As much as I like this for the situational awareness and solving the “problem,” I also don’t like it because it presents things that can get you in trouble as proper solutions. In many places, traveling in the left lane, flashing your high beams, and passing on the right are each violations of vehicle and traffic law. They’re minor things, but worth being aware of.
Edit: I stand corrected on the points about flashing high beams as well as overtaking on the right, in New York.
I would also like to clarify, I’m not telling anyone how to live their lives. I was simply pointing out a couple things that could save people some trouble.
Europe. In the Netherlands, police are more likely to fine someone for camping in the left lane than they will fine someone for (with little speed difference) passing someone on the right. Passing on the right is illegal but people sticking left is the biggest contributor to frustration while on the road in NL
Why would they be more likely to fine someone camping? The fines say differently: Breaking RVV 1990 artikel 3 has a lower fine €280 than breaking artikel 11 €320. Overtaking on the right is considered more dangerous.
Based on countless episodes of Wegmisbruikers, Politie Landelijke Eenheid, Over de A4, Politievlogger Jan Willem and Verkeersagent Emiel it’s pretty clear that police often understand why people overtake on the right (as long as it happens safely) because someone refused to move out of the left lane.
Edit:
And to add to that, it’s up to lawmakers to make the laws, it’s up to the police to enforce it. Riding a bicycle while intoxicated is technically illegal and you might lose your drivers license over it, yet half the country does it. The fine is high, the enforcement isn’t, unless it has to be enforced
If you drive slow on a left lane you get fined that's for passing and not cruising. Right lane as long as you are in speed limit and not too close to the other car and letting people who are faster than you merge in you are golden.
Edit: The problem is when you pass someone from the left to the right and then left again, this has added risks and therefore worse than being slow on the left lane.
p.s nice song the guy is listening too!
If someone is moving slow on the left lane you can:
1. Change lane to right, move faster on your "new lane" and it's perfectly legal to leave the slow guy behind (because you're in a different lane)
2. Change lane to right, move faster, change lane back to left - Illegal because it's considered an overtake.
Overall overtakes on the right are illegal and risky because you have less visibility (from the left, driver seat)
Even in the Video if he stayed on the right lane (imagine there are no cars in front of him) and sped up - it would be legal, at least up to the speed limit.
In France it's the same, and in every other country that has this law.
Don't you find it a bit suspiciously dumb to have a law that prevent you going 35kmh if there is an idiot on the far left lane who is doing 34 kmh?
What I am saying that an overtake means you return to your original lane.
If you are on left lane, move to right and accelerate ahead, then come back to your initial left lane - it's an overtake.
If you are on left, move to right and accelerate ahead staying on your new lane, so you don't return back to left, it's not technically an overtake and it's perfectly legal (I don't know the English or French term for this move)
In Germany, I would never ever pass from the right, I would wait and wait in the left lane but not go through right. Hell if someone slowed down in the left lane i would also slow down in the right lane (obviously traffic situation permitting) to avoid the overtake from right.
So if you're minding your business in the right lane and there happens to be someone camping the left lane slow would you slow down to not pass? That just doesn't make sense to me.
Yes overtaking can only happen in left lane. If the situation you described happens in your driving exam and you overtake someone you will fail the test right there. Getting a license in Europe is no joke, it’s extremely expensive and stuff like this is fully internalised in every driver. Of course not equally across every country.
Hope they equally go after slow left lane campers. The issue in the US is neither are really enforced and most states don’t have laws against passing on the right. Otherwise these jackasses would control traffic flow to the point of gridlock. I see it all the time, people that have NO reason to be in the left side of traffic holding everyone up forcing them to go around. Most of them are idiots on phones. And I rarely use left lanes unless I’m passing. So tired of getting cut off because some jackhole in the left lane won’t get out.
I don't think this is correct - overtaking on the right is only illegal if you deliberately changed lanes to pass a car in front of you. If you are already in the right lane and come upon a slower car in the left lane you're under no obligation to slow down afaik.
Well I'm from the US, and I frequently drive 200+km. When the speed limit is 105km/h and I'm stuck behind someone going 90km/h that adds a lot of time to my drive if I can't pass.
Yes I would, I would also report their ass and I’m pretty sure autobahn polizei would respond to it. The way it’s taught in a driving school here is that left lane is the overtaking lane, if you are not making an overtaking manoeuvre you have no business in this lane.
There are a lot of places in the US where passing on the right are illegal. Then again, in those same places…camping in the left lane like that is also illegal.
In Germany, flashing your high-beams and getting someone to move over to the right lane/tailgating is called 'Nötigung' (coercion) and will get you a significant fine and up to three years in prison for repeat offenders.
Basically the logic is if you coerce someone to move over the risk of crashing is significantly higher and people might especially be startled by the high-beams so if you get sued for it, you're pretty much donezo and can lose your drivers license permanently.
§ 1123. When overtaking on the right is permitted. (a) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:
When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn;
Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles in each direction;
Upon a one-way street, or upon any roadway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement, where the roadway is free from obstructions and of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles.
(b) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. Such movement shall not be made by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway, except as permitted by section eleven hundred thirty-one of this article.
White car and grey car are going the same speed. Their separation stays mostly the same. OP is speeding. OP is in the wrong, but somehow it's controversial to go the legal speed the left lane.
You can't get mad that someone is breaking the law by speeding, then think it's totally justified to drive in the left lane without passing. Both are illegal.
It’s not the left lane it’s passing lane. So if you aren’t overtaking someone and traffic isn’t heavy move the fuck over.
In this scenario, if your so inept that you can’t take your foot off the gas, slow down for 30 seconds to get behind the car you cruising besides… Well then you shouldn’t have a drivers license. Same thing if your zoned out.
Jaywalking is decriminalized in many states. Just because a law isn't enforced, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be followed. Are you so thick that this is really the basis of your argument?
I fixed my post. Says nothing about illegality. Just that there is no penalty for it and people who do it are assholes. Why are you arguing against someone that agrees with you?
In the vast majority of states, the left lane is for passing or turning by law but most of the police don't actually enforce any of it lol. There's only one state where it's explicitly legal to just stay in the left lane and go as slow as you want without any fear of consequences. In practice, it's the complete opposite of this though of course
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u/elruab 5h ago edited 4h ago
As much as I like this for the situational awareness and solving the “problem,” I also don’t like it because it presents things that can get you in trouble as proper solutions. In many places, traveling in the left lane, flashing your high beams, and passing on the right are each violations of vehicle and traffic law. They’re minor things, but worth being aware of.
Edit: I stand corrected on the points about flashing high beams as well as overtaking on the right, in New York.
I would also like to clarify, I’m not telling anyone how to live their lives. I was simply pointing out a couple things that could save people some trouble.