Why do so many Trucks drive in the middle Lane?

Traffic courtesy, that's hilarious.
It isn't 1977 any more.

 

I try to always use the right lane unless I’m passing. Sometimes you get stuck in the middle lane. You’re courteous and you move over to let people merge and then they sit right beside you for half an hour. Lol

 

Some here are so courteous they are putting people in a ditch on a weekly basis

 

https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SLOWER-TRAFFIC-KEEP-RIGHT.pdf

Most state statutes show that you don't need to use the right lane if there are three or more marked lanes, but they do restrict usage of the left lane. I think MA, MO, SD require using the right most lane, and OR requires only trucks to use the right most lane when more than two lanes are available.

A big flaw that I see is the idea that camping in the left lane creates more lane changes, and lane changes are dangerous. Keep right laws don't really stop lane changes, they just shift them to the merging lanes. Then you've got people who just run mergers off the road instead of changing lanes, which isn't safe, regardless of if it's right, wrong, legal, or not.

All of this is done to appease people who couldn't start their day earlier to get ahead. The irony is that people are so worried about others following the law, but don't think that speed laws apply to themselves.

 

Funny you should mention that. I used to live there and I know 495 and 695 like the back of my hand unfortunately. You're not getting anywhere any faster in ANY lane. So grow a pair. Cars will make their own lane out of the shoulder to get in front of you. You haven't been driving long enough to realize you're in the way all the time. The least you could do is pick the proper lane...the GRANNY lane. You are causing people to pass you on the right where they can't sew because you're too ignorant to follow the laws, kiddo.

 

Has the law changed? Is slower traffic no longer required to keep right? Is it no longer a law to keep right unless you're passing? You kids and foreigners are the reason things are so screwed up out here.

 

Moving over to the left puts YOU in a very high risk of having a 100 percent at fault accident while staying in the proper lane (the right) gives you an almost immunity to any fault accident even if the merger hits you. Why? Because that's the law! The merging traffic does NOT have the right of way. You have no business out on the road if you even know who has the right of way. Giving up your right of way to be courteous is incredibly foolish especially when operating a commercial vehicle.

 

If they just made all hwys 1 lane each way, it would solve all of these problems.

 

Not stating my opinion here because it is more nuanced and complex, but the middle lane is typically not considered a passing lane.

AAA teaches:

"Generally, the right lane of a freeway is for entering and exiting the traffic flow. It is a staging lane, for use at the beginning and end of your freeway run. The middle lanes are for through traffic, and the left lane is for passing. you are not passing someone, you should not be driving in the left lane. If you are traveling on a roadway with more than two lanes, you should move out of the right lane unless you are driving at a slower speed or preparing to enter or exit."​

Helpful Driving Info | Choosing Lanes

"If you can choose among three lanes on your side of the road, pick the middle lane for the smoothest driving. Use the left lane to go faster, pass, or turn left. Use the right lane to drive slowly, enter, or turn off the road."​

And the law varies from state to state but most of them copy this basic text.

"when there is an obstruction in the right half of the roadway; upon a roadway divided into three marked traffic lanes; or upon a roadway restricted to one-way traffic. Slower traffic must keep right. "​

The "keep right" portion means staying out of the left or "passing lane" not the other "through lanes" with three or more marked traffic lanes.

So legally middle lane travel is OK with three or more lanes but to not be a jerk people should move over (unless in an urban area with lots of off and on ramps then the right lane is the suicide lane with any amount of traffic).

One way to think of it from the road builder perspective is that the additional lanes are for capacity and not multiple tiers of passing lane.

 

Here is a better official link from the Utah drivers manual, showing that while my personal opinion differs, truck using the middle lane on three lane highways is what is actually taught.

https://dld.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2018/12/Driver-Handbook-2018-2019.pdf

"MANEUVERABILITY

Trucks are designed to carry products to and from towns and cities; they are not designed to be as maneuverable as cars. Trucks have longer stopping and accelerating distances, wider turning area, and weigh more. On multilane highways tractor-trailers stay in the center lane to help the flow of local traffic on and off the highway. Staying in the middle lane also increases a truck driver’s options if he or she has to switch lanes in order to avoid a dangerous situation or a crash."​