Remember, the left lane isn’t part of your NJ vacation: Please move over
Ah yes, the summer season in New Jersey. A time when many of us hit the road and travel to a relaxing destination. Whether it's within the state or elsewhere, all we ever truly want to do on vacation is simply take it easy.
The same can also be said for those who travel here from out of state. Whether that destination is in North Jersey, South Jersey, Central Jersey, or the Shore, We always welcome those who want to visit the Garden State.
And who can blame them? New Jersey may be small, but we pack an awful lot within our borders that visitors can enjoy.
However, there is something many New Jerseyans get frustrated about when visitors arrive. Now don't get us wrong, if you're someone who's visiting us we want you to stay. But please learn our rules of the road before traveling on our highways and freeways.
One of the biggest pet peeves that are commonly shared by fellow New Jerseyans is when those not from around here don't know to move out of the left lane.
So if you're a visitor here in New Jersey, please check out these few pointers regarding our state and the left lane. Trust me, we all want you to know what you're getting into before problems arise for everybody.
It's a state law
Perhaps the biggest point is right here. In New Jersey, you're supposed to travel in the right lane and only use the left lane if you're passing someone.
And if the highway you're traveling has more than two lanes, the left lane still remains for passing only. In most cases, driving the middle lanes are fine since that's where most of the flow usually travels. But if you must go slow, please keep it all the way to the right.
Traffic flow can be disrupted
This is another good pointer, but one a visitor may not realize they're doing. When a vehicle goes slow in the left lane, it can disrupt the entire flow of the highway.
New Jerseyans are good at this. They can keep a good flow going and only pass if another vehicle up ahead is taking it easy in the right lane. No problem, we just safely pass them on the left and get back to the right lane once we're a safe distance ahead.
However, that can't happen if someone's taking a leisurely Sunday drive in the left lane. So if you're in the left lane and start noticing a backlog of cars behind you, please do the courteous thing and move to the right.
It causes road rage
A very dangerous scenario. A car comes out of nowhere and gets right on your bumper. Perhaps you feel you're doing nothing wrong while doing the speed limit in the left lane.
But the car behind you has somewhere to be, and they're not too happy you're being a roadblock. Unfortunately, if you're not actively passing anyone, then you have no reason to be on the left.
Please move over and let them pass. Believe me, it's better to let that aggressive driver go than it would be for something to escalate with you.
It makes it appear you don't pay attention
We have signs posted constantly along our highways reminding drivers to keep right unless passing. So when someone drives past those signs in the left lane and still refuses to budge, it makes it look like they don't pay attention to their surroundings.
Or even worse, it can make them appear that they blatantly don't care. A situation you don't want to find yourself in.
You can get ticketed for it
Because it's a state law, a police officer can pull you over and issue you a summons. Of course, there's one simple way to avoid this potential problem. Just keep to the right.
Look, we want you to enjoy your stay in New Jersey. This is a great state for vacations and we want you to make the most of it while you're here.
With that said, please consider this as a friendly reminder as to why you only use the left lane for passing. We know you want to take it slow while on vacation, and that's ok.
Just make sure you don't bring that slow pace to the left lane, especially if you're driving on one of New Jersey's most dangerous roadways.