- Lane Courtesy
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But I'm Driving The Speed Limit
If lane courtesy is such a great concept and a win-win situation for all highway users, why do some drivers refuse to embrace it?
Failure to yield the left lane or taking actions that make it easy for others to merge into traffic are often caused by nothing more sinister than simple inattention and distraction. Excuses for deliberately refusing to accommodate other drivers include: "The left lane is smoother. If I stay in the left lane the faster traffic in the right lane doesn't have to pull out to pass me. I can see better in the left lane." And the all time champion, "I'm driving the speed limit and I shouldn't have to move over for law breakers."
Targeted education and enforcement will effectively address the unconscious drivers, "smooth laners" and visually impaired. The "it's my road and as long as I drive the speed limit I can camp in the left lane" mentality is a greater challenge.
From a very practical perspective, speed limits do not represent the actual travel speeds on most highways. These limits are typically based on arbitrary political numbers that have no relationship to valid engineering based standards. As a result, a motorist doing "the speed limit" in the left lane may be in serious conflict with the prevailing traffic. This results in abrupt lane changes, erratic speed changes, and no small amount of hostility.
This is a classic example of how a poorly conceived public policy (i.e. arbitrary speed limits) results in multiple unintended negative consequences. Setting aside this conundrum, there are additional reasons to always yield the left lane to faster traffic.
Something as simple as speedometer error can result in a five-MPH or greater difference in vehicle speeds, although both read the same speed. The motorist seeking to pass in the left lane may be responding to a family or health emergency. Another possibility is that faster left lane vehicles are preceding an emergency vehicle and are seeking an opportunity to merge right. The bottom line is that no valid purpose is served by blocking the left lane when other vehicles wish to pass. Let the police sort out the reckless and irresponsible drivers.
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Information
- June is Lane Courtesy Month
- Why Lane Courtesy Is Important
- Learn Lane Courtesy
- But I'm Driving The Speed Limit
- How Do We Teach Drivers?
Related Links
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Lanecourtesy.org
An NMA sponsored site promoting the cause of lane courtesy.
Keep Right Laws
This is a site that lists lane discipline laws, state-by-state.
DriveRightPassLeft.com
Preaching the Drive Right, Pass Left cause since 1999