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Comment by pyre | Hacker News Reader

I also hear that some of the laws are stricter. The Germans apparently heavily enforce things like passing on the correct side, and people going too slow for the lane that they are in (e.g. those people on US highways that immediately go into the far left lane and sit there going under the speed limit forcing everyone to pass them on the right rather than the left).

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This is just a theory about bad left-lane drivers in the U.S. - where I live - but here goes:

Many drivers in the U.S. are uncomfortable driving and using their mirrors, most likely due to how easy it is to get a license and not having to undergo the extensive driver training as is required in Germany.

If you have a 3 lane highway, the middle lane is scary because you have other drivers on both sides of you. The right lane is scary because on-ramps merge with your lane. The left lane is the most comfortable lane because you are buffered on your left side by the median and only have the lane on your right to worry about.

Hence, you switch to the left lane, drive slowly, and stay put. Not to mention - annoy every decent driver stuck behind you.

In Washington State, it is illegal to drive in the left lane on a highway except to pass. They don't enforce it much, but I do know people that have been pulled over for that reason (albeit let off with warnings). As a result, it tends to be the faster lane to travel in. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for all states.

That's exactly my opinion on the matter, I thought my post might be a little long in the tooth if I started going on about that though (since I was only using it as an example).

You don’t drive in the left lane unless you want to pass. You just don’t. When you have passed you immediately switch back to the right or middle lane.

That’s not enforced as such, at least not that I know of, but nobody does it and that largely makes for a pleasant experience all around.

I have no idea why that is the case but it might be that stricter rules have something to do with it. You are not allowed to pass on the right – and that’s definitely strictly enforced. I have actually never seen anybody pass on the right in Germany. It’s consequently in everyone’s best interest to keep the left lane free.

(It’s also not that pleasant to see some lunatic driving 110 miles per hour approaching in the rear view mirror. Another reason to retreat to the right lane as long as you don’t pass.)

It's not enforced because NOBODY does it. I watched a "Cops"-like show where they followed the Autobahn police around and once in a while they did bust someone for not using the lanes properly.

> (It’s also not that pleasant to see some lunatic driving 110 miles per hour approaching in the rear view mirror. Another reason to retreat to the right lane as long as you don’t pass.)

Really? I've witnessed many people in the far left lane that will not move over for someone that is coming up behind them, and grossly exceeding the speed limit. I've personally encountered people that would not move back into the right lane for me even when I flashed my high-beams at them in an attempted to prod them over. (I've even witnessed someone that was so oblivious to the road around him that he stopped at a stop light when there was an ambulance speeding up behind him with sirens going and lights flashing. Needless to say the ambulance hit the brakes and rear-ended him, only for him to get out of the car and look at the ambulance driver with a, "wtf are you doin'?' look on his face.)

My theory is that these people fall into two categories:

* This category: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1147059 . The people that move all the way over into the left lane so that they can feel 'comfortable' and turn off their brain while driving (since they don't have to worry about people merging and other issues).

* The 'vigilantes.' They see you going faster than what they think you should be going, so they are going to be steadfast in denying you passage in your 'lane of choice.' (i.e. I don't like you so I'm not going to do what you want me to) Note that it doesn't matter that you're going within the speed limit, if they think that the speed limit is too high, then they are still going to put up a stink.

[Note: Everything I'm talking about here assumes ideal driving conditions (i.e. no rain, sleet, snow, ice, etc), even my anecdotes all happened in good driving conditions]

I actually think flashing your headlights at someone is going to have the opposite of the intended effect more often than not.

You usually wait for the person to move over on their own. If they don't, you flash your headlamps once or twice.

I'm not talking about speeding up to someone's car within 2 feet of their bumper and flashing your headlamps on and off constantly for 5 minutes before giving up and passing on the right.

Very true. Driving the Autobahn from FRA to Bonn in my rental Mercedes A90 (small and weak) was a nerve-wracking introduction to Germany. In my experience, drivers on the right lanes will slam the brakes to let you in if there is a fast driver in the left lane (e.g., a Porsche).

There has also been a lot of talk about adding a speed limit to the Autobahn in order to prevent accidents. However, the very powerful automobile lobby doesn't let it get close to happening.

Speed limits do exist on the Autobahn now. You usually see them in major city interchanges and also when bad weather strikes. They have a very impressive system of automated signals and signs that indicate the (temporary) limits in those cases.

(And I've done the FRA run in rented A-klasse autos as well. You're right...it's an insane experience the first couple of times. But eventually checking the mirrors at the right time becomes habit and you become more comfortable. Coming back to the States is more nerve-wrecking for me now)

> There has also been a lot of talk about adding a speed limit to the Autobahn in order to prevent accidents. However, the very powerful automobile lobby doesn't let it get close to happening.

Yes, the evil lobby, always out to get the little man. Never mind that the Autobahns are safer and have higher capacity than in neighbouring countries with speed limits, and that a majority of the German people are very proud of this.

Try doing the same with seven people + luggage in a ford van (1.8l diesel). It is surreal to be driving 140kph and be passed as if you were standing still.

BTW, if you want a nerve-wracking experience try driving the same setup in Italy.

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