Passing on the right on the freeway -- a law please?

Question

In all of Europe, if you pass another vehicle on the right on the freeway for ANY reason, it is automatic license suspension for one year. Almost as severe penalties for failure to move over to the right to allow faster traffic to pass on the left.

These two simple and ironclad rules make freeway driving so much easier there than in the United States! Someone comes up faster behind you, you just move over, period, and the guy goes safely by, even if he's driving over the speed limit. You don't really have to look to the right, because you KNOW there will be no one passing you on the right.

Here in the States, we've got the cowboys in their SUV's and Beemers squirreling around like the freeway is their personal slalom-race, and plenty of equally butt-headed PC's driving at or below the speed limit in the left lane. Some actually think they're "protecting the law" by slowing everyone else down!

Just two kinds of dangerous pigs -- which a simple law has been shown to fix.

Answer 1

Your absolutely right. There should be enforcement against it and there is a law that has been created but is never enforced. The law is quite clear and often there are signs on multi lane freeways to "keep right except to pass". The problem is that there are some who cannot go fast enough and everyone else is in the way. There are others who think they are going too fast or refuse to go faster than the speed limit. For others it is just plain ignorance. I am a commercial transport driver and sometimes I need to pass on the right as someone may be going to slow. What really irks me is that I may have my signals flashing and it isn't hard to see 3 different signals coming from 75 feet of transport truck. People will intentionally race up so that I cannot get over to the "hammer lane" as truck drivers call it. Then when I do get over, the people that I have passed have decided they don't want me to be in front so they'll break the law again by ignorance by refusing  to allow me to pass them by matching the same speed as me. This also creates frustration in other motorists who want to pass me when I can't get back into the "granny lane". Another thing that is frustrating is when I have my signals turned on, there is a moment for me to get into the "hammer lane" and some people think they can come out from behind me and occupy the lane before I can get over. My advice to these people is please make sure you have a "will" made out. Someday these actions will catch up with you and an accident between a car and a truck is no contest.

Answer 2

Technically, this is a legal gray area in many regions, though rarely if ever enforced. Due to inconsiderate, inattentive drivers clogging the left lane, however, many motorists are left with no other option than to pass on the right. In that regard, use it only as a last resort.

Answer 3

well staying in the left lane is illegal in most states.  You are supposed to leave the "Passing" lane after you have completed passing a car even if there are 2 lanes in that direction.  Also it is illegal to pass on the right side.  a lot of people ignore these and drive how they want.  I only pass on the right if someone wont move over after an hour, but I wont tailgate them.  Thats even worse.  Also, I tend to stay in the left lane since I am more comfortable there, but move over as traffic approaches behind me.

Answer 4

i only pass on the right if the jackass going ten under in the left won't move over

Answer 5

I am in Britain and we do the opposite passing,but we have these laws you speak of,the police are always pulling someone on the roads for fine collections and our Magistrates are police courts so you have no chance of defence unless you opt for the risky heavy fines of crown court !......Our Motorways aren't called "freeways" which is an American misnomer and obviously encourages this "free" for all,indeed i have watched documentaries and blockbuster films that show this pass anyone in any lane "freeway" action,i am horrified ! ...It is now occuring here and we now call it "UNDERTAKING" because thats what their doing and thats probably going to be the result too !........There are those who Get into the third lane and stick at 70mph (our limit) but will not move back to the mid or inside,there are those who travel flat out at their max speed and tailgate these drivers and there are those who get frustrated and undertake....i think our old TV public info films should be brought back,on driving etc....i also think that more vehicles should have limters on them (having owned and driven a fast Merc,i found it so comfortable and quiet that i did not realise i was doing over 100mph until i looked down at the clock,in my old van,it would shake rattle and roll at 60 plus and that was "real" driving,there was manual skill involved in keeping that on the road !)....Todays cars have improved in comfort speed and saftey,but the drivers have not !,so for every advance in technology,the human element has counterbalanced it,there seems a legal process is now in effect to remove as many cars and their drivrs from the roads,the police here spend more time and energy on punishing the motorist than any other Wrongdoer,this is causing a major shift in the public view of the police and there are groups forming to protect our freedoms from the police state.                 I agree there are selfish and inconsiderate A*%eholes out there who are F*%king things up and causing accidents and deaths,but the police have enough powers,they just need to use "common"sense when appyling those powers and so do the ivory towered magistrates. In America,i would campaign to have the term "freeway" changed to Motorway or find a term that adds responsibilty to the user,we recently had our stretch of DUAL carrigeway named an Expressway,that was a 50mph stretch of road and its called the GATEWAY to Cornwall,some of us are protesting that as it suggests to some that "anything" goes !  Express means FAST Gateway means open and Exites those how think of Express as FAST,i am certain that if we called a road a "FREEWAY" we would have issues with that too.      In short i say bring back Common sense and the public nformation films and have seperate tests for motorway driving as we do here in britain. I would also not allow young drivers to have more than 1400cc cars,not have anymore than one other passenger,not have stereo systems above a certain limited wattage for their first two years on the road,too many are dying in car fulls,in 2ltrs,with 4 or 5 mates,with the stereo so loud they can't here an emergency vehicle when its behind them ! Its a criminal and tragic waste of "ignorant" but promising young lives and i have witnessed the aftermath locally.

Answer 6

i don't know anything over in euope?

Answer 7

I've noticed when trying to get over into the right lane, there is a certain type of driver who will try to squeeze past on the right before I can get into that lane. It is almost like a challenge to a confrontation. What I do is throw a right punch toward the passenger window, while looking straight ahead, because I know the prick is probably looking at me as he drives by. I find the air punch much more assertive and satisfying than the obscene finger.