Rants: Overtaking lanes on Interstates. You’re doing it wrong.

Driving from SF to Seattle

My commute to work includes 2.5 miles on Interstate 89 in New Hampshire. I enter the interstate doing the speed limit (65), signal and on most days, the person doesn’t get over for me and I have to hit my brakes and merge behind them. Generally, I approach a car in the travel lane doing the speed limit or just below it and I pass them. At least once per day, there is someone in the passing / overtake lane also doing the speed limit. They remain there for some time or they are doing 1-2 MPH more than the person in the travel lane and so for 2 miles, I sit behind them waiting for them to make a pass only to realize that they stay in the passing lane for another 5 miles without getting over.

On long road trips, it’s normal to go through this ordeal every 10 miles or so. New Hampshire and Vermont are very rural areas. Sometimes, there’s no one else on the road with you as far as you can see and other times, you’re stuck behind the two cars for miles where both are traveling at the exact same speed and I’m unable to pass. 

This happens all too often. I just thought I was crazy but I checked New Hampshire and Vermont statutes on the law.

New Hampshire:

    265:16 Drive on Right Side of Roadway; Exceptions. – 
    I. Upon all roadways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows: 
       (a) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement; 
       (b) When an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the way; provided, any person so doing shall yield the right of way to all vehicles traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the way within such distance as to constitute an immediate hazard; 
       (c) Upon a roadway divided into 3 marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable thereon; 
       (d) Upon a city street designated and signposted for one-way traffic.

Vermont:

§ 1031. Driving to right

(a) Upon all roadways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows:

(1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement;

(2) when an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the highway; provided, any person so doing shall yield the right of way to all vehicles traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the highway within such distance as to constitute an immediate hazard;

(3) upon a roadway divided into three marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable thereon; or

(4) upon a roadway restricted to one-way traffic.

Both are basically identical and both dictate that traveling is on the right side or middle and passing (overtaking) occurs on the far-left lane (inside lane) and travelers should then get back over into the travel lane. 

Unfortunately, popular culture has convinced Americans that the inner lane is the “fast lane”. I’ve heard this from almost everyone “I was in the fast lane and this guy was riding my butt”. No, you were in the passing lane. Were you passing someone or overtaking at a reasonable speed? 

There are many issues to traveling in the passing lane that some people do not consider:

  • If I approach someone at a reasonable speed while they are in the passing lane with no vehicles on the right side, I might try to overtake them on the right hand side but I’m blind to what’s immediately in the right lane. If I don’t have a co-pilot in the passenger seat and go to pass on the right, there may be a disabled vehicle that I then collide with because I couldn’t see around the car in the passing lane. Vehicles are instructed to move to the right shoulder when disabled. Any online dash cam compilation shows a ton of outer lane overtakes resulting in car incidents
  • If you are in the passing lane while overtaking someone but your pass is on par with theirs, you are holding up traffic especially if you are both under the speed limit. This causes congestion and eliminates the advantage of a 2-lane system
  • You are in the way of emergency vehicles. You may not see flashing lights but if 10+ cars are behind you and a large trailer on your right, there could be an emergency vehicle or person with an emergency that needs to travel at a high rate of speed.
  • There are some people with big, old, slow or beater vehicles. If you’re one of those cars that has a wobble at 80MPH or is susceptible to lateral travel every time the wind blows  you sideways, you should remain at or below 65 in the traveling lane until you get a real vehicle that can actually do the speed limit in less than 45 seconds. 

Most importantly, by remaining in the passing lane or overtaking at a rate of speed that is not reasonable is breaking the law in most states. I found an MIT student maintained directory of state statutes. The Uniform Vehicle Code which is federal states:

Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic

If you’d like even more info, the Wiki page for Passing Lane is well documented.

The main issue I have with what I call “Passing Travelers” is that they ultimately affect my driving time and frustration. If they’re passing someone very slowly I remain calm and maintain a safe stopping distance and don’t tailgate. Cops enforce tailgaters way more strictly than they do someone hanging out in the passing lane all day. If there’s no one in the travel lane and a driver remains in the passing lane for over 1 mile, I flash my headlights. I almost never pass on the right because it’s scary to go into a lane without full visibility. There’s a reason our steering wheels in USA are on the left side. We have better visibility to pass. You’d be surprised how offended people get when you pass them or if you flash them while they are in the passing lane for 2-3 miles without getting over. I’ve had people slam on their brakes, tap their brakes 5 times, swerve in and out of the road and just go insane. 

I doubt anyone will read this blog post but I really hate passing travelers. Truthfully, most of the people who eventually get over are arguing with their kids, playing with the radio or texting. Distracted driving affects more than just passing travelers. I’ve seen it affect cars going over solid lines, running stop signs, going 20 MPH under the speed limit and what I call “cautious brakers” who are people who are distracted but cautious and go 10 under the speed limit and constantly tap their brakes to remain at a comfortable speed while they send 40 different Emojis to their friend. Anytime you see a slow moving vehicle touching their brakes every 250 yards for no reason, they’re 100% texting or on the phone.

Europe has exceptional motorway drivers. Their habits are top notch. People on the inside lane pass and get over. Trucks never occupy the inner lane and speed is enforced by cameras, not cops because what happens when people see a cop? They brake way below the actual speed limit out of caution which causes traffic congestion. Europe gets this right. USA and the driving training programs are very far behind which is the reason all of this is an issue to begin with.

I hope to move to Europe one day and enjoy life with drivers who are full committed to operating their vehicle at all times without distractions.

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