You’d think it would be a pretty easy concept to grasp, but there apparently is a serious misunderstanding taking place on freeways everywhere when it comes to how fast to drive in what lane of traffic. And perhaps it’s more than just a misunderstanding but rather a gross lack of character and consideration for other drivers on the road. So let me take a moment and explain just how the lanes of traffic work.
Two Lane Roadway
A roadway with one lane of traffic going in each direction should be pretty self-explanatory. You drive at the posted speed-limit or a speed safe for road and traffic conditions, following whatever road markings and traffic control devices are in place.
Four Lane Highway
Now we have a roadway with two lanes of traffic going in either direction. The #1 lane is the lane closest to center of the roadway and is often referred to as the “fast lane”. Traffic in this lane should be traveling at least the posted speed-limit, traffic and road conditions permitting. The “slow lane” or #2 lane is the lane closest to the shoulder and should be used by those vehicles and drivers who are traveling below the posted speed-limit, whether by desire or design. Slow drivers stay out of the fast lane and fast drivers shouldn’t be forced to pass vehicles in the slow lane. Passing to the right of vehicles is dangerous and to be avoided whenever possible.
When a roadway has a designated center lane, this lane is strictly for those vehicles attempting to make a left turn and is not to be used to pass vehicles is the “fast lane”. Passing left of center in an area not designed for that kind of driving maneuver can also be very dangerous.
Multi-Lane Highways and Freeways
With more than two lanes of traffic going in either direction, the rules don’t change. The lane closest to the center is still the #1 lane (fast lane) and the lane closest to the shoulder is still the “slow lane” (the lane number changes to reflect the number of lanes on the roadway, i.e. if there are four lanes of traffic the slow lane will be the #4 lane).
On some of these larger roadways and freeways you will find Carpool Lanes, lanes of traffic designated specifically for the use by drivers of vehicles with two or more passengers (depending on the posted requirement). They are not passing lanes, slow lanes, or lanes for stopping to repair a flat tire. The middle lanes of traffic, however many there might be, are for those drivers content to drive the speed limit but neither find it necessary to be in the slow lane and/or traffic in the fast lane is moving faster than they wish to travel.
When traveling on a freeway, you will sometimes find there are lane restrictions for large trucks, motorhomes, and or vehicles pulling trailers. These are slow moving vehicles and for that reason on these roadways they have be confined to the slow lane.
A Good General Rule
When logic fails you, here’s a good rule to follow: Be aware of traffic around you and the speed at which these vehicles are traveling. Traveling at or near the general flow of traffic is a safe way to travel on just about any roadway and a good way of avoiding the attention of the ever-vigilant protectors of the highway. Studies also suggest that drivers who travel at a speed significantly slower than the flow of traffic actually cause and are involved in more collisions than other drivers.
As in all your traveling excursions, be safe out there.
The Traffic Guy
Friday, September 21, 2007
Why we have On-Ramps.
It seems to me there are a lot of people, drivers that is, out there who have some difficulty understanding just how to navigate a freeway on-ramp. It’s really quite simple, self-explanatory even, and rather ingenious, but somehow the purpose of this common traffic control device eludes a surprising number of licensed and unlicensed drivers, although, at times, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the two.
The really quite simple part is this: A freeway on-ramp is a one-way roadway designed specifically for drivers in need of merging safely onto a freeway. Unlike an off-ramp where certain speeds might be unsafe when maneuvering the ramp, the on-ramp provides you with the necessary space to accelerate to a speed that facilitates a safe merge with traffic already in freeway lanes of traffic.
That brings us to the self-explanatory part. The end of the on-ramp will ultimately end at the freeway where traffic is moving at a speed of 55 to 65 miles per hour (depending on where you live) and often at speeds much greater than that. It seems to me that in order to safely merge with traffic, a driver should necessarily come to the conclusion that, in order to merge safely with traffic, he or she must accelerate to the speed of traffic already on the freeway. In order to do this, the driver must be aware of traffic on the freeway so as to know at what speed he or she can enter the freeway lanes of traffic without causing a disruption in the flow of that traffic. Not a concept that should be terrible difficult to understand.
And that’s the ingenious part. The idea of how to safely navigate a freeway on-ramp should be inherent in all who drive vehicles. There is no great mystery in which direction you are meant to drive, where the road you travel will end, or at what speed you are to be traveling when you get there.
Yet, at some point between entering the on-ramp and exiting the on-ramp, there are some drivers who seem to lose consciousness and foul the whole thing up. These drivers are perfect examples of why driving can be a stressful, dangerous venture, and perhaps a trip to DMV for a Driver Re-Examination Test might help open their eyes to what should already be self-evident to them as drivers. But then again, perhaps it won’t, and that’s precisely why traffic schools nationwide teach new drivers to be Defensive Drivers.
And that’s your first Pet Peeve from The Traffic Guy.
Be safe out there.
The really quite simple part is this: A freeway on-ramp is a one-way roadway designed specifically for drivers in need of merging safely onto a freeway. Unlike an off-ramp where certain speeds might be unsafe when maneuvering the ramp, the on-ramp provides you with the necessary space to accelerate to a speed that facilitates a safe merge with traffic already in freeway lanes of traffic.
That brings us to the self-explanatory part. The end of the on-ramp will ultimately end at the freeway where traffic is moving at a speed of 55 to 65 miles per hour (depending on where you live) and often at speeds much greater than that. It seems to me that in order to safely merge with traffic, a driver should necessarily come to the conclusion that, in order to merge safely with traffic, he or she must accelerate to the speed of traffic already on the freeway. In order to do this, the driver must be aware of traffic on the freeway so as to know at what speed he or she can enter the freeway lanes of traffic without causing a disruption in the flow of that traffic. Not a concept that should be terrible difficult to understand.
And that’s the ingenious part. The idea of how to safely navigate a freeway on-ramp should be inherent in all who drive vehicles. There is no great mystery in which direction you are meant to drive, where the road you travel will end, or at what speed you are to be traveling when you get there.
Yet, at some point between entering the on-ramp and exiting the on-ramp, there are some drivers who seem to lose consciousness and foul the whole thing up. These drivers are perfect examples of why driving can be a stressful, dangerous venture, and perhaps a trip to DMV for a Driver Re-Examination Test might help open their eyes to what should already be self-evident to them as drivers. But then again, perhaps it won’t, and that’s precisely why traffic schools nationwide teach new drivers to be Defensive Drivers.
And that’s your first Pet Peeve from The Traffic Guy.
Be safe out there.
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