When changing lanes on the highway...

[bcla]

What ever method you do. STAY OUT OF THE LEFT LANE.

The left lane is the "PASSING" lane. Not a fast lane, or a travel lane. Be there long enough to pass the car on your right, then you yourself need to move right. PERIOD!

Only a few states have that rule. Around here they're often carpool/HOV lanes.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I forget to use my signal. Yup - I'm that person. Now that my DD16 is learning to drive, I'm working on being better about that - especially since she'll remind me if I forget.

I just look for a gap and move over. If you don't move quick on the Georgia Interstate, you'll never get into a different lane - we drive like maniacs here sometimes.

 

[shoney]

What ever method you do. STAY OUT OF THE LEFT LANE.

The left lane is the "PASSING" lane. Not a fast lane, or a travel lane. Be there long enough to pass the car on your right, then you yourself need to move right. PERIOD!

Wow. You must have never driven on Long Island or the metro New York City area. The left lane is for driving. Period

Seriously there is just too much traffic to dedicate a passing lane. Slower traffic to the right but even that doesn't always work.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I'll take either of the first two. Here in Florida the only options seem to be:
No signal ever
Leave one signal on permanently

 

[mom2rtk]

No, not period. It depends on the laws in the state. For the vast majority of states and territories, you can stay in the left lane if you are among the faster moving traffic.

States which only allow passing in the left lane:

• Arkansas
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey

States which require slower traffic to move right:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

States which require slower traffic to move right only if they are blocking traffic:

• Florida
• Georgia
• Nevada
• Utah
• Virginia

States which require drivers moving slower than the speed limit to move right:

• Alaska
• Maryland
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Puerto Rico

I found that out the hard way driving back to school in Illinois (several decades back.....). I had never heard of a passing lane (my home state did not have such a law). I was driving right at the speed limit and out of nowhere a police car comes up behind me with lights on and pulls me over. He read me the riot act for costing him a $90 ticket when he couldn't get around me. I thought he was going to write me one to make up for it, but I got lucky and only got a warning. Maybe it helped that I had out of state plates.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

I find the gap then signal and get over. If there is no gap, I'll pass everyone until I get to the front or find the next gap.

However, I think ahead so I'm in the correct lane at least a half mile to mile before my exit. On city streets, I'll get over early as well. I can't stand people that speed up to pass a few cars only to cut over and then decide to turn causing everyone to hit their brakes behind them. That'll get you a nice vocal opinion from me.

 

[mom2rtk]

I forget to use my signal. Yup - I'm that person. Now that my DD16 is learning to drive, I'm working on being better about that - especially since she'll remind me if I forget.

I just look for a gap and move over. If you don't move quick on the Georgia Interstate, you'll never get into a different lane - we drive like maniacs here sometimes.

Young teens learning to drive are quite awesome at making us remember to perfect our own skills again, aren't they?

 

[DSLRuser]

Americans in general lack of lane discipline are why we are stuck with low highway speed limits relative to the amount of open space we have.

I would seriously be happy if people just observed the "slower traffic move right rule", but they don't. I do a lot of interstate road trips, and nothing backs up traffic worse then clueless drivers who don't know how to check a mirror.

I don't care if you are doing 90. If someone is on your bumper wanting to go faster, move the heck over.

 

[GaryDis]

Signal first. If you believe signaling is giving information to your enemy, then pulling in front of the sort of person who would speed up at your signal is putting you into your enemy's crosshairs.

Seriously, there are plenty of people who are polite enough to let you in, if you just tell them you want in by signaling. Even here in Massachusetts, in spite of its reputation for rude drivers. And so what if several pass by without letting you in, you'll still get in more easily when the polite one appears.

 

[jdb in AZ]

If you're in NYC, first you lay on the horn til someone gets out of your way, then you change lanes. Signal is optional; often the only signal you'll see is an extended middle finger.

Another variable is the size vehicle you're driving. I noticed when we downsized and sold the mini-van for a compact car, people were less likely to make room for me. People are a lot more accommodating to cars that are bigger than the one they're driving.

 

[Shutterbug]

Of course I signal...its only fair to give them a chance to let me in.......right before going all Mad Max on them

 

[shoney]

It depends. Lots of bumper to bumper traffic, I will signal first. If not, I will look first and if there is a gap, I will signal and go

 

[Squirlz]

If you're in NYC, first you lay on the horn til someone gets out of your way, then you change lanes. Signal is optional; often the only signal you'll see is an extended middle finger.

Another variable is the size vehicle you're driving. I noticed when we downsized and sold the mini-van for a compact car, people were less likely to make room for me. People are a lot more accommodating to cars that are bigger than the one they're driving.

Not me! I have fended off every giant truck and wobbly SUV that has challenged my MINI Cooper. I'll never blink first.

 

[YoYoAurora]

I'm in the find the gap, signal intent, change lanes group. I did not vote.

A few years ago, I was driving back home from Miami on I-95. I found my gap, signaled my intent, and changed lanes only to have sister YoYoAnastasia yell at me that "You don't signal before you change lanes. You signal after so they know you changed lanes." I'm still shaking my head on that one. She denies ever shouting that, but I have witnesses.

 

[piglet too]

I picked the first one; but really I look for a gap, signal, then merge. If I need to move over urgently, I signal and then merge as soon as I can force my way in.

I'm in Illinois, and the law about the left lane only being for passing really only seems to apply in certain areas. (Like where I-80 is two lanes) Where we have three, or more, lanes I've never heard of anyone getting pulled over. But, you sure as heck better not just be doing the speed limit in the far left lane, or even the middle lane sometimes.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

No, not period. It depends on the laws in the state. For the vast majority of states and territories, you can stay in the left lane if you are among the faster moving traffic.

States which only allow passing in the left lane:

• Arkansas
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey

Pennsylvania is a "pass left keep right" state, too. Well, kind of.

May also use left lane to allow traffic to merge or "when traveling at a speed greater than the traffic flow."

http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

 

[DisneyOma]

I forget to use my signal. Yup - I'm that person. Now that my DD16 is learning to drive, I'm working on being better about that - especially since she'll remind me if I forget.

I just look for a gap and move over. If you don't move quick on the Georgia Interstate, you'll never get into a different lane - we drive like maniacs here sometimes.

Glad you are starting to use the signal again - someone almost killed my daughter yesterday when they changed lanes without signaling, just pulled into a small gap in front/almost side of my car. It was daylight, my car is green, I had my headlights on (automatic headlights) and they almost hit the passenger side of my car hood. Scared the daylights out of me and my daughter. Had a big truck behind me which would have crushed us too.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I chose the first option, but it really depends on where I'm driving.

When in my home state, I put my blinker on and wait for an opening, then merge

When I am in the south for work-trips, I put my blinker on and wait for an opportunity to merge.

When I am in my current state, I look for the smallest possble opening in traffic, then jerk my steering wheel over and bully my way in as I (possibly) hit my turn signal while watching the person in front of me slam their brakes on and I narrowly miss hitting them as I simultaniously pray the person I just cut off is paying attention.

Unfortunately, I was Ms. Nice Girl in this state/city for far too long and was terrified to drive (I still refuse to drive into the city unless under threat of bodily harm, or jury duty - sigh) Now I drive like a local. It's the way you have to be or you will seriously get run off the road by a semi!

ETA: I am half-kidding about the above, but really, if you have ever driven in a big city, you understand. It's "beat or get beaten" and you have to be a much more agressive driver than when you are driving down a nice country road.

 

[tvguy]

None of the above. I look for the gap, then I signal, then I change lanes.

Same here.

 

[tvguy]

No, not period. It depends on the laws in the state. For the vast majority of states and territories, you can stay in the left lane if you are among the faster moving traffic.

States which only allow passing in the left lane:

• Arkansas
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey

States which require slower traffic to move right:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

States which require slower traffic to move right only if they are blocking traffic:

• Florida
• Georgia
• Nevada
• Utah
• Virginia

States which require drivers moving slower than the speed limit to move right:

• Alaska
• Maryland
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Puerto Rico

I don't disagree about the law. But, as has come out recently in this area after a series of crashes with wrong way drivers....and vehicles punching through the center divide,, it is SAFER to avoid the left lane. For some reason, wrong way drivers almost always are in the right most lane for them...which is the left most lane for the correct direction of traffic. After every one of these incidents we interview a Highway Patrolman who says, "only use the left lane for passing, drive in the right lane"