You don’t drive in the left lane unless you want to pass. You just don’t. When you have passed you immediately switch back to the right or middle lane.
That’s not enforced as such, at least not that I know of, but nobody does it and that largely makes for a pleasant experience all around.
I have no idea why that is the case but it might be that stricter rules have something to do with it. You are not allowed to pass on the right – and that’s definitely strictly enforced. I have actually never seen anybody pass on the right in Germany. It’s consequently in everyone’s best interest to keep the left lane free.
(It’s also not that pleasant to see some lunatic driving 110 miles per hour approaching in the rear view mirror. Another reason to retreat to the right lane as long as you don’t pass.)
> (It’s also not that pleasant to see some lunatic driving 110 miles per hour approaching in the rear view mirror. Another reason to retreat to the right lane as long as you don’t pass.)
Really? I've witnessed many people in the far left lane that will not move over for someone that is coming up behind them, and grossly exceeding the speed limit. I've personally encountered people that would not move back into the right lane for me even when I flashed my high-beams at them in an attempted to prod them over. (I've even witnessed someone that was so oblivious to the road around him that he stopped at a stop light when there was an ambulance speeding up behind him with sirens going and lights flashing. Needless to say the ambulance hit the brakes and rear-ended him, only for him to get out of the car and look at the ambulance driver with a, "wtf are you doin'?' look on his face.)
My theory is that these people fall into two categories:
* This category: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1147059 . The people that move all the way over into the left lane so that they can feel 'comfortable' and turn off their brain while driving (since they don't have to worry about people merging and other issues).
* The 'vigilantes.' They see you going faster than what they think you should be going, so they are going to be steadfast in denying you passage in your 'lane of choice.' (i.e. I don't like you so I'm not going to do what you want me to) Note that it doesn't matter that you're going within the speed limit, if they think that the speed limit is too high, then they are still going to put up a stink.
[Note: Everything I'm talking about here assumes ideal driving conditions (i.e. no rain, sleet, snow, ice, etc), even my anecdotes all happened in good driving conditions]
You usually wait for the person to move over on their own. If they don't, you flash your headlamps once or twice.
I'm not talking about speeding up to someone's car within 2 feet of their bumper and flashing your headlamps on and off constantly for 5 minutes before giving up and passing on the right.
It's not enforced because NOBODY does it. I watched a "Cops"-like show where they followed the Autobahn police around and once in a while they did bust someone for not using the lanes properly.
That’s not enforced as such, at least not that I know of, but nobody does it and that largely makes for a pleasant experience all around.
I have no idea why that is the case but it might be that stricter rules have something to do with it. You are not allowed to pass on the right – and that’s definitely strictly enforced. I have actually never seen anybody pass on the right in Germany. It’s consequently in everyone’s best interest to keep the left lane free.
(It’s also not that pleasant to see some lunatic driving 110 miles per hour approaching in the rear view mirror. Another reason to retreat to the right lane as long as you don’t pass.)