Drive Right. (GTFO of the left lane.)

[MacDoc]

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A lot of good points but so far I have not seen anyone mention the fact that there's no passing on the right in EU.
With stricter enforcement and no passing on the right there's a lot to be gained in safety and speed.

Nice theory -tell that to the Spaniards I saw weaving back and forth on either side of vehicles.

Hey MacDoc,

OP here, it sounds like you've also given this a fair bit of thought. I would disagree about the safest/fastest lane, because over all traffic risk is a game of whack-a-mole. The people camping in the left lane are pushing their risk on to everyone else by blocking our emergency "out." The right lane has more people coming in and out, but with a 2-3 car following distance that's a non issue.

Don't listen to me - look at the graph posted up earlier. The left is statistically far and away the safest lane and the right lane the least safe.
Keeping a bubble around you is just about impossible in the right lane - relatively easy in the middle lane.

Again I stress this 3 lane plus observations. Not two lane slab where staying right unless you are hustling or passing.

 

[imnothng]

Don't listen to me - look at the graph posted up earlier. The left is statistically far and away the safest lane and the right lane the least safe.
Keeping a bubble around you is just about impossible in the right lane - relatively easy in the middle lane.

Again I stress this 3 lane plus observations. Not two lane slab where staying right unless you are hustling or passing.

When it comes to this topic I sure as hell won't listen to you, and I hope others don't.

Yes, again with your graph, if you like it so much why aren't you advocating everyone in the left lane?

It's easy to keep a bubble around you in the middle lane? Are you serious? In the middle you have people coming up the left side and proper drivers most likely passing you on the right, because you're an idiot cruising in the middle lane If you mean a bubble of cars surrounding you I agree 100% with you. Personally I'd rather have a bubble of empty space on at least one side of me, and preferably that empty side not having other vehicles speeding towards me.

2 lanes, 3 lanes, 50 lanes, it doesn't matter. Slower traffic keep right. Not slower traffic keep middle.

 

[RonnieRev]

Question to all,
if you are on a highway with no other vehicles what so ever, what lane would you ride/drive in ?

 

[FiReSTaRT]

Question to all,
if you are on a highway with no other vehicles what so ever, what lane would you ride/drive in ?

Right lane but move over into the middle lane before ramps... Keeps me active, occupied and just sets a good example

 

[unL33T]

Question to all,
if you are on a highway with no other vehicles what so ever, what lane would you ride/drive in ?

Right. If I were to come upon an onramp with some traffic on it I might move to the middle but that has bit me before when some ****** half way between Cornwall and Kingston in the middle of the night decided he had to merge directly into the middle lane right in front of me going about half the speed I was going.

 

[imnothng]

Right. If I were to come upon an onramp with some traffic on it I might move to the middle but that has bit me before when some ****** half way between Cornwall and Kingston in the middle of the night decided he had to merge directly into the middle lane right in front of me going about half the speed I was going.

He was just trying to get to the safest lane as quick as possible. Surely that's the safest thing to do.

 

[imnothng]

Question to all,
if you are on a highway with no other vehicles what so ever, what lane would you ride/drive in ?

Rightmost lane at all times unless passing or allowing merging.

 

[jonpurdy]

Right lane but move over into the middle lane before ramps... Keeps me active, occupied and just sets a good example

Bingo. You know, I don't even mind when someone goes slowly in the middle lane. And if its a bit congested that can be expected. I have no problem slowing down a bit in the middle lane in that case because I'm not willing to accelerate to the speed required to be safely in the passing lane sometimes.

 

[rmemedic]

I stick right as long as I can. See cars coming up the on ramp and I'll move over a lane... Because most people have no clue that merge means to find a spot in traffic and match that speed. Not to plow your way in wherever you want and expect others to let you do it.
Of course, in heavy traffic it's near impossible to maintain this.

I hate those scared/nervous types that are parked in the left lane and are oblivious to what is going on behind/beside them as everyone else weaves around to get by. Good thing about having a pickup, I'll ride my left tires on the line and flash them right in the drivers mirror as a wake up... Usually works to get them to move over.
On the bike, no matter what you do they think you're just some idiot speed crazy rider, even when I was just cruising along at 120 in the right lane passing someone in the left, I motioned for her to move over (had a car right on her rear end that was also trying to get her to move over) and she gave ME the finger. Meh.

My ex-gf's mom was a white knuckler, 100km/hr in the middle lane and couldn't understand how everyone else was so "crazy" around her. I've never been in a car that was that honked at ever... And I was pretty nervous, it wasn't safe AT ALL. I drove us home on the way back.

And for those that care about how fast the guy behind you in the left lane is going... Here's an idea. Let him go, let him speed his heart out, because that guy is going to get the ticket and occupy that cop as you continue on your trip. Just easier and safer to let him pass on the left, because those types will usually take a chance in order to get around you anyways.

 

[Alvito]

I drive in the center or left lane because I usually drive my car 110-120km/h. When I am on the bike, I stick to the right lane, as I try to avoid the center lane as much as possible.

 

[mxs]

This, Ontario pls take notice ..... http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-news/middle-lane-hogs-face-100-fine/22840.html


Also note, how it talks about sitting in the MIDDLE lane, that's where they start ... forget the left lane LOL. Unthinkable here.

 

[MacDoc]

Seems to me the gtfo crowd here wants one lane of traffic in gta so they can then weave in and out of as they please
The 401 has the heaviest commercial traffic in North America and the right lane only crowd wants them ALL to stay in the single lane
What a joke!

 

[imnothng]

Seems to me the gtfo crowd here wants one lane of traffic in gta so they can then weave in and out of as they please
The 401 has the heaviest commercial traffic in North America and the right lane only crowd wants them ALL to stay in the single lane
What a joke!

No. The gtfo crowd wants everyone to stay right unless passing. If your passing the vehicle to your right and you're in the middle lane, that is proper. If you're in the middle lane and there is no one to your right, and you're not catching up to a car in the right, then you are in the wrong lane.

This weaving that you speak of happens right now, because people just sit in whichever ******* lane they ******* feel like because they are ******* idiots.

It's really not a difficult thing.

 

[FiReSTaRT]

I believe this was invented by an Ontarian expat in the Soviet Union, after he got stuck behind some of those idiots one time too many.. Now proudly made in the good ol' US of A

 

[FiReSTaRT]

Seems to me the gtfo crowd here wants one lane of traffic in gta so they can then weave in and out of as they please
The 401 has the heaviest commercial traffic in North America and the right lane only crowd wants them ALL to stay in the single lane
What a joke!

The GTFO crowd wants them to follow the same rules of lane discipline and basic courtesy that hold true in every civilized country on this planet.

 

[RonnieRev]

Good answers guys, stay right unless passing.

It kills me to see cars in the HOV lane or left lane when the highway is clear of traffic.

 

[nikiter]

On the way back from work yesterday I was riding. Tried passing people in the left lane. Got stuck behind 3 cars. First one was wagon Volvo cruising at 110km/h....right beside transport truck in the middle lane. That Volvo wasn't even trying to pass that truck to move over to the center lane. After a minut I was forced to move aaalllll the way to the right lane just to pass everyone. After "safe" pass I got in the middle lane (in front of the truck), turned around, looked at the Volvo driver and his wife.....pointed my finger at him and let him know to move over behind me........he just gave me a finger back :-/
Hope in humanity has been lost...

 

[mikbusa]

It looks like the HOV lanes are confusing people. I get the impression people are thinking the HOV lane is the left lane,
and camp along in the real left lane thinking it's the middle lane, which it isn't. In my 30+ years driving, there's always been
left lane bandits, oblivious to all behind, but it's gotten ridiculous recently, and it's worse where there's an HOV lane.

 

[FiReSTaRT]

It looks like the HOV lanes are confusing people. I get the impression people are thinking the HOV lane is the left lane,
and camp along in the real left lane thinking it's the middle lane, which it isn't. In my 30+ years driving, there's always been
left lane bandits, oblivious to all behind, but it's gotten ridiculous recently, and it's worse where there's an HOV lane.

I think it's more along the lines of inconsiderate morons either camping in the left lane for like 5km just waiting for the HOV to come up or being too stupid to leave the left lane once they get out of the HOV lane.

 

[jonpurdy]

Seems to me the gtfo crowd here wants one lane of traffic in gta so they can then weave in and out of as they please
The 401 has the heaviest commercial traffic in North America and the right lane only crowd wants them ALL to stay in the single lane
What a joke!

I think that there's a difference in opinion because the GTFO crowd (of which I am one) is basing their opinion on lower traffic density of US interstate and secondary highways as well as European highways. It's very easy to stay to the right and only go in the left to pass, even on two lane roads, because there's a lot less traffic. Lane discipline is easy because that's all people ever grew up with. Even the dumbest drivers don't really see examples of stupidity there. (Not counting urban areas in the States; I've never driven in New York, LA, Atlanta, or anywhere like that.)

This strategy that I'm about to write about helps with my own frustration while driving or riding in the GTA. And would really help reduce overall frustration if every person did this [when pigs fly].

In the GTA, we have lots of lanes and lots of traffic. For everyone to stay to the right wouldn't really make sense. However, those people who tend to drive the limit should absolutely stay to the right. But it's not terrible if they stay in the middle due to lots of people coming on and getting off the highway. On a three or four lane highway like the 401 or 400 this is common.

Another thing to keep in mind is that one shouldn't have a set speed at which they cruise at. A range of speeds is better because it allows for flexibility. In the GTA, my cruising range is 110-115 kph (car or bike) and passing is 120 (unless there's someone coming up quickly in the left. In that case I'll accelerate to 125 or 130 and GTFO, haha). I typically hang out in the right lane (or middle lane if there's traffic) and do 115 kph. If I come up to someone going slower than me, I'll reduce my speed to whatever they're doing, down to 110 kph. So if they're doing 112, I'll match it and maintain a safe following distance. If they are doing slower than 110 I'll pass them on the left or right. If it's in the left lane, I'll go whatever speed is necessary to get out of the left lane without blocking others. If it's in the right, I'll just stay in the right lane and go 115 until I come up to someone else ahead of me going slower. Then repeat the cycle if they're going slower than 110.

I think my system works well for the GTA in non-rush hour conditions. If you like to go 130, set your mental range from 125-130, then stay in the right or middle lane until you come up to someone doing less than 125, then pass them. If you like to go 100, you really have nothing to worry about and should just stay in the right lane. And if everybody adhered to it we'd have a lot less frustration on the road.

TL;DR: In the GTA, cruise in whatever lane you want, except the left. Unless you drive really slowly, then stay in the right. Set a range of speeds you'd be willing to go and only pass if it gets below that.

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