# Traffic Courtesies that aren't Laws **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636 "2018-04-02T13:25:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/81 "2018-04-12T20:01:40Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > Mine is honking when a car is stopped at a green light. In my region, we never, ever honk in that situation. We figure they’ll figure it out eventually and get moving. Honking is something you do as a greeting or if there’s a real problem. When some out-of-state driver starts honking because someone is looking at their phone for five extra seconds, I either start looking around to see if I know them or if my gas cap is off. It drives me batty. It’s five seconds and if you miss the light, don’t worry, there will be another one, no reason to be so impatient about it. The guy who didn’t move feels embarrassed enough, no reason to make it worse by drawing attention to it. Anyway, there’s my ‘isn’t illegal, but should be’ rant. Or, you know, just don’t use your god damn phone in the car. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/82 "2018-04-12T21:38:16Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Or, you know, just don’t use your god damn phone in the car. I’m usually waiting for a pedestrian and the guy behind me is honking. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/83 "2018-04-13T00:40:25Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > As far as camping in the right lane on a highway: I heard that there are places where merging traffic legally has the right-of-way. I haven’t seen any signs to that effect anywhere I’ve driven in the US, but it’s certainly possible that some areas have that law. In any case, the courteous thing to do when you’re in that lane is to be aware of merging cars and wherever possible ease off on your accelerator just enough to let them in. It costs you basically no time, and makes for much safer experience for everyone. Sure, easing off the accelerator is a courtesy, but the person merging onto a 65mph freeway needs to be moving faster than 35-45 mph and expecting everyone to slow down for him. It’s a safety issue if I have to slow down 20-30 mph to let you into traffic. There is usually enough lane to get up to a reasonable speed prior to merging. Conversely, here’s one that grinds my gears. If a police officer has someone pulled over or an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, yes, you are supposed to either move over a lane or slow down if you are unable to move over. If the officer is in the median patrolling traffic speed, then you do not have to slow down if you are going the speed limit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/84 "2018-04-13T14:13:34Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > My guess is that most of you are urban or suburban dwellers. I’m rural. It’s different. Yeah, this thread is really highlighting the geographical differences. All these people talking about the highway as if it only has a left lane and a right lane sounds like crazy talk to me. The Beltway has four travel lanes in each direction! ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/85 "2018-04-13T16:40:07Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > I’m usually waiting for a pedestrian and the guy behind me is honking. Heck, I’ve stopped at a green light to wait for emergency vehicles with lights flashing and sirens blaring, and still been honked at. Sorry sir, but 20 seconds are not going to matter in the course of your day, but they very well could matter a hell of a lot to whomever is waiting for that ambulance! ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/86 "2018-04-13T16:45:51Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > It’s one thing to pass on the right on a highway, or even a multi-laned street. It still pisses me off, but it’s not illegal. It is illegal on some highways, like the Pennsylvania and Ohio Turnpikes. IIRC signs are posted to stay to the right unless passing, and pass only on the left. It’s also illegal in England (although you have to switch around “left” and “right”). The first time my English friend saw me passing on the right on the Washington Beltway he said, “I can’t be_lieve_ you are allowed to do that.” I said, “I can’t believe that asshole is allowed to drive 55 in the left lane.” ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/87 "2018-04-13T18:23:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, we were always taught 2-seconds in high school drivers ed in the early 90s. And 4-second-rule for rainy conditions. It’s pretty easy to estimate while driving. I do my best to keep within it, but sometimes here in Chicago, it’s difficult, as every time you leave a 2-second gap, somebody swoops into it, now making it a 1 or less second gap. So then you lay off the gas, and someone else moves into the space created. Rinse. Lather. Repeat. But in open traffic situations, it works just fine. I always leave an appropriate gap in front of me, and don’t have this problem. Sometimes somebody will move into it, then I ease up for a second or two and let the space expand. Maybe later another car moves into the gap. So what? This isn’t the Daytona 500, I’m not going to lose, the other car isn’t going to win. I’m traveling at the same speed as the rest of traffic, I’m just not going to be part of a chain reaction crash. I also don’t worry about counting. The simple question is, if that guy in front of me slams on his brakes, will I be able to slam on mine in time to avoid hitting him? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/88 "2018-04-13T23:37:44Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > My guess is that most of you are urban or suburban dwellers. I’m rural. It’s different. You know a lot of people and you see them on a regular basis while driving. Sure, but rural or very small town life is so very different that 90% of us live. I always tell people: “Dont let you cat outside” then some guy always posts: “well, we live in the country and we have some barn cats that arent pets…” ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/89 "2018-04-14T11:13:12Z")
Around here, you have to stop and give way at a stop sign. And you have to keep intersections clear. Any you aren’t allowed to enter an intersection if the exit is blocked. Except if you are turning into a blocked intersection. If there are 50 cars lined up that have ROW, and the boom gates are down and the road is blocked. People lined up won’t enter the intersection, but people turning into IT will. And when the gates go up, and traffic starts again, it’s the next car facing the stop sign that gets to go first, not the car with ROW. I don’t know why this is. It’s totally not the law. But it’s done and expected. Flooring it when the traffic opens could cause a crash, because the car facing the stop sign and turning into your road is going to be expecting you to give way. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/90 "2018-04-14T15:17:02Z")
Turning right on red. There are some places where this is not allowed. There are obviously many times when this is not possible because of cross traffic. But when it is allowed, and when there is no traffic coming from the left, GO already. I find myself sitting behind people who I call the “Never on Redders” far too often. Many times there is a sign that says “No Right Turn on Red” and then beneath that in slightly smaller font is “Except Curb Lane”. I don’t know if they just can’t read the whole sign, they don’t know what a curb lane is, or what, but they will sit there through the whole light, even though there’s not a car in sight. Sometimes I kinda disagree with the person in front of me on whether or not they should have gone, and whether they had room to go, but I won’t get frustrated over someone judging that they cannot pull out safely, that’s fine. It’s when there is no car, and really can be no car approaching that I start wondering who the hell let them on the road. I don’t know if it is just ignorance, poor vision, or what exactly it is that causes this behavior, but I get stuck behind these guys a few times a week. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/91 "2018-04-14T15:50:01Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > Moving left for mergers is a courtesy, but there are numerous reasons a person might choose not to that have nothing to do with being an asshole. It may have changed by now, but in Pennsylvania 45 years ago it was _illegal_ to change into the left lane solely for the purpose of letting someone merge from the right. It seems too many drivers were failing to check and driving into the path of someone coming up on their left side. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/92 "2018-04-14T23:56:43Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > It may have changed by now, but in Pennsylvania 45 years ago it was _illegal_ to change into the left lane solely for the purpose of letting someone merge from the right. It seems too many drivers were failing to check and driving into the path of someone coming up on their left side. Or possibly, the rule was that you couldn’t move left unless overtaking. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/93 "2018-04-15T00:09:20Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > My guess is that most of you are urban or suburban dwellers. I’m rural. It’s different. You know a lot of people and you see them on a regular basis while driving. You also probably know the guy who is at the light or at least there’s a good chance that you know someone that’s waiting in line with you. The rudeness of the driver has an effect on the community, but the honking also has an effect. People will know that you’re the kind of person who cares more about getting to where you want to go than you do about how the person ahead feels. That’s not a signal you generally want to send. You don’t want to be at the store later and someone comes up to you and says, “Wow, must have been in a hurry yesterday. Where were you headed?” To which you can only sheepishly shrug and say, “The market.” You’re sending the message that you’re so important you can’t wait for a 90 second light cycle. It’s not a good thing. I’m confused by talking about rural etiquette at red lights. In properly rural settings, there are no red lights. And while I’m an urban dweller now, I grew up 7 miles from the nearest paved road, and 30 miles from the nearest traffic light. I think I can speak with as much authority about rural traffic etiquette as the next guy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/94 "2018-04-15T01:02:49Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > I also don’t worry about counting. The simple question is, if that guy in front of me slams on his brakes, will I be able to slam on mine in time to avoid hitting him? Yes, and counting is the easy way to gauge whether you have enough stopping distance. Once you’re experienced enough, I suppose, you know it instinctively, but the 2 second rule helps keep you honest. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/95 "2018-04-15T01:07:55Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Or, you know, just don’t use your god damn phone in the car. Yeah, around here “get off your fucking phone” is the etiquette. The guy dicking around on his mobile device is the one being rude, not the guy honking. (Also, there’s a nice staccato “tap tap” honk that isn’t aggressive, more like a tap on the shoulder and an “excuse me” than a “move asshole!” I’ll agree that someone who lays on the horn, especially a nanosecond after the light has turned green, is being a dick. But if I have a lapse of attention and a couple seconds after the light turns the guy gives me a quick “honk honk,” I’m not offended.) ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/96 "2018-04-15T10:07:26Z")
I hate when people try to cross multiple lanes to make a difficult left hand turn when exiting say a shopping center as opposed to just making an easy right turn and then making a u-turn at the next light. My route to work every day takes me briefly through a residential neighborhood that single lane exits into a very busy six lane road with three lanes for each direction. For some reason people are constantly trying to make that left turn across four solid lanes despite the fact cars are constantly coming from both sides and the stoplight is literally 30 feet from the right side of the road and it allows you to make a U-turn into the left lane. I’ve had people literally wait for 5 solid minutes waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear to make a left hand turn when they could have just made the easy right and then made a U-turn at the light in under a minute flat. ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/97 "2018-04-16T21:10:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The left lane is for passing. Staying in the left lane is an ass move. The left lane is for passing only in some states. Not in all states. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/98 "2018-04-17T16:43:03Z")
Today I got reminded of a misuse of the left tirn. This dumb shit goes flying by me, drives 75 ft, then swerves into my lane and takes an exit. What the hell is that? You can’t slow down for 1 min and follow a car to your exit? It’s going to hurt your precious feelings? He or she endangered a lot of lives for nothing. I’m not sure if he technically broke the law. It was pretty reckless. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/99 "2018-04-17T17:02:02Z")
I was in the center lane. That guy crossed two lanes of traffic and just barely flew down the exit. There’s typically an intersection and red light at the bottom of exit ramps. Good luck slowing down in time. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636/100 "2018-04-17T18:19:26Z")
> [@StraightTalk](#): > > The left lane is for passing only in some states. Not in all states. The left lane is for passing only, or for left turns or passing only, in most ALL states. There are only 6 states without some version of this law. > **[Left-Lane Passing Laws: A State-By-State Map](https://jalopnik.com/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map-5501615)** > > Driving slowly in the fast lane is more than just annoying, it's also illegal in many states. Wanna know if your 45-mph, Buick-borne grandma is breaking the law on the interstate? Just consult our handy map. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-courtesies-that-arent-laws/811636.md?page=6)