Any lanes to the left are for overtaking, and you move back to the right after passing.
Of course it depends on how heavy the traffic is, but if you’re not willing to move faster than the cars on your right, CHANGE LANES.
People driving in the middle lane when there’s nobody on the right are a pet peeve of mine.
Edit: pasting this below, since people seem to be unaware of the actual rules.
Edit2: This is UK, flip left with right for almost every other country.
The highway code, the official rules for road use in the UK, reads:
(General Rules, 160) “keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road”
(Motorway lane disciple, rule 264): “Keep in the left lane unless overtaking. If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so (see also Rules 267 and 268).”
Many other EU countries have the same rules. I wouldn’t know about America.
Don’t believe this is true. In scenarios where there are three or more lanes, the middle lane is used for cruising. The right-most lane is for entering/exiting traffic.
The laws are different for the US, where middle lane hogging is generally not illegal. However, all states stipulate that you must keep in the right lane unless overtaking, which is similar in spirit. Annoyingly, all but Florida then add an exception to this rule for highways with three lanes or more.
Middle lane hogging is mainly outlawed in the UK, who have correctly recognised it as being incredibly dangerous and a curse of congestion by preventing other people from overtaking.
The highway code, the official rules for road use in the UK, reads:
(General Rules, 160) “keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road”
(Motorway lane disciple, rule 264): “Keep in the left lane unless overtaking. If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so (see also Rules 267 and 268).”
Many other EU countries have the same rules. I wouldn’t know about America.
Yes, these situations exist in Europe too, where we have a “drive in the rightmost lane”-law. For example the ring of Antwerpen has the rightmost lane almost exclusively reserved for on and off ramping. It’s a 4 lane highway, if I remember correctly.
So I was taught that undertaking is technically not illegal but it’s bad practice, hogging the overtake lanes when there’s nobody on your left is the actual offence. (UK before anyone driving on the incorrect side says anything). But yeah there’s still a reasonable speed to keep at on main roads in most conditions.
You know what’s a needless lane change? When I come behind you and have to cross 2 lanes to overtake you, because you’re totally zoned out and never saw me coming, and then I have to move back 2 lanes again instead of 1.
MOVE RIGHT jackass. If changing lanes on an empty highway is too challenging for you, maybe you shouldn’t be driving on one.
It’s not challenging, needlessly (as in nobody is behind you trying to go faster) is just that, unnecessary. The whole point is that you move over if someone is behind you.
People swinging back and forth to left and right even though there’s nobody behind them on the left most lane just causes a hazard for others without any benefit. I think it’s just their mind going “well someone said it’s for overtaking only so I must move back to the right” without really thinking it through.
And good drivers pay attention to stuff happening around them. If you as a rule are zoning out, I have bad news for you lol
This is how lanes should be driven in. If I’m passing someone in the left, and I see someone screaming up behind me, I’ll usually try and speed up, get over to clear the lane, and then resume where I was at. I don’t cut anyone off, ideally the person passing doesn’t catch me before I get over, and life goes on with minimal interruptions.
Too many people go on autopilot and are completely unaware of other traffic around them. I’m consistently watching mirrors, traffic around me, and for animals deciding to cross the the road. It’s not no work, but it’s where everyone should be at when driving.
I try to drive in the rightmost lane where I can maintain my desired speed without needing to weave back and fourth, unless someone is coming up behind me, in which case I’ll reduce my threshold for moving to the right to let them by, unless they are driving aggressively enough that I think there’s a high chance they’ll pass on the right after I’ve passed someone but before I’m far enough ahead of whoever I just passed to move over.
Oh one more exception for if the right lane is clear but there’s an onramp with cars, I’ll leave them the right lane to merge into and move over once I’ve passed them. I’ll also avoid cruising in front of semis if I can.
I’ve had a much easier life following a super easy rule for highways:
Left lane: Passing/Fast
Middle lane: Cruising
Right lane: Exit/Slow
If I’m in the left lane doing 110 MPH and there’s a pickup truck right on my ass, I’ll signal and go middle lane and just cruise for a bit.
9 times out of 10, I’ll see that exact same pickup or other car on the right shoulder with a state trooper writing him up.
It’s happened so often in my life, it’s made me believe in “instant karma”. Just let them pass.
Right lane is for cruising.
Any lanes to the left are for overtaking, and you move back to the right after passing.
Of course it depends on how heavy the traffic is, but if you’re not willing to move faster than the cars on your right, CHANGE LANES.
People driving in the middle lane when there’s nobody on the right are a pet peeve of mine.
Edit: pasting this below, since people seem to be unaware of the actual rules.
Edit2: This is UK, flip left with right for almost every other country.
The highway code, the official rules for road use in the UK, reads:
(General Rules, 160) “keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road”
(Motorway lane disciple, rule 264): “Keep in the left lane unless overtaking. If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so (see also Rules 267 and 268).”
Many other EU countries have the same rules. I wouldn’t know about America.
Don’t believe this is true. In scenarios where there are three or more lanes, the middle lane is used for cruising. The right-most lane is for entering/exiting traffic.
https://www.drivesafeonline.org/traffic-school/highway-safety-and-lane-discipline/
The laws are different for the US, where middle lane hogging is generally not illegal. However, all states stipulate that you must keep in the right lane unless overtaking, which is similar in spirit. Annoyingly, all but Florida then add an exception to this rule for highways with three lanes or more.
Middle lane hogging is mainly outlawed in the UK, who have correctly recognised it as being incredibly dangerous and a curse of congestion by preventing other people from overtaking.
Who, what, why: What’s wrong with middle-lane hogging? - BBC News - https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-2278498
KEEP RIGHT TRAFFIC LAWS IN ALL 50 STATES CHART (00214405).DOC - SLOWER-TRAFFIC-KEEP-RIGHT.pdf - https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SLOWER-TRAFFIC-KEEP-RIGHT.pdf
The highway code, the official rules for road use in the UK, reads:
(General Rules, 160) “keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road”
(Motorway lane disciple, rule 264): “Keep in the left lane unless overtaking. If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so (see also Rules 267 and 268).”
Many other EU countries have the same rules. I wouldn’t know about America.
Yes, these situations exist in Europe too, where we have a “drive in the rightmost lane”-law. For example the ring of Antwerpen has the rightmost lane almost exclusively reserved for on and off ramping. It’s a 4 lane highway, if I remember correctly.
So I was taught that undertaking is technically not illegal but it’s bad practice, hogging the overtake lanes when there’s nobody on your left is the actual offence. (UK before anyone driving on the incorrect side says anything). But yeah there’s still a reasonable speed to keep at on main roads in most conditions.
I don’t know about associated punishments, but the highway code is clear.
Rule 267: […]Overtake only on the right.
Rule 268: Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.
It goes on to clarify that, in heavy traffic, the left lane could be moving faster and that keeping up with the flow is OK.
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A bit stupid to move back if nobody is behind you tbh. Needless lane changes.
You know what’s a needless lane change? When I come behind you and have to cross 2 lanes to overtake you, because you’re totally zoned out and never saw me coming, and then I have to move back 2 lanes again instead of 1.
MOVE RIGHT jackass. If changing lanes on an empty highway is too challenging for you, maybe you shouldn’t be driving on one.
It’s not challenging, needlessly (as in nobody is behind you trying to go faster) is just that, unnecessary. The whole point is that you move over if someone is behind you.
People swinging back and forth to left and right even though there’s nobody behind them on the left most lane just causes a hazard for others without any benefit. I think it’s just their mind going “well someone said it’s for overtaking only so I must move back to the right” without really thinking it through.
And good drivers pay attention to stuff happening around them. If you as a rule are zoning out, I have bad news for you lol
This is how lanes should be driven in. If I’m passing someone in the left, and I see someone screaming up behind me, I’ll usually try and speed up, get over to clear the lane, and then resume where I was at. I don’t cut anyone off, ideally the person passing doesn’t catch me before I get over, and life goes on with minimal interruptions.
Too many people go on autopilot and are completely unaware of other traffic around them. I’m consistently watching mirrors, traffic around me, and for animals deciding to cross the the road. It’s not no work, but it’s where everyone should be at when driving.
Let them be the cop bait.
I try to drive in the rightmost lane where I can maintain my desired speed without needing to weave back and fourth, unless someone is coming up behind me, in which case I’ll reduce my threshold for moving to the right to let them by, unless they are driving aggressively enough that I think there’s a high chance they’ll pass on the right after I’ve passed someone but before I’m far enough ahead of whoever I just passed to move over.
Oh one more exception for if the right lane is clear but there’s an onramp with cars, I’ll leave them the right lane to merge into and move over once I’ve passed them. I’ll also avoid cruising in front of semis if I can.
This is assuming the person isn’t tailgating you in driving lane refusing to pass you, because that happens constantly…