Hey Slow Drivers... Get Out of the High Speed Lane

Why do so many people drive 50 miles per hour in a 70 mile lane? What is their problem? Don't they understand the basic concept of fast and slow? Does it frustrate other people as much as it does me? It just makes me crazy sometimes!

It's one of the most basic concepts taught in driver's ed. Slow traffic stays to the right. Faster traffic uses the high-speed lanes. What's not to understand?

This is far more than the rants of an irate driver. It's the observation of a journalist who specializes in safety on the road. It's just plain dangerous to drive too slow in the high-speed lane. So maybe it's time for the slowpokes to get a little refresher course on the rules of the road before someone gets hurt or worse, shot. 

When drivers drive too slow in the high-speed lane many dangerous situations can occur. First, it creates a long line of frustrated drivers behind the slowpoke. I'm sure you've seen it or even been in one... it looks like a funeral procession. All that's missing is the little flag on your roof. Most drivers slug along patiently for miles in hopes the tortoise is at least smart enough to catch on and pull over to let others pass. But if they don't, some drivers lose patience and begin to tailgate, which is a danger in itself. This is how pile-ups often occur. This is not to say it's OK to tailgate because it's not but it's also not OK for some day-dreamer to hold up dozens of people who have some place to be.

We all know what happens next. Frustration builds transforming law-abiding citizens into road-raging warriors. Fingers flare, people glare, horns blare, and four-letter words permeate the air. What a way to ruin your day!

So, if you've been at the tail end of one of these processions, or worse, stuck in the middle, and have a solution let's hear it. We all know that one gentle solution is to flash your headlights a few times but sometimes that doesn't even work. So what's a driver to do?

If you're the one holding everybody up then please be a more courteous driver. While it's important to look where you're going it's also important to use your rear view and side mirrors to keep an eye on what's going on behind you. That's what rear view mirrors are for so use them, please! Nobody really gives a hoot if you want to drive at a snail's pace as long as you're not driving too slow in the high speed lane. For the full story go to RTM. For another point of view check out this piece on Edmunds.com.