4 ms·

> In most cities, the left lane is not designated as a faster lane, unless on a highway. Most accidents occur in cities and not highways. Putting this in the li

> In most cities, the left lane is not designated as a faster lane, unless on a highway. Most accidents occur in cities and not highways. Putting this in the list seems silly. In most US cities, most of the driving is done on highways. The typical driving pathway for a commuter in most major US cities is to drive on surface streets from their home to the nearest major highway artery (which is likely also an interstate highway, but may not be), merge onto the highway, and go on the highway (possibly changing highways) until they reach the correct exit for their destination. So, yeah, most driving is actually done on highways, and this is where I'm most concerned with how others drive. It's also pretty much always at higher speeds than surface streets, so as other commenters are pointing out, the consequences are more severe when an accident does occur. Being forced to overtake on the right because a driver obstinately refuses to get out of the left lane despite it being a passing lane and going below the speed of traffic is exactly the issue I'm pointing out, because overtaking on the right is more dangerous. Either /everyone/ slows and a conga line forms or everyone passes the slow driver on the right. The slow driver should not be in the left lane and in fact it's illegal and signs are posted on nearly every American highway that either says "Slower traffic keep right." or "Left lane for passing only." (depending on state/locality).

BeetleB 5y ago
> In most US cities, most of the driving is done on highways. Blatantly false, given that a town of 100,000 is still a city, and most cities don't even have a highway running through them. And as I said, given that roughly 50% still overtake on the right when the left lane is clear, they are as much the problem as the slow drivers.
- tristor 5y ago
  > Blatantly false, given that a town of 100,000 is still a city, and most cities don't even have a highway running through them. I think you are using a different definition of "highway" than I am, and the DOT uses. By definition, nearly every town and city in the US has a highway, in fact, the "main street" (often called Main) in most US municipalities West of the Mississippi River is intentionally built to overlap on a US highway, including the famous and definitive US Route 66. But more specifically, when I am saying "city" (and I later use major city), I'm not talking about 100k people, I'm talking about what comes to mind when you hear the word "city". E.g. Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, et al. In all of those places, a major interstate runs near/through the city and all of them have auxillary interstate highways (3 digit number). You seem to be trying to be as literal as possible to call me out, but are in fact wrong even in your literal interpretation because you're being literal about "city" but not "highway".
  - BeetleB 5y ago
    > By definition, nearly every town and city in the US has a highway, in fact, the "main street" (often called Main) in most US municipalities West of the Mississippi River is intentionally built to overlap on a US highway, including the famous and definitive US Route 66. That is true, but also irrelevant, because the left lane rule does not apply on those highways when within city limits. I spent much of my life in such cities.
- josephcsible 5y ago
  Not all highways are interstate highways.
CWuestefeld 5y ago
I'm pretty sure that almost nowhere is the left lane designated as a faster lane, the only exceptions I can think of are steep hills, and have explicit signage. AFAIK, the normal rule (certainly in NJ and TX where I've actually researched) is, when there are more than one lane in a direction, "keep right except to pass". It doesn't matter at all how fast or slow you're going. If you're not actively passing, you should move over to the right. You don't get to say "I was doing the speed limit, and nobody should go faster, therefore I'm the faster traffic that is entitled to the left lane". Personally, I blame the Eagles for popularizing the song Life in the Fast Lane, and thus bringing that mis-characterization into common usage.

BeetleB 5y ago

> In most US cities, most of the driving is done on highways. Blatantly false, given that a town of 100,000 is still a city, and most cities don't even have a highway running through them. And as I said, given that roughly 50% still overtake on the right when the left lane is clear, they are as much the problem as the slow drivers.

tristor 5y ago
> Blatantly false, given that a town of 100,000 is still a city, and most cities don't even have a highway running through them. I think you are using a different definition of "highway" than I am, and the DOT uses. By definition, nearly every town and city in the US has a highway, in fact, the "main street" (often called Main) in most US municipalities West of the Mississippi River is intentionally built to overlap on a US highway, including the famous and definitive US Route 66. But more specifically, when I am saying "city" (and I later use major city), I'm not talking about 100k people, I'm talking about what comes to mind when you hear the word "city". E.g. Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, et al. In all of those places, a major interstate runs near/through the city and all of them have auxillary interstate highways (3 digit number). You seem to be trying to be as literal as possible to call me out, but are in fact wrong even in your literal interpretation because you're being literal about "city" but not "highway".
- BeetleB 5y ago
  > By definition, nearly every town and city in the US has a highway, in fact, the "main street" (often called Main) in most US municipalities West of the Mississippi River is intentionally built to overlap on a US highway, including the famous and definitive US Route 66. That is true, but also irrelevant, because the left lane rule does not apply on those highways when within city limits. I spent much of my life in such cities.
josephcsible 5y ago
Not all highways are interstate highways.

CWuestefeld 5y ago

I'm pretty sure that almost nowhere is the left lane designated as a faster lane, the only exceptions I can think of are steep hills, and have explicit signage. AFAIK, the normal rule (certainly in NJ and TX where I've actually researched) is, when there are more than one lane in a direction, "keep right except to pass". It doesn't matter at all how fast or slow you're going. If you're not actively passing, you should move over to the right. You don't get to say "I was doing the speed limit, and nobody should go faster, therefore I'm the faster traffic that is entitled to the left lane". Personally, I blame the Eagles for popularizing the song Life in the Fast Lane, and thus bringing that mis-characterization into common usage.