Research reveals slow left lane drivers are spiking accident rates

[jeffandnicole]

- Enforcing no passing on the right, and telling people to patiently wait behind the left lane hog for him to wake up and move over

Because in this scenario, a guy could be going 50 mph for literally hundreds of miles (until he needs to stop for gas or exits the highway), and there would be no legal way to pass him.  Even just a mile can cause a significant backup during a busy travel period.

As noted, many states don't prohibit passing on the right as long as you're in a legal travel lane.  It's a misunderstanding that has taken off over the years, as people misinterpret the Keep Right Pass Left laws.

[Max Rockatansky]

Off the top of my head the only state where I ever even saw a sign that said "keep right except to pass" was Michigan.  I remember I-96 between Lansing and Farmington had a ton of them in the four-lane sections and they all looked pretty old.  I found this old article on Jalopnik from 2010...I'm sure it's changed by now but still an interesting map:

http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map

[Pete from Boston]

I'm clearly illustrating that this is mostly a circular argument all around, but it's at least once a week as I try to get out of a left lane in which I'm not going fast enough for somebody, I change lanes to the right and said person is already racing around me on the right.  Horn blast from them ensues etc., etc.

There is a general behavior problem that extends way beyond these specific acts and reflects a general low concern for driving with any regard to others that comes with a very low level of taking personal responsibility.

Yes, unfortunately to many people fail to do things as simple as checking mirrors and looking around the shoulder before changing lanes...

The situation I'm describing is one where someone aggressively tailgates in the left lane and then quickly, generally without a signal, races to the right around the slower driver. 

There's no blame to be shared there.

[kalvado]

The situation I'm describing is one where someone aggressively tailgates in the left lane and then quickly, generally without a signal, races to the right around the slower driver. 

There's no blame to be shared there.

The way you describe the situation, blame falls squarely on you. Once you mention "horn sounds" - that means you did something that driver behind you didn't expect. Like moving to the right lane AFTER he started moving. Most likely you didn't show a  blinker to give that guy a heads up....
I know the situation you're talking about - and if you take it to the point when horn needs to come into play, there is little excuse for you.

[cpzilliacus]

This problem is at its worst on 4 lane freeways and expressway-type roads that are severly congested.  One of the worst is I-95 across North Carolina, where "nestoring" in the left lane causes long queues of traffic, yet there is no enforcement.

[kalvado]

This problem is at its worst on 4 lane freeways and expressway-type roads that are severly congested.  One of the worst is I-95 across North Carolina, where "nestoring" in the left lane causes long queues of traffic, yet there is no enforcement.

If there is congestion, then problem may be with too much traffic rather than left lane drivers. In general, it is accepted that the speed goes down as traffic increases...

[SidS1045]

You may pass on the right:
[ ... ]
    When you are on a two-way road that is marked for two or more lanes or is wide enough for two or more lanes, and passing is not prohibited by signs or restricted by parked cars or other obstructions.

So passing on the right on a freeway is not just unenforceable, it is fully legal in NYS - I still have to see any signs restricting passing on the right.

The operative word is "may," and that cited rule is only half of the issue.  What you missed is the "must."  AFAIK NY still has a law which states that a driver MUST yield the passing lane to faster traffic as soon as it is safe to do so.

That is also the law in Massachusetts.

[signalman]

This problem is at its worst on 4 lane freeways and expressway-type roads that are severly congested.  One of the worst is I-95 across North Carolina, where "nestoring" in the left lane causes long queues of traffic, yet there is no enforcement.

If there is congestion, then problem may be with too much traffic rather than left lane drivers. In general, it is accepted that the speed goes down as traffic increases...

True.  But the left lane camping could be what's causing a lot of this congestion.

[jeffandnicole]

This problem is at its worst on 4 lane freeways and expressway-type roads that are severly congested.  One of the worst is I-95 across North Carolina, where "nestoring" in the left lane causes long queues of traffic, yet there is no enforcement.

If there is congestion, then problem may be with too much traffic rather than left lane drivers. In general, it is accepted that the speed goes down as traffic increases...

You can easily get the same thing on a 3 lane highway as well.

If there's a large gap in front of the nesting left lane driver, it's not heavy traffic.  It's a LLD.

[SP Cook]

True.  But the left lane camping could be what's causing a lot of this congestion.

Obviously.  LL banditry is a form of selfishness.  It is really simple math.  Every road has a basic capacity.  So many cars may physically occupy a physical location in a period of time.  If you are driving appropriatly, you are clearing space for other to use.  Sharing.  Being a good person.

But, when someone practices LL banditry, they are using not just the space their car is physically occupying at any one instant but also all of the space in front of them all the way to the next car.  Sometime miles of space.  Think of that.  Being so self-centered and selfish as to us maybe a mile of space for your one car, when you can simple KEEP RIGHT and thus allow dozens of other cars to use the space you were using all by your self. 

Simple courtesy and common sense.  On the right, on the a** of the car in front of you, on a side road, saying home.  Common courtesy.

[kalvado]

You can easily get the same thing on a 3 lane highway as well.

If there's a large gap in front of the nesting left lane driver, it's not heavy traffic.  It's a LLD.

And there were some interesting experiments about "leader car" driving at lower constant speed, as opposed to tailgating car in the front with acceleration and slowing all the time. Highway throughput went up...

[tradephoric]

How about this scenario.  It's a 6-lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) and a driver is camped out in the middle lane because they don't want to deal with merging traffic at the on-ramps.  The middle-lane driver is going the speed limit but the flow of traffic is 5-10 mph faster.  Is it acceptable for a driver going the speed limit to camp out in the middle lane?

[jeffandnicole]

How about this scenario.  It's a 6-lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) and a driver is camped out in the middle lane because they don't want to deal with merging traffic at the on-ramps.  The middle-lane driver is going the speed limit but the flow of traffic is 5-10 mph faster.  Is it acceptable for a driver going the speed limit to camp out in the middle lane?

The law is Keep Right Except to Pass, not Keep Center Except to Pass.

[jeffandnicole]

Also, many states don't permit trucks in the left lane, so the center lane is their passing lane. 

[tradephoric]

How about this scenario.  It's a 6-lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) and a driver is camped out in the middle lane because they don't want to deal with merging traffic at the on-ramps.  The middle-lane driver is going the speed limit but the flow of traffic is 5-10 mph faster.  Is it acceptable for a driver going the speed limit to camp out in the middle lane?

The law is Keep Right Except to Pass, not Keep Center Except to Pass.

But 'Keep right laws' often don't apply to freeways with 3 lanes in the same direction.  Here's is Michigan's Vehicle Code:

257.634 Driving on right half of roadway; exceptions; driving on roadway having 2 or more lanes for travel in 1 direction; traveling on freeway having 3 or more lanes for travel in same direction; ordinance regulating same subject matter prohibited; violation as civil infraction.

Sec. 634.

(1) Upon each roadway of sufficient width, the driver of a vehicle shall drive the vehicle upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows:

(a) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing that movement.

(b) When the right half of a roadway is closed to traffic while under construction or repair or when an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the highway. A driver who is driving on the left half of a roadway under this subdivision shall yield the right-of-way to an oncoming vehicle traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the roadway.

(c) When a vehicle operated by a state agency or a local authority or an agent of a state agency or local authority is engaged in work on the roadway.

(d) Upon a roadway divided into 3 marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable on the roadway.

(2) Upon a roadway having 2 or more lanes for travel in 1 direction, the driver of a vehicle shall drive the vehicle in the extreme right-hand lane available for travel except as otherwise provided in this section. However, the driver of a vehicle may drive the vehicle in any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel when the lanes are occupied by vehicles moving in substantially continuous lanes of traffic and in any left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel for a reasonable distance before making a left turn.

(3) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a vehicle traveling in the appropriate direction from traveling in any lane of a freeway having 3 or more lanes for travel in the same direction. However, a city, village, township, or county may not enact an ordinance which regulates the same subject matter as any provision of this subsection. The driver of a truck with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds, a truck tractor, or a combination of a vehicle and trailer or semitrailer shall drive the vehicle or combination of vehicles only in either of the 2 lanes farthest to the right, except for a reasonable distance when making a left turn or where a special hazard exists that requires the use of an alternative lane for safety reasons.

(4) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.

[tradephoric]

On occasion you may be driving in the middle lane next to someone in the right lane driving a similar speed as you.  If the driver in the right lane is approaching slower traffic it's common courtesy to move over to the left-most lane to prevent that right lane driver from having to brake to avoid slower traffic.

[RobbieL2415]

How about this scenario.  It's a 6-lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) and a driver is camped out in the middle lane because they don't want to deal with merging traffic at the on-ramps.  The middle-lane driver is going the speed limit but the flow of traffic is 5-10 mph faster.  Is it acceptable for a driver going the speed limit to camp out in the middle lane?

The law is Keep Right Except to Pass, not Keep Center Except to Pass.

But 'Keep right laws' often don't apply to freeways with 3 lanes in the same direction.  Here's is Michigan's Vehicle Code:

257.634 Driving on right half of roadway; exceptions; driving on roadway having 2 or more lanes for travel in 1 direction; traveling on freeway having 3 or more lanes for travel in same direction; ordinance regulating same subject matter prohibited; violation as civil infraction.

Sec. 634.

(1) Upon each roadway of sufficient width, the driver of a vehicle shall drive the vehicle upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows:

(a) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing that movement.

(b) When the right half of a roadway is closed to traffic while under construction or repair or when an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the highway. A driver who is driving on the left half of a roadway under this subdivision shall yield the right-of-way to an oncoming vehicle traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the roadway.

(c) When a vehicle operated by a state agency or a local authority or an agent of a state agency or local authority is engaged in work on the roadway.

(d) Upon a roadway divided into 3 marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable on the roadway.

(2) Upon a roadway having 2 or more lanes for travel in 1 direction, the driver of a vehicle shall drive the vehicle in the extreme right-hand lane available for travel except as otherwise provided in this section. However, the driver of a vehicle may drive the vehicle in any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel when the lanes are occupied by vehicles moving in substantially continuous lanes of traffic and in any left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel for a reasonable distance before making a left turn.

(3) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a vehicle traveling in the appropriate direction from traveling in any lane of a freeway having 3 or more lanes for travel in the same direction. However, a city, village, township, or county may not enact an ordinance which regulates the same subject matter as any provision of this subsection. The driver of a truck with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds, a truck tractor, or a combination of a vehicle and trailer or semitrailer shall drive the vehicle or combination of vehicles only in either of the 2 lanes farthest to the right, except for a reasonable distance when making a left turn or where a special hazard exists that requires the use of an alternative lane for safety reasons.

(4) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.

This is also the law in CT.   There is no legal obligation to keep right on any highway with 3+ lanes unless you are a truck or are clearly not moving with the flow of traffic.

[Pete from Boston]

The situation I'm describing is one where someone aggressively tailgates in the left lane and then quickly, generally without a signal, races to the right around the slower driver. 

There's no blame to be shared there.

The way you describe the situation, blame falls squarely on you. Once you mention "horn sounds" - that means you did something that driver behind you didn't expect. Like moving to the right lane AFTER he started moving. Most likely you didn't show a  blinker to give that guy a heads up....
I know the situation you're talking about - and if you take it to the point when horn needs to come into play, there is little excuse for you.

No, aggressive driver, it doesn't.  I don't force people to rapidly and aggressively change lanes without a signal and pass on the right well above the speed limit on a four-lane street without allowing the "offending" driver the chance to move.  Bad upbringing and/or mental illness does.

[bzakharin]

NJ laws actually explicitly say that none of the "keep right except to pass" laws should be construed to prohibit passing on the right as long as you are not breaking other laws such as speed limits

[jeffandnicole]

(2) Upon a roadway having 2 or more lanes for travel in 1 direction, the driver of a vehicle shall drive the vehicle in the extreme right-hand lane available for travel except as otherwise provided in this section. However, the driver of a vehicle may drive the vehicle in any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel when the lanes are occupied by vehicles moving in substantially continuous lanes of traffic and in any left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction of travel for a reasonable distance before making a left turn.

(3) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a vehicle traveling in the appropriate direction from traveling in any lane of a freeway having 3 or more lanes for travel in the same direction. However, a city, village, township, or county may not enact an ordinance which regulates the same subject matter as any provision of this subsection. The driver of a truck with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds, a truck tractor, or a combination of a vehicle and trailer or semitrailer shall drive the vehicle or combination of vehicles only in either of the 2 lanes farthest to the right, except for a reasonable distance when making a left turn or where a special hazard exists that requires the use of an alternative lane for safety reasons.

You didn't highlight the proper line.  What you highlighted is saying that vehicles are permitted to drive any lane of the roadway.  Of course that's true...imagine if they built a 3 lane roadway, and said that vehicles are never permitted to use the left lane.  What you really meant to highlight is (2), and it clearly says drivers should drive in the right-most lane available when able to do so.

On occasion you may be driving in the middle lane next to someone in the right lane driving a similar speed as you.  If the driver in the right lane is approaching slower traffic it's common courtesy to move over to the left-most lane to prevent that right lane driver from having to brake to avoid slower traffic.

You can't predict what that other person may do.  Maybe they're going to stay in that lane for an upcoming exit. In reality, it's common courtesy not to be driving the same speed as the car next to you in the first place because if they need to make a sudden movement, you're blocking them.  Besides...how did they get to drive the same speed in the first place?  One obviously had to be driving slower or faster than the other until they were side by side.   Personally, if someone is next to me for any period of time, I'll speed up or slow down on my own just so they're not right beside me.

[bzakharin]

On occasion you may be driving in the middle lane next to someone in the right lane driving a similar speed as you.  If the driver in the right lane is approaching slower traffic it's common courtesy to move over to the left-most lane to prevent that right lane driver from having to brake to avoid slower traffic.

You can't predict what that other person may do.  Maybe they're going to stay in that lane for an upcoming exit. In reality, it's common courtesy not to be driving the same speed as the car next to you in the first place because if they need to make a sudden movement, you're blocking them.  Besides...how did they get to drive the same speed in the first place?  One obviously had to be driving slower or faster than the other until they were side by side.   Personally, if someone is next to me for any period of time, I'll speed up or slow down on my own just so they're not right beside me.

There are plenty of ways to end up driving the same speed as someone next to you. One of you may have entered the highway and accelerated to the same speed as the other was already going. One of you may have hit slower traffic ahead and slowed down to the speed of the other. Maybe you're not on a freeway and are both speeding up from a traffic signal.

Personally, if I'm in a situation tradephoric describes, I would speed up rather than switch lanes unless I feel it wouldn't be safe to do so. In general, though, I would not avoid such a situation absent other traffic.

[kkt]

Nothing enrages me more on the road than some clown camping in the left lane.

Nothing, really?  Drunk or sleepy driving, texting, running red lights, cutting in, stopping instead of merging at speed onto a freeway, none of those are as bad as left lane camping?

I don't like left lane camping either, but try to have some perspective.  It's annoying but not actually dangerous unless you change lanes unsafely going around them.

[tradephoric]

You can't predict what that other person may do.  Maybe they're going to stay in that lane for an upcoming exit. In reality, it's common courtesy not to be driving the same speed as the car next to you in the first place because if they need to make a sudden movement, you're blocking them.  Besides...how did they get to drive the same speed in the first place?  One obviously had to be driving slower or faster than the other until they were side by side.   Personally, if someone is next to me for any period of time, I'll speed up or slow down on my own just so they're not right beside me.

People in the right lane will speed up as i pass them and start driving next to me.  Women want to check me out and men want to check out my sweet ride.  So every person i pass wants to drive next to me jeffandnicole.  It's a tough life.

[Roadrunner75]

Nothing enrages me more on the road than some clown camping in the left lane.

Nothing, really?  Drunk or sleepy driving, texting, running red lights, cutting in, stopping instead of merging at speed onto a freeway, none of those are as bad as left lane camping?

I don't like left lane camping either, but try to have some perspective.  It's annoying but not actually dangerous unless you change lanes unsafely going around them.

Nope.  It's the left lane campers.

[jwolfer]

You can't predict what that other person may do.  Maybe they're going to stay in that lane for an upcoming exit. In reality, it's common courtesy not to be driving the same speed as the car next to you in the first place because if they need to make a sudden movement, you're blocking them.  Besides...how did they get to drive the same speed in the first place?  One obviously had to be driving slower or faster than the other until they were side by side.   Personally, if someone is next to me for any period of time, I'll speed up or slow down on my own just so they're not right beside me.

People in the right lane will speed up as i pass them and start driving next to me.  Women want to check me out and men want to check out my sweet ride.  So every person i pass wants to drive next to me jeffandnicole.  It's a tough life.

Some of the guys may be checking you out LOL
Or chick liking your ride