the law, which says you are never permitted to exceed the posted speed limit. Mr. Contini feels you're not speeding unless you're going at least 10 miles over the limit.

Jack Oliver, Las Vegas