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HomeCarsOpinion: Right Lane Hogs Put On Notice!

Opinion: Right Lane Hogs Put On Notice!

This is not a review, an observation, nor is it a request. No, this is a plea!

A plea to the mixed bag of drivers who unnecessarily occupy a privileged territory on the road known as the right hand lane.

As it stands, there are two main types of drivers:

This who have no interest in driving, perhaps even being afraid of it who drive below the speed limit braking at even the slightest chance of doing 1kmh over.

The rest of us are weary of the road rules and drive safely to the conditions. I’m not going to talk about the fools who drive recklessly. Maybe another day though.

The latter of the two are facing a war on the road with the first group over the valuable real estate of the right hand lane.

Credit: Scotts Car Cameras / YT

This is a lane for people to pass through uninterrupted when wishing to overtake. Yes, the law dictates that you do not have to move over at speeds less than 90kmh but do not take advantage to aggravate other drivers. It is not a place to be a road vigilante to force those behind you to drive at the speed that you think that they should be.

Then there are those who simply have no idea about the keep left rule, or much awareness about anything in general other than themselves. But luckily these drivers allow others to know what to expect by placing a tissue box on the rear parcel shelf of their white Toyota Camrys.

The lack of self awareness is incredible to witness sometimes. I regularly drive on a stretch of road that spans into six lanes and will see what appears to be video game NPCs immediately go as far rightward as possible whilst tapping the brakes every 5 seconds to maintain their speed, instead of letting go of the accelerator. 

When you check to see if the driver looks as stupid as they drive!

Photo by Photographer Frederik Trovatten on Unsplash

At 5-10kmh below the speed limit..

Often, you may wish to to overtake a beardy old Geoffrey Donaldson in his Subaru Outback with roof racks that will never see the a gram of luggage. Which requires using the left lane to do so as it is a long drive and you don’t want to suffer his speed dictation any longer. 

Well boomer Geoff is often not too happy about that and will flash his lights at you once you have passed him to let you know you dared to not put up with it.

It is as much about ego as it is others not accepting their set of personal rules and values.

A microcosm of why humans around the world can’t seem to live harmoniously with other walks of life.. 

The driver handbook will not say this but the reality is, slow placid, drivers are creating frustration for drivers who often respond with aggression. 

We then see dangerous manoeuvres being made to get around them including excessive speeding and lane swaying leaving little margin for error. I’ve witnessed multiple cars take unnecessary risks to get around one slow driver in the right hand lane.

Photo by Nicholas Jeffries on Unsplash

I’ve heard people argue both sides, but when an accident happens, I’m sorry but both played a part in this.

Why? Because in the real world (not the driver’s handbook) the whole scenario could have been ‘prevented’ by simply keeping the right hand lane free for those who want to drive faster. Just let them pass, take comfort in the knowledge that they will at some point receive a speeding ticket. All the while you enjoy hassle free driving!

To the frustrated drivers behind them; remember a minute or mere seconds gained is never worth risking your life, or those around you, just to simply get past one annoying driver. The possible consequences affect yours and their loved ones too. It is  always worth waiting for the right opportunity to safely overtake.

Photo by Eddy Billard on Unsplash

For others who may not be familiar with the road rules in Australia, I hope you read this and keep to the left unless overtaking. We need less causes of frustration on the road as there are enough hazards as it is.

Finally, let’s show some empathy towards our fellow motorists so we can ALL make it to our destinations safely.

Photo by Chris Andrawes on Unsplash

Article from QLD Police: Keep left unless overtaking

Alex Takoushi
I have been an avid car enthusiast from a young age lucky enough to experience driving all types of cars from Classic American muscle, iconic JDM cars of the 90’s, to modern luxury and supercars. I moved to Brisbane from London in 2004 and I am an active member of the Brisbane car community, frequently attending events and networking with owners of a myriad of different cars, appreciated everyone’s unique story to tell. I have had the privilege or being a part of some car centric community groups such as Carstyle Crew, and Ferrari Club Australia. I love how the common passion of motoring brings people together who otherwise may never have met to create lasting friendships and experiences with our pride and joys. It is also an opportunity to give back to the community and it has been humbling to help organise fundraisers and community initiatives through car related events. During my early 20s I worked at a specialised motor sales operation founded by nationwide dealership giant AP Eagers where I sold some of the finest and rarest examples of American and Japanese sports cars in the world. The scale of the company meant no expense was spared sourcing the best cars from around the world and it was an amazing experience getting to know more about these cars and drive them. I have also experienced the joy of driving some more exotic machinery such as a Ferrari 360, F8 Tributo Spider, and my personal favourite; the 812 Superfast. Friends have taken me for drives in their own rare cars from vintage European classics to modern day supercars such as Mclarens, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, with manual examples too for that more raw experience. Cars to me are not just an example of human accomplishment, they connect me to others, and inspire me to become a more successful version of myself. It is a healthy love and I look forward to what experiences there are to come.
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