Debate: Is the left lane for passing or for cruising at 80?

I got into a heated argument with my buddy Rick last week after we drove from Atlanta to Chattanooga. He says the left lane is for passing only, no matter what speed you're doing. I think that's fine on paper but in reality, if traffic is flowing at 80 and the right lane is full of semis going 65, you have to sit in the left lane for miles. So which is worse? The guy who camps in the left lane doing 75 and holds up a line of cars, or the guy who tailgates and flashes his lights because he wants to go 95? I've seen accidents caused by both types. On that trip, we had a minivan in the left lane doing exactly 70 next to a semi, so there was literally no way around. Rick was yelling at me to honk but I just stayed back. What do you all think drives you crazier, the cruiser or the tailgater? And does the answer change if there's heavy rain or construction?

2 comments

2 Comments

drew_bennett2419d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back hard on this one. I'm with Rick on this actually, the left lane is for passing and if you're not actively passing someone you need to get over. Traffic flow theory is real, and that minivan doing 70 next to a semi created a rolling roadblock that backed up probably a dozen cars behind them. And here's the thing, that tailgater you mention, yeah they're annoying but they're a symptom of the cruiser problem, not the root cause. If nobody camped in the left lane doing under traffic speed then people wouldn't feel the need to ride bumpers to get around. I've seen it a hundred times, one car doing 65 in the left lane causes a chain reaction of brake lights and angry drivers for miles behind them. The real danger isn't the guy going 95 for a few seconds to pass and get over, it's the person who stays put at 70 and forces everyone else to weave through traffic trying to get around them. Heavy rain or construction just makes it worse because now you can't even safely merge back over, so that cruiser turns a bad situation into a disaster waiting to happen.

mila40518d ago

Take it from someone who drives through Atlanta traffic every single day, the minivan thing you described is the real problem. I've been stuck behind that exact same situation more times than I can count. Here's what I've learned after years of dealing with it: if you're not actively passing someone, just get over. It's that simple. But also, the tailgater flashing lights isn't helping anyone either, they just make people nervous and less likely to move over. My rule of thumb is stay in the left lane only long enough to pass, then slide right. If traffic is heavy or it's raining, I'll just hang back and wait for a gap instead of riding someone's bumper. Honestly, it's not that hard to avoid both behaviors, just takes a little patience and not being in a hurry.