Social Question

jca2's avatar

On a multi-lane highway, do you feel the cars in the left lane should move to the right if someone is behind them looking to pass, or should they stay and go whatever speed they'd like?

Asked by jca2 (16732points) September 5th, 2019

I take a commuter highway to work every day, and there are several Facebook groups about it, indicating road conditions, issues, and often complaining about other drivers.

The speed limit on the highway is 65.

Often, people are complaining about cars in the left lane who refuse to move over if people behind them are looking to pass (looking to go faster). When the slow cars refuse to move, traffic gets backed up due to the other two lanes moving slowly, and so people get stuck behind the slow guy in the left lane.

What is your opinion on this? Should the slow people in the left lane move over or should they remain and go the speed they’d like?

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50 Answers

KNOWITALL's avatar

Yes, people on the left should be passing other cars in the Right lanes, or move to the Right slow lanes.

I love to drive fast and when you get behind someone in a second or third lane doing 60–65 mph, it causes accidents, traffic backing up, etc….

In Missouri, you can be ticketed for using the second and third lanes to go the speed limit.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

Out here there are signs on those highways stating keep right except to pass ,but again you have car drivers hanging out in the passing lane like they own it type thing.
Those same drivers will give us truckers the finger if we in their view stay 2 seconds to long in the left lane when we pass a slow driver.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@SQUEEKY2 Here it’s old people and people talking on cell phones, always in the middle lane going under speed limit. They simply want to drive and not worry about who’s coming on the highway to merge, so they screw everyone else from sheer laziness. Ugh.

I am passionate about my driving…lol, sorry.

raum's avatar

On a multi-lane highway, if they are maintaining the correct speed for the lane (faster than the lane to the right and slower than the lane to the left), they have a right to remain at their speed in that lane.

But if there are only two lanes and if it’s safe to do so, the slower driver should move to the right lane to allow a faster car to pass.

IMO

wiscoblond's avatar

It is the law in some states and just common sense in the rest that the left lane is for passing only.

MrGrimm888's avatar

IMO. Every driver, has a responsibility to keep things moving as efficiently as possible. If there is more than one lane, slower drivers should stick to the right lane. Even if your already speeding , and a car comes up behind you wanting to go faster, just get over to the farther right lane, until they pass. Then get back into the left lane, and continue your previous speed. Don’t be an ASSHOLE, and just block others. The right lane is for the slowest traffic.

Dutchess_III's avatar

They should stay completely out of the left lane except to pass. As soon as they pass a car, get back into the right lane.

YARNLADY's avatar

I always try to stay to the left because I am a “slow” (speed limit) driver. I don’t get why there is even a speed limit if most drivers ignore it anyway.

raum's avatar

Do you mean that you try to stay to the right?

YARNLADY's avatar

YES, I really blew that, didn’t I.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I’m a bit dyslexic in my mind too when it comes to left and right and north, south, east and west.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@YARNLADY Speed of traffic. You try that 60mph here and you’ll get ran over or horns blowing at you, etc… Our lowest hwy speed is 65, Interstate is about 80mph.

jca2's avatar

Here with the 65 mph speed limit, if you’re going 80 in the left lane, that’s appropriate. If you do 70, people may cut you off from the right. They may also post about you on the FB groups.

There’s one person on one of the FB groups who will say “if you’re doing the speed limit, you should remain in the left lane” and then everyone tells him off LOL.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Even if you ARE doing 80 you still move back to the right after you’ve passed the last car.
Hell, you could be going 65 and the car in front of you is only doing 60. You move to the left lane to pass him, then move back.
There is only one purpose for that lane and it is NEVER to cruise in.

kritiper's avatar

It is a known safety fact that cars should maintain whatever speed they are doing. If everybody started speeding up and/or slowing down to accommodate all other cars on the road, all sorts of accidents would occur. Best to keep your eyes and mind on what is in front of you instead of worrying about what’s going on behind you.

MrGrimm888's avatar

Or. Just stay in the right lane, where the sheep belong…

KNOWITALL's avatar

@MrGrimm Preach, get out of the way!

MrGrimm888's avatar

Of you can’t get out of the way. Get the Hell off the road. If you want to spend your life in your car, sit in it, in your driveway. Stop.robbing us of the only thing that we can never get back. Time…

SQUEEKY2's avatar

I like it,people kill themselves just to get in front of me to then slow down and proceed 10 to 15kph slower than I was driving.

gondwanalon's avatar

If I’m in the left lane traveling faster than the speed limit and another car is on my butt then I’m getting out of his way ASAP. Move to the right lane if possible or speed up. Tailgating can be deadly.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@SQUEEKY If your rig is diesel, it stinks behind you. Plus ya’ll shed tires and flip rocks at our windshields, I appreciate you but its true, dont want to race you though lol.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

@KNOWITALL I have no problem with people wanting to pass, heaven forbid I slow you down but do so when it’s safe and here is the big one GO AWAY!!! DO NOT PARK YOUR ASS in front of us going slower than we were driving, just makes us want to squash you like a bug.
Newer transports don’t stink like the older ones I do know what your getting at.
Others bitch that they can’t see that well with us in front of them,like I said by all means pass,when it is safe, but do go away!!
As for shedding tires,you are right but then why do we get idiots at our drive tires for miles on the freeway?
I have had a recap blow on the highway and if a car was beside me at that moment it would have taken their roof clean off ,but still ya get idiots that will sit there for miles.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@SQUEEKY My FIL retired from Roadway and neighbor owned big gravel haulers, I love em!

We dare to ride your ass and catch your air buddy, its fun and we get knocked around behind you further back. Its risky, true.

anniereborn's avatar

I hate the people that just speed in the left lane, but are not doing it to pass anyone. So if someone tries to use that lane to pass, they have to contend with those asses.

jca2's avatar

What is really annoying is when someone is going 70 in the left lane, and not moving out of the way, so I go in the middle lane to pass them on their right and then they speed up. I’ll go up to 95 just to pass them if I have to, and then when I do, they slow down back to 70.

wiscoblond's avatar

Hey, @Squeeky, why do some truckers work in tandem and ride next to each other and not let anyone pass? Most times one is passing the other but sometimes the driver in the passing lane takes his sweet time. What’s up with that?

SQUEEKY2's avatar

Most Transport trucks are speed governed, so a truck taking over another might only have a few mph to do it with.
Another that drives car drivers mad is passing on hills, it might be the only place we get the chance to pass a slower truck,that has a passing lane and at least when I go to do it I look for car traffic behind me lots of times there is none but half way through the pass 2 or 3 show up and get mad when we can’t pass like sports cars.

Zaku's avatar

I think the description of the situation is not enough to render one answer. Sometimes yes, sometimes no, depending on all the other factors involved.

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

In my state you can get a ticket for cruising in the left lane. The left lane is for passing.

jca2's avatar

When I’m driving to work, and someone hangs out in the left lane and I pass them on the right, I always take a look at them. To me they either look entitled, or they look like zombies, clueless.

Call_Me_Jay's avatar

@gondwanalon If I’m in the left lane traveling faster than the speed limit and another car is on my butt then I’m getting out of his way ASAP.

That’s the way to do it. The smart thing to do is let the bad drivers get far away. It may feel as if we’re rewarding bad behavior, but emotions have no place behind the wheel.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Well said @Call_Me_Jay. Let them get far, far away. I keep my distance between myself and the cars in front of me. It’s a good gap and allows people to move in and out of my lane with ease.

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

If you’re intje fast lane and someone is on your butt to get out of the way….you’re um….doing it wrong.

Dutchess_III's avatar

What do you mean? If I’m in the middle of passing some cars and someone gets up on my tail I’ll move over at the first opportunity and put my passing on hold. Then when tailgater goes on by I move back into the fast lane to finish passing.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@ARE_you_kidding_me Ohhhh, you’re being tongue in cheek right?!
If I’m going 10mph over the speed limit and some hot dog wants to go 30mph over the limit, I’ll gladly watch him get a ticket….lol

gorillapaws's avatar

Yes they should move over.

Also if you’re going fast in the left lane and a slower car is in front of you, passing an even slower car, don’t tailgate. If they’re passing, then let them pass at a speed they feel comfortable driving. Tailgating is a recipe for an accident. Speeding significantly faster than the flow of traffic is too. Be safe, and drive courteously.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Thank you @gorillapaws! Back off of trying to push people to go the speed YOU want them to go! Give them space and just chill.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@gorillapaws What if you get behind them flashing your headlights and swerving to get their attention because they won’t move? lol I have a few friends with very fast cars that are menaces on the highways, I won’t even ride with them anymore after their antics.

Dutchess_III's avatar

When I was younger and more impatient I’ve been known to flash my brights at people to move the hell over….and they do. I don’t understand why they needed someone to tell them to do that.

JLeslie's avatar

On an interstate or significant rural highway, of course the people in the left lane should move over if a car behind them is coming up fast.

I’m a big believer in flashing brights to signal the car ahead IF they aren’t getting over when they had a chance. If the traffic is heavy, and they can’t get over then you just have to be patient. No tailgating!

Where I live the two main roads north and south are 35mph and people complain on Facebook that the left lane is for passing. Lol. In FL even on lesser roads than interstates there is an expectation that the right lane is for slower traffic, but these people are being ridiculous. We have roundabouts every .5 to 1 mile that require you to slow to 20 mph, sometimes you have to stop.

Dutchess_III's avatar

On an interstate or significant rural highway, of course the people in the left lane should move over if a car behind them is coming up fast.” They shouldn’t be over there in the first place if they aren’t passing.

JLeslie's avatar

@Dutchess_III They might be passing. They can be passing and still someone faster might be coming up behind. This happens to me al the time on the Florida turnpike. Some people like to go 90+ on there, and it is just two lanes traveling in one direction, so I can be driving 75 passing people on the right going 65–70, and still someone can come up on me fast.

Sometimes people ride the left lane to not deal with people entering and exiting, but they aren’t going extremely fast, and every so often someone faster comes up behind them.

Whether someone rides the left can depend on a lot of factors, including how busy the road is, how many lanes there are to choose from, etc.

YARNLADY's avatar

I have found the “fast” lanes are often smoother, with fewer humps and bumps to experience. This makes them more desirable to use.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Don’t use it unless you’re passing @YARNLADY.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

@YARNLADY In several states in New England and New Jersey it is a ticket-able infraction with points against your license and fines hogging left lane!

Dutchess_III's avatar

I had a boyfriend once who drove in the left lane. He justified it by saying “There is no one else in that lane!!”
Do you feel justified cruising in the left lane @YARNLADY?

JLeslie's avatar

If no one is in the left, and she wants to risk the ticket, as long as she isn’t blocking anyone it isn’t some great tragedy that she’s in the left. Assuming she’s going at least the speed limit, and assuming she gets over to the right when someone is coming up behind.

YARNLADY's avatar

When I do use the left lane on long trips, I always move over when I see any other cars, but there are often long stretches with zero traffic.

Sagacious's avatar

My state has a road rage law, which says if you are on an expressway or interstate you may only get into the left to pass and then must move back into the right. The fines are high. The law is somewhat new and I’m not really affected because I rarely drive on limited access road. I prefer a four-lane U.S. highway. You get scenery and usually polite drivers. I don’t mind having slow down going through the small towns. This is how to see America. It’s not out on the interstate.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@YARNLADY the amount of traffic should not be the determining factor in whether or not you move back to the right.

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