Automotive Social → Re: Highway merging

I live in Northern California, but this is everywhere in Cali I go .

Duplicate post redacted

In good weather the single biggest danger on the freeway with lots of swiftly moving traffic is people passing on the right, especially at high speed.

In fact overall whether on the road or the race track one of the biggest danger is when there are cars in close proximity to each other that are traveling at significantly different speeds.*

If a car is traveling 65 in the number one lane it’s no big deal for the guy doing eighty and overtaking to move one lane to the right and pass and then move back into the number one lane. But staying in the number two lane or even much worse moving further to the right such as the number three or four lane is totally irresponsible and highly dangerous.

The fact that a guy in the left lane that is traveling at a slower speed even if it’s the speed limit than a car overtaking it that is the overtaking car’s driver’s problem not the “slower” moving cars problem. Passing on the right is inherently dangerous and the further to the right and the greater the speed of the passing vehicle the greater the exhibition of poor judgment and dangerous driving by the person on the right.

Most states have laws that say keep right except to pass.
»www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

The Autobahn is world famous for the high speeds that many cars travel on it. Speeds in the 120 range are not uncommon and some go faster. Late at night some manufacturers of super high performance cars will exceed speeds at times of 200 MPH. And that can be on a four lane, (two lane each side) divided section. They will be passing big rigs going regular speed. See a danger there? The potential of a catastrophic wreck? Imagine that scenario here! But it works because even though there are no speed limits the number one rule for safety is slow traffic to the right and to put in in US terms pass on the left.

No problems because one of the strongest if not first rule of the road is slower moving traffic keep to the right and travelers take that rule very seriously. (Remember this is on a road where there is no speed limit.)

On the Toll Road/freeways in Baja Mexico they too are divided usually and two lanes in each direction. Signs are frequently posted that advise the left lane is only for passing. At least in Mexico people for the most part strongly adhere to that.