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Health & Fitness

Passing Lane, Do You Believe In One?

Would you like to see an enforceable left-passing-lane law?

I got my driver's license in Ohio, way back in '66. At that time, there were no driver's ed requirements. In fact, I'm not sure it had even been invented there yet. We had to rely on time behind the wheel with our parents, and a booklet full of golden rules. Similarly to today, the license was obtained after successfully completing both a written and driving test.

One of the laws in the booklet was, the left lane was only for passing. Another law stated there was no passing allowed on the right side of the slower vehicle. I grew up with these laws ingrained in my head, and they seemed like a logical way to control a passing situation.

When I moved to Michigan, however, it didn't take long to observe that there were either no such laws, or law enforcement officers had grown tired of attempting to enforce them. I recently decided to do some research to get a better understanding of what laws, if any, existed. Let it be said, I'm more confused now than before I began.

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One research project was conducted by M.I.T., and it described Michigan's law as "Weird". M.I.T. Study. I wasn't quite sure what they meant, so I continued on in Googleville where I found the "weird" law spelled out on the Mich State Police site, under the question, "Is it against the law to drive in the left lane when not passing another vehicle?" Follow this link, then scroll down 1/3 of the page to find the answer. MSP Site

Is it the confusion created by the laws that drives some people to believe the passing lane belongs exclusively to them? Maybe. I find that the mine! mine! mentality seems to be shared by a somewhat equal number of turtles and rabbits, if you will.

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Personally, I used to be a rabbit, passing everything on the road. I wasn't concerned with passing either on the left, or the right. (I did feel a little less secure on the right, partly because of the one-time Ohio law, and partly because of my 25 year driving experience in Europe, where everyone knows the left lane is only for passing.) Recently, I've started slowing down a lot, and I tend to hang in the right lane. Occasionally I still have to pass a turtle, and I'd sure like to be able to pull into the left lane and not encounter someone driving the same speed, or slower than the turtle on the right. 

That's me, in a nut shell. I hope you'll tell us about your left-lane preferences. The mentality of readers of The Patch seems to be significantly calmer than other local papers, so I predict we'll have a meaningful, non-inflammatory discussion about this subject.:) If you'd like to be involved in our own little research project, simply leave a comment with your answers to the questions, below. 

Do you drive in the left lane?

If so, Why do you like staying in the left lane? Please be honest:)

Would you like to see a "left lane for passing on all highways" law?

Any other comment is welcomed.

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