Dear Slow Driver in the Left Lane

Subject: Dear Slow Driver in the Left Lane
From: A Faster Driver
Date: 6 Jun 2017

Dear slower driver in the left lane,

How could you possibly think that going 60 mph in a 70 mph is okay, especially if you’re in the left lane? Truth is, it is not okay if there is a whole line of cars behind you trying to at least drive the speed limit. I was on my way back home for a family even and for miles I had been driving behind you and flickering my high beams at you because you need to move over for the 10+ cars behind you. I didn’t want to switch lanes and speed up just to get in front of you because that is more dangerous than you just moving over for all of us. It just annoys me so much when people don’t follow the rules, especially on the road where every driver’s lives are on the road. You should really think about other drivers more than just yourself because driving for most people is just a way of transportation and why would anybody want to be delayed to their destination. As another driver, I love to enjoy driving as well, but when there is a line of cars behind you because of your slower driving, it’s about time that you should move over to let us faster drivers get to our destination. I know that you may be old, or trying to relax, or you just simply don’t know about the “rules” of driving on the road but it gets me so annoyed about you drivers whenever I am trying to get to my destination and I am slowed down. However with the amount of drivers, it doesn’t matter which lane you drive in right. Yes, and no, but I will get to that part later on, let’s just focus on the what will happen if there are faster drivers behind you.

It is with utmost importance that I tell you of how driving slow in the left lane can lead to a major problem to other drivers because this seems to be a reoccurring issue every time I drive on the freeway for me or others. You really should think twice about your driving habits because driving should be about getting for the whole community of drivers. Why does this matter?

The fact that you reluctantly choose not to move over just shows how much of a selfish driver you are and that’s just one of the most annoying things to deal with while driving. I am a very busy college student and have limited time to really do anything because my time is either spent in class, driving back and forth from home and school, or doing homework and it gets me so angry and upset when my commute must be longer than it already should be because of your slow driving. To add more onto that, not only is it an annoyance to me but it detracts the whole line of cars behind you to slow down as well, causing a buildup of traffic, angry drivers, and possibly even an accident. That being said, I would much rather have you move over, when safe, and allow me or other drivers to pass you in order to let us get to our destination.

I know that there is a clear line between driving on the interstate and driving on state highways. Driving on the left lane for most state highways, are in fact unlawful and the left lane should only be used for passing. This is so that there isn’t a buildup of traffic on the highways. However, this law isn’t applied to the interstates freeway but this “rule” should still be applied as standard driving etiquette to other faster drivers behind you. Have you ever wonder if it is more dangerous for a speeding car to weave through cars than to just drive straight in one lane, right? Here’s another food for thought if my experience behind you hasn’t changed your mind.

Here are some statistics for you, slower driver in the left lane. Over 300,000 drivers were pulled over and ticketed for just driving on the left lane in just the state of Washington. Driving 5 mph the speed limit is 20 times more dangerous than 5 mph over the speed limit. But here is a rhetorical situation. Let’s say that the person you love most needs a hospital but the closest hospital to them is 20 miles away, but there was traffic, due to an accident from a raging driver behind the slow car in the left lane. There isn’t no shoulder on the left lane so it took the ambulance 50 minutes to get to the hospital when it should’ve taken 30 minutes. Within that 40 minutes, the person you loved has passed away already in the ambulance and now you’re going to hate raging drivers, slow drivers, and traffic even more than you do.

Driver’s in general, if you are this type of person than this message is to you too, don’t drive in the left lane if you’re going to drive slower than the other cars around you. However, if you’re not this kind of driver that doesn’t move over for faster drivers than kudos to you because you are a helper to the drivers around you.

This is a serious topic that needs to really be addressed more, especially in the city of a big population of single pedestrian drivers. The one you love most could be in danger or if not yours, someone else’s love. As more and more drivers enter the driving world, there is more and more traffic build up and I understand that. I also understand that traffic isn’t just caused by accidents or slow drivers but also many people trying to get onto one road like the interstate in Seattle called I-5 or just a lot of drivers these days and especially within a large urban city like Seattle. There is a difference from traffic due to many drivers and traffic due to slow drivers and if you are one of those slow drivers, thanks to you I get to live without the one I love most.

We are all humans and should drive respectively to other drivers and but if there is a faster driver behind you, let them pass by switching over to the right lane, when safe, and don’t be a F***ing little B**ch about it because nobody like to be slowed down or stuck in traffic due to a raging car that tried to pass you and got into an accident. Time is valuable and it’s something that nobody can get back so nobody should have to slow down behind you because you are too slow and reluctant to move over.
—Driver Behind You

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