If you didn't know, I'm a dilettante student of urban planning and transportation efficiency. Forgive me, but sometimes I like to rant about gross inefficiencies I see in the urban transport sphere. This is one such post. 🙂
I'm sorry Americans (especially Californians), but there is a reason many interstates are either at a standstill, or have 6 lanes in each direction, or both of these factors – it's because Americans have almost zero lane discipline. Yes, you! If you travel the highways of Europe then you'll understand. Many 3-lane European highways can carry the same capacity as a 6-lane freeway in the US. There are 3 primary reasons:
1. Traffic on your average US freeway does not stay right, despite signs of encouragement. If you want to go faster than the car in front, pull out, overtake and, assuming you are are now ahead of the slower traffic, then pull back in. Why? Because it keeps lanes open for faster traffic to pass. If the slowest two lanes are moving at 55 mph, everyone else who wants to 65 mph or higher can easily pass. This allows everyone to get to the destination at the speed they prefer. If you tend to pull onto a freeway, move right over into the fastest lane and stay there, you are holding up traffic that wants to travel faster. You may feel like you can pick a lane but you are just being selfish. Why should you care? Because tomorrow you might be the person that wants to go faster but can't pass the traffic doing 60 mph in every lane. This is a case of “be a team player and everyone wins”. Don't be selfish! I'm not suggesting you pull back in after every car, forcing yourself to change lanes every twenty seconds, nor am I suggesting you stay in the slow lane where traffic is entering and exiting; just that you be sensible about it. Always think: Can I travel at the speed I want in the next slowest lane for at least a few minutes? If so, do everyone behind you a favour and pull over.
2. This follows right on from #1. If every lane is traveling at a slower speed than most of the cars behind, then people are going to attempt to weave through traffic. This is dangerous for everyone. Passing on the inside is dangerous. Don't make freeways any more lethal than they have to be. In Germany for example, inside-passing is illegal on many highways (as are many forms of distraction like eating and drinking, but that's another post). This makes the road safer. If it's safer, everyone can go faster. This is why they have some of the highest speed limits but also the safest roads. Win-win!
3. This animal is the most annoying perpetrator of #1, the self-righteous ass who believes it is his prerogative to do 55 mph in any lane, even the fast lane. He won't pull over and may even slow down if you try to harass him from behind. What an ass! He could be single-handedly reducing the efficiency of the entire highway system for miles. He's also raising the blood pressure of people behind him, making them more agressive and unpredictable. Why do you do that? I've never understood that mentality. It's far better to graciously pull over and let the faster car pass, and if it makes you feel better, not only do you not have someone riding your rear-end, but that person is far less likely to cut you off in retaliation when he does get past, probably inconveniencing some other innocent driver on the way. Further more, let the faster car zoom ahead – you just might find him at the side of the road getting a ticket. Isn't that more satisfying than him beeping and flashing his lights behind you?
Be gracious too. If someone wants to move into your lane ahead of you, for Pete's sake let them, don't speed up to fill the gap. That's being an ass! One more car in front of you won't make much difference, and he might just be transitioning your lane on the way to another, such as the HOV lanes or an exit ramp. Don't you hate it when people do that? Then don't do it to others! Usually the person entering the freeway legally has the right of way, as long as they are merging at the speed of traffic, so let them in before they run out of entry ramp and cut someone off, because it might be you.
Come on, people. We're all trying to get somewhere, so play nice and everyone gets to their destination faster and more relaxed. It's stunningly simple, I don't understand why it isn't part of new driver education.
Do you disagree? Do you like being an ass? What's your pet peeve on the freeway. Comment below…
