Why you shouldn’t drive slowly in the left lane

[Paul_Heery]

I know that we have had many posts on this topic. It is one of my pet peeves. People in the US are ignorant regarding how to drive. They read a pamphlet on driving, maybe take some behind the wheel lessons but all really basic stuff. All with the goal of learning just enough to pass a test. I know that my high school was unique, but back then everyone was required to take Driver's Ed for 3 years starting in freshman year. The first 2 years were classroom only. Then, in junior year once you got your learner's permit you were able to get behind the wheel. That's now I learned. It has ingrained a lot of things in me, including proper etiquette on the road Now get off my lawn!

Left lane driving annoys me most of all. But, I found this video below that clearly describes why people should not do it, it increases the danger for everyone on the road.

[tevake]

I came up on a group of five cars the other day, all cruising along slowly in the left lane.
I paused for a bit to see what they were up to. Just driving happily along, clear right lane, no issues, just driving all along together below the speed limit in the left lane.

Cheers Richard

[Aurel]

If cars are passing you on right, that is a sure sign you should be on the right. People should get out of their little world and get the clues around them.

[Norm K]

I haven't been on the Autobahn in a few years but unless something has changed, the video left out an important point. It suggests that the Autobhan"s lower accident rate is due to German drivers being smart enough to stay in the right lane when traveling slower than the flow of traffic. I'd suggest, on the other hand, that it has far more to do with the strictly enforced "No passing on the right" laws, which compels law abiding drivers to simply keep their place in line until the offending slowpoke moves over ... if ever. This cuts down on speed-varying lane changes which, as the video cites, are the primary reason for crashes.

So it appears that left-lane patience (something I frequently don't display as much as I probably could/should), more than anything else, is what the Germans have determined is most important in terms of preventing crashes.

_

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Our society is not interested in safer roads, it's interested in handing out licenses to encourage people to pay lots of money to government agencies and big political campaign contributors like automakers, dealers, insurance companies and banks. "Enforcement" isn't about safety either - it's about the law enforcement industry justifying its own existence and of course, revenue.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

^^^

So even highway nannies driving like grannies in the left lanes is some kind of governmental conspiracy? Whoda' thunk it!

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heery

People in the US are ignorant regarding how to drive.

No, they are selfish and inconsiderate.

I guess some small percentage can be attributed to ignorance, but in large:
"I was here first."
"I paid for the road and I'll drive in whichever lane I want."
"Screw you, I'm busy texting/faxing/masterbating."
"If you don't like my speed, go around."

[Vipergrün]

IMHO, everyone holding a license should be required to take a high performance driving school.

My typical drive includes going up/down the Conejo grade. Oh boy.

95% of the people on the road cannot seem to navigate a hill, rise, dip, curve, turn, etc, in the freeway without slowing down, tapping their brakes, etc.

I have been using the right lane more and more, the left lane is clogged with Prius driving, entitled idiots who go 55 mph up the grade and are completely oblivious to the fact.

My other pet peeve are buses, box trucks, gardening trucks, RV's, etc clogging the fast and/or carpool lane. Just because there are two more more people in the vehicle does not mean they should be driving there. EoR

[BE911SC]

As alluded to above, Americans are a competitive culture and we will not yield. We will drive any way we wish, even sit in the left lane and hold up faster traffic, and we'll get mad at the cop who pulls us over. Traffic circles in the U.S. come to mind. People race into them at speed because they are not going to yield. I call them Stukas. In Europe they also tend to do that but not because they are a-holes, but because they all know how traffic circles work and they're not trying to piss each other off intentionally.

Driving on I-5 between Tacoma and Seattle yesterday I watched a truck clot (more than four big-rigs bunched together) occupy all four lanes of the freeway. There were as many as eight of them, all jockeying to get around one another, and they had all four lanes blocked. HOV lane was being used by SOVs just to get around the clot. Never used to see trucks in the #3 lane, let alone all four. (Aggressive driving is way up in the Seattle area too but that's a whole other rant.)

I do enjoy my Europe trips. Drive over there and you may not want to come home.

[atcjorg]

the driving test should have some MUST get correct questions, like a full and thorough test section on right of way, and police that actually enforce it, and for all the a holes that see a turn signal to change lanes and close up the gap instead of opening up I hope that guy in the suburban you tried to block just starts moving over lol rant over carry on

[Dansvan]

My people! Lol.

I want a sign on the back of my car that says "If you're being passed on the right you're in the wrong lane!

[pwd72s]

A friend of mine called them "slug patrol" members...he's convinced they have a communications network. When one comes to his exit, he communicates with another slug patrol member who will then assume the duty of clogging traffic.

Considering this, I decided he was spot on, so I adopted the phrase.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

^^^

So even highway nannies driving like grannies in the left lanes is some kind of governmental conspiracy? Whoda' thunk it!

Not a conspiracy, just an unintended consequence of giving out licenses to anyone who can fog a mirror. In Europe you actually have to demonstrate some driving skill to get a license and they (unlike us) don't really have any qualms about yanking someone's ticket or not issuing them one. Here if the DMV ever actually failed someone they'd likely be sued for discrimination or whatever and probably would lose. It's a joke.

[herr_oberst]

The American public in general gets little to no formal education on proper driving technique, , sex or finances.

I have a theory that our highway system could probably be pretty efficient if used properly.

One proposal from some magazine years ago would give skill ratings to drivers. Only the highest rated drivers could use certain roads at certain speeds. (Of course, all of us here would be amongst the highest rated drivers!)

[legion]

Originally Posted by Aurel

If cars are passing you on right, that is a sure sign you should be on the right. People should get out of their little world and get the clues around them.

Not always true, but often true.

As an example, I was passing a semi last weekend. I was doing 78 mph. The semi was doing 70 mph. As I was executing the pass, a pickup truck closed on me doing 95 mph+. I was taught to not return to the right lane until you can see both headlights in the rearview mirror--to avoid cutting off the vehicle you passed, potentially forcing them to brake. In the case of a semi, this is also to ensure that the semi can see you. The pickup truck behind me decided to attempt to pass me on the right before I had moved over.

I drive on the right, pass on the left.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

The American public in general gets little to no formal education on proper driving technique, sex or finances.

Hey, now!! I'm ok at two out of three!

[speeder]

Originally Posted by atcjorg

the driving test should have some MUST get correct questions, like a full and thorough test section on right of way, and police that actually enforce it, and for all the a holes that see a turn signal to change lanes and close up the gap instead of opening up I hope that guy in the suburban you tried to block just starts moving over lol rant over carry on

Surprisingly enough, Los Angeles has much better and more considerate drivers on average than other places in the USA. I've driven in most states and in some, between the drivers and the road surfaces, driving is a hugely unpleasant experience.

Here in MInneapolis, driving is not too bad w the exception of lane merging etiquette. People simply will not extend the courtesy of letting you in front of them. When I do it here, (such as allowing someone exiting a business trying to enter traffic), they look at me like I have 3 heads before thanking me profusely and jumping in.

Alternately, when I have my turn signal on to change lanes, (often into an exit lane), and a car tries to speed up to "close the gap", I simply turn into them. The sound of tires screeching and rims hitting curbs is like music to my ears. If someone wants to turn driving into a football game and run a blocking pattern, I'm in! I love sports!

[atcjorg]

Originally Posted by speeder

Surprisingly enough, Los Angeles has much better and more considerate drivers on average than other places in the USA. I've driven in most states and in some, between the drivers and the road surfaces, driving is a hugely unpleasant experience.

Here in MInneapolis, driving is not too bad w the exception of lane merging etiquette. People simply will not extend the courtesy of letting you in front of them. When I do it here, (such as allowing someone exiting a business trying to enter traffic), they look at me like I have 3 heads before thanking me profusely and jumping in.

Alternately, when I have my turn signal on to change lanes, (often into an exit lane), and a car tries to speed up to "close the gap", I simply turn into them. The sound of tires screeching and rims hitting curbs is like music to my ears. If someone wants to turn driving into a football game and run a blocking pattern, I'm in! I love sports!

I will agree with you drivers in LA are more considerate I grew up there when schools had drivers ed and driver training classes, sorely missed now. our favorite running joke between the wife and I when we see poor driving we say " a move like that will get ya shot in LA"

[speeder]

People in L.A. truly do not mind if you pass them anywhere, as long as it's a smooth move. It's like there is an almost universal respect for driving skill and those w/o it just back-off and watch.

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by speeder

People in L.A. truly do not mind if you pass them anywhere, as long as it's a smooth move. It's like there is an almost universal respect for driving skill and those w/o it just back-off and watch.

Reminds me of my first driving trip to L.A. in 1986 with my college GF who was from there. Everyone doing 75, close together, but cooperating. Big change from the SF Bay Area.