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I don't drive, but as a passenger, it is my understanding that the left lane is the fast lane and the right lane is to remain empty or mostly empty so cars can

I don't drive, but as a passenger, it is my understanding that the left lane is the fast lane and the right lane is to remain empty or mostly empty so cars can enter and exit the highway? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Regardless, if I ever get my license, I'm pretty much always going to avoid the highway as my anxiety cannot handle those speeds.

d4l3k 9y ago
It's the law to keep to the right in most states. For instance, Washington state: http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.100 http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.100
- mikestew 9y ago
  It might be the law, but WA state is the poster child for left-lane bandits. Easily, with no doubt in my mind, the worst of the 50 states for a general contempt and ignorance of left lane (or lane discipline in general) protocol and law. IOW, it is not uncommon to see a line of cars in the left lane doing the speed limit or under, and a total two cars in the other lanes. Oregon is a close second. The state police had a campaign a few years ago, stating that they were going to crack down on this. Not only did I not see any cops enforcing it, not a damned thing has changed regardless. The mystery to me is how a geographical demographic of drivers somehow all got together and said, “fuck it, I’ll drive in whatever lane I want!” I know that’s not how it happens, but how does it happen? Taking the example of the worst drivers? Urban legend (“oh, no, it’s against the law to...”)? Some misguided attempt to stick it to The Man?
  - goialoq 9y ago
    Every region says their drivers are the worst.
    - mikestew 9y ago
      I’ve had motorcycle tires in 49 of our 50 states, and lived in a variety of regions of the country. I agree with your general sentiment, because boy howdy there are some bad ones everywhere you go, but I say with confidence that I have found where the worst drivers in the country live.
      - SirZimzim 9y ago
        Where did you feel most comfortable with motorcycling? I've been looking to leave CA because driving here is getting worse every year.
        mikestew 9y ago
        Most comfortable? Canada. Seems like they take driving a little more seriously there. In the U. S., California is fine. Lane splitting is legal, drivers mostly competent and attentive, cops are about the right mix between lenient and slapping a ticket on you when deserve it. Even in places like L. A. I felt comfortable, even lane splitting with bags on. CA has its problems, but I like riding there. That obviously doesn’t match your experience, but I sadly haven’t ridden down to CA in probably three or four years. I also tend to kind of stay away from the Bay Area on the bike. A lot of southern states are good, like North Carolina or Tennessee. Good mountain roads, reasonable drivers. And believe it or not, I’ve like riding in New York City. Don’t let the bike out of your sight lest it be stolen (I am dead serious about that unless you have some serious locking equipment). Obnoxious drivers, sure, but competent and it’s almost as if everyone knows that if we don’t cooperate at least a little, nobody’s getting home tonight. All of this of course is one giant sweeping generalization, so no one need trot out their personal list of exceptions. But Seattle? I fucking hate driving in Seattle. It’s as if every single driver is sixteen years old on their learner’s permit with two months behind the wheel. There’s a reason one of the topics of the very first Portlandia episodes dealt with driving in the PNW.
        SirZimzim 9y ago
        Thank you for that insightful reply. It's like you were reading my mind or something. I have been considering moving out of CA and Seattle, New York city, and a few places in Canada have been at the top of my list. If I can figure out remote work I'd like to add Europe to my list as well. I definitely concur that California in general is pretty great for motorcycles. With 2 jackets you can ride year round. People are well conditioned to lane splitting so they make room for even the largest of bikes. Where most people I know went down was turns in and out of strip mall parking lots. All very avoidable from the drivers side. I ended up selling my bike a few months ago. The same commute I've done for years is just ever increasing. I've been considering going public transport for a while to regain my sanity.
  - Sohcahtoa82 9y ago
    > The mystery to me is how a geographical demographic of drivers somehow all got together and said, “fuck it, I’ll drive in whatever lane I want!” I know that’s not how it happens, but how does it happen? I think you have it backwards. It's not that they're thinking "Fuck it, I'll drive in whatever lane I want!". It's that they were never told the proper thing to do, so they just have no idea that it actually matters. Some people are actually specifically told the WRONG thing. I had a friend who was taught by his parents that if his exit isn't coming up any time soon that he should be in the left lane.
- mercutio2 9y ago
  I’m curious where you and other posters got the idea it’s the law in most states? The only states west of the Mississippi for which this is true are Washington, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. 10 if you look at the entire USA. Not nearly half by population or geographic area.
brookside 9y ago
The left lane should be the one generally remaining empty, and used for passing.
mulmen 9y ago
In my opinion the problems we have with traffic are a mismatch in expectations. If we are walking down the sidewalk and you stop in front of me I can simply say "excuse me" and walk around you or you may step to the side. It's a common human interaction and we all understand it. This is impossible in a car because we are isolated from each other. To handle this we make rules for each situation that if followed would result in the most efficient use of the road. The idea of drive right/left lane to pass is that nobody has to say "excuse me" to pass the car in front of them because that's impossible. In the same way it is not polite to stop on a busy street to "let someone in" from a parking lot or to let the car to your left at a four way stop go first. The rules are there so we can predict what anyone else will do. In reality we all learn a different set of rules or have a different understanding of them so it all falls apart. Arguing about the specific rules doesn't make a lot of sense in reality because for any of them to work we all have to do the same thing and I don't know of anywhere that makes drivers take more than one skill test in a lifetime.
- SirZimzim 9y ago
  Yeah, driving culture needs to be a part of driver training. Driving is simple enough that most situations we should expect predictable behavior.

d4l3k 9y ago

It's the law to keep to the right in most states. For instance, Washington state: http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.100 http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.100

mikestew 9y ago
It might be the law, but WA state is the poster child for left-lane bandits. Easily, with no doubt in my mind, the worst of the 50 states for a general contempt and ignorance of left lane (or lane discipline in general) protocol and law. IOW, it is not uncommon to see a line of cars in the left lane doing the speed limit or under, and a total two cars in the other lanes. Oregon is a close second. The state police had a campaign a few years ago, stating that they were going to crack down on this. Not only did I not see any cops enforcing it, not a damned thing has changed regardless. The mystery to me is how a geographical demographic of drivers somehow all got together and said, “fuck it, I’ll drive in whatever lane I want!” I know that’s not how it happens, but how does it happen? Taking the example of the worst drivers? Urban legend (“oh, no, it’s against the law to...”)? Some misguided attempt to stick it to The Man?
- goialoq 9y ago
  Every region says their drivers are the worst.
  - mikestew 9y ago
    I’ve had motorcycle tires in 49 of our 50 states, and lived in a variety of regions of the country. I agree with your general sentiment, because boy howdy there are some bad ones everywhere you go, but I say with confidence that I have found where the worst drivers in the country live.
    - SirZimzim 9y ago
      Where did you feel most comfortable with motorcycling? I've been looking to leave CA because driving here is getting worse every year.
      - mikestew 9y ago
        Most comfortable? Canada. Seems like they take driving a little more seriously there. In the U. S., California is fine. Lane splitting is legal, drivers mostly competent and attentive, cops are about the right mix between lenient and slapping a ticket on you when deserve it. Even in places like L. A. I felt comfortable, even lane splitting with bags on. CA has its problems, but I like riding there. That obviously doesn’t match your experience, but I sadly haven’t ridden down to CA in probably three or four years. I also tend to kind of stay away from the Bay Area on the bike. A lot of southern states are good, like North Carolina or Tennessee. Good mountain roads, reasonable drivers. And believe it or not, I’ve like riding in New York City. Don’t let the bike out of your sight lest it be stolen (I am dead serious about that unless you have some serious locking equipment). Obnoxious drivers, sure, but competent and it’s almost as if everyone knows that if we don’t cooperate at least a little, nobody’s getting home tonight. All of this of course is one giant sweeping generalization, so no one need trot out their personal list of exceptions. But Seattle? I fucking hate driving in Seattle. It’s as if every single driver is sixteen years old on their learner’s permit with two months behind the wheel. There’s a reason one of the topics of the very first Portlandia episodes dealt with driving in the PNW.
        SirZimzim 9y ago
        Thank you for that insightful reply. It's like you were reading my mind or something. I have been considering moving out of CA and Seattle, New York city, and a few places in Canada have been at the top of my list. If I can figure out remote work I'd like to add Europe to my list as well. I definitely concur that California in general is pretty great for motorcycles. With 2 jackets you can ride year round. People are well conditioned to lane splitting so they make room for even the largest of bikes. Where most people I know went down was turns in and out of strip mall parking lots. All very avoidable from the drivers side. I ended up selling my bike a few months ago. The same commute I've done for years is just ever increasing. I've been considering going public transport for a while to regain my sanity.
- Sohcahtoa82 9y ago
  > The mystery to me is how a geographical demographic of drivers somehow all got together and said, “fuck it, I’ll drive in whatever lane I want!” I know that’s not how it happens, but how does it happen? I think you have it backwards. It's not that they're thinking "Fuck it, I'll drive in whatever lane I want!". It's that they were never told the proper thing to do, so they just have no idea that it actually matters. Some people are actually specifically told the WRONG thing. I had a friend who was taught by his parents that if his exit isn't coming up any time soon that he should be in the left lane.
mercutio2 9y ago
I’m curious where you and other posters got the idea it’s the law in most states? The only states west of the Mississippi for which this is true are Washington, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. 10 if you look at the entire USA. Not nearly half by population or geographic area.

brookside 9y ago

The left lane should be the one generally remaining empty, and used for passing.

mulmen 9y ago

In my opinion the problems we have with traffic are a mismatch in expectations. If we are walking down the sidewalk and you stop in front of me I can simply say "excuse me" and walk around you or you may step to the side. It's a common human interaction and we all understand it. This is impossible in a car because we are isolated from each other. To handle this we make rules for each situation that if followed would result in the most efficient use of the road. The idea of drive right/left lane to pass is that nobody has to say "excuse me" to pass the car in front of them because that's impossible. In the same way it is not polite to stop on a busy street to "let someone in" from a parking lot or to let the car to your left at a four way stop go first. The rules are there so we can predict what anyone else will do. In reality we all learn a different set of rules or have a different understanding of them so it all falls apart. Arguing about the specific rules doesn't make a lot of sense in reality because for any of them to work we all have to do the same thing and I don't know of anywhere that makes drivers take more than one skill test in a lifetime.

SirZimzim 9y ago
Yeah, driving culture needs to be a part of driver training. Driving is simple enough that most situations we should expect predictable behavior.