6 ms·

Just yesterday I was driving in the left lane with cruise control set to the maximum allowed velocity, with the maximum gap behind a car driving in front of me.

Just yesterday I was driving in the left lane with cruise control set to the maximum allowed velocity, with the maximum gap behind a car driving in front of me. Of course someone overtook me on the right (illegal in Germany) just to swerve in front of me and then drive at the same speed, just 20m further ahead. He ended up being first at the red lights. I’ll never understand it…

ricardobeat 2y ago
Regardless if you’re going the limit or not, it’s illegal to cruise on the leftmost lane when you ‘re not overtaking. They were rightly annoyed. It’s also a hefty fine if you’re caught doing this.
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- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  If you are traveling 80 in the left lane while the right lane is locked in at 60 (trucks who are limited to power speed limits), it is simply impossible to travel in the right lane. You are constantly overtaking vehicles, so it works out legally, but, yes, if someone wants to go 90, there is a conflict. Ideally, you wouldn’t cruise in the left lane because there would be room to cruise in the right lane, but higher traffic situations don’t really allow for it (well, not so high that you can’t go 80 in the left lane). This usually happens when you are approaching a city and are going to get a new lane or two pretty soon anyways.
  - ricardobeat 2y ago
    If there was room for someone to overtake on the right I don't think your scenario applies.
    - rglullis 2y ago
      You shouldn't overtake on the right.
      - UnserMannInK 2y ago
        Exactly. It’s illegal here in Germany. I don’t know if it’s ok somewhere else.
        rglullis 2y ago
        It's not, and it's a bit worrying that it's not widespread knowledge.
    - UnserMannInK 2y ago
      Well, it sort of does. Imagine your doing 100 in the left lane, as does the car in front of you and the three cars in front of them. There’s a truck doing 80 in the middle lane some 500m away. All of you are going to pass it. Now a sixth car starts tailgating behind the last in line and because there’s left a big safety gap he’s overtaking on the right. I was the last in line, going at the exact same speed as the cars in front of me, just leaving enough space. Why would I switch lanes? Plus it was leading to an exit anyway…
- dev_tty01 2y ago
  This is often true, but it varies from state to state. https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
- UnserMannInK 2y ago
  I know that. But what am I supposed to do when the left lane leads to the exit I want to go to? Also: there was someone in front of me going the same speed, I just left a big gap
_yb2s 2y ago
People don’t intuitively notice speed, they see following distance as a proxy for speed: people with longer following distances are perceived as “driving slow” and they feel they are going faster if they tailgate. Both untrue, but almost universally assumed without a second thought
- kayodelycaon 2y ago
  Wow. I’ve been driving for 20+ years and never realized this is how some people think.

ricardobeat 2y ago

Regardless if you’re going the limit or not, it’s illegal to cruise on the leftmost lane when you ‘re not overtaking. They were rightly annoyed. It’s also a hefty fine if you’re caught doing this.

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seanmcdirmid 2y ago
If you are traveling 80 in the left lane while the right lane is locked in at 60 (trucks who are limited to power speed limits), it is simply impossible to travel in the right lane. You are constantly overtaking vehicles, so it works out legally, but, yes, if someone wants to go 90, there is a conflict. Ideally, you wouldn’t cruise in the left lane because there would be room to cruise in the right lane, but higher traffic situations don’t really allow for it (well, not so high that you can’t go 80 in the left lane). This usually happens when you are approaching a city and are going to get a new lane or two pretty soon anyways.
- ricardobeat 2y ago
  If there was room for someone to overtake on the right I don't think your scenario applies.
  - rglullis 2y ago
    You shouldn't overtake on the right.
    - UnserMannInK 2y ago
      Exactly. It’s illegal here in Germany. I don’t know if it’s ok somewhere else.
      - rglullis 2y ago
        It's not, and it's a bit worrying that it's not widespread knowledge.
  - UnserMannInK 2y ago
    Well, it sort of does. Imagine your doing 100 in the left lane, as does the car in front of you and the three cars in front of them. There’s a truck doing 80 in the middle lane some 500m away. All of you are going to pass it. Now a sixth car starts tailgating behind the last in line and because there’s left a big safety gap he’s overtaking on the right. I was the last in line, going at the exact same speed as the cars in front of me, just leaving enough space. Why would I switch lanes? Plus it was leading to an exit anyway…
dev_tty01 2y ago
This is often true, but it varies from state to state. https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
UnserMannInK 2y ago
I know that. But what am I supposed to do when the left lane leads to the exit I want to go to? Also: there was someone in front of me going the same speed, I just left a big gap

_yb2s 2y ago

People don’t intuitively notice speed, they see following distance as a proxy for speed: people with longer following distances are perceived as “driving slow” and they feel they are going faster if they tailgate. Both untrue, but almost universally assumed without a second thought

kayodelycaon 2y ago
Wow. I’ve been driving for 20+ years and never realized this is how some people think.