If you want to drive fast which lane you are in is most likely the least of your concern. Pass on whichever lane that's open.

In BC yes, this seems to be the rule that the vast majority of people follow. It would be so much easier if people stuck in the right lane.

in BC's reality check, fast lane is on the right.


Becuz dumbass mofo will try to get into the fast AS SOON AS they got on the hwy, even if there is not one car ahead of them within 500 feet.


Quick now im on the hwy, woot i know, i need to make a emergency lane switch so i can get on to thatttttt sideee for no reason just for the peace of mind

we just need more "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS" signs then people will start to learn again

lol no they won't...... people don't read signs let alone listen to them.

Keep right except to pass applies everywhere except for Lower Mainland.

I stay left and move over when somebody much quicker than me wants to get ahead, which has happened only once in my 9 years of driving.

Usually when crossing the border, or even on HWY 91, the driving etiquette is pretty good.

But yes, in Europe or further down into the States, keep right except to pass. It aint that hard to move over.

Like I said...If I stayed in the right lane and only used the left to pass, I'd be switching lanes non-stop....

I just stay in the left lane, and whenever I get behind someone they switch into the right and get out of my way...

our city is too cheap to put them thru out hwy 1

because we dont even have signs to read in the first place, how can they read

:confused:
but staying left and moving over only when someone behind is quicker does not equal "keep right except to pass"

^ If there is a lot of traffic, I'll stay on the left because I'm constantly passing other cars, so it's probably safer and more efficient if I stay in the left. However, if there is a faster car behind me, I'll switch over, let him pass, and I'll switch out and continue on passing other people in the right lane. Keep in mind, that faster car will probably be staying in the left lane to pass those on the right lane as well.

In mild traffic, I tend to stay in the left, because even if I have the chance to switch to the right lane after passing a group of cars, I will probably see another group of cars in the right lane in front of me, so I'll need to switch out of the right lane to pass them in less than a minute, so I'll just stay in the left lane (unless a faster car is catching up behind me).

If I'm driving late at night with little to no traffic, I'll stay in the right lane because there are no other cars around and I'll drive slower than usual to avoid the cops.

i usually stay in the left lane since i usually find myself going faster than the traffic around me, so it seems more efficient than switching lanes back and forth, and more than likely less dangerous to stay in one lane.

the only time i use the right lane is when i need to make a turn, or when my exit's ahead.

"Passing lane" is a stupid name...It should just be called the "fast lane"...and if some1 comes from behind you, move over...

true I guess it really depends on how fast you're going vs the amount of traffic

Well 'passing' is the proper term. In Europe, particularly germany, it's illegal to stay in the left unless you're passing. Doesn't matter if it's a 20 sec gap between passing 1 car and then the next, you move back to the right in between.

I think the problem with staying left and only move right when someone behind looks to pass has its own problems. A lot of people driving in the left think as long as the person behind is not tailgating there's no need to move. It seems like at the current speed, everybody's satisfied. But that's not true.
I'd really wish they made it a strict law to keep right except to pass. I really do believe half the time the #1 wouldn't be as congested if this were the case. Often times I'd be behind a row of cars in the left and we're all going at 110ish and passing cars in the right, and I'd think 'damn a lot of traffic' but then when there is a slight incline up ahead and I can actually SEE up ahead more, turns out you can tell the lead car (6th car up!) is what's blocking all of us and has open space up in front of him. Doesn't matter if he's going 110 and constantly passing other cars. If it's not rush hour, moving right after passing a group of cars and then back again to pass cars up ahead would allow traffic behind (me at this particular time) a chance to pass because I wanted to go 120.

In Wash state, you get ticketed for staying in the left lane if your not passing anyone.

Which BTW, didn't ICBC use to advertise on their commercials to stay on the right lane unless passing?

poor distance judging is also one big reason why people go onto the fast lane ASAP. They are simply incapable of letting traffic onto the highway smoothly like how drivers from.....oh I don't know everywhere else in the world can do? On the fast lane = don't have to care about traffic merging.

seriously why do you make this thread every month?

an example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbMStoxjD4M

1:45 and 2:08, how they move back to the right after passing (and seeing that there are no cars up ahead in the distance for a great distance)
but yeah I just find it funny when I see people immediately move to the left lane even tho there are no cars to pass up ahead

btw fucking awesome vid

because it pisses you off

I do a lot of highway driving and have thought about this issue a lot.

1. The drivers are better in the US. There are exceptions, but for the most part they are better then us. IMO, this is due to better enforcement with a lot of highway patrol as well as better education - their signs explicitly say the left lane is for passing only.

2. I'm going to throw another one out there... speed. Specifically - the mantra that going 10km/h over the limit being considered "safe" from getting a ticket. IMO, the worst left lane offenders are those going 10km/h over the limit. They are not passing cars in the right lane fast enough. Yet, the mentality is that they are going faster then traffic, and therefore are entitled to their space in the left lane. If anyone approaches at 120km/h, these people take it upon themself to enforce their traffic beliefs and block. Unfortunately, 10 km/h over the limit is neither here nor there.

3. Regulations - In an age where the average family sedan is pushing 250hp, 90km/h as a highway speed limit is dangerous. Most cars can push 120km/h average without a problem. Conversely, some law-abiding citizens think they should be going 90km/h. Now we have cars hurdling through our highway system at vastly different speeds. Have you noticed, that when driving on a highway in the states, the pace is fairly even? You don't have people weaving in out of traffic as often? That's because their highway speed limits are more realistic.

4. Enforcement. Poor signage: "slower traffic keep right". Ambiguous. Limited highway patrol that has likely never stopped someone for going to slow.

5. Driver licensing. No driver testing goes on the highway to test a driver's ability. City driving is vastly different from the etiquette required to drive on a major highway. ICBC pays little attention to a major facet of living in the lower mainland. How many highways do we have here? Highway 1, Highway 99, Sea to Sky Highway, Highway 91. These are all major thoroughfares that most of us will have to travel to go anywhere outside of our own cities. Yet, drivers are never tested for their ability to merge, drive-on and exit a highway. But you sure as hell better be able to parallel park. Preventing curbed wheels and bumps to other cars is far more important than alleviating congestion and preventing major high-speed accidents.

In summary, people are shitty drivers because enforcement and ICBC have let them become that way.

Kev

obvious troll is troll

look just stay out of this thread if you're not gonna contribute.

if you can read the opening post, you'll see this isn't about "slow drivers in the left lane".

This is a convenience vs proper method issue. Two different things here, and since this is a car forum and people bitch about the left lane, I'm wondering whether people actually follow the rule of "keep right except to pass" or do they follow the "stay left and only move over if someone behind wants to pass" rule that my friend mentioned to me.

VERY different, I even said I see people (we're not talking slow asses here) moving into the left lane even when it's open space in front of them.

Actually when you mention speed do you notice a very different speed spectrum during rush hour and when off rush hours? Say highway 91 the traffic flow is easily 140+ on the left lane when it's 8:30am or so but slows down to 110-120 around 9:30 ish and the rest of the day.

As though there's a "let's drive fast together" mentality during the rush hours. And traffic generally works well in those times.

I m no t=mc2 but when dealing with the everyday extremes of 2 lane highway driving, situational awareness ought to be key.
Your going to occasionally have drivers going well under the limit in the fast lane,
and the other end of the spectrum your also going to have berzerkers wildly speeding into traffic ahead.
Encounters, maybe broadband not worth even mentioning.

With heavy traffic you can bet its pretty much tits up.

Left lane, Right lane, doesn't matter to me.

The only criteria I expect from drivers is to not go the same speed with a car in your adjacent lane. That way I can weave through you instead of tailgate with highbeams.

Not sure if related, but I hate it when this happens:
When I am on the highway, I try to use Cruise Control as much as possible. Often times when I see a slower car infront I change to the left lane, then the car would speed up again just when I am about to pass them, then when I get back behind them, they would slow down again... :|
Do you guys see this happen often? Are they doing it on purpose, or do I think too much?

Right lane except to pass someone slow in the right lane, then I switch to the left.

In fact, I find I do more passing in the right lane (of people going slow in the left) than I do if I were to illegally stay in the left lane.

BTW, I lean on the horn and wave my fist, as I pass the slowpokes on the right side...