Are You A Left Lane Lingerer?

Are you that guy that just totally freaks out about people driving slowly in the left lane?  You do know that most of the time, these people don’t even realize what they are doing and that they are upsetting you…that is until you pass them on the right and shoot them the er….special look. 

Most of us are aware that the left lane is there for passing and that you should only use it to pass, and not to linger and do some Sunday driving.

Here’s something interesting for those who like to cruise along in the left lane…every state in this great nation of ours, has some sort of law that discourages people from traveling in the left lane on multi-lane roads and highways.  What about that guy that says “I pay my taxes, I’ll travel in whatever lane I want.”?  You can travel in the left lane, but you should only be using it when it is necessary…to pass, then get your butt back over into the right.

Here’s the thing too; even if you’re driving fast, you know there is always someone that wants to go faster than you.  If you get back into the right lane, that faster car will be able to pass you, therefore allowing everyone on the road to get to their destinations as quickly as possible.  If you don’t get out of the left lane, it could likely lead to traffic buildups and could very well raise the chance of accidents.  Now, you don’t want that to happen, do you?  I didn’t think so.

These left lane lingerers, as I like to call them, need to understand that the system works best when they are not hanging out in the left lane.  Believe it or not, the National Motorists Association has declared Jun as Lane Courtesy Month, in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of getting out of the left lane.

Every state has some law on the books restricting use of the left lane. In 29 states, the law says any car that's moving slower than the "normal speed of traffic" should be in the right lane — so even if it's going at the speed limit, a car that's not moving as fast as the other cars around shouldn't be in the left. Georgia recently increased the penalty for violating this law to a misdemeanor.

In 11 states, the laws are even stricter — specifically saying the left lane is only for turning or passing. Most of the remaining states say cars need to get over if they're blocking traffic that wants to pass, or if they're traveling more slowly than the speed limit.

Bottom line here is that we all need to be able to get to our destination safely and without raising our stress level higher than it needs to be.  If you are a “left lane lingerer”, be courteous and move your butt over.