I was thinking more of being in the right lane wanting over into the left. In the case you state car B should slow down and let car C in,what do you intend to block car C from a offramp? Or car C should slow down so much in the left lane so they can get in behind you?

I do agree that B should probably let him in....MAYBE....But most of the time what happens is Car C just needs to pass car B. Usually the closest car behind car B is 1/2 mile.....Car C can't pull in behind car B...no that would be the SAFE thing to do..instead car C has to pull in front of car B. That's the VAST MAJORITY of these situations I see....Wouldn't the SAFE thing to do is to pull in behind car B???

I detect a hint of "Iam mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore" The beginnings of road rage.Never hurt me one bit to let some one in,I came away the better person for it.

I sometimes think that every car should have a picture and name of the driver displayed on the back, and a short range car to car comunication device so you could say "excuse me Shirley, but I really have to get in the right lane, do you mind?" "Thank you"

The reason we are so civil when we walk and such jerks when we drive is because cars tend to depersonalize us. We don't see people on the highway, only cars in our way.

Couple I forgot about that's a pet-peeve of mine.

Right turn on red doesn't NOT mean you can turn right on red when ever you want.

First you MUST come to a complete stop.
Then give ALL pedestrians and ALL other traffic the right-of-way. THEN AND ONLY THEN can you turn-right-on-red.

Here in NH and MA...pedestrians have the right of way when in cross-walks. My youngest plays BB. And many times for practice we have to park across the street from the gym. There's a cross-walk to cross a semi-busy street. We usually have to wait for about 10-20 cars before someone OBEYS THE LAW and actually stops to let us cross.

I've ONLY seen this in MA...But at 4-way stop signs when there are several cars at each stop sign...MOST states people are Courteous and people take their turn. But in MA...it's a free-for-all. I've seen one car in the front of the line wait their turn...and then go...then 4-5 cars come racing through the stop-sign right on each others bumpers BLOCKING all other traffic who has the right of way.

RED-LIGHTS....When the light turn red..STOP. Again...mainly a New England thing. Light turns red, but there are usually 3-10 cars that plow through the red-light AFTER IT'S CLEARLY turned red.

I live in Boston. When I first learned how to drive (at age 25!), my father told me, "Drive as if everyone else on the road is an idiot." First of all, I learned that, in fact, everyone else on the road IS an idiot. Secondly, I learned that that includes me as well.

BTW, passing on the right is legal in Massachusetts.

And in response to another posting: Yes, Americans as a whole have a cultural tradition of disrespect for the law, beating the system, and a me-me-me attitude. I lived in Germany once, and people there are much more honest and courteous. And driving instruction is much harder. The driving test lasts 2 hours. They have a lot fewer accidents that we do, however, accidents on the highway are almost always fatal due to the lack of a speed limit.

One more point, I am the only one who uses the deceleration lane when exiting a highway?

Billions of dollars could be saved if motorists kept to the right except when passing.The savings come from not needing more lanes constructed due to smoother traffic flow. One passive agressive Prius driver motoring at or below the posted limit in either the # 1 or #2 lane can create a wave of congestion in its wake. The resultant delay and lane changes affects hundreds of others in a very negative way. While against the law, alas police have too much to do to wait for one of these smug jerks to dawdle by.

While against the law, alas police have too much to do to wait for one of these smug jerks to dawdle by. 

Lane protocol would be the law here in Florida, but Jeb Bush vetoed the bill. His justification was that the only people who want lane protocol laws are those who drive faster than the legal speed limit, so why should he make it easier for them to break the law? So you can count Jeb Bush among your "smug jerks."

I agree that lane protocol makes traffic flow faster, but how does that translate into billions of dollars saved? I don't get where the savings would come from. This sounds to me like nothing more that a pet peeve.

The savings comes from not having to build more lanes and more roads to handle the same amount of traffic.

The savings comes from not having to build more lanes and more roads to handle the same amount of traffic. 

But does lane protocol reduce the need for more lanes or is that a simple function of how many cars are on the road?

I am having trouble seeing a cause and effect relationship between lane protocol and the number of lanes. Why does a lack of lane protocols increase the need for more lanes?

Why indeed...

It may not be a direct function of only lane protocol, but I see where taaran is coming from. Look at it through a fluid flow solution. If the lane protocol is functioning properly, you have three lanes of traffic moving at three (mostly) contiguous speeds. We'll say for example, the lanes move at; the speed limit(65), +5mph, and +10mph. The average speed of flow through this road is then +5mph (70mph). On the same strech of road without lane protocol being followed, the three lanes have speeds of; the Speed limit, SL + 2, and the speed limit, averaging to 65.3 mph.

If you just say for calculations sake there are 100 cars in a mile of traffic, the first road has 7000 cars per hour of flow, and the second, bad protocol road has 6530 cars per hour of flow. Just think of a faucet, the water comes out faster when more water is coming out. Simple. Now, with proper numbers here, this may actually produce a reduced need for road/lane modifications and projects in the future, because more cars are able to traverse the existing roads.

Now obviously there has to be some accounting for idiots, but in general, the theory is sound that anything that increases the average speed of the road will reduce traffic. Fining a balance between speed and safety is also a concern, but on a well designed road with adequate on/off ramps, shoulders, and minimal signage/distractions, there is no reason that the 85% rule, in conjunction with lane protocol inforcement(and other driver education efforts), could reduce the amount of traffic in the US. So perhaps even raising the speed limit could be appropriate in some ares.

Of course, the only way this would work is to educate drivers. I like the pilot training idea from above, but drivers also need a basic understanding of traffic flow and distracted driving. Merge at speed, minimalize braking, stay off the phone/makeup/baking/smoking/ipoding, and moving right when not passing. I see some great ideas on this thread, but I haven't a clue where to start actually achieving results.

But, there are simply to many people who believe the left lane is just another lane, or that nobody should speed, that believe it is their duty to stop speeders, or that feel more comfortable in the middle lane because their fat SUV has more room to wander while they're BSing on the phone. Getting those people to change, many of whom reside above in this thread, will be the biggest challenge to changing the way we drive.

California alone needs more than $10 billion in additional freeway lanes. Accidents caused by those trying to get around these left lane dominators is difficult to measure but has to be a few per Prius.

Pet Peeve?? Sure, don't use your cruise control, talk on the phone constantly, never use your mirrors, stay in the left lane like it is your birthright, and perhaps contribute to the pain and suffering of others. These folks have no concern for anyone else. It is not a peeve but a national disgrace calling for remedial training.
The way to tell when it is time to trade in your drivers license for a bus pass is when you hear other cars honking each time you take to the road.

I don't buy the argument that these problems are caused solely by those who don't practice lane protocol. This issue really depends on your perspective. Both drivers (the one going slow in the left lane and the one who wants to pass) are self-centered because they only care about their own perspective. If you are the type of person who is capable of sharing the road because you have a laid back personality, this isn't an issue. This is only an issue if you have personal control and sharing issues. I think there is enough blame to go around for both parties.

Please explain to me in detail how a lack of lane protocol leads to demand for more lanes of traffic. My old man was a traffic engineer and we used to talk about these issues. So if you claim lane protocols lessen demand for more lanes of traffic, I would like to see some kind of proof since this seems counterintuitive to me.

Let us imagine a Prius in each lane of the freeway and they want you to save fuel. They then slow to half the speed limit. This back-up results in a wave of cars that will be forced to stop to avoid a collision. This wave persists long after the law breakers are gone. Haven't you experienced stop and go traffic that finally clears with no wreck or other obvious cause?
The irked motorists who experience daily back-ups then demand more lanes to handle the congestion caused by a relatively few who can't or won't obey the law.
Most if not all states have laws about impeding the flow of traffic. The number of vehicles able to use a given square foot of roadway increases with the velocity of the flow of traffic. If each and every vehicle drove the speed limit, the carrying capacity would increase profoundly.
Since not all can go that fast, convention and vehicle codes say "slower trafic keep right".

This was an experiment performed during the Nixon era by a car magazine who had several drivers go exactly 55 mph side by side on I94 going into Detroit in the morning rushour, and back in the evening. They caused a massive traffic jam, and the troopers had to intervene to tell them to stop obeying the law and make room for other drivers to pass!!

George Carlin taught me everything I need to know about urban driving, Everyone driving slower than you is an idiot. Everyone driving faster than you is a maniac.

If for some reason you have to stop in the emergency lane to do whatever business you need to do, (Change tire, etc.) PLEASE use the emergency lane to build up speed BEFORE merging back on to the highway. Dont just jump out into traffic from a dead stop slowly building up speed in the right lane, this is the EXPRESSWAY, not Mr. Rogers neighborhood.


transman

In a multi-lane divided highway setting in heavy traffic, when passing by an incident (flat tire, police stop - even on the opposite lanes) that is far clear of the traffic lanes, observe your position in the traffic flow. If a large gap occurs in front of you - YOU ARE THE PROBLEM due to your slowing only to rubberneck. Now I'm not talking about maintaining clearance around incidents in close proximity of the traffic lane. That is something else.

I get in the mindset that everyone is going somewhere that is just as important to them as my destination is to me. If my action(s) help me and everyone else get there safely then my actions pass my "test". If my action(s) put me first at the expense of the other guy, that doesn't measure up.

With the actions of other driver's sometimes I have to work REALLY HARD to stay in this mindset. Some examples;

Say the car in front of me is making a left turn and there is room on the shoulder to pass the turning car on the right. I will check my rear and side mirrors prior to making any move to the right. A more aggressive driver maybe trying to go around both of us.

At stop lights I position myself behind the car in front of me so that I can see the point on the road with his rear tires contact the road. The "where the rubber meets the road" is courteous and tells the driver in front that I'm not pushing him/r.

On multi-lane highways cars tend to travel in clumps. When possible I'll adjust my speed and try to find a nice space between the clumps and ride in that cushion for a while. Eventually I'll encounter traffic in front of me or cars will come up from behind, but that will soon clear out and I'll have another relatively open space to ride for a bit.

What if? drivers licenses were 5 X 7 and cars had holders in the rear window, msking them clearly visible to all. Color them to suit restrictions, etc. Have drivers under 18, the elderly and handicapped issued limited licenses(speed, interstates, towing, etc.)YELLOW. Drivers with a previous DUI or wreckless driving convictions RED. While most licenses are BLUE and unrestricted.