6 ms·

The law exists in the US, but nobody bothers to follow it from my experience driving there. People just seem to use the other lanes as more road.

by splike 10y ago

nrjdhsbsid 10y ago
It's pretty well followed on the highway in low traffic conditions. Trucks and such will stay right. During heavy traffic nobody gives a flying fuck though, and I've never heard of the law being enforced once if it wasn't a charge being tacked onto something else like reckless driving
- 6DM 10y ago
  On top of that, there will always be "sections" of the road where traffic reliably grinds to a halt. So people keep switching back and forth to avoid those areas.
seanmcdirmid 10y ago
The US does not have one set of traffic laws for all states.
- maxerickson 10y ago
  Most states follow the Uniform Vehicle Code on this issue http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-b... (and among those that don't 1/2 of them still have laws about obstructing traffic)
  - dsp1234 10y ago
    The issue mentioned in your linked article is different from what's mentioned up thread. The article deals with "what is the role of the very left lane". Upthread it's about using non-outer lanes (inner lanes) as the passing lane, which implies passing on the right. The UVC specifically allows passing on the right on a paved road with 2, or more, lanes (see 11-304(a)(2))
    - maxerickson 10y ago
      jstanley at the top of the thread is clearly talking about the same thing as my article, keeping right except when passing. You should only go into the outer lanes to overtake traffic, and then move back in once you've passed. It's not just the law, it's a good idea... That's not about passing on the right.
      - dsp1234 10y ago
        The outer lanes are the left and right lanes. Which implies that, given 3 lanes, someone is passing on the right. At a base level, given more than 2 lanes, there is a difference between "stay out of the left lane unless passing", and "stay out of the left and right lanes unless passing", as it gives drivers twice as many options for passing.
        maxerickson 10y ago
        Pretty sure that by inside lane they mean the main traffic lane. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/inside-lane http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/inside... (I made that assumption before noting the .uks in their profile...)
        jessaustin 10y ago
        I would have said that in USA the "outer lane" is the rightmost lane, since it's the one that forms the edge of the highway. Likewise, in UK it would be the leftmost lane. The inner lanes are the ones adjacent to the median in a divided highway. I think OP simply misspoke, because everyone knows one is supposed to pass using the inner lanes.
        DanBC 10y ago
        The UK Highway Code stopped talking of inside and outside lanes, because it's confusing. They now talk about left hand lane and right hand land. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273#lane-discipline-rules-264-to-266 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-t... > Rule 264 You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police, traffic officers in uniform or by signs.
virgil_disgr4ce 10y ago
What I've never understood about this idea is that it suggests that speeding must not be illegal in that passing lane. But that's not true. So then how does a law for a passing lane work?
- mulmen 10y ago
  I'm not sure where you get the suggestion that there is no speed limit in the passing lane. We drive on the right so the safest place to pass is on the left where the driver is. If everyone stays right as much as possible and faster traffic (this does not imply speeding) can move left to pass then traffic flows smoothly. Where are you getting the impression that speeding is allowed anywhere?
  - nkurz 10y ago
    > Where are you getting the impression that speeding is allowed anywhere? One reason is that in many places in the US, the normal traffic speed exceeds the legal posted limit by 5-15 miles per hour. If the law requires a driver travelling at the legal speed limit to stay out of the "passing lane" so that other drivers can pass, this would imply that the law condones speeding, since only a driver moving faster than the legal speed limit can make use of that lane. If the law was not intended to encourage exceeding the speed limit, it likely would have been written as something like "any driver moving less the legal speed limit must avoid the passing lane". Another reason is that some US states make exceptions to the normal speed limit when passing another vehicle on a two lane road: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2014/10/10/can-i-speed-while-passing/ http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2014/10/10/can-i-speed-..., http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/traffic_talk_comments_should_t_1.html http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/traffic_talk_com.... While one could argue that it's not "speeding" if it's not illegal, it's not unreasonable to interpret such laws as "allowing speeding" to pass.
    - mulmen 10y ago
      > If the law requires a driver travelling at the legal speed limit to stay out of the "passing lane" so that other drivers can pass, this would imply that the law condones speeding, since only a driver moving faster than the legal speed limit can make use of that lane. That's not how it works. The law is "stay right except to pass". This is true regardless of speed. Speeding is still illegal in any lane. The "stay right" rule is about not obstructing the flow of traffic, it has nothing to do with the posted speed limit. e: To clarify many people drive below the speed limit, in this case it is possible to pass them in a lane to the left without exceeding the speed limit.

The law exists in the US, but nobody bothers to follow it from my experience driving there. People just seem to use the other lanes as more road.

by splike 10y ago

The law exists in the US, but nobody bothers to follow it from my experience driving there. People just seem to use the other lanes as more road.

nrjdhsbsid 10y ago

It's pretty well followed on the highway in low traffic conditions. Trucks and such will stay right. During heavy traffic nobody gives a flying fuck though, and I've never heard of the law being enforced once if it wasn't a charge being tacked onto something else like reckless driving

6DM 10y ago
On top of that, there will always be "sections" of the road where traffic reliably grinds to a halt. So people keep switching back and forth to avoid those areas.

seanmcdirmid 10y ago

The US does not have one set of traffic laws for all states.

maxerickson 10y ago
Most states follow the Uniform Vehicle Code on this issue http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-b... (and among those that don't 1/2 of them still have laws about obstructing traffic)
- dsp1234 10y ago
  The issue mentioned in your linked article is different from what's mentioned up thread. The article deals with "what is the role of the very left lane". Upthread it's about using non-outer lanes (inner lanes) as the passing lane, which implies passing on the right. The UVC specifically allows passing on the right on a paved road with 2, or more, lanes (see 11-304(a)(2))
  - maxerickson 10y ago
    jstanley at the top of the thread is clearly talking about the same thing as my article, keeping right except when passing. You should only go into the outer lanes to overtake traffic, and then move back in once you've passed. It's not just the law, it's a good idea... That's not about passing on the right.
    - dsp1234 10y ago
      The outer lanes are the left and right lanes. Which implies that, given 3 lanes, someone is passing on the right. At a base level, given more than 2 lanes, there is a difference between "stay out of the left lane unless passing", and "stay out of the left and right lanes unless passing", as it gives drivers twice as many options for passing.
      - maxerickson 10y ago
        Pretty sure that by inside lane they mean the main traffic lane. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/inside-lane http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/inside... (I made that assumption before noting the .uks in their profile...)
      - jessaustin 10y ago
        I would have said that in USA the "outer lane" is the rightmost lane, since it's the one that forms the edge of the highway. Likewise, in UK it would be the leftmost lane. The inner lanes are the ones adjacent to the median in a divided highway. I think OP simply misspoke, because everyone knows one is supposed to pass using the inner lanes.
        DanBC 10y ago
        The UK Highway Code stopped talking of inside and outside lanes, because it's confusing. They now talk about left hand lane and right hand land. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273#lane-discipline-rules-264-to-266 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-t... > Rule 264 You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police, traffic officers in uniform or by signs.

virgil_disgr4ce 10y ago

What I've never understood about this idea is that it suggests that speeding must not be illegal in that passing lane. But that's not true. So then how does a law for a passing lane work?

mulmen 10y ago
I'm not sure where you get the suggestion that there is no speed limit in the passing lane. We drive on the right so the safest place to pass is on the left where the driver is. If everyone stays right as much as possible and faster traffic (this does not imply speeding) can move left to pass then traffic flows smoothly. Where are you getting the impression that speeding is allowed anywhere?
- nkurz 10y ago
  > Where are you getting the impression that speeding is allowed anywhere? One reason is that in many places in the US, the normal traffic speed exceeds the legal posted limit by 5-15 miles per hour. If the law requires a driver travelling at the legal speed limit to stay out of the "passing lane" so that other drivers can pass, this would imply that the law condones speeding, since only a driver moving faster than the legal speed limit can make use of that lane. If the law was not intended to encourage exceeding the speed limit, it likely would have been written as something like "any driver moving less the legal speed limit must avoid the passing lane". Another reason is that some US states make exceptions to the normal speed limit when passing another vehicle on a two lane road: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2014/10/10/can-i-speed-while-passing/ http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2014/10/10/can-i-speed-..., http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/traffic_talk_comments_should_t_1.html http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/traffic_talk_com.... While one could argue that it's not "speeding" if it's not illegal, it's not unreasonable to interpret such laws as "allowing speeding" to pass.
  - mulmen 10y ago
    > If the law requires a driver travelling at the legal speed limit to stay out of the "passing lane" so that other drivers can pass, this would imply that the law condones speeding, since only a driver moving faster than the legal speed limit can make use of that lane. That's not how it works. The law is "stay right except to pass". This is true regardless of speed. Speeding is still illegal in any lane. The "stay right" rule is about not obstructing the flow of traffic, it has nothing to do with the posted speed limit. e: To clarify many people drive below the speed limit, in this case it is possible to pass them in a lane to the left without exceeding the speed limit.