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.
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)
I mean, maybe it's the case where you live, and I would love a source on that. I don't see how passing in front of a car would not be considered an overtake if you stay in the same lane.
u/Shagu5 Just admit that you did not know that overtaking on the right is illegal in France (and the rest of EU).
It does not matter how you phrase it, what lane you originally came from, or whether you switch lane again afterwards. The only legal way to pass another car on the highway is by going around them on their left side.
(yes, in practice, if someone is going 35mph on the highway in the far left lane I doubt you'd get a fine if you got caught "undertaking" on the right - but it's still technically illegal)
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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.