While driving in the right lane may seem like the place where most drivers happen to be, if you think you’re going to cruise along at or below the speed limit in the left lane and not bother anyone, you’re sadly mistaken. The reality is you are getting in the way of many other drivers on the road when you spend your time in this lane driving at speeds that are lower than others plan to drive on the road. This can seriously get on the nerves of other drivers when you’re on a road trip.
As this short video from Vox explains, not only is it frustrating to take a drive on a highway and get stuck behind someone who is sitting in the left lane driving too slowly but it causes others on the road to perform illegal actions. The left lane is typically reserved for passing only and should be used for this action. Which means, once you’ve passed someone that’s in the right lane you need to get back over to the right in order to put yourself where you need to be on the road. By using the left lane only for passing those who are going slower on the right you allow the left lane to be reserved for the faster drivers, which is important for safety on the road.
There have been studies conducted that have found that cars driving faster are less likely to cause an accident on the highway than those that are driving slower. In nearly every state there is some form of a law that restricts travelling to the right lane and allows for passing actions to be the only driving that should take place in the left lane. In some states law enforcement officers have even begun to crack down on those who use the left lane for travel and not just for passing.
One of the biggest factors to keeping everyone safe is variance. If you can travel at the same speed for many miles at a time you’re more likely to stay safe than if you change lanes and change the speed at which you drive on a regular basis. For this reason many states have begun to enforce the signs that we tend to ignore which read “Keep Right Except to Pass” making it illegal for us to use the left lane for anything but passing.
Don’t be a driver that gets on the nerves of everyone else. Use the left lane for the passing actions that need to be done and not as a place you sit and drive for the entire ride of your journey. When you use the lanes properly on the highway you can enjoy knowing you’re going to stay safe and help others be safer as well. Besides, the right lane is where you’ll find the easiest cruising speed and be able to exit safely when you need to. Make the right lane your lane of choice and you’ll avoid tickets while increasing your safety and the safety of those around you.
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