Why do people drive in the middle lanes of a highway

[Jack Ryan]

What's the problem here? Lanes are blocked from what? People wanting to travel 85 in a 65 during a time of high traffic volume? Sorry for the inconvenience.[/b>[/quote]


You proved my point, that is the attitude that answered my question, why people drive in the center lane. Because of their selfishness. I am leaving work now, if you are driving please stay to the right if someone wants to go faster than you, its that simple.

Enjoy the weekend.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: KMDupont64
What's the problem here? Lanes are blocked from what? People wanting to travel 85 in a 65 during a time of high traffic volume? Sorry for the inconvenience.[/b>

You proved my point, that is the attitude that answered my question, why people drive in the center lane. Because of their selfishness. I am leaving work now, if you are driving please stay to the right if someone wants to go faster than you, its that simple.

Enjoy the weekend.[/quote]

Perhaps it is for safety? Hell, if I were selfish then I'd probably be that guy who is always angry because everyone else won't drive 90mph for him.

Okay, how come I can't unbold my text.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: KMDupont64
What's the problem here? Lanes are blocked from what? People wanting to travel 85 in a 65 during a time of high traffic volume? Sorry for the inconvenience.[/b>

You proved my point, that is the attitude that answered my question, why people drive in the center lane. Because of their selfishness. I am leaving work now, if you are driving please stay to the right if someone wants to go faster than you, its that simple.

Enjoy the weekend.[/quote]

No it's not. If I'm driving the speed limit, but everyone else is driving over the speed limit, I WILL drive in the middle lane.

 

[Freejack2]

Are you people out of your minds? Vehicle and traffic law states keep right except to pass. This means you stay in the far right lane unless you are passing someone.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: Freejack2
Are you people out of your minds? Vehicle and traffic law states keep right except to pass. This means you stay in the far right lane unless you are passing someone.

Link me to your state(federal) law that says that is the case when dealing with 3+ lane highways. You'd have to be crazy to drive in the right lane where I live here in about 5 minutes when I leave from work. There would be no point since you'd be trying to move to the middle lane every 2 seconds to let someone merge from the on ramp.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Freejack2
Are you people out of your minds? Vehicle and traffic law states keep right except to pass. This means you stay in the far right lane unless you are passing someone.

Not in all states. Here in TX, on a 3 lane highway you stay in the middle lane. I know because I had to take Defensive Driving a few months ago.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269

Originally posted by: Freejack2
Are you people out of your minds? Vehicle and traffic law states keep right except to pass. This means you stay in the far right lane unless you are passing someone.

Link me to your state(federal) law that says that is the case when dealing with 3+ lane highways. You'd have to be crazy to drive in the right lane where I live here in about 5 minutes when I leave from work. There would be no point since you'd be trying to move to the middle lane every 2 seconds to let someone merge from the on ramp.

BTW, there are no Federal driving laws when it comes to traffic control. It's all mandated by the states.

 

[psydancerqt]

i thought the right lane was for getting on and off while the middle lane was for driving the speed limit-ish and the left lane is for anything faster than the middle lane... honestly, i dont quite understand the problem!

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: BigSmooth
IMO you are correct. At least in Oregon, you are supposed to stay as far right as possible unless you are passing.

The center lane is a travel/passing lane but it is actually illegal to pass on the right (of course, this is NEVER enforced) so you are supposed to move to the right if not actively passing someone so other people can pass you in the center and left lanes.

Edit: also, I do think the reason large trucks stay in the center lane in city areas is that too many people are merging into the right lane and large trucks would have a hard time avoiding them.

It is legal to pass on the right in Oregon. What is illegal to allow yourself to be passed on the right.

Slower Traffic Keep Right and Keep Right Except to Pass are the law (albeit poorly enforced).

 

[Noirish]

if you want to break the law, don't ask others to break the law with you.
if the speed limit says 65, it's absolutely reasonable for people to drive 60 on the far right and 70 on the far left.
middle lanes are for people who don't want to deal with slow or fast traffic, who just want to drive at or a bit above 65mph.

I usually cruise in the middle lanes because I don't want to deal with cars coming from the ramps or super fast cars on the far left.
i believe driving 70 (5 above limit) should be appreciated by everyone else.

 

[spidey07]

we've already brought it up but you drive in the middle lane for safety.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: spidey07
we've already brought it up but you drive in the middle lane for safety.

Yup, and then there's that. It's always better to have two different ways to go if something bad happens.

 

[TechBoyJK]

yea, be smart about this, with a 2 lane highway, keep right if not passing. In a 3 lane or greated, stay in the middle lane if cruising, the far right lane is primarily for merging from on ramps. Left lane for passing. For all of those who say that trucks need to stay in the far right lane, you are so very wrong. Ever try merging onto an interstate when you got big ass trucks hogging the merge lane. Its scary.

 

[Thegonagle]

(especially trucks)

Because, well, have you ever driven one? No? Me neither, but I have driven into/through unfamiliar cities pulling a wide 5000-6000 lb. trailer using a full-size truck (transporting cars/vans/SUVs), and that is rough enough. You can't stop or accelerate worth a damn, and if you try to do an emergency lane change or other evasive maneuver too quickly, that trailer can end up in front of you in an instant.

Now think of my full-size pick-up with its loaded flat bed trailer, multiply the mass by 10, the length by 2 1/2, and add 6 more inches to its width. That's what the semi drivers need to handle.

The fact that there's a center lane implies that it's an urban area, and the simple reason that the big trucks stay in the center lane is because of merging traffic. They do it for safety, because if there's some idiot "4-wheeler" trying to merge at way too slow a speed, they can't slow down worth a damn, and they can't "just move over" in traffic to let someone in. Hell, I consider it courteous of them to drive in the center lane, because it shows that they don't want to run over any cars and kill the people inside. It's the smoothest, least stressful lane for them drive in in urban traffic, and if they're not in the left lane for no good reason, don't complain.

 

[Jeff7181]

I know a lot of times trucks don't move farther to the right because jackasses keep passing them on the right.

 

[Slaimus]

I often cruise in the middle lane simply because of the better road quality. The right lane is usually beat up by trucks.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: KMDupont64

Honestly I am just curious at why people do this? Is it because they can just set the car on cruise and not have to deal with people getting on and off exits? Hopefully that is not the case because that is truely selfish.

How is it selfish? The people getting on the highway are responsible for finding a spot to merge, you don't have to adjust for them. Driving in the middle lane to make it easier for them to merge onto the highway would be POLITE, not selfish.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: KMDupont64

Ok because your "cruising" at 5 mph over the speed limit in the middle lane. That causes someone going 6 mph over the speed limit into the left lane to pass. Now if someone was actually following the rules, there is someone going the speed limit in the right lane. Now all lanes are blocked. That = traffic..

Traffic = more people on the road than the road can handle.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

Originally posted by: CPA
You should always drive in the middle lane, unless you are passing or entering/exiting the highway.

BTW, can't tell from your scenario, but what's the speed limit on this road?

you should always be in the middle if there are more than 2 lanes because (usually) where there are more than 2 lanes the far right lane is traffic merging on and off of the road. i'm not sure about you but i dont wanna have to keep going from 65 or 70 to 50 and then accelerate again (some areas have TERRIBLE on / offramps). also the far left lane is usually (in larger areas) the carpool lane. if it isnt the carpool lane than it is used for faster traffic. in the case of the large trucks, it takes a lot to start them moving and to slow them down. the more energy they can save by going a constant speed in the middle lane the better off they are.

 

[BigSmooth]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: BigSmooth
IMO you are correct. At least in Oregon, you are supposed to stay as far right as possible unless you are passing.

The center lane is a travel/passing lane but it is actually illegal to pass on the right (of course, this is NEVER enforced) so you are supposed to move to the right if not actively passing someone so other people can pass you in the center and left lanes.

Edit: also, I do think the reason large trucks stay in the center lane in city areas is that too many people are merging into the right lane and large trucks would have a hard time avoiding them.

It is legal to pass on the right in Oregon. What is illegal to allow yourself to be passed on the right.

Slower Traffic Keep Right and Keep Right Except to Pass are the law (albeit poorly enforced).

Really? I could have sworn when I was studying for my driver's test that I learned it was technically illegal to pass on the right although everyone does it. Of course, that was 10+ years ago so I am probably just remembering it wrong.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: BigSmooth
Really? I could have sworn when I was studying for my driver's test that I learned it was technically illegal to pass on the right although everyone does it. Of course, that was 10+ years ago so I am probably just remembering it wrong.

ORS 811.415. (2)(b): Overtaking and passing upon the right is permitted if the overtaken vehicle is proceeding along a roadway in the left lane of two or more clearly marked lanes allocated exclusively to vehicular traffic moving in the same direction as the overtaking driver.

Without quoting the whole section, basically it is legal to pass on the right when on multi-lane highways (2 or more lanes in the same direction), and at any time when another vehicle has signalled an intention to make a left turn and there is room and you can safely get around on the right.

About slow vehicles failing to yield to the right, it is an infraction to fail to yield to the right, even if you are travelling at the speed limit (but less than the flow of traffic, so get out of the way you left lane hogging jerks):

811.315 Failure of slow driver to drive on right; exceptions; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of failure of a slow driver to drive on the right if the person is operating a vehicle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing and the person fails to drive:

(a) In the right-hand lane available for traffic; or

(b) As close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

(2) This section does not apply under any of the following circumstances:

(a) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing passing in ORS 811.410 to 811.425.

(b) When preparing to turn left at an intersection, alley or private road or driveway.

(3) The offense described in this section, failure of slow driver to drive on the right, is a Class B traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §619; 1995 c.383 §57]

 

[Nebor]

I wish there were no one on the highways but me. Then things would be good. I could drive as fast as I wanted. Other people could get back on after I killed myself.

 

[vegetation]

You people who say to stay in the far right at all times don't live in areas with heavy freeway traffic. There are so many incoming cars that it's a major safety hazard just being in the far right, blocking people's ability to merge on, unless you really need to because you're turning off soon. Some freeway onramps are insanely short, so giving people room to merge on when you have 3 middle lanes is an issue of common sense.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Modeps
Left Lane: Passing Lane
Middle Lane: Travel Lane
Right Lane: Slow Lane

They're probably travelling.

Bingo. But they should absolutely not be driving in the middle lane if they are going slower than the speed limit. If you're under the speed limit, you belong in the far right lane.

ZV

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Modeps
Left Lane: Passing Lane
Middle Lane: Travel Lane
Right Lane: Slow Lane

They're probably travelling.

Bingo. But they should absolutely not be driving in the middle lane if they are going slower than the speed limit. If you're under the speed limit, you belong in the far right lane.

ZV

I can definately agree with that.