Left Lane Campers

Sheesh! There are so many people in the U.S. who don't get it - slower drivers move to the right. Its often puzzling as to why there are so many drivers who don't understand this simple rule. I suspect there are several reasons, including their drivers ed failed to teach them this important lesson. Most importantly, camping in the left is just plain discourteous! Let's see, I suspect the reason is usually one of the following:

1. These drivers are simply not paying attention.
2. They are "asleep at the wheel", either figuratively or literally.
3. Somehow they feel annoyed that other people have somewhere to go.
4. Some drivers feel they are actually trying to "teach a lesson" to not exceed the speed limit.
5. And as mentioned, their drivers education failed them.

So a few words about how to tell you're "camping in the left lane". First off, if someone passes you on the right you know you're in the wrong lane. You are the slower traffic on the road and hence should be in the righthand lane. Secondly, if you find another driver "on your bumper" there's probably a reason for this other than they are impatient. The easy, safe, and courteous thing to do is to simply move to the right and let them pass.

People around left lane campers need to be alert and patient. It really does not help to drive 6 inches from their back bumper. All this does is to create a very dangerous situation for both yourself and the surrounding drivers. Maintain a proper, safe distance and eventually move to the right and pass the left lane camper. Once safely past them, you can move back into the lefthand lane if indeed there are slower cars in the righthand lane.

My hope is that by posting about this topic everywhere possible someday left lane camping will eventually be a thing of the past. If this situation strikes you as well, please pass on this article to as many people as you can. And if you have teens learning to drive, make sure you insist that either their classroom or online drivers ed covers this critical topic.