Left Lane Campers

There is little in your driving life more annoying than left lane campers. There are many other descriptive terms, such as “Fast Lane Blockers”, “Day Dream Drivers”, etc. Any way you look at it, these are the drivers who spend time in the left-hand lanes of our roads going slower than the surrounding traffic. Some online drivers ed courses teach the proper use of lanes while driving, but most do not so please pay close attention to this article.

First off, how can you determine if YOU are camping in the fast lane? Its pretty simple – if you see someone passing you on the right, you are camping in the wrong lane. You don’t need to worry about what the speed limit is, what kind of traffic, etc. If you just pay attention to what’s going on around you, this will become obvious. And by the way, its good, safe driving practice to know what’s happening in your vicinity of the road at all times.

Slower traffic should always move to the right, thus allowing those who want to go faster to pass safely on the left. Not only is this the law in most states, but is common sense as well. Drivers in the left-hand lane go slower because they are often looking for an exit, services, etc. and hence will be going slower. Also, by following a strict convention it just makes it safer for everyone. I’m no psychiatrist, but here are my guesses for people camping in the left-hand lane: 1)unaware, 2)rude, 3)don’t understand the rules, or 4) want to set an example. Let’s look at each of these in turn. People who are unaware, day dreaming, and should really stop at the next exit and get a cup of coffee (or something with caffeine). They do no know what’s going on around them and are a hazard to others on the road.

Rude people those who just don’t care about anyone else on the highway. Very rude, indeed. Why not just get our of the way and let other drivers go on about their business? These people are probably rude in other facets of their life as well, so there’s probably not much hope for them expect for a few citations.
Those who misunderstand the rules are in the most difficult category to deal with. They probably would follow them if they knew, but how do you educate them. Once a driver’s license is obtained, there is generally no requirement for ongoing driver education. A citation would get their attention, but this doesn’t happen very often. The drivers who sit in the fast lane just to set an example are the rudest of all. Why do this? They are doing nothing more than breaking the law while causing grief for other drivers. I vote for stiff citations for these people.

Bottom line is that Left Lane Campers are a serious problem on our highways and the cause of many problems. Do whatever you can to bring awareness to this problem. Write the local newspaper. Blog about it. And mention it to anyone you know who is guilty of this problem. Maybe by raising awareness we can get people to pay attention and stop left lane camping. Check out our Move To The Right infographic for further information.