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What I experience is this, not at all that I`ve an issue with being passed, either by faster or by slower drivers/cars, but that the drivers of superior/potentially faster vehicles almost routinely have an issue over my being faster than them. I`m currently second in the world for speed punching, for instance, my reaction time can be at times virtually instant, and I read the speed of oncoming vehicles - On occasion, taking it that we both do nothing it could be that a space is destined to open up at the time of our passing. Should I have slowed to give way but then they subsequently hit their brakes a moment after I`ll drive straight through the gap which they have begun to open. I`ll give way quite freely, but I do n`t muck about wasting time. In addition to my fast reaction time I drive a small vehicle, so one which fits into small gaps, and rapidly. Big powerful cars are slower than cheap small cars under those circumstances of congestion, and much of the time there is only congestion. Fast cars, in the main, only arrive at their destination before me because their drivers are prepared to breach speed restrictions. When it comes to optimizing speed inside of the law they are not competition. I`m fast, but always operate well inside my reaction time and stopping distance, thus making it virtually impossible for another motorist to have an accident with me. I`ve gone around twenty years accident free now, and I do n`t just do nothing when I drive, like so many, I`m a first initiative driver, the one which takes on all the decisions,
The law here in NJ. Keep right, pass on left. Someone doing 60 on the left lane is breaking that law. Ask any NYC or NJ driver, is driving on the left lane at 60 right? Most people here would have a different opinion than you.
If you're enraged by someone pushing you on the left lane, perhaps you're part of the problem. Trying to antagonize on the road could be deadly and I'll be honest and tell you that the person from behind always wins.
New Jersey probably also has speed limits and tailgating laws. Apparently all those are just suggestions anyway.
I have tailgated in the past if the left lane driver is oblivious to the long line of traffic they have collected behind them as they meander through life in the fast lane.
I have switched lanes rather abruptly to get around such drivers.
I have been mildly upset by drivers in the afore mentioned left lane that refuse to acknowledge my headlight flash to move over once it's clear.
Same driver took my headlight flash as a sign of aggression and became annoyed with me (I didn't single finger salute, just politely flashed my lights.)
After reading all these responses I've learned a bit and will alter my driving to reflect some of the suggestions here.
We all need to take a breath and realize most of these sequences we've described are mere milliseconds out of our lives and not worth some of the chances we were taking with other people's and our own lives.
What is it that Frank Castanza says on Sienfield? SERENITY NOW!!!
If you're intentionally getting into their lane in front of them at their speed, then punching it, that's probably why they're doing the high beam thing and honking. A more polite way to do it is to ease into the right lane, let plenty of space go between the left lane car and you, then gently drift and goose it into the left lane. That'll tone the drama down.
Most people in the left lane that aren't speeding are doing it because the people in the right lane are going slower. Sometimes its only 5 mph slower but its annoying when you have to keep dodging from right to left lane to get around all the random speeds people want to do in the right lane. If you're in South Florida there's a 50mph difference between those two lanes and between the 40mph drivers and the 120 mph drivers, driving is just nerve wracking.
If you have adaptive cruise its not as annoying because the radar just locks on the car in front of you and do the same speed they're doing. Which sucks when you find out you're actually doing 40 mph in a 70mph zone.
I forgot. If the "faster car" is a BMW, then you'll for sure get honked at, because everybody in the world hates BMW drivers. If its a Corvette you'll get a thumbs up, because every red blooded American loves Corvettes.
BMW drivers are no worse than anyone else and I hate a Corvette...
*I don't drive a BMW and the last time I checked my blood is red and I am an American...
BMW drivers are no worse than anyone else and I hate a Corvette...
*I don't drive a BMW and the last time I checked my blood is red and I am an American...
It's an indisputable fact that BMWs are bad drivers. Everybody already knows this, I just restated this fact for dramatic purposes.
Getting within a 1/2 car length distance from the car in front of you is aggressive and dangerous. It's not up to you to send them a message, it's up to law enforcement to pull them over if they're breaking the law.
Only a problem if the driver slows down or does not leave adequate space (relates to speed) between vehicles. If that is not done then the move is automatically interpreted as threatening and I respond accordingly. Now I always drive a mile or more below the flow of traffic as traffic usually is going too fast well above the speed limit. I find that a more cautious path is well worth the few minutes extra the drive may require.
I'm typically a very fast driver. Whenever I'm on the left lane I clock 78mph avg. It's almost a regular routine for me to get around slow left lane hoggers by cutting in front of them if necessary then taking off.
However, I've bumped into a few grumpy drivers.
One situation the car was doing 60ish on the left lane, I was holding about 1/2 a car distance behind the car for about a minute and it wouldn't move. So I tried to pass right around the car and suddenly the guy started taking off and hit above 80mph and he was gone. Then after like 5 mins, I caught up to the guy as I was doing 80mph+ and he slowed back down to 60mph.
Another case, I got around the slow car 40mph car and then got in front of it due to traffic and took off doing 50mph+ the car high beamed me. Other times, I've had cars honked and high beamed me for simply getting around them and taking off.
I never brake check any car so there's no reason someone being passed by me should be offended. Their action of driving slower than avg speed is the offense here.
IMO since you're comfortable with 1/2 car length distances, you might be coming fairly close for comfort at highway speeds when executing your lane changes.
I've been in the middle lane going 68 in a 60 and had people come up the fast lane and cut dangerously close in front of me in order to then pass a left lane person going about the same speed as me.
If you get the bird for that, it's deserved. The problem isn't "fast" it's cutting in front of people and not giving them their space. Especially these days when I can't commute 7 miles most days without seeing at least one or two people swerving out of their lanes or rear-ending someone because they're on their phones. Eventually you're going to go to do that and they're going to not even notice you there and change lanes right into you etc.
Drive 100mph down the fast lane for all I care, it's the quick lane changes at close distances that cause accidents.
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