What Ever Happened to the Passing Lane?
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By Lionel Gibbons
Do you remember when there was a special lane on the highway reserved for passing? Ahh, the good old days.
I may be dating myself, but it seems to me that when I first piloted my Dad’s humongous Buick Le Sabre onto the highway as a teenager, there was some rule about keeping that left-most lane clear for people running late for their appointments. I remember my Dad teaching me that when I was in the “passing lane,” I could move over if someone came up behind me — no matter how fast I was going. Why? “Courtesy. That’s just the way things should be done,” he said. Today, I often find myself in the position of that guy in a hurry, but rarely — if ever — does anybody move over for me. The last time I got stuck behind someone using the fast lane to go slow, I began to wonder if I was missing something. Had the rules changed? I decided to look it up.
What does the law say?
According to the United States Uniform Vehicle Code:
“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 …”
OK, so I’m not imagining things. People are supposed to move over when I come up behind them in the passing lane. I’m not the only one noticing the problem, either, as these sites dedicated to correcting — or just complaining about — the problem attest.
What is considered proper use varies from place to place, and some states are stepping up to the challenge of keeping things moving along. For example, Florida is considering a new law — House Bill 7125 — that includes a provision that would make it illegal to drive more than 10 mph slower than the posted speed limit in the “fast” lane.
There is hope
Has Road Etiquette Gone the way of the buggy whip? My nostalgia for the road etiquette of days gone by may be just that — nostalgia. But there may be hope. Perhaps if more of us followed the guidelines laid out in this article in “The Art of Manliness” blog, the art of good driving could make a comeback.
Share your pain
Tell me about your passing lane peccadillo in the comments. How did you handle it? In the meantime, I’ll work on heeding the advice of Eddie Cantor, who once said,
“Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
Ommmmmmm.
photo credit: Diana Lee Photography via photopin cc
