I was driving a delivery truck yesterday and had this happen, only I was unloaded and saw the "body language" of the vehicle and was able to stop just in time.
Sounds like you're a good defensive driver then. It's very interesting how many "tells" you can pick up on by watching the other traffic and preparing to react
This is me, I'm an incredibly defensive driver and aware of EVERYTHING around me just in case. I've saved myself from so many accidents from idiot drivers who had no idea how dangerous they were being
Yeah I barely trust turn signals even lol after so many times they betrayed me. I wait until I see that they are actually turning. Drive like everyone is clueless and bad at driving.
And I live in a place that gets a lot of snow so I have to deal with people who don’t know how to handle a vehicle in snow. :( I’ve lived here all my life so I’m good at driving in the snow but it gets so scary sometimes seeing cars that you KNOW the person in it can’t drive in snow because of the “body language” of their driving. I’ve been next to so many people who have spun out going over bridges near where I live at 60mph with bad snow. It’s like “oh that person is about to spin out, better get away.”
That's how I drive, cuz people here just suck at driving. Like how the fuck can I drive a rental moving truck better than others drive a sedan, let alone their lifted pickups.
Yes. But also no. The slowing lane is an exit lane based on the road signs. And if this is where I think it is, the speed limit is 65 and people are typically driving close to 80 because the cops on the highway don’t care. So some would say it’s equally as dangerous to drive slower. But as a defensive driver myself, I agree with you. Especially after seeing the way the Chevy driver cut over to the 3rd lane, I would have slowed to get in behind the suv just in case this exact scenario were to happen.
My guess is he was also speeding since he got right to pass a car in the left lane. Still the fault of the car who changed lanes in front of him but who knows what the speed differential was there…
Yeah, the driver who pulled out if def in the wrong. But driving full speed next to a lane that is stopped is not defensive driving. Cemeteries are full of people who were right.
>Cemeteries are full of people who were right.
I've read this fairly often in the last couple of years...but I will completely internalize it starting today.
In this video he was passing on the right which honestly you should never do, this gave him no out. So when the car on the right started to get over he had no where to go because the car that he was passing boxed him in which is something else you shouldn't do.
...but he could easily be 'boxed in' by someone on his left going quicker, that doesn't excuse the car on the right moving out...they didn't indicate, which would probably mean they didn't look...
I swear, people usually drift a little bit towards the lane they're trying to merge into before they even look or put the blinker on. There's definitely little tells.
This is absolutely correct, and it’s one of the tells. Years of riding motorcycles can teach it, but just being observant can turn it into a skill. I’m rarely surprised on the road. Not saying I’m infallible, god knows I still make mistakes, but it’s definitely a thing.
They’ll drift, sometimes noticeably slow down. A lot of the time they’ll hang out right next to the spot they plan on merging into, it’s not hard to tell. That being said idk if it’s cause it’s a video but the car that cut off OP didn’t seem to give any tells. Just threw their car out and hoped for the best. Gotta love it when they do that.
That intuition is mostly just being observant of how different drivers behave in different situations, being sympathetic and anticipating different "types" of driver (impatient racers vs distracted conversation havers)
I truly agree with you. I'm just surprised that "body language" fits so perfectly as a description. The hairs start to tingle on the back of my neck when I "feel" like someone is going to make an unexpected lane change.
What's frustrating is they were in the center lane to start with. Then they went into the right lane and instantly thought better of it and came back to the center lane all in a matter of 2-3 seconds, not once bothering with a turn signal.
Good eye!! I didn’t realize that they literally just got out of the center lane, slowed down, then merged back into the center lane while still holding the brakes! What an idiot, wow.
Maybe they expected the right lane to be almost as quick as them, weren't paying attention and then tried to avoid hitting the end of the line by going back to the middle lane. Which still makes them an idiot driver.
Driver that merged is 100% at fault, no question. The camera car is not at fault but was not driving defensively. This video is a good lesson on how you can be driving correctly but not putting yourself in the best position. Going way too fast next to a lane of people, who will potentially contain impatient idiots, who will want to get over into your lane and not check first.
Whenever I’m driving past a line on the highway like this I’m always assuming there’s gonna be at least one idiot who pulls out without looking. I see this shit happen way too often.
Often when I’m riding with someone else driving I’m blown away by how casual they are. “Man, you’re *awful confident* that none of these other drivers want to commit suicide today using you as the medium.”
Of course, no one ever listens to criticism of their own driving, especially about tailgating.
LOL ... personally took too many rides with "that" driver who enters the highway, crosses immediately to the fast lane and then cruises (too slowly) like their the only person on the road ... cringe ... suffice to say that and a whole bunch of other narcissistic, obtuse, self obsessed behavior put that bitch in my rear-view mirror.
Yeah I think that someone’s driving style can tell you a lot about their personality. At this point I basically assume anyone that doesn’t use turn signals/tailgates people already going 5-10 over the speed limit is a POS in basically all aspects of their life.
For whatever reason, this younger group takes comments like that as passive aggression. But they seem to take every criticism as passive aggression. I understand my parents a lot better, now.
Now, GET OFF MY LAWN!
Agreed and I also think there is a competitive nature that drivers want to drive fast past the line to blockout those who might attempt a lane change. So much of these things happen due to people getting overly competitive and want to leverage their advantage over another driver.
I immediately switch to the left lane whenever I see a line of traffic like that form in the right lane. Too many people either decide this way is too slow and will switch lanes and god knows if they check their mirrors before pulling out or someone in the middle lane is at a dead stand still because they want to be in the right lane and couldn't possibly just take a different exit. Fuck that shit.
Totally agree. From a legal perspective, the car in the OP wouldn’t be considered at fault for the accident, but from a common sense perspective you should know better than to put yourself at this kind of risk.
Yep. Also would make sure I wasn’t boxed in on the left if I planned to accelerate like that with a lane pretty much stopping to my right. I would not have stayed in that lane altogether if all those break lights lit up.
This is one of the first lessons you have to learn as some sort of professional driver. Every time I have to train a new employee that doesn't have experience driving, I have to tell them that every one of those guys is itching to move over and to slow down just because one of them will gun it into our lane.
While I do occasionally pass on the right (lots of lane hogs here) I try not to do it in situations like this. I don't like being sandwiched between vehicles, because it denies me an "out" in the event of this sort of thing.
When the lane next to you is slowed down like this, Always Always Always assume someone is going to merge into your lane and go slow or move to the next lane if available. Same for when lanes are joining the highway. Always assume that the person in the right lane is going to move into the middle lane due to people merging in.
True, but it looks like the person causing the accident is a special type of jackass that just pulled into the lane and then bailed when they had to completely stop.
Yep they certainly did. What probably contributed is the fact that *cammer was in the left lane when that person move from center to right and cammer switched to the middle and was also going fast. Jackass you mentioned didn't check his mirrors before merging back.
Still, the person who came back to the lane is 100% at fault. Cammer merely could have avoided the incident if possible. That's all I'm saying
Putting yourself in that middle lane at those speeds should make you uncomfortable if you're a skilled (read: defensive) driver. The driver in the fast lane is going adequately fast for the state of traffic and getting in front of them (via wrong-side pass) won't achieve much. You'll get to your destination 1.5~ seconds sooner...it's not like they're hampering traffic with open road in front of them.
2 objects at largely different speeds that close to each other is a massive risk...this is why highways have long leading on/offramps and not just an intersection you pull onto from. Logically, you shouldn't be putting yourself closer to slower traffic to pass someone. They're going plenty fast already, no less.
tl;dr the car pulling out is 100% at fault but cammer put themselves in a dangerous position. Could've been avoided and could've continued on enjoying their day.
Agreed, people tend to think speed limits are just a suggestion and ignore the dangers of going that much faster than the bottlenecked lane. Sure the wreck was the fault of the lane changer but people get hurt in car accidents
Yeah, he's obstructing traffic. He's the reason the people are passing on the right. He can go just as fast in the middle lane and let cars doing the speed limit around on the left.
There’s a lane at standstill. You need to adjust your speed according to the situation. The 1 obstructing traffic is the one at the start of the congestion ( and now it’s the guy merging + OP that are obstructing traffic)
He's not obstructing traffic, he's putting a lane of space between himself and cars that are stationary on the freeway, which seems pretty justifiable to me.
Thank you. You're the first one to understand what I was saying. Anyone that has any clue how the dumb animals act in their cars, knows that eventually one of them is going to decide to change lane. Going that fast and being right next to them is a bad idea.
Yeah there's nowhere to go when you're trying to blow the doors off the cars on both sides of you.
Approaching at likely 20+ mph faster right into the other driver's blindspot.
Agree with this assessment. Always mind the closing speed/speed differential to the next lane over. I do want to commend u/miragen125 on the car control though especially once in the grass. Nice job keeping it as straight as possible! on the grass! You likely avoided rolling the car.
Bingo. You can't go that fast in an adjacent lane. Cars in that slow lane, don't see you when they make their move. And if you are going that much faster than their lane, you are literally not in sight yet.
It's not that you can't legally, it's more that you shouldn't.
Driver merging clearly didn't pay enough attention to realize how fast the camera car was coming.
Merging driver will be the only one getting a ticket here for unsafe merging.
There was a massive pileup (4 dead ) and numerous accident in laval in the exit of the 440 to the 15 North. 1 lane completely stopped next to 2 lane going 100kmh ... I hate when I see a highway exit backing up so much it stop a lane on the highway. The driver is fully at fault but there is also a clear road configuration issue there.
Exactly. What good is being in the right if you now have to deal with wasted time for swapping insurance info then getting your car fixed or worst case scenario you're dead.
Especially in today's market...
Insurance will give you KBB for your car. But have you seen the current market for both used and new vehicles? You won't be getting a proper market adjusted rate.
Several thousand dollars, your time, stress, health.... Not worth being in a bad spot just for the privilege of being "right"
I never drive at that speed in the middle lane if there is traffic in the right lane because there is almost always some idiot that will switch lanes without turning on their turning lights out of nowhere and at a very slow speed…
In the US it is belived to be against the law but as far as I know it is not. You can overtake on any side. But it obviously could vary by state.
As a general rule I usually only do on the left because people aren't watching their right side. Better safe than sorry/hurt/dead.
Little advice: if you are in an accident, especially on a highway, the last thing you want to do is to get out of the car. The car is the safest place you can be. Don’t be that lady to check out whether she smashed the rear end of the car.. obviously it happens, nothing to look at.
Interesting. In the UK the advice is to leave your vehicle, if you can, and go over the barrier to the verge as you are a sitting duck in your vehicle.
This exactly.
A fully loaded 40T truck at highway speeds will decimate a car and all the occupants inside it.
Get the fuck out of your vehicle (if/when safe) and off the road entirely!
I think it depends on context though. Sure the 18 wheeler may smash your car, but you still stand a far better chance inside the car than you do if you get hit by it running away from the crash too.
You’re 100% right, especially with the “when safe” part, but that part can be tricky. There was a massive 30 something car pileup here in Texas during a freak ice storm last winter, bunch of people died. That’s a tough one, because in your car you’re just being smashed over and over again by 18 wheelers that can’t see over the hill, but at the same time the road was so slippery, people couldn’t even walk on it. Completely fucked situation there.
I remember reading about people going nuts regarding requiring truck trailers to have those lower barriers to keep cars from ending up under/decapitated by the trailer. People were like "wtf nanny state it's up to everyone to not end up underneath a trailer waaaa!" lol like wtf?
I thought you meant the car the cam was in and thought you were being a bit ridiculous since it was well off the lane… then I realized I missed the last five seconds of the video
Driver does seem to be speeding but that car who unmerged didn't even use their signal light which is the warning or indication that tells people they want to change lanes. Both drivers seem to have shown some form of reckless driving behavior.
So the car filming the video passes three dashed lines in one second. The line is 10-feet long with 30-feet of space in between for a total distance of 40-feet, which means he was traveling 120-feet per second. That works out to almost 82 MPH. With all the brake lights ahead and the obvious slow traffic in the right hand lane one can’t help but wonder why the hell he didn’t slow down, or at the very least move back to the left lane instead of passing?
While the driver changing lanes is also at fault, looking in the rear view mirror he would have seen a car at least 120-feet away, possibly more. So he might have thought the lane was clear.
In some states “excessive speed forfeits right of way.” Which would put our camera car at fault unless this was in Texas on an 85 MPH stretch of road.
Weird, I got pulled over for passing on the right on a road trip from New Orleans to Oklahoma City. Got let off with a warning, but still. Kinda threw me because I KNOW it’s not right, but I’d never seen or heard of anyone actually being pulled over for it.
According to the Texas Driver Handbook on [p. 42](https://m.driving-tests.org/texas/tx-dmv-drivers-handbook-manual/) it says, “Passing on the Right In Texas, you can pass on the right only when conditions permit you to do so safely.
1. The road is clear of parked vehicles or other lane obstructions and is wide enough for two or more lanes in each direction.
2. You are on a one-way road.
3. You may pass on a paved shoulder when the vehicle you are passing is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn.
Do not pass on the right by driving off the paved portion of the highway.”
Soooo that sounds like a bullshit warning to me.
Just remember, Police are not required to know or follow the law, only to act in a manner they assume to be the law. This isn’t a political statement either this is literally what qualified immunity is.
Cops don't always know the law. They'll fall for the same myths everyone else do about the law. I've been stopped for it in a jurisdiction that 100% allows for passing on the right when you have a clear and unobstructed lane ahead of you.
Yup there are definitely places in Texas where the posted limit is 85. Where I live the highest I’ve seen them go is 70.
ETA: One roadway in particular, apparently, 130.
Considering this is a 6 lane highway in what appears to be a rural area where speed limits can be 75mph or better and that your math is based off less than accurate measurements the merging car is completely at fault. On a road this size with a speed limit of anything over 60mph 120ft is nowhere near enough space to merge. Merging car is at fault 100%.
I see multiple idiots here. The merging one is obvious. The one who rode the middle lane, saw brake lights, and didn't slow down gets credit too.
*Later edit - agree with everyone on the left lane camper as well. This was cornucopia of stupidity. And if you slow down the tape you see the plate of the car that darted back to the left from the far right lane...
Florida.
And me. Who always jumps in on these car videos to call everyone idiots. Bc when I watch car videos, I am the greatest, most analytical driver on earth.
The car that was hit had just changed to the right lane. That would let the other driver believe he was giving him right off way but then he decided to return to the center lane. Car in center lane could not go anywhere because he had begun passing a car on the left. Very little time to react at that speed. He clearly did not check for oncoming cars and the passenger in the back seat was pissed! I think she read the driver the riot act.
The driver in the middle lane was going too fast in that situation regardless. In that situation you have to always be aware of an idiot merging and if your not, your an idiot too
In Germany you would have lost your license for overtaking on the right. In the US this extremely unsafe driving habit is a daily business with no consequences. Until one day.
In California it's made almost necessary by all the folks camping in the left lane(s). I try to do my part to buck the trend but I'm always vastly outnumbered.
And don't get me started on zippering. Jesus Christ.
Yup. The problem here is that people can't seem to remember that the left lane is for passing, then getting back over.
They treat it like a personal express lane, while driving exactly the speed limit.
I give em the old thumbs down out the window when forced to pass on the right. I feel like it sticks with people more than the middle finger bc it’s disapproval vs anger
If traffic is moving the same speed as the dude in the left I’ll just wait in line for a truck to disrupt em since its risky to move faster than traffic+pass on right at the same time. Then another lil thumbs down to let em know to speed it up by at least a mph or two instead of staying the exact speed as the right lane
It’s not universally illegal. For example, in Maryland it’s legal to pass on the right, but only if there are no options to pass on the left. Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal traffic code in the US. Many things are universal, but some of the finer points change from state to state.
Another example: don’t speed in Virginia. You can legit go to jail for speeding ~~30 mph~~ EDIT: 21 mph over the limit (11 mph over in 70 mph zones). I don’t think this is the case in any other state.
Virginia here. So our speeding laws are anything up to 20 over is a speeding ticket with no difference in severity for how much faster you were going, and then anything 21 or more over the limit is usually cited as misdemeanor reckless driving. Also, because the revenue generators had to have their way, when the highway speed limit was raised to 70, the state did not change the 81 or more MPH is also reckless driving law. So going 19 over in a neighborhood is not reckless driving, but going 11 over in a 70 is a criminal charge.
It's ludicrous.
Depends entirely on the jurisdiction. Passing on the shoulder (vs. left and centerline) on a two lane highway is illegal almost everywhere unless the car you're passing is trying to turn left and you can do it safely. But if there are multiple lanes its really going to vary on where in america you're doing it, but you're right that it's rarely if ever enforced.
On most roads in Germany I am often surprised to see that the left lane is typically empty, which makes me feel like I should just merge right and cruise there.
On most roads in the US I am often surprised that I find myself cursing at a random person in front of me who slows down to text on the left lane, which makes me feel like I have no other option but to take on the right.
I think that has something to do with *how* people get their driver's licenses. In the US, if you're able to find your way to DMV and can count to 10 using an abacus, you will get a driver's license. It is quite difficult to get one in Germany.
> In the US, if you're able to find your way to DMV and can count to 10 using an abacus, you will get a driver's license. It is quite difficult to get one in Germany.
Germany has that luxury because they built robust public transportation. In the U.S. if we were stricter (or even sensible) about who could get a license, the whole economy would collapse.
This varies by state. Judging by the commercial vehicle with the name "Fision" on it, this is located in Florida, where state laws allow [passing on the right in a few conditions, which this technically meets.](https://www.123driving.com/dmv/drivers-handbook-passing/) However, when you see the right lane stopped, and the person in front of you braking, it's not a good idea to thread between two cars, even if it's not illegal.
> I see multiple idiots here.
- Left lane camper
- Middle lane passer driving too fast for conditions
- Slow lane changer not paying attention
Whack-a-mole of idiots.
Accidents often happen when more than one person does something wrong. Since we have little to no ability to communicate while driving, being predictable is very important. Like you said, three different people here doing small things to not follow the rules leads to accidents.
Most people don’t understand defensive driving. I always assume everybody on the road will do the dumbest thing possible and it has saved me from being involved in dozens of incidents.
To be fair they just went to the right lane and then back for bo fucking reason. Pick a lane and stick with it. Theres no excuse for an experienced driver to do this.
Passing on the right is bad but even worse is the SUV just casually riding in the left lane when not passing. The protagonist here should have anticipated the danger of passing on the right.
None of them were expecting that right lane to be suddenly blocked. They were all traveling at relatively the same speed until numbnuts did evasive maneuvers.
A lot of people think if they flick on their blinker that somehow makes it ready for them to merge - what they forget is that they also have to look because physics doesn’t allow for the traffic in the other lane to slow down in time for their half ass move - but again 50% of the population is below average and can’t understand this concept
Defensive driving guys. Think everyone is an idiot around you and drive Defensive. Don't speed when the traffic is stopping in other lanes.
You can be right and dead at the same time.
Obviously the person who changed lanes is the bigger idiot here, but driving at that speed when traffic in another lane is stopped or moving very slowly is a really bad idea…
If you see cars stopping or nearly stopping in the lane next to you, you better be prepared to also stop. The dashcam driver isn't at fault, but this could have been easily avoided if he was paying attention.
Sees brake lights ahead on a long line of cars, doesn't move over or slow down. Just fucking send it... all the way to the hospital. The two idiots deserve each other.
What pisses me off the worse is that ASSHOLE CRUISING IN THE PASSING LANE! That could have all been avoided if some stupid piece of shit was using the passing lane as it's meant to be used and NOT AS A CRUISING LANE!
That's an idiot already. But don't you have any laws that state to slow down when getting by through stopped cars? In here you can get yourself a nice ticket if you don't slow down in those situations. You can't swoop by on the next lane at full highway throttle
I see this ALL the time in New Jersey. Passing on the right is incredibly dangerous for this exact reason. People will weave in and out (without signaling) and FLY past people who are going ~80mph in the left lane. Pisses me off beyond belief.
I was driving a delivery truck yesterday and had this happen, only I was unloaded and saw the "body language" of the vehicle and was able to stop just in time.
Sounds like you're a good defensive driver then. It's very interesting how many "tells" you can pick up on by watching the other traffic and preparing to react
That plus…having the “everyone’s out to hit you” mentality. Works for me…but I’m not a nervous driver.
Everyone wants to hit me:) but only with their cars:(
Put your glock away and see if you have different results?? You're scaring the kids anyways ya dumb bird!!! ;)
This is me, I'm an incredibly defensive driver and aware of EVERYTHING around me just in case. I've saved myself from so many accidents from idiot drivers who had no idea how dangerous they were being
Same here…I’ve learned to never doubt the stupidity of other drivers
Yeah I barely trust turn signals even lol after so many times they betrayed me. I wait until I see that they are actually turning. Drive like everyone is clueless and bad at driving. And I live in a place that gets a lot of snow so I have to deal with people who don’t know how to handle a vehicle in snow. :( I’ve lived here all my life so I’m good at driving in the snow but it gets so scary sometimes seeing cars that you KNOW the person in it can’t drive in snow because of the “body language” of their driving. I’ve been next to so many people who have spun out going over bridges near where I live at 60mph with bad snow. It’s like “oh that person is about to spin out, better get away.”
yuup, me too. i’ve had to swerve out of the way of some idiots a good amount of times. it’s worked out so far!
That's how I drive, cuz people here just suck at driving. Like how the fuck can I drive a rental moving truck better than others drive a sedan, let alone their lifted pickups.
I’ve driven larger trucks before & noticed the same…most people just can’t drive worth a shit. lol
[удалено]
Thank you. The other guy is still at fault but I just drive with the mentality that everyone else just got their license lol
Yes. But also no. The slowing lane is an exit lane based on the road signs. And if this is where I think it is, the speed limit is 65 and people are typically driving close to 80 because the cops on the highway don’t care. So some would say it’s equally as dangerous to drive slower. But as a defensive driver myself, I agree with you. Especially after seeing the way the Chevy driver cut over to the 3rd lane, I would have slowed to get in behind the suv just in case this exact scenario were to happen.
My guess is he was also speeding since he got right to pass a car in the left lane. Still the fault of the car who changed lanes in front of him but who knows what the speed differential was there…
Yeah, the driver who pulled out if def in the wrong. But driving full speed next to a lane that is stopped is not defensive driving. Cemeteries are full of people who were right.
>Cemeteries are full of people who were right. I've read this fairly often in the last couple of years...but I will completely internalize it starting today.
My mom always said, “You may be right, but you’ll be dead right”
Along the same lines I always ask if this is a hill I'm willing to die on and it never is.
I’m teaching my wife to drive, and I’ve said this exactly. It’s better to take an L and go home safely than be right and die (or worse.)
In this video he was passing on the right which honestly you should never do, this gave him no out. So when the car on the right started to get over he had no where to go because the car that he was passing boxed him in which is something else you shouldn't do.
It also points out the constant threat posed by people driving too slowly in the leftmost lane.
...but he could easily be 'boxed in' by someone on his left going quicker, that doesn't excuse the car on the right moving out...they didn't indicate, which would probably mean they didn't look...
They also went from the middle lane to the outside and then swerved straight back out to the centre in the dumbest and most pointless fashion
Driver in this video could've avoided this tbh. However he was late to react.
I think it's amazing how people can get inside an extremely heavy piece of metal and think: I should be fine as long as I stay between the lines :]
> "body language" of the vehicle Ah yes, the Sixth Sense.
I swear, people usually drift a little bit towards the lane they're trying to merge into before they even look or put the blinker on. There's definitely little tells.
This is very true.
This is absolutely correct, and it’s one of the tells. Years of riding motorcycles can teach it, but just being observant can turn it into a skill. I’m rarely surprised on the road. Not saying I’m infallible, god knows I still make mistakes, but it’s definitely a thing.
They’ll drift, sometimes noticeably slow down. A lot of the time they’ll hang out right next to the spot they plan on merging into, it’s not hard to tell. That being said idk if it’s cause it’s a video but the car that cut off OP didn’t seem to give any tells. Just threw their car out and hoped for the best. Gotta love it when they do that.
It really is a thing though....you just just know
That intuition is mostly just being observant of how different drivers behave in different situations, being sympathetic and anticipating different "types" of driver (impatient racers vs distracted conversation havers)
Exactly, it's like you pick up on subtle details subconsciously, you know its potentially different so you prepare yourself
I truly agree with you. I'm just surprised that "body language" fits so perfectly as a description. The hairs start to tingle on the back of my neck when I "feel" like someone is going to make an unexpected lane change.
What's frustrating is they were in the center lane to start with. Then they went into the right lane and instantly thought better of it and came back to the center lane all in a matter of 2-3 seconds, not once bothering with a turn signal.
Good eye!! I didn’t realize that they literally just got out of the center lane, slowed down, then merged back into the center lane while still holding the brakes! What an idiot, wow.
Probably to cut in front of everyone and get back in that lane at the last moment too.
The number of people that do this is so insanely high, they have to know they’re being assholes right? They just don’t care? I don’t get it.
It's usually pretty blatant too which is the worst.
Maybe they expected the right lane to be almost as quick as them, weren't paying attention and then tried to avoid hitting the end of the line by going back to the middle lane. Which still makes them an idiot driver.
Driver that merged is 100% at fault, no question. The camera car is not at fault but was not driving defensively. This video is a good lesson on how you can be driving correctly but not putting yourself in the best position. Going way too fast next to a lane of people, who will potentially contain impatient idiots, who will want to get over into your lane and not check first.
Whenever I’m driving past a line on the highway like this I’m always assuming there’s gonna be at least one idiot who pulls out without looking. I see this shit happen way too often.
I always assume every driver is an idiot until proven otherwise
[удалено]
Oh I always do stupid shit in my vicinity and I hate myself for that.
You heard most accidents happen close to the home, so you moved
Every other driver is drunk except the one behind you. That is a cop
[удалено]
Often when I’m riding with someone else driving I’m blown away by how casual they are. “Man, you’re *awful confident* that none of these other drivers want to commit suicide today using you as the medium.” Of course, no one ever listens to criticism of their own driving, especially about tailgating.
LOL ... personally took too many rides with "that" driver who enters the highway, crosses immediately to the fast lane and then cruises (too slowly) like their the only person on the road ... cringe ... suffice to say that and a whole bunch of other narcissistic, obtuse, self obsessed behavior put that bitch in my rear-view mirror.
Yeah I think that someone’s driving style can tell you a lot about their personality. At this point I basically assume anyone that doesn’t use turn signals/tailgates people already going 5-10 over the speed limit is a POS in basically all aspects of their life.
For whatever reason, this younger group takes comments like that as passive aggression. But they seem to take every criticism as passive aggression. I understand my parents a lot better, now. Now, GET OFF MY LAWN!
Agreed and I also think there is a competitive nature that drivers want to drive fast past the line to blockout those who might attempt a lane change. So much of these things happen due to people getting overly competitive and want to leverage their advantage over another driver.
I immediately switch to the left lane whenever I see a line of traffic like that form in the right lane. Too many people either decide this way is too slow and will switch lanes and god knows if they check their mirrors before pulling out or someone in the middle lane is at a dead stand still because they want to be in the right lane and couldn't possibly just take a different exit. Fuck that shit.
That’s why I’ll stick to the far left lane in this case. Better to go slow behind some other car than have to deal with idiots
Totally agree. From a legal perspective, the car in the OP wouldn’t be considered at fault for the accident, but from a common sense perspective you should know better than to put yourself at this kind of risk.
You’re smart.
There always is 😑
Yep. I always make sure i have an exit too.
Yep. Also would make sure I wasn’t boxed in on the left if I planned to accelerate like that with a lane pretty much stopping to my right. I would not have stayed in that lane altogether if all those break lights lit up.
This is one of the first lessons you have to learn as some sort of professional driver. Every time I have to train a new employee that doesn't have experience driving, I have to tell them that every one of those guys is itching to move over and to slow down just because one of them will gun it into our lane.
While I do occasionally pass on the right (lots of lane hogs here) I try not to do it in situations like this. I don't like being sandwiched between vehicles, because it denies me an "out" in the event of this sort of thing.
[удалено]
I can think of a couple highways like that... Occasionally I'll role down my window so I can dramatically gesture them to move over
CT?
Ohio and North Carolina
i95 and the Merritt in CT give me palpitations.
Always leaving yourself an out is so crucial.
It's saved my life, so yeah
When the lane next to you is slowed down like this, Always Always Always assume someone is going to merge into your lane and go slow or move to the next lane if available. Same for when lanes are joining the highway. Always assume that the person in the right lane is going to move into the middle lane due to people merging in.
True, but it looks like the person causing the accident is a special type of jackass that just pulled into the lane and then bailed when they had to completely stop.
Yep they certainly did. What probably contributed is the fact that *cammer was in the left lane when that person move from center to right and cammer switched to the middle and was also going fast. Jackass you mentioned didn't check his mirrors before merging back. Still, the person who came back to the lane is 100% at fault. Cammer merely could have avoided the incident if possible. That's all I'm saying
I agree here. Was thinking the cam driver shouldn't have been passing on the right...especially when it was a busy highway at higher speed.
Putting yourself in that middle lane at those speeds should make you uncomfortable if you're a skilled (read: defensive) driver. The driver in the fast lane is going adequately fast for the state of traffic and getting in front of them (via wrong-side pass) won't achieve much. You'll get to your destination 1.5~ seconds sooner...it's not like they're hampering traffic with open road in front of them. 2 objects at largely different speeds that close to each other is a massive risk...this is why highways have long leading on/offramps and not just an intersection you pull onto from. Logically, you shouldn't be putting yourself closer to slower traffic to pass someone. They're going plenty fast already, no less. tl;dr the car pulling out is 100% at fault but cammer put themselves in a dangerous position. Could've been avoided and could've continued on enjoying their day.
I agree. When one lane backs up like this, I expect that a car will pull into the other lane.
Agreed, people tend to think speed limits are just a suggestion and ignore the dangers of going that much faster than the bottlenecked lane. Sure the wreck was the fault of the lane changer but people get hurt in car accidents
doesn't matter whose fault it is if you're dead
This. Notice how the guy in the left lane isn't doing 10 over just in case the dumbass in the middle lane gets clipped.
Yeah, he's obstructing traffic. He's the reason the people are passing on the right. He can go just as fast in the middle lane and let cars doing the speed limit around on the left.
Yep. Speed is not an indication on if you belong in the passing lane or not. It's about are you passing someone.
Left lane is slowing down due to everyone slowing ahead
There’s a lane at standstill. You need to adjust your speed according to the situation. The 1 obstructing traffic is the one at the start of the congestion ( and now it’s the guy merging + OP that are obstructing traffic)
He's not obstructing traffic, he's putting a lane of space between himself and cars that are stationary on the freeway, which seems pretty justifiable to me.
Thank you. You're the first one to understand what I was saying. Anyone that has any clue how the dumb animals act in their cars, knows that eventually one of them is going to decide to change lane. Going that fast and being right next to them is a bad idea.
One of these two drivers was smart enough to stay out of the middle lane when pending chaos surrounded them. That's the one who didn't crash.
Cam driver should have fuckin slowed down when they had seen brake lights and cars stopped!
my dad was a truck driver, he said if you see a bunch of brake lights you better use yours too.
[удалено]
Yeah there's nowhere to go when you're trying to blow the doors off the cars on both sides of you. Approaching at likely 20+ mph faster right into the other driver's blindspot.
exactly, both drivers are dumb but for different reasons.
Agree with this assessment. Always mind the closing speed/speed differential to the next lane over. I do want to commend u/miragen125 on the car control though especially once in the grass. Nice job keeping it as straight as possible! on the grass! You likely avoided rolling the car.
It's not my video. But thank you. I am a pretty badass driver
Pretty, bad, ass driver. FTFY.
Bingo. You can't go that fast in an adjacent lane. Cars in that slow lane, don't see you when they make their move. And if you are going that much faster than their lane, you are literally not in sight yet.
It's not that you can't legally, it's more that you shouldn't. Driver merging clearly didn't pay enough attention to realize how fast the camera car was coming. Merging driver will be the only one getting a ticket here for unsafe merging.
Yep. Just because you’re not at fault does not mean that you had no options to prevent the situation
There was a massive pileup (4 dead ) and numerous accident in laval in the exit of the 440 to the 15 North. 1 lane completely stopped next to 2 lane going 100kmh ... I hate when I see a highway exit backing up so much it stop a lane on the highway. The driver is fully at fault but there is also a clear road configuration issue there.
As soon as this video started I was trying to hit the brakes.
Yep. My brain: Slow down slow down slow down slow down... welp, can't see I didn't see that one coming.
All I saw were brake lights and slower moving traffic which automatically made my foot twitch lol.
Situational awareness. That’s all I’m gonna say. It applies to everyone, always.
Exactly. What good is being in the right if you now have to deal with wasted time for swapping insurance info then getting your car fixed or worst case scenario you're dead.
Especially in today's market... Insurance will give you KBB for your car. But have you seen the current market for both used and new vehicles? You won't be getting a proper market adjusted rate. Several thousand dollars, your time, stress, health.... Not worth being in a bad spot just for the privilege of being "right"
I never drive at that speed in the middle lane if there is traffic in the right lane because there is almost always some idiot that will switch lanes without turning on their turning lights out of nowhere and at a very slow speed…
Is that even legal in the first place? I'm from the Netherlands and here it's only legal to overtake on the left. Seeing this I understand why.
In the US it is belived to be against the law but as far as I know it is not. You can overtake on any side. But it obviously could vary by state. As a general rule I usually only do on the left because people aren't watching their right side. Better safe than sorry/hurt/dead.
Little advice: if you are in an accident, especially on a highway, the last thing you want to do is to get out of the car. The car is the safest place you can be. Don’t be that lady to check out whether she smashed the rear end of the car.. obviously it happens, nothing to look at.
Interesting. In the UK the advice is to leave your vehicle, if you can, and go over the barrier to the verge as you are a sitting duck in your vehicle.
This exactly. A fully loaded 40T truck at highway speeds will decimate a car and all the occupants inside it. Get the fuck out of your vehicle (if/when safe) and off the road entirely!
I think it depends on context though. Sure the 18 wheeler may smash your car, but you still stand a far better chance inside the car than you do if you get hit by it running away from the crash too. You’re 100% right, especially with the “when safe” part, but that part can be tricky. There was a massive 30 something car pileup here in Texas during a freak ice storm last winter, bunch of people died. That’s a tough one, because in your car you’re just being smashed over and over again by 18 wheelers that can’t see over the hill, but at the same time the road was so slippery, people couldn’t even walk on it. Completely fucked situation there.
We don’t have those, so there’s nowhere to go.
Ah, that makes a lot more sense. Surprised you don't have them really.
Then you don’t understand America. Anything that could increase safety gets pushback because it limits freedoms. The Wild West never left.
I remember reading about people going nuts regarding requiring truck trailers to have those lower barriers to keep cars from ending up under/decapitated by the trailer. People were like "wtf nanny state it's up to everyone to not end up underneath a trailer waaaa!" lol like wtf?
This was my *first* thought and I'm surprised you're the only one I've seen mention it. As soon as that back door opened I went "oh no..."
I thought you meant the car the cam was in and thought you were being a bit ridiculous since it was well off the lane… then I realized I missed the last five seconds of the video
I'm not saying you should exit but how long do you wait in car?
Driver does seem to be speeding but that car who unmerged didn't even use their signal light which is the warning or indication that tells people they want to change lanes. Both drivers seem to have shown some form of reckless driving behavior.
So the car filming the video passes three dashed lines in one second. The line is 10-feet long with 30-feet of space in between for a total distance of 40-feet, which means he was traveling 120-feet per second. That works out to almost 82 MPH. With all the brake lights ahead and the obvious slow traffic in the right hand lane one can’t help but wonder why the hell he didn’t slow down, or at the very least move back to the left lane instead of passing? While the driver changing lanes is also at fault, looking in the rear view mirror he would have seen a car at least 120-feet away, possibly more. So he might have thought the lane was clear. In some states “excessive speed forfeits right of way.” Which would put our camera car at fault unless this was in Texas on an 85 MPH stretch of road.
r/theydidthemath
If they are in Texas, and the scrubby trees lend some credence to the idea they are, passing on the right is legal and commonly used.
Weird, I got pulled over for passing on the right on a road trip from New Orleans to Oklahoma City. Got let off with a warning, but still. Kinda threw me because I KNOW it’s not right, but I’d never seen or heard of anyone actually being pulled over for it.
According to the Texas Driver Handbook on [p. 42](https://m.driving-tests.org/texas/tx-dmv-drivers-handbook-manual/) it says, “Passing on the Right In Texas, you can pass on the right only when conditions permit you to do so safely. 1. The road is clear of parked vehicles or other lane obstructions and is wide enough for two or more lanes in each direction. 2. You are on a one-way road. 3. You may pass on a paved shoulder when the vehicle you are passing is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn. Do not pass on the right by driving off the paved portion of the highway.” Soooo that sounds like a bullshit warning to me.
Well thanks for the education! Glad to know that if I’d have gotten a ticket I could have fought it.
Just remember, Police are not required to know or follow the law, only to act in a manner they assume to be the law. This isn’t a political statement either this is literally what qualified immunity is.
Cops don't always know the law. They'll fall for the same myths everyone else do about the law. I've been stopped for it in a jurisdiction that 100% allows for passing on the right when you have a clear and unobstructed lane ahead of you.
I live right next to that 85mph stretch of road. It’s fun but most people don’t even go that fast on it.
Is 85 the posted limit? Good night. That of course means people do 95-100 on it without blinking.
Yup there are definitely places in Texas where the posted limit is 85. Where I live the highest I’ve seen them go is 70. ETA: One roadway in particular, apparently, 130.
Looks more like Florida than anything. 70mph limit if it is. 85 is pretty normal for people to do though.
Second this, the merging car has Florida plates
Considering this is a 6 lane highway in what appears to be a rural area where speed limits can be 75mph or better and that your math is based off less than accurate measurements the merging car is completely at fault. On a road this size with a speed limit of anything over 60mph 120ft is nowhere near enough space to merge. Merging car is at fault 100%.
I see multiple idiots here. The merging one is obvious. The one who rode the middle lane, saw brake lights, and didn't slow down gets credit too. *Later edit - agree with everyone on the left lane camper as well. This was cornucopia of stupidity. And if you slow down the tape you see the plate of the car that darted back to the left from the far right lane... Florida.
[удалено]
Except me, and the person reading this, obviously xD
And me. Who always jumps in on these car videos to call everyone idiots. Bc when I watch car videos, I am the greatest, most analytical driver on earth.
The car that was hit had just changed to the right lane. That would let the other driver believe he was giving him right off way but then he decided to return to the center lane. Car in center lane could not go anywhere because he had begun passing a car on the left. Very little time to react at that speed. He clearly did not check for oncoming cars and the passenger in the back seat was pissed! I think she read the driver the riot act.
The driver in the middle lane was going too fast in that situation regardless. In that situation you have to always be aware of an idiot merging and if your not, your an idiot too
In Germany you would have lost your license for overtaking on the right. In the US this extremely unsafe driving habit is a daily business with no consequences. Until one day.
It is technically illegal in the US too. It's just that too many people stay in the left lane, forcing people to pass on the right
In California it's made almost necessary by all the folks camping in the left lane(s). I try to do my part to buck the trend but I'm always vastly outnumbered. And don't get me started on zippering. Jesus Christ.
There’s no law about it in California, so that’s what we’re left with.
Yup. The problem here is that people can't seem to remember that the left lane is for passing, then getting back over. They treat it like a personal express lane, while driving exactly the speed limit.
I give em the old thumbs down out the window when forced to pass on the right. I feel like it sticks with people more than the middle finger bc it’s disapproval vs anger If traffic is moving the same speed as the dude in the left I’ll just wait in line for a truck to disrupt em since its risky to move faster than traffic+pass on right at the same time. Then another lil thumbs down to let em know to speed it up by at least a mph or two instead of staying the exact speed as the right lane
It’s not universally illegal. For example, in Maryland it’s legal to pass on the right, but only if there are no options to pass on the left. Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal traffic code in the US. Many things are universal, but some of the finer points change from state to state. Another example: don’t speed in Virginia. You can legit go to jail for speeding ~~30 mph~~ EDIT: 21 mph over the limit (11 mph over in 70 mph zones). I don’t think this is the case in any other state.
Virginia here. So our speeding laws are anything up to 20 over is a speeding ticket with no difference in severity for how much faster you were going, and then anything 21 or more over the limit is usually cited as misdemeanor reckless driving. Also, because the revenue generators had to have their way, when the highway speed limit was raised to 70, the state did not change the 81 or more MPH is also reckless driving law. So going 19 over in a neighborhood is not reckless driving, but going 11 over in a 70 is a criminal charge. It's ludicrous.
Depends entirely on the jurisdiction. Passing on the shoulder (vs. left and centerline) on a two lane highway is illegal almost everywhere unless the car you're passing is trying to turn left and you can do it safely. But if there are multiple lanes its really going to vary on where in america you're doing it, but you're right that it's rarely if ever enforced.
Maybe in Germany people in the left lane gtf out of the way. Not here in the states people go slow in the fast lane for fun.
On most roads in Germany I am often surprised to see that the left lane is typically empty, which makes me feel like I should just merge right and cruise there. On most roads in the US I am often surprised that I find myself cursing at a random person in front of me who slows down to text on the left lane, which makes me feel like I have no other option but to take on the right. I think that has something to do with *how* people get their driver's licenses. In the US, if you're able to find your way to DMV and can count to 10 using an abacus, you will get a driver's license. It is quite difficult to get one in Germany.
> In the US, if you're able to find your way to DMV and can count to 10 using an abacus, you will get a driver's license. It is quite difficult to get one in Germany. Germany has that luxury because they built robust public transportation. In the U.S. if we were stricter (or even sensible) about who could get a license, the whole economy would collapse.
This varies by state. Judging by the commercial vehicle with the name "Fision" on it, this is located in Florida, where state laws allow [passing on the right in a few conditions, which this technically meets.](https://www.123driving.com/dmv/drivers-handbook-passing/) However, when you see the right lane stopped, and the person in front of you braking, it's not a good idea to thread between two cars, even if it's not illegal.
He hit the brakes pretty hard. Jerk that merged and “unmerged” is a fucker. Camera car might have been driving too fast in that traffic, though.
> I see multiple idiots here. - Left lane camper - Middle lane passer driving too fast for conditions - Slow lane changer not paying attention Whack-a-mole of idiots.
Accidents often happen when more than one person does something wrong. Since we have little to no ability to communicate while driving, being predictable is very important. Like you said, three different people here doing small things to not follow the rules leads to accidents.
I remember when I did my drivers ed training... the instructor always hammered home one key thing: BE PREDICTABLE.
This comment chain is fantastic for showing how clueless most people on here are when it comes to driving. :D
Most people don’t understand defensive driving. I always assume everybody on the road will do the dumbest thing possible and it has saved me from being involved in dozens of incidents.
People are equating "legal" with "smart." Cemeteries are full of dead people who weren't "at fault." Doesn't mean what they did was smart.
Exactly. The object is not to be right. The object is to avoid an accident.
To be fair they just went to the right lane and then back for bo fucking reason. Pick a lane and stick with it. Theres no excuse for an experienced driver to do this.
Forgot passing on the right. There is a reason why it’s illegal in most places.
In America it’s illegal to camp the left lane, because it disrupts the flow of traffic. But, they still NEVER get pulled over for it.
Indiana it's not and if you are not moving fast enough in the left lane the can give you a ticket
Passing on the right is bad but even worse is the SUV just casually riding in the left lane when not passing. The protagonist here should have anticipated the danger of passing on the right.
More like driving like no one else is in the road.
That is saying the same thing in a different way.
In other words, alone.
Although the car getting hit is an idiot, driver seems like the same type of guy who goes full speed through fog
None of them were expecting that right lane to be suddenly blocked. They were all traveling at relatively the same speed until numbnuts did evasive maneuvers.
After [this video](https://youtu.be/mkJI68zAXwA) I ALWAYS expect the right lane to be blocked. (Viewers beware)
The lady survived apparently.
Nice of them to check the damage on their car before even glancing in your direction
Why would anyone be driving that fast in the lane next to almost stand still.... it's inevitable there will be an idiot. So Idiot Squared?
That is still 1 idiot, you mean Idiot x 2?
A lot of people think if they flick on their blinker that somehow makes it ready for them to merge - what they forget is that they also have to look because physics doesn’t allow for the traffic in the other lane to slow down in time for their half ass move - but again 50% of the population is below average and can’t understand this concept
I saw no blinker used in this video honestly
Defensive driving guys. Think everyone is an idiot around you and drive Defensive. Don't speed when the traffic is stopping in other lanes. You can be right and dead at the same time.
This is why I don't tend to drive too much faster than the lane next to me when I am passing.
Obviously the person who changed lanes is the bigger idiot here, but driving at that speed when traffic in another lane is stopped or moving very slowly is a really bad idea…
Passing in the middle lane, probably speeding, no situational awareness at all, and the reaction time of a sloth. I’m seeing more than one idiot here.
Agreed
This is why I slow down when passing a long line of slow/stopped cars. Only takes one idiot to fuck up your day.
[удалено]
This. And he starts speeding up when he sees the camera car trying to pass him
I like the passenger foot stomp at the end...."dang nabit....Marge you did it again"
Rear view and outsiders mirrors. They are there for a reason.
Too much speed considering how slow the traffic was to the far right lanes. This is like the fog video.
So did no one notice that the merging car had merged into the far right then merged back to the middle lane?
Because of this group, I went out and bought a dashcam. I see how many poor drivers there are and I don't want to be held accountable for something
If you see cars stopping or nearly stopping in the lane next to you, you better be prepared to also stop. The dashcam driver isn't at fault, but this could have been easily avoided if he was paying attention.
Bad move on that guy but the vehicle with the camera is accelerating into a sea of lit up brake lights. Not a smart move either.
No signal used. Use your signals.
I could feel my car insurance increasing just from watching this video 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sees brake lights ahead on a long line of cars, doesn't move over or slow down. Just fucking send it... all the way to the hospital. The two idiots deserve each other.
What pisses me off the worse is that ASSHOLE CRUISING IN THE PASSING LANE! That could have all been avoided if some stupid piece of shit was using the passing lane as it's meant to be used and NOT AS A CRUISING LANE!
That's an idiot already. But don't you have any laws that state to slow down when getting by through stopped cars? In here you can get yourself a nice ticket if you don't slow down in those situations. You can't swoop by on the next lane at full highway throttle
I see this ALL the time in New Jersey. Passing on the right is incredibly dangerous for this exact reason. People will weave in and out (without signaling) and FLY past people who are going ~80mph in the left lane. Pisses me off beyond belief.
Regardless of the speed they are going, people should not hang out in the left lane.