Passing lane

On roads with only one lane in a given direction, overtaking is accomplished by briefly pulling into oncoming traffic.

The United States Uniform Vehicle Code states: Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic ...

In other states, such as Massachusetts,[8] New Jersey,[9] Illinois,[10] Pennsylvania,[11] and others,[12] it is illegal to fail to yield to traffic that seeks to overtake in the left lane, or to create any other "obstruction" in the passing lane that hinders the flow of traffic.

A driver hoping to pass a slow motorist in the "fast lane" can be stuck in an awkward situation.

A third, which is dangerous and illegal, is to drive very close to the "fast lane" driver's bumper (this is known as tailgating).

[citation needed] In some areas, such as the U.S. states of Colorado and Kentucky, vehicles in the left lane are required to yield to faster traffic only if the speed limit is above 65 miles per hour.

In a study by the AASHTO Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering, all 24 U.S. states involved used some form of passing lane courtesy signage, 9 of which only use those signs for steep graded roads.

[15] Many areas which make it illegal to fail to yield to faster traffic also have exceptions to those rules.

In the province of Quebec, it is illegal to travel in the left lane when not passing when the speed limit is over 80 km/h (50 mph).

Its etymology originated with truckers in North America in reference to slamming the accelerator with a foot like hammer.