Driving Slowly In The Left Lane Is More Dangerous Than Speeding

A car is an absolutely amazing piece of machinery. 100 years ago, they were sluggish, expensive, and just not very sleek looking. Now we have vehicles to suit everybody's taste. You can get electric cars, hybrids, sports cars, muscle cars, SUVs, trucks, and the list goes on and on. One thing about cars, however, is how frightening they can be. I remember how long I put off getting my license after I got my learner's permit. Part of the reason was because I didn't want to have to drive people around, but the other reason was that I was somewhat afraid of other cars on the road. Cars are hulking pieces of metal and they can go really, really fast, so it's frightening to think about car accidents, especially on the highway. Anyone who has driven on the highway knows how bad it can get with traffic, so you'll often see people weaving in and out of lanes because someone is slowing down the left lane.

Interestingly, these drivers slowing down the left lane are actually breaking the law.

A total of 29 states have laws that say cars moving slower than the flow of traffic cannot be in the left lane.

No, the speed limit isn't a reason to go slower than everyone else and still stay in the left lane.

In fact, every single state in America has some kind of law in place that restricts driving in the left lane!

Most people assume that speeding drivers are the cause of accidents, but it's actually more complicated than that.

Roughly 10% of all accidents on highways are actually caused when a car is attempting to switch lanes, and what's a huge reason to swap lanes? Slow cars.

You know what else causes people to switch lanes a lot? Traffic jams.

Sadly, traffic jams occur because a few cars are going too slow and blocking pretty much every lane. Not only are they responsible for making everyone late, but they're actually dangerous, too!

One study even showed that the largest predictor of accidents wasn't speeding: it was the variation from the average speed (not speed limit).

Basically, if you're going to use the left lane, use it to pass and then move back to the right.

Chances are there's someone else who wants to pass you, no matter how fast you're going!

Still not convinced? Click the video below to hear all about how driving slowly in the left lane is a major no-no.

[h/t Vox]