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> GW Autobahn Rule 3: Slower traffic stays to the right! As in the US, whenever possible, move into the right lane. Most German drivers are good about this, but

> GW Autobahn Rule 3: Slower traffic stays to the right! As in the US, whenever possible, move into the right lane. Most German drivers are good about this, but some non-German drivers are not. Having driven both in Europe and the US, this is one of my pet peeves in the US. This causes so much unnecessary risk. I used to chalk this up to the super light driving test in the US (at least compared to Europe). But recently I realized it's not just driver education: the road UX is different between Europe and the US on main highways. Here in the US, the right lane very often "disappears", i.e. becomes an "exit only" lane. The result is if you're going straight for a while, you find it easier to not stay on the right and then have to change lanes. In Europe, the road design tries to minimize the "vanishing right lane" syndrome: exits ramps are separated; and if need be, it's the left lane that goes.

yesiamyourdad 7y ago
Also in the US they'll use left side exits, which pushes exiting traffic to the "fast" lane. Drives me crazy when road designers do this. I think this also varies state-to-state, I recently drove from Colorado to Texas and it really seemed to me that in general TX drivers observe the "stay right except to pass" rule much more than CO drivers.
- cliffy 7y ago
  Maybe it's worse in CO, but as a native Texan I have to say that there are plenty of slow drivers who sit in the left hand lane on major highways seemingly oblivious to the drivers wanting to go faster stacking up behind them.
  - bradlys 7y ago
    This is abundant all over the USA. I've driven all around the USA and hugging the left lane is a universal trait among the incompetent and oblivious drivers we have. (And we have many!)
- dreamcompiler 7y ago
  A few years ago it seemed like CO drivers were strictly obeying "keep right except to pass" because cops were enforcing it. Now they apparently don't any more because it seems like CO drivers hog the left lane jist like everybody else. I guess enforcement matters.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > I think this also varies state-to-state, The actual law varies from state to state and the rule you are discussing is actually the law in some states, but not in others.
u801e 7y ago
> Here in the US, the right lane very often "disappears", i.e. becomes an "exit only" lane. Are there any instances where there isn't signage that informs drivers in advance? I'll drive in the right-most lane and if I see one of those signs, I'll check for traffic, signal and move to the lane to my left.
- frosted-flakes 7y ago
  Sometimes it's ambiguous, where you don't know if the exit lane is a new lane or your lane.
bunderbunder 7y ago
It's not just that. It's also that US onramps often involve a very tight curve followed by a very short time to merge. This makes it difficult for many cars to get up to the speed of traffic before they merge, and also leaves drivers with very little time to negotiate the merge. More cautious drivers are going to be more intimidated about this than most people, so they're more likely to move move over a lane so that they don't have to deal with it. They also, of course, tend to be slower drivers. I've no experience driving in Europe (Europe, I love you), but I suspect that a big part of why I don't see this sort of thing happening in Canada is that, outside of very dense places like the middle of Toronto or Montréal, the onramps tend to give you a good kilometer to merge. Sure, you might also be liable to get a ticket for loitering in the left or center lanes, but that's also illegal in the USA. It's just not enforced, because everyone does it, because the roads encourage you to do so.
- amatecha 7y ago
  In a lot of European countries, vehicles entering from the right (aka merging onto the highway) have the right of way, so even if they aren't necessarily up to speed, you have to let them in, or make room for them. This is one reason you'll see many people change out of the right lane just before a merge -- they are probably making room to let someone get in.
  - bunderbunder 7y ago
    The same is true in the USA. And then, invariably, someone behind them will immediately change into the right lane and speed up to pass them on the right. Thereby making it even harder for the person merging to get in, while also pinning the person who made room for them in the middle lane, because there's suddenly a bunch of faster-moving traffic in the right lane. It will tend to work out this way even when it's a 3-lane highway and the left-hand lane is wide open.
  - vkou 7y ago
    > Here lies the body of Henry Gray > He died defending his right of way. > His way was right, his will was strong, > But he’s just as dead as if he was wrong. I don't care that I have the right of way as I merge into the highway. I have no idea if the idiot who is doing 65 mph in the right-most lane, who clearly sees my merge maneuver is planning on slamming on the brakes after I merge in, or slamming into me. I may technically have the right of way, but I sure as hell am not going to bet my life on it.
CodeMage 7y ago
> Having driven both in Europe and the US, this is one of my pet peeves in the US. Funny, one of my pet peeves since I moved to the US is the "keep right unless passing" or "left lane is for passing only" or any other variation of the same sermon. Sounds logical at first, but it's really bureocracy. If the highway is congested, then the rule becomes meaningless. The traffic density is so high, that it's perfectly natural to use all of the available lanes. If the highway is not congested, then the density is low enough that you should be able to change lanes as necessary, with minimal fuss. If that's the case, then the whole "keep to the right unless passing" is really just a crutch. In this situation, what we really want is something along the lines of "pay attention and don't make people pass you on the right", but that's not enforceable. So we come up with a rule like "keep to the right unless passing", because that can be enforced by cops.
- rootusrootus 7y ago
  In my experience it isn't really the people in the left lane that present the biggest problem, it's the cruisers in the middle lane (on a three lane highway). They effectively cap the speed of the highway because you have to match their speed and squeeze in (they rarely leave a legal amount of distance) just to get to the other side of the highway to go faster, or to the right to take an exit. I really do wish cops would do some enforcement of the keep-right rule so the highway would flow smoothly.
- wongarsu 7y ago
  > If the highway is congested, then the rule becomes meaningless I don't think this is true. On a German three lane highway you normally have a lane of trucks driving 60 mph, a lane of cars going 80 mph and a line of cars going 100-120 mph. This arrangement follows naturally from "keep right unless passing" since each of the lanes is constantly passing the lane to its right.
- pdonis 7y ago
  > If the highway is congested, then the rule becomes meaningless. > If the highway is not congested, then the density is low enough that you should be able to change lanes as necessary In my experience there is a lot of middle ground between these two cases, where there is enough traffic that you can't change lanes as needed to get around a slow person in the left lane (often because that person is driving right next to another vehicle in the right lane, and their speeds are so similar that it takes a long time to resolve which one is passing which), but there's not enough congestion that it no longer makes sense to have any designated passing lane at all.
Areading314 7y ago
In California, you don't need to stick to the right lane on the freeway. You just pick whichever lane. If you want to go faster than other cars, go in the left lane. Not necessary to keep switching lanes
- Areading314 7y ago
  Since I'm getting downvoted, here is a link: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traffic_lanes https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traffic_l...
jwr 7y ago
As a European, the US highways drive me mad. People passing on the right, slow traffic in the left lane, dangerous markings, dangerous merging of lanes, and most of all: drivers seem to only see what's directly in front of their car, one car length only. There is no anticipation, no allowing for other traffic that might need to switch lanes (because of slow trucks ahead). I have to look not just in the mirrors, but around me all the time, because cars will stay in my dead zones. In general, I find it a frustrating and dangerous experience.
- rurban 7y ago
  Confirm. Driving German Autobahn's is much safer than driving US highways. The only thing I like about US highways is the way they drive fast an cities, right and left, 60 miles, 5 lanes. In Germany there will always be a 100km/h speed limit, and 2 lanes only.
m463 7y ago
This is also a consequence of speed limits that are artificially low. In the US, people who are going at or over the speed limit feel entitled to move as far left as is necessary to pass slower-moving vehicles. But when you reach the far left lanes the person going 5 over feels entitled to stay there, even if if the person behind them is willing to go 10 over. I think having no speed limit means you have to yield to faster cars, and enforces politeness. And the faster moving cars get past you and everyone is good.
- ajmurmann 7y ago
  I think there is some truth to that. However, most of the Autobahn does have a speed limit and other places in Europe definitely have a speed limit and still drivers are great about only overtaking on the left and moving to the right (well when I drove in Ireland they moved to the left.. ;))

yesiamyourdad 7y ago

Also in the US they'll use left side exits, which pushes exiting traffic to the "fast" lane. Drives me crazy when road designers do this. I think this also varies state-to-state, I recently drove from Colorado to Texas and it really seemed to me that in general TX drivers observe the "stay right except to pass" rule much more than CO drivers.

cliffy 7y ago
Maybe it's worse in CO, but as a native Texan I have to say that there are plenty of slow drivers who sit in the left hand lane on major highways seemingly oblivious to the drivers wanting to go faster stacking up behind them.
- bradlys 7y ago
  This is abundant all over the USA. I've driven all around the USA and hugging the left lane is a universal trait among the incompetent and oblivious drivers we have. (And we have many!)
dreamcompiler 7y ago
A few years ago it seemed like CO drivers were strictly obeying "keep right except to pass" because cops were enforcing it. Now they apparently don't any more because it seems like CO drivers hog the left lane jist like everybody else. I guess enforcement matters.
dragonwriter 7y ago
> I think this also varies state-to-state, The actual law varies from state to state and the rule you are discussing is actually the law in some states, but not in others.

u801e 7y ago

> Here in the US, the right lane very often "disappears", i.e. becomes an "exit only" lane. Are there any instances where there isn't signage that informs drivers in advance? I'll drive in the right-most lane and if I see one of those signs, I'll check for traffic, signal and move to the lane to my left.

frosted-flakes 7y ago
Sometimes it's ambiguous, where you don't know if the exit lane is a new lane or your lane.

bunderbunder 7y ago

It's not just that. It's also that US onramps often involve a very tight curve followed by a very short time to merge. This makes it difficult for many cars to get up to the speed of traffic before they merge, and also leaves drivers with very little time to negotiate the merge. More cautious drivers are going to be more intimidated about this than most people, so they're more likely to move move over a lane so that they don't have to deal with it. They also, of course, tend to be slower drivers. I've no experience driving in Europe (Europe, I love you), but I suspect that a big part of why I don't see this sort of thing happening in Canada is that, outside of very dense places like the middle of Toronto or Montréal, the onramps tend to give you a good kilometer to merge. Sure, you might also be liable to get a ticket for loitering in the left or center lanes, but that's also illegal in the USA. It's just not enforced, because everyone does it, because the roads encourage you to do so.

amatecha 7y ago
In a lot of European countries, vehicles entering from the right (aka merging onto the highway) have the right of way, so even if they aren't necessarily up to speed, you have to let them in, or make room for them. This is one reason you'll see many people change out of the right lane just before a merge -- they are probably making room to let someone get in.
- bunderbunder 7y ago
  The same is true in the USA. And then, invariably, someone behind them will immediately change into the right lane and speed up to pass them on the right. Thereby making it even harder for the person merging to get in, while also pinning the person who made room for them in the middle lane, because there's suddenly a bunch of faster-moving traffic in the right lane. It will tend to work out this way even when it's a 3-lane highway and the left-hand lane is wide open.
- vkou 7y ago
  > Here lies the body of Henry Gray > He died defending his right of way. > His way was right, his will was strong, > But he’s just as dead as if he was wrong. I don't care that I have the right of way as I merge into the highway. I have no idea if the idiot who is doing 65 mph in the right-most lane, who clearly sees my merge maneuver is planning on slamming on the brakes after I merge in, or slamming into me. I may technically have the right of way, but I sure as hell am not going to bet my life on it.

CodeMage 7y ago

> Having driven both in Europe and the US, this is one of my pet peeves in the US. Funny, one of my pet peeves since I moved to the US is the "keep right unless passing" or "left lane is for passing only" or any other variation of the same sermon. Sounds logical at first, but it's really bureocracy. If the highway is congested, then the rule becomes meaningless. The traffic density is so high, that it's perfectly natural to use all of the available lanes. If the highway is not congested, then the density is low enough that you should be able to change lanes as necessary, with minimal fuss. If that's the case, then the whole "keep to the right unless passing" is really just a crutch. In this situation, what we really want is something along the lines of "pay attention and don't make people pass you on the right", but that's not enforceable. So we come up with a rule like "keep to the right unless passing", because that can be enforced by cops.

rootusrootus 7y ago
In my experience it isn't really the people in the left lane that present the biggest problem, it's the cruisers in the middle lane (on a three lane highway). They effectively cap the speed of the highway because you have to match their speed and squeeze in (they rarely leave a legal amount of distance) just to get to the other side of the highway to go faster, or to the right to take an exit. I really do wish cops would do some enforcement of the keep-right rule so the highway would flow smoothly.
wongarsu 7y ago
> If the highway is congested, then the rule becomes meaningless I don't think this is true. On a German three lane highway you normally have a lane of trucks driving 60 mph, a lane of cars going 80 mph and a line of cars going 100-120 mph. This arrangement follows naturally from "keep right unless passing" since each of the lanes is constantly passing the lane to its right.
pdonis 7y ago
> If the highway is congested, then the rule becomes meaningless. > If the highway is not congested, then the density is low enough that you should be able to change lanes as necessary In my experience there is a lot of middle ground between these two cases, where there is enough traffic that you can't change lanes as needed to get around a slow person in the left lane (often because that person is driving right next to another vehicle in the right lane, and their speeds are so similar that it takes a long time to resolve which one is passing which), but there's not enough congestion that it no longer makes sense to have any designated passing lane at all.

Areading314 7y ago

In California, you don't need to stick to the right lane on the freeway. You just pick whichever lane. If you want to go faster than other cars, go in the left lane. Not necessary to keep switching lanes

Areading314 7y ago
Since I'm getting downvoted, here is a link: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traffic_lanes https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traffic_l...

jwr 7y ago

As a European, the US highways drive me mad. People passing on the right, slow traffic in the left lane, dangerous markings, dangerous merging of lanes, and most of all: drivers seem to only see what's directly in front of their car, one car length only. There is no anticipation, no allowing for other traffic that might need to switch lanes (because of slow trucks ahead). I have to look not just in the mirrors, but around me all the time, because cars will stay in my dead zones. In general, I find it a frustrating and dangerous experience.

rurban 7y ago
Confirm. Driving German Autobahn's is much safer than driving US highways. The only thing I like about US highways is the way they drive fast an cities, right and left, 60 miles, 5 lanes. In Germany there will always be a 100km/h speed limit, and 2 lanes only.

m463 7y ago

This is also a consequence of speed limits that are artificially low. In the US, people who are going at or over the speed limit feel entitled to move as far left as is necessary to pass slower-moving vehicles. But when you reach the far left lanes the person going 5 over feels entitled to stay there, even if if the person behind them is willing to go 10 over. I think having no speed limit means you have to yield to faster cars, and enforces politeness. And the faster moving cars get past you and everyone is good.

ajmurmann 7y ago
I think there is some truth to that. However, most of the Autobahn does have a speed limit and other places in Europe definitely have a speed limit and still drivers are great about only overtaking on the left and moving to the right (well when I drove in Ireland they moved to the left.. ;))