Does every state have the standard of slower vehicles drive in the right lane?
Posted by judgingA-holes@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 267 comments
In my state when there's a road with two or more lanes going the same way, we have a rule/law: the left lane is a passing or "getting the fuck on" lane (if you will). Don't get me wrong there are undoubtedly some from my state that will be in this lane when they shouldn't be, but I see so many people from out of state that will be going slow, barely going the speed limit, moving slower than those behind them are in the left lane. They are just cruising along like there's not a bunch of cars speeding around them or blowing their horn indicating they shouldn't be in that lane. This doesn't seem to phase them, or give them the hint that they should move over.
So I'm just wondering is this not the standard rule for driver's in other states?
BullfrogPersonal@reddit
In the Northeast you have to be careful. If a truck is in the left lane going the speed limit or slightly over, cars and trucks will try to pass it on the right. This happened in front of me the other day. I'm in the right lane and two trucks are in the left lane. The truck following turned into the right lane to pass the other truck. The back of his trailer would have hit my car if I didn't drive onto the shoulder.
SillyAmericanKniggit@reddit
There are multiple “standards”, but they kind of all center around the same idea: slower drivers should let faster drivers pass.
The most common one for the U.S. is slower traffic keep right. In states that have that law, you must drive in the right-most lane if you are driving more slowly than the normal speed of traffic, except when turning left or overtaking someone moving even slow. This variant imposes no duty on cars that are keeping up with the normal flow of traffic, however. Normal speed traffic is free to use any lane unless traffic control signs indicate otherwise.
Probably the second most common is left lane for passing only. In states that have this law, you may not drive in the left most lane unless you are actively in the process of overtaking another vehicle. Most of these states also have the slower traffic keep right rule above. So slower than normal traffic must still stay all the way right. Normal speed traffic may use any lane except the left most lane.
Then there are a few states that let you cruise in any lane you want, but you must monitor your mirrors and move over to the right to let faster traffic pass.
Finally, there are a small handful of states that have keep right except to pass laws. In those states, all traffic (not just slower traffic) is required to stay as far right as possible unless overtaking or turning. This rule is probably the most similar to what they require in Europe, but it’s only in effect in about five or six states.
Walksuphills@reddit
Depends on the roadway. If it's a highway, sure, i it's a place with a lot of intersections in both directions, no. Left turning people aren't going to stay right for you.
KellyAnn3106@reddit
For highways, yes. For regular surface roads where left turns are common, be in the lane you need to be in for your destination.
Also, don't drive slower than the flow of traffic. Driving slow does not make you safe; it makes you an obstacle.
Astute_Primate@reddit
Mmm. Nope. If the flow of traffic is traveling above the speed limit you will get a ticket. The cops will put on their lights and ticket the first one to pull over. Being an obstacle is not against traffic laws unless you're unlawfully obstructing traffic, meaning you're stopped and blocking the road for no good reason or your state has a minimum speed limit. They'll tell you that everyone else can either slow down or pass you, but your responsibility is to keep your own vehicle below the posted speed limit and not worry about how fast everyone else is going.
I grew up in a family of cops (and I've been to traffic school enough times 🙄).The fact that so many people believe the urban legend that if traffic is moving faster than the speed limit you're supposed to move with the flow of traffic is one of the things they use to their advantage when they need to meet their quota of traffic stops at the end of the month
AnymooseProphet@reddit
No. Driving beyond the speed limit increases required stopping distance so if everyone is driving beyond the speed limit they have to be farther apart but when the car behind you is too close, you then have to add additional distance to the distance between you and the car in front of you.
When you are driving the speed limit and someone starts tailgating, the best thing to do is tap the breaks lightly, not speed up, and on 2+ lane highways, move into the right lane so the asshole can pass you. Get his plates so that if there's an accident, you can testify to that drivers dangerous tailgating behavior.
Rural roads where people tend to want to drive excessively fast can have a lot of hazards like hawks swooping down out of nowhere or even a calf on the road or even a part of the road that caved away because ground squirrels dug burrows under it.
breaststroker42@reddit
Statistically speaking: on the highway, driving the flow of traffic is the safest and it doesn’t matter what that speed is (ex everyone going 80 is just as safe as everyone going 60); but on surface streets going slower is safer because there’s non-cars there.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I've had to explain this to my mother more than once.
KellyAnn3106@reddit
I had to try to communicate it to the idiot in front of me in the highway merging lane this morning. Traffic was moving at the posted 70 mph. He thought 50 mph was suitable.
Relevant-Ad4156@reddit
I think it's the standard everywhere. I also think it's ignored by many drivers everywhere.
twotall88@reddit
That's not true. https://1800lionlaw.com/can-you-get-a-ticket-for-driving-in-the-left-lane/
https://www.mit.edu/\~jfc/right.html this one is easier to review. South Dakota only requires 'slow moving vehicles' to keep right (the ones with the triangle on the back). A lot of the states say to only keep right if moving a certain amount below the speed limit.
Relevant-Ad4156@reddit
What is "the standard" is not always what is described by the law.
What is customary and "common sense" also dictate what is considered "standard"
twotall88@reddit
OP was referencing a "rule/law" or a "standard rule" so I provided the proof behind it. Not every state requires you to leave the left lane if you are going slow. The majority only require it if you are going 5-10mph under the posted limit.
Astute_Primate@reddit
Don't know where you live but in every state in the Northeast the speed limit is the same in all lanes and you're not even supposed to be in the left lane unless you're actively passing another vehicle. They ticket you for "failure to keep right" (or in Connecticut, "failure to drive right" which I always found humorous because they should just tack that on as a surcharge to the license renewal fee of everyone in the state)
Proper-District8608@reddit
It's in Iowa drivers Ed books about being law (nephew studying a year early b4 he can take the classes to show his dad he's ready:)
cluttered-thoughts3@reddit
True but if it’s not a law and you don’t travel out of the state frequently, how would people develop that knowledge as common sense? You wouldn’t learn it as apart of drivers education since it’s not a law.
I’ve been in some of the states where it’s not a law and there is no common sense to move over. Drives me nuts
bs-scientist@reddit
I spent a little less than 2 years living in South Dakota.
I can confirm that they just drive whatever speed in whatever lane they please.
ThePurityPixel@reddit
I'm curious what adding "moving" does to the phrase.
Calling a moving vehicle "slow" already implies it's moving.
… Unless you meant "slow-moving vehicles" (hyphenated)?
WaterIsGolden@reddit
I just stopped at a green light to let a couple school kids finish running (illegally crossing) because it's raining and they're getting wet while I'm not. They politely waved to thank me and transitioned to a slow walk for the rest of their time crossing while cars behind me honked their horns.
They will be driving slow in the left lane in a couple years. Some people are just solipsistic.
sas223@reddit
Not in countries where they drive on the opposite side of the road. It’s reversed in those locations.
Relevant-Ad4156@reddit
Well, I mean, yeah. But I assumed that was be...assumed.
sas223@reddit
You know what they say about assuming.
kmikek@reddit
Congratulations on ignoring the premise and building a strawman fallacy of logic. Your argument is irrelevant to the topic
sas223@reddit
Hah! You’re hilarious.
jwagne51@reddit
This is AskAnAmerican.
sas223@reddit
It’s is. But the person I replied to mentioned other countries.
ExtremelyDecentWill@reddit
It is not the standard everywhere.
There is no 'Passing Lane' laws in CA.
kmikek@reddit
I swear it is literally in the dmv book, but nobody observes it
OlympiasTheMolossian@reddit
On a multilane road, the passing lane is the lane closest to the center divider and is used to pass other vehicles
tooslow_moveover@reddit
Exactly! Thus my user name
DMDingo@reddit
I was driving back home on I-43 in Wisconsin the other day and there is a section where they add a third lane on the right for slow vehicles to move over to while going up hill.
No joke, watched a semi book it into the right lane to pass another semi who wouldn't get over. I was impressed they actually got around in time.
Comediorologist@reddit
There's a two lane one between New Glarus and Madison that I absolutely HATE.
I truly resent these extra lanes. Oh. You want to speed and pass me, but you want ME to pull right, to leave the lane, just so you can pass on the left?
Not_an_alt_69_420@reddit
It only happens when you're running late, though!
Danieljoe1@reddit
In NV, as long as your doing the speed limit, you can ride left lane.
So no, left lane isn't just for speeding fuckholes to treat as their personal raceway
NRS 484B.208
The_Werefrog@reddit
It's the standard. Some states take it more seriously than others. Iowa, for example, requires that one be not more than 5 miles per hour below the speed limit if not in the rightmost lane.
The Werefrog heard that Alabama will ticket a driver who stays in the left lane when there's no traffic in the right lane to pass.
AKlutraa@reddit
My state has no interstates, and in many places there's just a single lane in each direction for miles and miles, on the o e and only road connecting one part of the state with the rest of our limited road system.
We have a state law requiring all drivers to pull over and allow other traffic to pass once there are five or more vehicles behind them, even if the vehicle in front is going the speed limit.
We get lots if older tourists driving ungainly RVs here all summer, and 99% of them either don't know about, or ignore this law, as they rubberneck their slow way down our highways.
If you visit Alaska, please don't drive like this.
Joel_feila@reddit
In some states it is just a suggestion.
TheOfficialKramer@reddit
This is the norm, but not a law. There are always plenty of asshats that sit in the left lane and won't move over.
aircraftwhisperer@reddit
It’s almost never enforced. That’s the root of the problem.
Sudden-Cardiologist5@reddit
In some states it’s a law, but not all. I wish it was.
frank-sarno@reddit
It's not codified in every state. We had a proposal in Florida recently to ensure the left lane is passing only but it was vertoed by the governor for being too broad. Not sure if a revised version is making its way through.
In many states this is an unwritten rule and a law is not needed because other drivers will "encourage" you to not camp in the left lane.
OlderAndCynical@reddit
Unfortunately, it's not at all unusual in Hawaii for someone to pull on doing 10 miles under the speed limit and proceed as quickly as possible to the far left lane and proceed at something less than the flow of traffic. Tourists? Don't think so. Usually some old dude not driving an obvious rental.
OceanPoet87@reddit
In Washington it officially is "Keep right except to pass." Oregon uses the "slower traffic keep right rule" though individual roads may differ.
ShotgunCreeper@reddit
Recently drove Seattle-Spokane. I saw plenty of signage for both.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Just a side note: I've been to Washington once for what was too short of a trip. You live in a beautiful state that I hope to get to go back to and explore more of one day. I would love to do road trip through Washington, Oregon and north Cali.
TwinFrogs@reddit
NO! In Oregon fuckfaces camp the left lane doing 35 in a 60 on a completely wide open freeway. They pull the same shit when there’s a Mariners or Seahawks game in Seattle. It’s like passing a line of covered wagons like The Oregon Trail just discovered Subarus. Makes me want them to all die of dysentery.
Annoyed_Heron@reddit
Here the slower traffic is somehow too often on the left!
TheBanalBumpkin@reddit
We’re supposed to, but people in the North East have no idea how to drive and will camp out in the left lane indefinitely.
Eatatfiveguys@reddit
Yes, it is and that's how we're taught to drive. However, in a few states like Kansas and Massachusetts you can only drive in the right lane unless you're passing.
offbrandcheerio@reddit
So the problem is that the left lane is commonly misunderstood as a lane where it’s legal to break the speed limit by significant margins. It’s not, and in most places you’re not actually legally required to move over the instant someone faster than you approaches. You’ll have some dickwad in a lifted truck going 25 over get mad that someone in the left lane who’s already going 10 over won’t move over to let them pass, even if the vehicle that’s technically slower is already actively passing traffic in the right lane. It’s ridiculous, and the speeding truck driver is in the wrong for assuming that everyone needs to get out of their way immediately.
Then you have people who ignore road rules altogether and pass people on the right, instead of waiting for an opportunity to pass on the left. Nobody follows the rules anymore, and many people don’t even take drivers ed to learn the rules, so basically it’s a free for all.
Comprehensive_Tap438@reddit
People wouldn’t have to pass you on the right if you would just get out of the left lane for 5 seconds and let them pass you like a normal person
offbrandcheerio@reddit
My guy, if I’m already passing people in the right lane, why would I move over until I’m done passing? You can slow down for five seconds too, you know.
Comprehensive_Tap438@reddit
The issue is when someone like you is going 70 in the fast lane, taking an eternity to pass cars going 68 in the slow lane, with a line of vehicles clogged up in the left lane behind you. Do you not look in the rear view mirror and see the chaos you are causing in this scenario? It’s not your job to prevent other people from speeding. And people driving unpredictably at a low rate of speed is far more dangerous than people driving predictably at a high rate of speed.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
IDK if it's immediate but yeah within a timely manner. If someone can pass on the right then clearly the person in front that's driving in the left lane has room /needs to get over because they aren't passing. So I would still consider this the person in the lefts fault for not getting out of the way. I wouldn't need to pass on the right if they weren't in the wrong lane.
*Not wanting to argue with you or say you are wrong, just giving my perspective on it.
offbrandcheerio@reddit
The disagreements that people have about what you’re supposed to do certainly are a major factor in the frustration that people have about this. Doesn’t help that we have 50 states with 50 separate sets of traffic laws and you don’t usually have to be tested on your new state’s traffic laws if you move.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
You are absolutely correct with this.
kmikek@reddit
In california, nobody observes this law. They drive however they please in both lanes and dont care about getting out of the passing lane.
ParkMan73@reddit
Yes - this is universally true.
Some of my least favorite drivers are those that drive in the left lane and go the speed limit to slow us all down. Obnoxious
Spirited-Humor-554@reddit
Except it's a traveling lane like all others
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Except it's not, or specifically in my state it's not. It's designated to pass someone or to travel more quickly than the right lane, not to ride at the same rate of speed as the person in the right lane. If you're traveling in the left lane you're supposed to be doing so because you're going faster than the other car and need to pass it not because you want to cruise beside them for whatever reason.
Spirited-Humor-554@reddit
Speed limit applies to all lanes. If the right lane is going speed limit, left lane can only keep up otherwise it's speeding which is illegal. Not using all lanes will just result in unnecessary traffic
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
If you feel this way then that's why you should stay in the right lane, because clearly you aren't passing. Most people passing aren't going to be going the speed limit that are using the left lane. Unless you are law enforcement it's not your job to police and impede travelers because you don't want to go faster than the speed limit. Both are laws in my state and both are enforceable, so one is just as illegal as the other. If there's 10 cars behind you wanting to get around then you're the problem, why would you insist on snailing along in the left lane?
Gold-Leather8199@reddit
Slow traffic in Wisconsin is supposed to drive in the right lane, except for the f.i.b.s they think they are privileged to drive slow in the left lane
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
f.i.b.s ?
purplishfluffyclouds@reddit
Apparently it's this. I guess everyone is expected to know niche Wisconsin acronyms.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
LOL Thank you :)
Gold-Leather8199@reddit
Fucking Illinois bastards
External_Produce7781@reddit
Left lanes are for passing, not “going fast”.
if youre speeding in the left lane, youre still speeding.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Well no one said you weren't speeding if you're speeding. But whether I'm speeding or not, if the lane is made for passing and I'm clearly going faster than you are and you aren't actively passing someone at the time, then you should move over.
FAx32@reddit
Left lane speed marms drive me nuts. Get the F over with the traffic going below the limit, this is the passing lane son.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Yes, it's such a pet peeve of mine!
TheJokersChild@reddit
I thought it was a nationwide law, in part because of the on and off ramps.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
IDK..... it seems that California really doesn't have this rule. And what I can tell it's also harder for NY and places like that to follow because they have exits on both the left and the right.
Spirited-Humor-554@reddit
Legally in any state you can pass in any lanes. Also, in California there is no such thing as passing lane, meaning there is no rule against sitting in the left lane.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
See now I want be so angry when Californians do it because now I know they aren't just trying to be asshole, it's just that they don't know any better.... I mean there are all kinds of signs in my state about but at least I can know that this isn't really taught as the norm. .
NinjaBilly55@reddit
If they do it's not evident..
Hollowbody57@reddit
It's supposed to be, but it's often ignored. A lot of roads and highways where I live even have signs posted every few hundred feet that say things like "Slower traffic keep right" or "Left lane for passing only". Doesn't stop Bubba from doing 50 in the left lane in his '91 F150, though.
Theoretically, you can get a ticket for it here, too, but I have no idea how much it's actually enforced. Definitely isn't whenever I'm trying to get to work in the mornings. God damn it, Bubba.
anneofgraygardens@reddit
To your specific question, yes.
But in California, the left lane is not a passing lane, it's the fast lane. You can cruise in it as long as you like, as long as you're going fast. If it becomes clear you're not driving as fast as other people in the lane like, you need to move to the right.
GOTaSMALL1@reddit
It's still the passing lane. Californians calling it "the fast lane" doesn't change that. Now... in heavy city traffic it makes sense that you don't leave an entire lane open for "passing" and faster traffic needs to stay farther left.
However... this is why like 4 times out of 5 the dickhead blocking the left lane in rural Utah has fucking California plates.
SDEexorect@reddit
same for us in Maryland but a Virginia tag
anneofgraygardens@reddit
Nope. California doesn't have passing lanes. It's legal to pass on the left and the right.
ComesInAnOldBox@reddit
The California DMV disagrees with you. Section 6: Navigating the roads:
old_gold_mountain@reddit
There's no provision of California Vehicle Code that requires you to keep out of the left lane if you are not driving slower than other traffic.
ComesInAnOldBox@reddit
Didn't say there was. I said the California DMV refers to it as a passing lane contrary to the previous poster's insistence that California doesn't have passing lanes.
The rest of your rant is nonsensical as it doesn't apply to anything I actually said.
old_gold_mountain@reddit
The DMV Handbook referring to "passing lanes" doesn't make them legally "passing lanes"
ComesInAnOldBox@reddit
Never said it did. You keep trying to bring "legal" into a side discussion where no one is talking about legalities. Go be pedantic with someone else, you're wasting your time here
GOTaSMALL1@reddit
"Fast Lane" is a colloquialism for CA city dwellers. The fucking California DMV handbook calls it the "Passing Lane". Passing on the right is legal "when safe" like it is in a lot of other States (like Utah) and doesn't make it not a passing lane.
DrBlankslate@reddit
I picked up a friend from the Northeast at LAX once. Going home, I passed on the right two or three times (because that’s what you do in Southern California). He was rubbernecking for a cop and was amazed that I didn’t get pulled over and ticketed.
fullofspiders@reddit
There are a few spots on 50 up by Tahoe where there are lanes that temporarily open up for passing (there are signs stating that's what they're for), but as you said I'm not sure if it's illegal to pass on the right there, and certainly not elsewhere.
old_gold_mountain@reddit
It's not a passing lane.
The law in California is not "keep right except to pass," it is "slower traffic keep right". If you are not "slower traffic" you do not need to vacate the left lane in California.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Someone feels my frustration. HAHA
GOTaSMALL1@reddit
I just bought a new car. It's fleet surplus that was ordered for the Utah Highway Patrol and has the giant cow catcher/push bar on the front.
People GTFO of my way now. It's a good time!!
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I almost bought a police interceptor for this reason! :)
jaspnlv@reddit
Yes
twotall88@reddit
That's not true. https://1800lionlaw.com/can-you-get-a-ticket-for-driving-in-the-left-lane/
https://www.mit.edu/\~jfc/right.html this one is easier to review. South Dakota only requires 'slow moving vehicles' to keep right (the ones with the triangle on the back). A lot of the states say to only keep right if moving a certain amount below the speed limit.
blues_and_ribs@reddit
OP said the “standard”. That is, the common practice, not the law.
So yes, I would argue that in every state, without exception, it’s common practice that slower vehicles should be on the right. Whether a cop’s going to do anything about you not observing that varies by state.
twotall88@reddit
No, I hit the top 3 to raise awareness. It's far more nuanced than saying "the standard". OP also insinuated a "rule/law" so I'm not sure what you're talking about.
rawbface@reddit
Confidently daft answers 3 times then. OP "insinuated" nothing, if you're driving slow in the left lane, you're wrong and you're an a-hole. It's simple as that.
twotall88@reddit
I didn't say driving slow in the left was OK, I was spreading awareness of the actual laws/rules in each state. But hey, go ahead and continue to be a donkey.
misoranomegami@reddit
You literally listed a chart with 51 entries. 8 say that you can ONLY be in the left lane for passing; 4 say you have to move right if you're going slower than the other cars in the left lane, 27 say you have to move right if you're going slower than the cars around in general, 4 say the left lane is for going faster than the flow of traffic/passing, 7 that have more general pass on the left or don't obstruct traffic instructions, and literally the one 'no' which is South Dakota with a population of <100k for the entire state even days "slow moving vehicles need to keep right."
But even aside from all that most state's don't have a law that you can't cut in line at the grocery store but most people understand that it's not a good idea. It's absolutely not a standard of behavior to just walk straight up to a cashier when there's a line even if your area doesn't have a law against it.
Now that doesn't mean you have to be going 90 in the left lane. You can be going 50 in a 65 zone in the left lane IF you're passing someone going 45. Just pass them and them move over and allow others to pass you. And YES understand almost every state in the country has a law on the books that they can ticket you if you chose to drive in the left lane at 50 indefinitely when the speed limit is 65 and there's traffic.
BingBongDingDong222@reddit
While it’s not a Law in every state, it’s certainly common courtesy
twotall88@reddit
Common courtesy is like common sense... if it was so common, everyone would have it.
4x4Lyfe@reddit
You should try using a dictionary to find out what the word common means. If everyone had it then it wouldn't be common by definition it would be ubiquitous
Antioch666@reddit
The standard is you pass on the left. It is not where you cruise at a higher speed. You pass the someone then turn back in to the right. But if you actually want to experience disciplined drivers following this rule you have to go to Europe in countries like Germany, Netherlands or the Nordics.
terryaugiesaws@reddit
IMO this is common sense in all 50 states and shouldn't need to be explicitly stated. Nevertheless, a lot of people in my state don't seem to understand this.
spring-rolls-please@reddit
As someone who learned to drive in the depths of hell that is Southern California, it was not obvious to me that the right lane is inherently slower, because people will drive up all around you no matter which lane you’re in.
terryaugiesaws@reddit
if you ever move to Arizona (like everyone else from LA) please do not adopt this practice in AZ
fasterthanfood@reddit
What varies is whether the left lane is OK for fast travel, or only for passing. In California you can stay in the left lane as long as you’re moving faster than traffic in the right lanes, but in many other states, you’re only supposed to move into it long enough to pass another car.
ExtremelyDecentWill@reddit
Is this codified in CA traffic laws?
I've never seen anywhere that says you must be moving faster than traffic to the right.
fasterthanfood@reddit
Actually, Vehicle Code 21650 appears to say you can only use the left lane to pass (and in certain other situations that aren’t relevant to what we’re talking about). The DMV handbook also says, “On a multilane road, the passing lane (far left lane) is the lane closest to the center divider and is used to pass other vehicles.”
ExtremelyDecentWill@reddit
WHAAAAT!?
TIL
notaskindoctor@reddit
People really love to coast in the middle lane of a 3 lane freeway, I do not understand. Drives me nuts.
UnattributableSpoon@reddit
Same here, and they won't even move out of the left lane when we come barreling up in the ambulance with lights and sirens. It's uuuuuugh.
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Wait what!?! You are saying my fellow countrymen and women might suck at driving and not following common sense rules?!
Maxamillian fetch my fainting couch.
If you tell me they litter as well I may have a full blown attack of the vapors.
(But seriously you fuckwits stop littering)
PsychologicalBat1425@reddit
They are supposed to do that, but I see slow vehicles on the fast lane on the Interstate all the time. Any vehicle pulling a trailer is also supposed to drive in the right lane unless passing.
BankManager69420@reddit
It’s standard practice everywhere, but not a law everywhere.
Efficient-Love6212@reddit
It’s pretty much standard everywhere, but often I find the right lane is faster, because all the knuckleheads are sitting in the left lanes. I can zoom right past everyone in the right lane.
Rhuarc33@reddit
Standard? Yes. Required by law? No
nwbrown@reddit
It's the rule everywhere.
teslaactual@reddit
Pretty sure that's a federal regulation not controlled by the state
7yearlurkernowposter@reddit
It may be the legal rule but I doubt you could find even a single state where all of the counties agreed on interpretation.
chuckie8604@reddit
Yes. The left lane on the highways are for passing only. Each state has it worded slightly differently, but in thr end it boils down to the left lane is for passing, the right lane is for cruising. If thr highway has 3 lanes, then the middle is for cruising and the far right is for cruising/letting people on and off the highway.
THElaytox@reddit
Yes because it's more dangerous to pass on the right (bigger blind spot)
visitor987@reddit
No its only required by law in CA and a few others states to use the leftmost lane for passing only.. A few states ban traveling below the speed limit in the left lane but drivers are allowed to travel there. NYS has the worse traffic law you can travel in the left at speed limit and its not legal to pass on right but the pass on right part is rarely enforced
Spirited-Humor-554@reddit
Wrong, there is no law requiring one to use left lane to pass. You can pass using any lanes. I am in California and it's normal on freeway to often pass using non left lane.
visitor987@reddit
You mis under stand it not legal to travel in leftmost lane
Spirited-Humor-554@reddit
California doesn't have such a law. Meaning once you pass, you're not required to change lanes
Joe30174@reddit
Well, for the most part. Although I think with 3+ lanes, the far right lane is supposed to be primarily used as a merging lane for oncoming and exiting traffic. Idk of that applies everywhere, though.
Zardozin@reddit
It varies, some places they can write tickets for it, most places only if you don’t go over for emergency vehicles.
It’s always polite, but some places sitting in the left lane is actively discouraged.
Docnevyn@reddit
Some states have signs up that say “left lane is for passing only “ but in my experience everyone drove the same as places without them.
RonWill79@reddit
It’s standard that ALL vehicles drive in the right lane. Left lane for passing only. Is it a well followed practice? Absolutely not.
old_gold_mountain@reddit
This is not the law in every state. There are many states where the law is "slower traffic keep right" but NOT "keep right except to pass". For example, in California you are allowed to stay in the left lane as long as you want as long as you're not driving slower than any other traffic.
RonWill79@reddit
“Not driving slower than other traffic”. In other words…passing?
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
It should be! It's such a pet peeve of mine.
I did have a coworker one time that said she drives in the left lane because "the exit signs confuse her". To not get HR called on me I had to just say "Aww, bless your heart" and walk away. LOL
RonWill79@reddit
I’m a truck driver governed at 65mph. Only time I’m not in the far right lane is when there are more than 2 lanes of travel in one direction. But that’s only because people also don’t know how to merge into traffic and it’s a pain in the ass to slow down to 50, let someone in, then take 1-1.5 minutes to get back up to 65 only to have another idiot merge at 20 below the flow of traffic.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I appreciate your truck driving (for real country couldn't run without you guys), and your courtesy to stay in the slower lanes :)
captainstormy@reddit
Devil's advocate, it makes no sense to only drive on half of the roadway.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
LOL Drive in whichever lane you wish but when I'm speeding up behind then get your ass over.
Ig_Met_Pet@reddit
The way you phrased it in your post as "a road with two or more lanes going the same direction" is absolutely NOT standard anywhere that I know of.
In Colorado, the law says you must keep right except to pass if the speed limit is 65 mph or higher.
In a two lane road where the speed limit is 30 mph people need to be in the left lane to turn left. It's also better for traffic in general to utilize both lanes as much as possible on surface roads. That's the same reason it's important to zipper merge properly when there's a lane closure, and not get over earlier than you need to.
Staying on the right except to pass is standard for highways. It is absolutely not standard, or even recommended, for surface streets.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I'm sorry I wasn't sure how to phrase it and keep it in the character parameters. I really mean like highways, turnpikes, interstates, state roads/routes, etc.
Obviously if it's a road with a low speed and has residential / business areas you have to be in whatever lane that will get you to the direction your needing to turn or go.
arcticmischief@reddit
Nope. There are various articles and maps online discussing lane discipline laws. However, in the last several years, several states have updated their laws to more aggressively require people to keep right, so some of the sources are out of date or conflict with each other. Thus, I don’t want to post a specific link, because it might not be accurate. But you can easily Google “keep right laws in US states” or something and read through any number of them, and you’ll see that at least a few states have weak or no lane discipline laws on the books.
RedditBeginAgain@reddit
Maryland has it as a social convention, but they removed it from the how to drive guide about 5 years ago as apparently it's not been the rule in decades.
mew5175_TheSecond@reddit
I think this is the goal everywhere however not all states have signs (or a lot of signs) indicating that slower traffic should keep right and I am not sure it is taught in all Driver's Ed programs.
Where I am from, there's no signage indicating slower traffic keep right and I definitely did not learn it in driver's ed. It was really only after I moved to the midwest after college that I realized this was a thing.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I could see that, assuming your from NY. You guys have exits on the left and right which would make it harder to do
mew5175_TheSecond@reddit
Indeed!
codefyre@reddit
All American states follow one of two standards for the left lane that can be summed up as "Keep Right" and "Yield Right."
Most American states are "Keep Right". This basically says that you must keep your vehicle in the right lane at all times, unless you're passing another vehicle.
A minority of American states, mostly in the west, are "Yield Right". This means that you're allowed to drive in any lane, but you're required to move right and allow faster traffic to pass when approached from the rear. The various Yield Right states all have slightly varying requirements for this.
To complicate things a little more, most states also have laws stating that local signage can override the standard. Some highways in Yield Right states are posted Keep Right for safety reasons, and you have to follow the posted requirement. Some highways in Keep Right states are posted with a "Use All Lanes" variation, which overrides the "Keep Right" requirement. This is typically only seen in dense urban areas where they want traffic in all lanes to reduce backups.
Polishgodfather@reddit
Driving down the 5 to Socal you pass everyone from the right lane because no one ever gets over after passing trucks, no concept of passing lane, and sometimes a mile faster than the trucks
Madeitup75@reddit
Pretty much.
But almost every state also has speed limits that are below actual safe travel speeds in dry, daytime, moderate or low traffic conditions.
So somebody who really believes in the 55 mph limit will camp in the left lane at 55 on cruise control and be indignant that a “speeder” wants them to move over.
ageekyninja@reddit
50 states is a lot to keep track of, but I can confirm that Texas has a “getting the fuck on” lane to the far left and a slow lane to the right.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I drove through a portion of Texas on a road trip once.... There was NOTHING pretty much but dust, but I know that's not the whole state. lol But it was literally the first and only time I've seen a tumbleweed and a dust devil (which I just had to look up the name for cause I was calling it a dust tornado lol)
ageekyninja@reddit
That’s what you call the no-speed-limit zone lol
Sea-Replacement-8794@reddit
I just renewed my license in WA. It came in the mail attached to a document highlighting the fact that in WA the left lane is for passing only and to get out of the way when people come up behind you. I think they were highlighting it because so many people ignore this rule.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
More states should do this :)
Bubble_Lights@reddit
Yes, the standard is that the left lane is the passing lane, and the farthest right is the slowest.
Sabertooth767@reddit
Yes, but people constantly drive in the wrong lane.
I've put a lot of miles on the interstate, and it drives me insane how feel people understand the premise of keep right except to pass. If you're one of those people, let me explain it to you: if you're driving in the right lane, there are two lanes where it safe to pass you. If you're driving in the center lane, there is instead only one lane where it is safe to pass you.
In other words, your failure to keep right has effectively reduced this three-lane road to a two-lane road.
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
"Keep right except to pass" is not the law everywhere. You can get angry about it if you want, but that's not going do anything except increase your blood pressure.
Sabertooth767@reddit
What does the law have to do with it? I want people to drive in a safe, efficient, courteous manner because it's the safe, efficient, courteous manner.
A grown adult should not need to be commanded to do the right thing on pain of a ticket. You should just do it, because it helps everyone, including you!
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
It's not "the right thing" just because you say so. The idea that the left lane is only for passing is a practice from certain states that you're mentally imposing elsewhere. That is not the rule in Florida. If you're going the speed limit (or, let's be honest, above), there's no reason you can cruise in the left lane. The only rule here is that slower traffic must keep right.
Narrow_Tennis_2803@reddit
It's so funny to read this from you because as your Tennessee neighbor it always feels like a breath of fresh air crossing into Kentucky and actually being able to pass in the left lane. Here in TN anything goes.
Sabertooth767@reddit
Kentucky is one of the few states that legally prohibits left lane camping. By contrast, TN (along with most of the country) only requires you to keep right if you're going slow.
I wish we'd go further and embrace keeping all the way right, but I'll take what I can get.
Attapussy@reddit
All states follow MUCTD. But not all states follow the "slower traffic in the right lane" or "keep right."
Silver_Catman@reddit
Yes, but on town roads it's not really followed. On the highway/freeway its followed more closely. One any long 2 lane roads it's followed almost 100% of the time
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I wish this were true. LOL but it's not in my experience. I would say it's more like 60-70% of the time.
Silver_Catman@reddit
Ah damn that sucks
andmen2015@reddit
Texas law requires slower drivers to keep right, and we were surprised to learn that our adult neighbor was unaware of this until she received a ticket for it. I think a lot of people just don't know.
TweeksTurbos@reddit
We all have the steering wheel on the left. So the cars a built to keep right but the drivers arent
BreakfastBeerz@reddit
It's every state.
Severe_Departure3695@reddit
Incorrect. New York does not have this law. Which is absolutely stupid.
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
NY Law specifically says you must keep right except to pass.
Severe_Departure3695@reddit
Thanks, I stand corrected. I've been looking for that language for some time.
There was a bill proposed a couple years ago to very clearly require drivers to keep right except to pass, and it failed.
BreakfastBeerz@reddit
I was answering if it was a "standard" not if it was an actual law. It is a generally accepted standard that slower traffic moves to the right
Severe_Departure3695@reddit
You said "it's every state". And I'm tell you it is NOT a standard practice in large areas of New York. Largely in part because NY does not have an actual rule that makes it, in fact, a standard. Therefore, it's not every state.
tee2green@reddit
They may not have it de jure, but they have it de facto.
Severe_Departure3695@reddit
The question was if the "kept right except for passing" was not a standard rule in other states. So, de jure, it is NOT a standard in NYS.
And I can confirm that drivers in southern parts of NYS most assuredly don't observe it de facto, either. One trip on the Long Island Expressway or any of the parkways will confirm it.
jessiyjazzy123@reddit
Not every state. There are a lot of left lane exits in Connecticut.
twotall88@reddit
That's not true. https://1800lionlaw.com/can-you-get-a-ticket-for-driving-in-the-left-lane/
https://www.mit.edu/\~jfc/right.html this one is easier to review. South Dakota only requires 'slow moving vehicles' to keep right (the ones with the triangle on the back). A lot of the states say to only keep right if moving a certain amount below the speed limit.
BreakfastBeerz@reddit
I was answering if it was a "standard" not if it was an actual law. It is a generally accepted standard that slower traffic moves to the right
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
But enforcement varies widely.
Also, hogging the left lane going slower than everybody else is the American way.
Particular_Bet_5466@reddit
Yup, the American way for sure. When my German colleagues are here they are like why are people overtaking me on the right???
Drew707@reddit
To the best of my knowledge, all states have a "slower traffic keep right" law, but not every state mandates the number one lane as a passing lane only. Similarly, not every state prohibits passing on the right.
shelwood46@reddit
There's a road on a state highway in NJ going through a town which I drive on frequently, and there is specific signage that faster traffic/passing is to be done on the right when you are traveling south, I assume because all the turnoffs are on the left. But other than that, yes, NJ even flashes signs on the major highways reminding people not to camp out in the left lane.
Drew707@reddit
Oof, turnouts on the left sound annoying and possibly dangerous. It's like they stopped halfway converting to NEW Jersey.
MortimerDongle@reddit
There is actually no state that uniformly prohibits passing on the right on roads that have at least two lanes of travel in each direction
marksman81991@reddit
I’ve traveled a lot around the US (38 states), so far I’ve seen the same every state. Right is main lane, slow, left is passing lane.
CashWideCock@reddit
In Oregon the slower traffic keep right only applies to trucks, busses and RV’s.
dosassembler@reddit
Some municipalities use the much more anti-congestion "through traffic keep left" policy. That prioritizes everyone moving at a reasonable speed over letting that one guy drive really fast.
WeakAfternoon3188@reddit
In Oklahoma, they passed a law to only use the inside lane for passing.
coysbville@reddit
As far as I'm concerned, yes. Officially, though, that's a good question...
ComesInAnOldBox@reddit
Standard? Yes. Rule/law? No. Some states explicitly state it as a law, others "encourage" it through use of "slow traffic keep right" signs, but it isn't enforceable.
Whether standard or law, it's often ignored entirely.
TheRealRollestonian@reddit
My wife got a ticket in Florida for it, which we occasionally bring up to change the direction of a driving argument, so it's definitely a thing.
It's only really enforceable by peer pressure.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Yeah I live in Georgia and I've also seen some people get pulled over for it, and I've known someone who got a warning for it. But It seems like it's the minority because from what I can tell nowhere else really monitors it, or it's not even a law.
baalroo@reddit
On major highways yes. This is not a thing on city streets where I live.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Right, not in city streets as you have to make turns to wherever you're getting to. I just meant highways, interstates, state road / routes etc.
musical_dragon_cat@reddit
NM doesn't have a law about this, or at least it's not enforced and there are no signs anywhere about it. We're still taught in driver's ed that it's the norm, but nobody really follows it. It's annoying because semis take the opportunity to crowd the left lanes on the highway.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I will say in my state that for the most part the truck driver's stay to the right except to pass. But we have a law about trucker's staying in the right lane except for when overtaking or passing a vehicle and I believe that is monitored more strictly than just regular cars.
SquidsArePeople2@reddit
The left lane is for passing in every state.
Unfair_Ad_6164@reddit
The right lane is for passing only on city streets in Chicago but not the expressway.
blaspheminCapn@reddit
The right lane was designed to pass, only. If all the cars kept a steady rate, it wouldn't matter.
The design of the US interstates was a huge improvement over the other systems, like Route 66. But they still didn't account for the number of Americans that would purchase cars from 1945-2000.
Or the number of morons who would be able to afford those cars....
D3moknight@reddit
It's common courtesy, but it's basically completely ignored in most states that I have driven.
thepineapplemen@reddit
On the interstate it’s generally standard. On roads through cities/towns with businesses on each side and turns on the left, no. Some people do expect it to be standard for those roads to, but in practice it’s not nearly as standard
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Yeah and I get on the roads where you have to take a turn. It's the roads like interstates / state roads/ highways that my rage comes from. lol
Loud_Insect_7119@reddit
Yes, this is basic driving rules.
However, in my experience the number of people who follow it vary a lot depending on the state.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Mind if I asked what state? I had another commenter say Ohio is awful about it. I'm wondering if it's more geographical like the midwest, or north etc is worse at it. I know people do it everywhere but I am curious to know if people see it happen more in certain areas.
HelloKatie5808@reddit
In my experience Wisconsin and Illinois are usually pretty good about moving over but Indiana is awful.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Thanks for your response :)
Loud_Insect_7119@reddit
The state I learned to drive in was New Mexico, which is honestly the worst state I've ever driven in, and I have driven extensively all over the US.
I feel like the western US tends to have more blatant disregard for traffic laws. There's crazy drivers all over, the crazy drivers in more populated areas with better traffic enforcement are just crazy in different ways, lol.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
LOL I got you. Thanks for you response :)
machagogo@reddit
Technically no here in New Jersey. The left lane is the passing lane not the "fast lane"
State law is drive right, except to pass"
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Thanks for your response :)
Playful_Procedure991@reddit
The left lane is for the folks that have ticket money.
47-30-23N_122-0-22W@reddit
It depends on the state. When you think of left lane you think of the highway. When I think of left lane I think of the turning lane on a two lane road.
freecain@reddit
Some states have laws where you either are only allowed to pass in the left lane, or you have to allow overtaking vehicles buy. Not all states have this.
In every state I've lived in (Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts) or and a bunch I drive through regularly (PA, NY, NJ, RI) - don't have that law. It stops making as much sense when your high way system looks like it was designed by someone testing if a pen still had ink - since you have frequent left hand exits, weird mergers, lanes that disappear, highways dividing in the middle. Also the traffic. No one is passing anyone half the time. And, speed limits are regularly 55-65 - a speed most drivers can maintain.
So yeah - if you're in A flat stretch of the mid west with two lanes, no exits and an 80mph speed limit, going 70 in the left lane is dangerous. However, that same 70 is speeding in all of Massachusetts, and that person might be getting ready to take an exist.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
See that makes sense, if your exits are on the left as well then it's kinda hard to follow this rule. My state has pretty much all the exits on the right. We have only a handful on the left.
Several_Bee_1625@reddit
Sort of.
Sometimes the law is that you have to stay in the right lane except to pass. Which in effect is similar, but a cop could technically ticket you for hanging out in the left too long, even if you're going fast.
namhee69@reddit
Enforcement and education is the issue.
The drivers tests in the USA are a fucking joke. If they were anything like the tests in Germany or UK most wouldn’t pass.
And guess what… in Germany drivers don’t camp in the fast lane. In fact, if you’re obstructing traffic they’ll make sure you know you are by flashing high beams and honking at the slow driver.
Because they’re taught how to properly drive there and it’s rarely an issue.
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
Had the same experience driving on the highways in Spain. Everyone passed on the left and then moved immediately back into the right lane. Even though there were only two lanes in each direction, traffic moved a lot more smoothly and quickly (I was regularly doing close to 90 mph) than on your typical US interstate.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
The flashing high beams and honking happens in my state, but it doesn't seem to give them the idea that they need to get the hell over. lol
I've always heard that about the autobahn. Haven't had the opportunity yet to go to Germany.
namhee69@reddit
Some intentionally don’t move over but it’s more dangerous for people to pass on the right than left.
Too bad oblivious idiots don’t get it.
Sledgehammer925@reddit
I’m going to get pushback on this, but in California you only see signs instructing slow people move to the right in the back country. For whatever reason those signs don’t exist on our freeways. The should, but don’t.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I've only been to Cali once, and it was to LA. I wouldn't go back, but I would like to check out some places in north Cali. I hate the freeways around LA. The amount of traffic is insane. We literally were just sitting in traffic for seemingly no reason, there were no accidents of anything like that. I've always heard LA and ATL traffic is the worst. Give me ATL traffic any day. We might drive fast and crazy but at least it doesn't take 3 hours to go 30 miles for literally no reason at all. LOL
Sledgehammer925@reddit
LOL! I avoid LA as much as I can. Northern CA is an entirely different animal. The freeways are two lanes each direction and I’ve never encountered what I call traffic. Start about 50-100 miles north of Frisco, and you’ll love it. Check it out sometime.
DrBlankslate@reddit
Two lanes each way is a road, not a freeway.
Sledgehammer925@reddit
Interstate 5 is two lanes both directions. interstates 8&10 are two lanes in each direction. They only gain lanes in the cities.
DrBlankslate@reddit
And they freak me out when I have to drive on them. They are not freeways. I do not have the space necessary to move if someone does something stupid in front of me. Two lanes is not a freeway.
I turned down a job in another state because of the two lane roads.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I hope to. I would like to a do a road trip from Washington, through Oregon, and end somewhere in north Cali. I of course would want to go to the Redwoods park.
HeelVonKayfabe@reddit
Unless they’re a boomer. Then they’ll drive slow in any lane. Sometimes two at once.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
HAHA
villalulaesi@reddit
Depends. On a highway, sure. If on a normal road with businesses/residences on either side, obviously not.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Right. I guess I should have said highways/ interstates. Obviously, if your on a road with businesses and the like, you'll have to get in whatever lane you're going to need to turn in.
Curious_Leader_2093@reddit
That's how 2 lane roads are supposed to work.
Some states follow this better than others.
Total-Improvement535@reddit
No, it’s a state by state basis.
Arkansas, within the last decade, has made a “slower drivers keep right” and then updated to “left lane for passing only” laws.
Texas has been like that since before I was born 28 years ago.
Either way, it gets ignored by people who don’t care and are ignorant/selfish who, in turn, get ignored by law enforcement because there’s no money in enforcing that law.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
I will say that I have seen 2 people get pulled over for this in Georgia, and I personally know 1 person who got pulled over and got a warning for it. So I'm not sure how often it happens, but it does happen here. Maybe if more people got pulled over less people would feel entitled that they can do it. It's such a pet peeve of mine. lol
PomeloPepper@reddit
I've been in lots of traffic where both lanes are fully occupied. Not just city traffic either. Highways between major cities in Texas are heavily traveled and just a higher speed version of bumper to bumper.
Blahblah3180@reddit
Yes, it’s the standard courteous thing to do everywhere that I’ve ever driven, even if it’s not an enforced law. However, a ton of people in all of those places don’t seem to care.
Oscar-mondaca@reddit
I have lived in Minnesota and Kansas. Both state's DOT will highly encourage you to only use the left lane to pass but it's not a law that is enforced. I will say Minnesota is worse when it comes to camping in the left lane.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your response :) I've had quite a few responses that it's worse in midwest states.
canisdirusarctos@reddit
Legally yes. Customarily, only low-population states and rural areas of most states.
Blahblah3180@reddit
It’s still considered common courtesy in every higher population area I’ve driven in, which is a lot of them.
PirateSteve85@reddit
yes most states have this but do not enforce it.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that's what most are saying. No one enforces it so it's not really followed as much as it should be.
FalicSatchel@reddit
it's pretty standard, though highway driving inside an urban area is touchy with lanes coming and going from both sides, so it's not enforced as often unless you are a problem
trinite0@reddit
I call the left lane the "crime lane." Stay out of the crime lane unless you're ready to break the speed limit. Otherwise, leave it to the rest of us malefactors.
judgingA-holes@reddit (OP)
Exactly!
ThePurityPixel@reddit
*faze
JunkMale975@reddit
Our highways have signs that say slower traffic keep right. That said, lost people ignore it and cops can’t be bothered to ticket people for it. If they stop someone for other offenses they may add it on, but just for that? No, they’re not doing that.
AuggieNorth@reddit
Not necessarily. I drive a box truck, so on most freeways with 3+ lanes, I'm banned from the left lane, but I'm not heavy like an 18 wheeler so I have more acceleration, and if the second from the left lane is clogged with slow vehicles, I have no choice but to pass on the right. If I didn't, I'd make horrible time. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but if I'm on a long trip, there's no choice. It's much different on a two lane freeway.
twotall88@reddit
No, but they should and it should be better enforced.
misoranomegami@reddit
You keep posting that but that's a list of when it's the LAW not when it's the standard. And even then it's usually saying that faster cars (passing) go on the left and slower cars (obstructing traffic or not) go on the right. So yes it's absolutely the standard even in places where it's not illegal to drive slowly in the left lane.
But not a single example in that chart says that slower cars belong in the left lane and they even specifically state that the Uniform Vehicle Code is "Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic ...' and that the one state that specifically says there is no requirement to be going faster than traffic in the left lane still says slowly moving vehicles need to keep to the right.
twotall88@reddit
You're conflating a whole lot here. If it's not the law that you can't be in the left lane then they can be in the left lane. I'm not out here saying slow drivers should be in the left lane, just spreading awareness of the nuance laws surrounding it. Not every state fully adopts or enforces the Uniform Vehicle Code as that's a guideline and they set there own laws even if they largely base them off the UVC.
Also, South Dakota literally says "only slow moving vehicles" in the chart which means things like tractors or other vehicles that are slow enough to require that triangle sign on the back.
Most of the states literally only restrict left lane use if you're more than a certain amount (often 5 or 10mph) under the speed limit. Which means if the speed limit is 65mph, you can legally block traffic at 55mph.
This is contrary to states like Florida that are a yield state indicating regardless of whether or not you are speeding, if someone approaches you from behind traveling faster than you, you are to yield the left lane to them.
Crayshack@reddit
I think it's the standard for every state, but not necessarily every region of every state. I grew up in an area with a lot of left exits and traffic so thick that there wasn't really a thing of driving faster than the rest, just getting out of the way of the merge lane. So, I wasn't taught that slower vehicles should keep right when I learned to drive and only figured that out when I started spending more time in other regions that had different road layouts. "Left is passing only" became law only after I had moved out of the state (over a decade after I learned how to drive).
Away-Revolution2816@reddit
When I was a kid in the 60's-70's some places would have signs for keep right except to pass, or left lane for passing only. I haven't seen them for years. Probably too many words, most people can't even read stop signs.
FlopShanoobie@reddit
Many states only require it if signs saying as much are posted. I think the gray area is some states explicitly say ALL traffic must use the right lane except when overtaking, while others say slower traffic must use the right lane, implying the left lane is the "fast lane" which is a pretty subjective criteria.
However, for the sake of everyone's safety and sanity, just use the right lane except when you're passing slower traffic.
That does NOT mean stay in the right lane because you're going 2 MPH faster than a car in the right lane that's a half mile ahead, especially if there are other vehicles behind you.
Move. The hell. Over.
andmewithoutmytowel@reddit
Standard curtesy for driving, yes. Legality varies by state. Most states with a law about the left lane will have signs telling you to pass on the left and drive on the right.
Particular_Owl_8029@reddit
the police never give tickets for it so nobody cares and drives like they don't care about anyone but themselves
eyetracker@reddit
In the western US it's generally understood that the left lane is a regular travel lane and not a "passing lane" so you are allowed to drive in it but you should be going faster and should get over if someone else wants to go faster than you. In Nevada specifically (NRS 484B.208) it's a ticketable offense to hog the left lane, but you don't need to use it temporarily.
ActuaLogic@reddit
Yes, I think so. Also, most states have a minimum speed limit (posted or not) of 15 mph below the posted maximum. This applies to farm vehicles on highways, and it usually (but not always?) applies to Amish buggies (which are usually required to have a reflective triangle on the back to make the buggies more visible, especially at night).
sysaphiswaits@reddit
Yes. Although I thought this was generally a highway/interstate thing. (Yes, out of habit I do this on most roads, but it’s not that big of an issue if people aren’t going to be on that road very long.).
Linfords_lunchbox@reddit
It's rarely enforced.
Kaurifish@reddit
Legally, sure. Practically speaking, while slower traffic keeps right it’s interspersed with a few people attempting to break the sound barrier or die trying.
FiddleThruTheFlowers@reddit
It's the expectation everywhere. Whether it's enforced and whether local drivers actually do it is another matter. What I can say is that I've driven in a lot of states and have seen idiots going way below the flow of traffic in the passing lane everywhere I've driven.
CPolland12@reddit
The left lane is for crime
Main-Feature-1829@reddit
Not every state, no. But most. Plus, it's common sense these days.
Conchobair@reddit
In cities, it's not followed, but for the most part on the interstate and highways, people do a pretty good job.
pinniped90@reddit
I'm sure it's written as law but enforcement is nonexistent in most places.
And also, getting a license is super easy in the US and, generally speaking, we are terrible drivers. There are bad drivers everywhere, not solely in Missouri.
dazzleox@reddit
Yes. But I have noticed when you transition from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the Ohio Turnpike, this problem gets worse. I don't know what's going on in Ohio.
In dense city driving, where people are making left turns as often as right turns, or lanes are appearing or disappearing on various blocks along with parking needs etc., it's not a passing lane anymore really though.
Mountain_Man_88@reddit
There's generally some form of this rule everywhere, but it can be different or differently enforced. In many states/areas, the left lane is the "fast lane" just for going somewhat faster than any lanes to the right. In other states/areas, it's a passing lane only and you can get pulled over/ticketed for cruising in the left lane when there's no traffic in the right lane or for camping in the left lane and getting passed on the right.
Moomoomoo1@reddit
Yes, this is the general rule everywhere, but it isn't necessarily the law (only in some states). But also a lot of people don't know about it.