Why American Highways are So Slow and Dangerous - BMW M3 POV Drive (Binaural Audio)

Like the video if you hate lane hogs. It's ok if you're guilty of these wrong lane sins...Just do better and tell your friends. Highways can be more open, safe, and relaxing if we use the correct lanes. Edit: My blinker was used on EVERY lane change. Shocking for a BMW driver yes. But please look closely before commenting that "he didn't use his blinker."

My only qualm with what you said in this video is passing a car that is in the right lane, and then getting back into the right lane when you can clearly see another slow car up ahead, and then moving into the middle lane only 10-15 seconds later. If you aren't impeding traffic behind you, just stay in the passing lane until there is a large stretch of open road in the right lane, otherwise you will be changing lanes every 15 seconds.

here in italy there's a distinction between overtaking on the right because you wanted to overtake and overtaking someone on the right because the guy on the left lane is slower than you(wich also means that they are actively breaking the law by staing in the left lane when they aren't overtaking). if you are on the right lane and there is someone slower than you on the left lane you are allowed to pass, we even have 2 distinct words to describe those actions. Personally i think that if someone is hogging the left lane and is slower than you then you should be allowed to pass him on the right, because otherwise you would slow down all the traffic in the highway just because of some dumb driver.



(sorry for bad grammar)

We really need that in Florida. People here hog the left lane and never move over. Cops care more about issuing speed tickets than fixing the traffic flow. They believe that giving out speed tickets will solve accidents. We have the most accidents here, and our insurance costs are high because of this. Unfortunately, nobody seems to care about making a change.

You call this congested? I would like to see this video done on a larger highway with actual congestion and pointers on how to do that

You also have to take into account that any driver on the road you see may have learned how to drive in another state where the laws and rules are different. In some states, all of that lane switching you're doing will get you pulled over. Especially since most times you'd have to be speeding to pass someone anyway.

I know in Texas, people drive so fast down there, they just sort of "pick a lane" and tend to move over when they can for those openly breaking the law. But around where I'm currently living on the east coast, you always have some jackass in rush hour traffic that feels that since he can't handle his vehicle at speed that no one else can, so he speed matches with the slowest person and clogs the left lane. Then everything comes to a halt because now the person on the right has nowhere to go and is forced to slow down for people merging on and off the freeway. To me this has got to be the most dangerous driving habit people have next to not using signals and break checking or being distracted.

Highways to me are two lane roads and maybe sometimes it splits into to for once side to allow for passing. The freeways here in western washington state have the right lane dedicated for exits and they're always splitting off. There's so many exit only lanes because there's limited flat space and you can't build an entire runway to decelerate to get off on an exit. You can hog the middle lane in my opinion if there's another middle lane hog in front and behind you. There's also box trucks and semis that hog the middle lane because they're worried that someone is gonna cut into them and you can definitely pass them on the right.

Everything you said is exactly how I would like to drive in the US. At this point though, I’m forced to pass people on the right because the other drivers don’t get it and they never will. Sometimes Ill get right on someone’s bumper in the left and they won’t move, then I’ll speed past them on the right and they still act like everything’s normal in la-la fruity everything’s-cool land instead of recognizing that they have responsibility in a complex economy of moving vehicles. I love America but we sure aren’t perfect…

100% with you. GTFO to the most right lane.
** in Canada, I live in the right lane, and typically get home faster there.

As a European:

You are correct on how lanes should be used, if there are vehicles moving slower than the speed limit.

You are incorrect for vehicles moving at the speed limit. If someone is driving at 65mph, you will be breaking the law, if you pass him. So, even though he is hugging the left lane, you shouldn't care that he does, as you will not be taking him over. There's no legal possibility for you to do so.

That said, the proper way is to logically fill up the available space, as the purpose of multiple lanes is to accommodate more traffic. As the right lane is filled, overflow should move to the middle. This always leaves the leftmost lane available for emergency services.

So, legally, you can drive anywhere you want, with the speed limit. Logically, you should always move to the rightmost lane. But there is no incentive to do so, except if you want to be a good citizen - and since most people are morons, you end up with what you have.

Btw, in Europe, the right most lane is an emergency lane. It's not for driving and is only used to stop in an emergency or is used by emergency services. Which solves the problem you have.

Kind of rare to see a BMW driver respecting driving etiquette. Cudos to you, man

I actually learned a lot from this video since I've never driven on a highway as I live in a small town in alaska

That's because it is too easy to get DL in USA. This is partly due to USA being so car dependent that barrier to entry cannot be to high.

This guy literally says the way I think lmao

good information, I'll keep it in mind

Also not to forget: Don't pass a car that is passing another (third) car.

Everything sounds reasonable except for the part where the car was passing the middle lane hog. There is a lot of danger in switching to the left lane abruptly when you don’t match the speed of the car on the left lane. Every car is different in acceleration, so if someone is going pedal to the metal on the left lane and a guy in middle lane tries to switch to the left, there could be accidents.
Despite what I said, the alternative solution is to wait for the left lane driver to pass before the middle lane driver switch lanes, but that would require traffic to slow down. If it’s safe to pass on the right, I don’t see a problem since the driver in the middle would be at fault if they were to lane switch right and crash onto incoming traffic.

People here use the left lane as the cruising lane and the middle lane as the passing lane, and the right lane of course as the slow lane.

Maybe if state laws on highways were a constant rather than up to state discretion there wouldn’t be so many conflicting principles on how to drive on highways.

Huh. I always assumed that the right lane in the 3 lane was for when you needed to exit.

The speed limit is the same in all the lanes Mr.

In europe you fortunately people drive like you saying. Always to the right when there is a room. I hope that usa adopt that in a few years.

The German word he used is "Rechtsfahrgebot", i.e. the drive-right-commandment.

That's dangerous. But imagine intercity highways without a barrier where opposite lanes drive 60-80 mph with no barriers close to each other and there are big loaded trucks driving against each other. Welcome to Russia

We In Poland, also use left line only for overtaking. Its not a drivers etiquette it a RULE!

i try to inform my partner to not left lane hog 😭😭 she doesnt care

Its so socially normal that many states have a "Slower Traffic Keep Right" law.

How about as long as the law coincided with the etiquette?? Because then you have a bunch of motherfuckers who always push it. If the speed limit is 75 then they'll go 85. If the limit is 90 then they'll go 100... Then you have the community making up their own etiquette. Rules that don't necessarily coinside with the law.. So unless there is a different speed limit for every lane which I doubt, Then it will never work.. Especially when everyone makes up their own rules

German here, don't worry, it does often not work that much better here. Even tho it is mandatory to move to the right once you are done passing. Some people are sadly just incapable of it, and i wish they'd learn.

I saw many US videos, when drivers were driving all lanes even when they had similar speed as right lane, and i though in US there is no law about lanes, but holy sh*t, u have the law, but no one gives a fck. I remember when my father drove 5km middle lane in Austria, near Vienna, after few minutes driving middle lane, when there was no driver on the road, police just came and they gave him ticket for that. I understand driving on all lanes in City, that makes sense, many intersections, but on highway? Hell No. Seeing u the only one driving correctly makes me sad, stay safe there.

Why would our taxes go towards actually benefitting society rather than just being able to collect more revenue through tickets.

its nice to keep highways at low speed limits because a lot of people who can't really afford new cars (people who drive beaters like me lmao) are able to drive on them

What I like to play this by rules and by knowing everyone else is ignored , i stay happy because it will not teach them anything they even will not notice but myself I be so happy to play by the rules

Not sure how the rest of the world does it but here in Sweden when you’re on a road with more than two lanes and you’re changing lanes, you check your blindspot, blink, look again, and change lane, but if you’re changing to the third lane, you have to change to the middle lane first then turn off your turn signal, check blindspot, blink, check again, and change lane. Does it make sense how I explained it?

Driving here I realized. That you’re just like me trying to stay safe on the road. But who is to judge what’s right or wrong when everyone does what they want. Ignorance breeds ignorance. But in the end all we can do is educate. (Metal gear solid meme attempt)

people drive slow in the middle lane because of on ramps on the right and they don't want to deal with that traffic.

Not passing o. The right only extends to people in the lane directly to your left. Theres no reason for you to slow down for someone 2 or more lanes away from you when theres no one in front of you.

me too, me first mentality!

love this video they just barely added more lanes on the freeway and I was unsure how to use it so thank you mista

The main difference we have in Germany is that on the far right side it is FILLED with trucks so it basically becomes a two lane highway. Sometimes some truck drivers take over other trucks for whatever reason which is stupid. But you are right, you should always be on the right side. Just it's not that applicable here, so middle lane is kinda the "cruising lane"

Can you do a video on the belt pkwy :)

Now I'm 62 so not age shaming...
But seriously kids of elderly parents really need to step up and ride at least twice a year with their parents and have serious discussions about taking away their hazard to themselves licenses and I know being in service of parents actually caring and taking them to pharmacy and doctors appointments is pain in ass but to many old shouldn't be on road drivers....most left lane drive exactly at speed limit drivers are old ass set cruise control elderly drivers...

Wisconsin USA. I tend to drive 65 mph for economy and peace of mind, and to hang in the right lane with the trucks going about the same speed. I'm commonly on an eight lane (4 ea dir) highway, where the left two lanes if unobstructed speed close to 80. My nerves get jangled quite often, however, because knots of traffic going much slower than 80 cluster in the left lanes, and following drivers get frustrated and pass at high speed in the rightmost lane, threatening to rear end me or clip my fender.

I think one of the major problem not mentioned is the amount of cars on the road. It's nearly impossible for most people to move to the right lane because it's full most of time, you would have to weave out as soon as you get back into the lane, that's if you can move over. So if you want to drive fast you have to stay in the middle or left lane, because there's way too much car to change lane everytime you pass a car.

I completely agree with you and it not just america, I have found the exact same problems all the time in the UK as well.

You should probably say on "limited access highways" because this all applies exactly there, but not to highways with stoplights and intersections where people turn to the left. Also, I don't really see the issue in choosing opportune times to pass on the right. If your not dealing with freshly merging cars, I see no issue, If you want to claim people can't see you because of a blind spot, there is a smaller blind spot on the left as well, and nobody should be making lane changes fast enough that they miss you approaching and passing through that blind spot. As someone who has driven a Ford e350 with a serious blind spot on both sides, I'm much more concerned about if a car cruises alongside me in my blind spot than if they approach and pass me, staying in my blind spot for only a moment, I can see care approaching my blindspots, and I can see them moving past it. I'd be down to never do that on limited access highways once we can go as fast as we want, but there's likely going to still be rare occasions where the opportunity to pass on the right makes more sense than moving two lanes over, due to what is happening. Passing on the right is almost a guaranteed on highways with intersections and left turns. And while I know some states literally mean every multilane highway with their left lane laws, I think those states, have zero common sense. If people are regularly going to be moving to the left lane, and slowing down in preparation for a left turn, any semblance of a passing lane is gone. I'm sure plenty of people will wholly disagree and 100% believe any road with more then one lane required the left lane be a passing lane, and believe no circumstance should allow for you to pass on the right. If you believe nobody should ever pass on the right, do you think it's safer if a car goes the speed limit, in the right side blindspot of a semi truck indefinitely, until the semi truck passes them or falls behind on his own? Or would it be monumentally safer for the car to speed up and get past the truck and it's blindspot, also allowing anyone else stuck in that blindspot through? I know which I pick based on having driven with very similar blindspots.

He's just explained the problem in the UK but in reverse.

no, far right lane is for exiting, or traffic merging onto the highway only.