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> On I-5 near Woodburn, OR The section of I-5 between Portland and Salem is absolutely psychotic, and I have never been able to reason out exactly why. It con

> On I-5 near Woodburn, OR The section of I-5 between Portland and Salem is absolutely psychotic, and I have never been able to reason out exactly why. It consistently has a left lane jammed with angry people going at or below the speed limit, a fairly normal center lane filled with cruisers, and a mostly empty right lane with the occasional big rig and regular very-high-speed cars expressing their frustration with the left lane by going 25+ mph over the limit in the right lane. I know that's what you basically just said. Just venting. The driver behavior in that section of freeway confounds me, and I do not know what the underlying cause is. It is otherwise an unremarkable bit of interstate like any other.

crest 8mo ago
It's wild to me that it's allowed and accepted to overtake on the right on US highways.
- stuporglue 8mo ago
  That's the freedom we're talking about when we say "land of the free".
- Uvix 8mo ago
  It's generally not allowed, but that doesn't stop people just like the speed limit doesn't stop them.
  - Sohcahtoa82 8mo ago
    > It's generally not allowed Common misconception, actually. There is not a single state in the USA where using the right lane to pass slower traffic in the left/center lanes is illegal. It is allowed everywhere.
- Sohcahtoa82 8mo ago
  The alternative is that you're stuck going 10+ mph under the limit because of a left lane hog. Banning passing on the right only works if keep-right-except-to-pass laws exist and are thoroughly enforced. Most states in the USA don't have keep-right laws, and those that do, it's never enforced, so many people don't even know it's actually the law. EDIT: US-26 westbound immediately outside downtown Portland is notorious for left lane campers. The limit is 50 mph, but without fail, there's some moron going 40 mph in the left lane. You wanna go slow? Fine, but do it in the right lane where you belong.
  - thewebguyd 8mo ago
    AFAIK all US states have some form of "keep right" or "slow poke" laws in various forms that distill down to keep right, except to pass. So the laws do exist, they just are never enforced. Even when said left lane campers cruise by state patrol, I never see them stopped. Hell, I rarely see them stop people going 15+ over the limit either so not actually sure what they're doing.
- StillBored 8mo ago
  Its not against the law in any US state (a quick search seems to back this up) to pass on the right. With one huge gotcha, it must be "safe" defined in various ways. OTOH, most states have a stay right except to pass, slower traffic keep right laws. Which means, that unless the person to your right is weaving through traffic, driving on the shoulder, or a few other bits of unsafe behavior, if someone passes you on the right your likely the one violating the law by not moving right when your not actively overtaking/passing someone.

crest 8mo ago

It's wild to me that it's allowed and accepted to overtake on the right on US highways.

stuporglue 8mo ago
That's the freedom we're talking about when we say "land of the free".
Uvix 8mo ago
It's generally not allowed, but that doesn't stop people just like the speed limit doesn't stop them.
- Sohcahtoa82 8mo ago
  > It's generally not allowed Common misconception, actually. There is not a single state in the USA where using the right lane to pass slower traffic in the left/center lanes is illegal. It is allowed everywhere.
Sohcahtoa82 8mo ago
The alternative is that you're stuck going 10+ mph under the limit because of a left lane hog. Banning passing on the right only works if keep-right-except-to-pass laws exist and are thoroughly enforced. Most states in the USA don't have keep-right laws, and those that do, it's never enforced, so many people don't even know it's actually the law. EDIT: US-26 westbound immediately outside downtown Portland is notorious for left lane campers. The limit is 50 mph, but without fail, there's some moron going 40 mph in the left lane. You wanna go slow? Fine, but do it in the right lane where you belong.
- thewebguyd 8mo ago
  AFAIK all US states have some form of "keep right" or "slow poke" laws in various forms that distill down to keep right, except to pass. So the laws do exist, they just are never enforced. Even when said left lane campers cruise by state patrol, I never see them stopped. Hell, I rarely see them stop people going 15+ over the limit either so not actually sure what they're doing.
StillBored 8mo ago
Its not against the law in any US state (a quick search seems to back this up) to pass on the right. With one huge gotcha, it must be "safe" defined in various ways. OTOH, most states have a stay right except to pass, slower traffic keep right laws. Which means, that unless the person to your right is weaving through traffic, driving on the shoulder, or a few other bits of unsafe behavior, if someone passes you on the right your likely the one violating the law by not moving right when your not actively overtaking/passing someone.