For U.S. people who drive in the left lane on the freeway, WHY???????????

Question

Are you one of those people who stay in the left hand lane of the interstate even when you are not passing and there is nobody else around? If so, please tell me why do you do this?
Are you one of the people who get road rage from this? If you are, please star and let the lefties know how wrong it is.

If you were taught to stay in the left lane, then shame on the person that taught you. The left lane is used for passing or moving over when traffic is merging. It doesn't matter if you are going the speed limit or over. If you are on the expressway and the right lane is open, get in it!

To California Native: I have never been in an accident and I have never caused an accident and I have never had a speeding ticket. How about you?

To cpslo96: If you stayed out of the left hand lane when you weren't passing, people would not have to pass in the right hand lane.

Hello, there is someone around, duh! It is someone trying to pass you and they have to do it in the right hand lane because you are driving in the left hand lane like a dummy!

Answer 1

I do tend to stay in the left hand lane sometimes. Because if you are in the right hand lane you have to merge alot and i suck at merging..im really bad at timing it out and i almost collide with cars all the time if i cant get over. I just like to stay in the left hand lane unless somebody wants to pass me. takes a bit of the pressure off me while driving. i dont get road rage that bad though. i hate when ppl dont go the speed limit though. and i hate when they drive in the fast lane and go extremely slow..ugh! i dont do it to be rude..(drive in the left lane)its just a little bit of a bad habit..(shame on me)

Answer 2

The left lane is not the "passing lane" in the USA except when there are road signs to that effect. Traffic can exit or merge from right side or from left side, especially in and around large cities. Thus the lanes on the edges (most right & most left) are for such traffic changes, while the middle lanes tend to be the "through lanes." There is an effort not to encourage passing lanes but most traffic traveling at or about the same velocity. This is sometimes accomplished by having a mximum speed limit and a minimum speed limit. When there is a minimum, check out whether that trumps or is trumped by bad weather. For example, in fog the visibility might be 1/2 a car length, where it might be dangerous to be doing 40 mph because that's the minimum posted speed.

Answer 3

PEOPLE: I'm pretty sure she means when there is traffic in ALL lanes (like PEAK HOUR commuting traffic)...
of course it wouldn't matter if you're on a lonely stretch of highway and you are the ONLY car....duh!

I for one am always cognizant of the fact that when I'm in the left lane and not going faster than the cars in the right lane (after all, the left lane IS known as the "fast lane") that I'm probably going to piss someone off and I better move over.

Unfortunately, as you have so correctly pointed out, not all drivers are aware of their impact on the traffic around them or, simply don't give a sh*it, and continue to stay in the left lane, blocking traffic in that lane behind them that was going at a faster speed and is then required to slow down to avoid a rear-end collision....
as a result, a road rage is born, headlights flash, horns honk and middle fingers display their IQ.

(I can tell from some of the other responses that some people just "don't get it"...probably thinking they have the right to drive as they please, as slow as they please in the "fast lane", or no matter which lane they're in)

Answer 4

Are you talking about people driving slow in the left lane? If not, then you are probably one of the speeding idiots responsible for the majority of the non-drinking and driving accidents. Check the statistics. No you are not a great driver and maybe if you were not a psycho on the road you would not have a constant need to be passing others. Typical woman driver.

Answer 5

here in Australia, our rules are the same, but the left hand lane is the slow lane. I know what you are saying here!! It causes traffic jams and all sorts of things, just because people insist on staying in the middle lanes, doing 10-20km under the speed limit. It drives me mad, but I don't get to the road rage stage. It's really frustrating though

Answer 6

mostly if no one is around i just ride in the left hand lane. the ride on that side is much less bumpy. i always have...if you notice, most people do. if your concern is so people can pass, that's what the speed limit is for so you should be harping on them not on us. save your time and don't respond to me in your "add additional items" like you have to other people because i won't be looking back on this question and askers are not suppose to be argumentative. write to congress or your local law enforcement and argue with them not us here on yahoo.

Answer 7

hmm, i'm not sure i understand the question. what difference does it make which lane you're in if there are no other cars? I was taught to stay out of the right lane unless exiting soon----to leave room for cars merging in. if there are 3 lanes I tend to stay in the middle.

Answer 8

If theirs no one around why would anyone care!
I understand its a passing lane , and i use it as so.
but sometimes if theirs no one around I'm taking the left lane over the right one, most of the time there's less pot holes in it.

Answer 9

IT DRIVES ME INSANE! I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT ITS THE PASSING LANE NOT THE SLOW LANE SOMETIMES I GET AS CLOSE AS I CAN BEHIND THEM AND START FLASHING MY LIGHTS AND HONKING AND THEY USUALLY MOVE

Answer 10

maybe they do this because there from a country that drives from the left side of the road and are just in the routine