Passing lane

A passing lane (North American English) or overtaking lane (English) is the lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the center of the road (the central reservation). In some countries, lanes are described as being on the ‘inwards’ or the ‘outside’ of a road – which one the passing lane is varies.

In modern traffic planning, passing lanes on freeways are usually designed for through/express traffic, while the lanes furthest from the center of the road have entry/exit ramps. However due to routing constraints, some freeways may have ramps exiting from the passing lane; these are known as “left exits” in North America.

A passing lane is commonly referred to as a “quick lane” because it is often used for extended periods of time for through traffic or prompt traffic. In theory, a passing lane should be used only for passing, thus permitting, even on a road with only two lanes in each direction, motorists to travel at their own tempo.

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Common practice and most law on United States highways is that the left lane is reserved for passing and swifter moving traffic, and that traffic using the left lane must yield to traffic wishing to overtake. Evidence exists demonstrating the efficiency of this practice. [ citation needed ]

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 .

It is also illegal in many states in the US to use the “far left” or passing lane on a major highway as a traveling lane (as opposed to passing), or to fail to yield to swifter moving traffic that is attempting to overtake in that lane. For example, Colorado’s “Left Lane Law” states:

A person shall not drive a motor vehicle in the passing lane of a highway if the speed-limit is sixty-five miles per hour

or more unless such person is passing other motor-vehicles that are in a non-passing lane. [1]

In other states, such as Massachusetts, [Two] Fresh Jersey, [Trio] Maine, [Four] Illinois, [Five] Pennsylvania, [6] and others, [7] it is illegal to fail to yield to traffic that seeks to overtake in the left lane, or to create any other “obstruction” in the passing lane that hinders the flow of traffic. As a result, intense trucks are often prohibited from using the passing lane.

The left lane is commonly referred to as the “prompt lane”, but that is not an accurate description of the lane’s purpose. The left lane is the designated passing lane, however, vehicles in the left lane must obey the posted speed boundaries. A common problem arising from misuse of the left lane is speeding and tailgating. These deeds create road rage and increase overall danger.

A driver hoping to pass a slow motorist in the “quick lane” can be stuck in an awkward situation. One strategy is to signal a lane switch toward the center median. Another is to flash headlights. A third, which is dangerous and illegal, is to drive very close to the “quick lane” driver’s bumper (this is known as tailgating).

Most commonly, motorists will attempt to overtake the outer car on the inward lane either to proceed at a prompt rhythm or to pass a car that is going too leisurely in the passing lane. On high-capacity multilane freeways (three or more lanes per direction), many motorists often pass on the internal lane, largely in response to misuse of the “passing lane” by slower traffic. [ citation needed ]

In some areas, such as the US states of Colorado and Kentucky, vehicles in the left lane are required to yield to quicker traffic only if the speed limit is above sixty five miles per hour. In other areas, like Alaska, there is no law requiring slower traffic to budge over for quicker traffic. [7]

Signage Edit

The use of passing lanes for swifter traffic is sometimes acknowledged with signs using phrases such as “Slower Traffic Keep Right” [8] (in Canada, where the passing lane is to the left). In a explore by the AASHTO Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering, all twenty four US states involved used some form of passing lane courtesy signage, nine of which only use those signs for steep graded roads. [9]

Decent use Edit

Many areas which make it illegal to fail to yield to quicker traffic also have exceptions to those rules. Some of these exceptions include preparing to make a left turn, taking an exit located on the left side of the roadway, avoiding traffic merging onto the roadway, or overtaking and passing another vehicle.

In Quebec, it is also illegal to travel in the left lane when not passing when the speed limit is over eighty km/h (50 mph). [Ten]

Truckers often use the passing lane in moderate traffic where legal to do so to reduce travel times, however in many areas, tractor trailers are banned from using the passing lane for safety reasons; these confinements are normally found along urban, often congested highways with numerous lanes (e.g. Interstate forty west of Raleigh, North Carolina), or on rural freeways with six or more lanes (Trio in each direction).

Hammer lane Edit

The hammer lane is another term for the passing lane. Its etymology originated with truckers in North America in reference to catapulting the accelerator with a foot like hammer.) [ citation needed ]

HOV lanes are not usually considered hammer lanes, but are also used for express travel by commuters.

In hilly terrain, some undivided highways are built with three lanes, with the extra added pavement known as the “climbing lane” or “crawler lane”. Two lanes are used for traffic heading in the uphill direction, with one lane being a passing or climbing lane, and one lane is used for downhill traffic. On dual carriageways, the climbing lane may be marked with a violated dual white line.

In Australia, most intercity highways are constructed with only one lane in each direction. Head-on collisions are a risk, particularly with fatigued drivers. Overtaking lanes are an extra lane in one direction for a brief distance (one or two kilometres) to assist swifter traffic to securely overtake slower traffic. Road markings are often painted so that the extra lane shows up in the centre of the road (guiding traffic to the left), and traffic needs to deliberately switch lanes to overtake. At the end, the markings are the other way, so that the left lane must yield and merge into the overtaking lane. Large signs alert drivers that they are approaching an overtaking lane, often at 5km and 1km distances before the lane starts.

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