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Comment by torstenvl | Hacker News Reader

If people are weaving in and out of traffic, they are likely not the most at-fault. If it is both possible and desirable to pass you on the right, you are committing a crime in many states and a civil infraction in others.

For example, in Virginia, it is explicitly lawful to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway, Code Virg. § 46.2-841, available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... and explicitly unlawful to remain at the prevailing traffic speed in the passing lane when someone is trying to pass, Code Virg. § 46.2-842.1 ("The driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so."), available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... .

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If people are weaving in-and-out of traffic that means they're at least going faster than the majority of people on the road. Assuming everyone's going a reasonable speed, that means this person is an anomaly that's likely going a bit over the speed limit (if not significantly over). If I'm in the left lane going 70 in a 70, and you pass me on the right going 80, I can tell you which one of us is "more at-fault", and it's not apparently who you think it is.

I understand that people have strong feelings about going the speed limit in the left lane. However, that is not consistent with either safe driving practices or the law.

The left lane of a multi-lane highway is for passing. If you are going the speed limit in the left lane and someone is trying to pass you, you are still required to yield and allow them to overtake you.

This is the law in nearly every state (Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maryland do not require you to get out of the left lane unless you are going below the speed limit).

https://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5804590/slow-left-lane-driving...

From the link: Now, some people counter that as long as they're going the speed limit, they don't have to move over — and by slowing down would-be speeders, they're making the roads safer... Apart from the fact that in 44 states, simply going the speed limit doesn't permit drivers to travel in the left lane, this argument doesn't make a lot of sense based on research into how accidents occur.

So that is why people in Ohio love camping in the left lane. When driving in places like Utah, Montana, Dakotas, etc. 95% of people pass and get back in the slow lane. In Ohio and surrounding states, it seems like people have an aversion to the first lane and immediately jump to the middle lane if available or just persist in the fast lane after passing, even when the slow lane is empty. If people drove with a float:right mentality, wouldn't congestion be eased by allowing more efficient flow based on speed segregation and less unnecessary braking?

Ohioans park in the left lane because they’re dumb. They don’t know the law. I’m an Ohioan.

It’s not so much going slow in the left lane stuff. I see that everyday anyway but I was seeing people just drive and weave in and out of lanes because fuck it. Like going 90 in a 55 and just swerving because why not. Lots of crazy stuff. Anecdote of course. Hope that goes without saying

Depends on the level of desire, no?

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