For most of us, driving is second nature. We get in, start the engine, turn the wheel and hit the road. And while this \u201cautopilot mode\u201d means familiarity and general ease of driving, it also makes us complacent. It\u2019s time we admit it: The lessons we learned in driver\u2019s education courses are often forgotten or left in the dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luckily, it\u2019s never too late to refresh ourselves on the rules of the road, especially if it means a safer overall driving experience. Perhaps it\u2019ll even answer questions we assumed we already knew, such as who has the right of way in certain instances. Is the far-left lane for passing or speeding? What is proper exit-lane etiquette?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get answers to those questions and more through the following crash course:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solid white lines on a highway, freeway, or any road in general aren\u2019t just there for show. They indicate to drivers that changing lanes is not permitted. Traveling into another lane can only occur once dashed or \u201cbroken\u201d white lines are present. If a solid white line exists on the road you\u2019re traveling, stay in your lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a common misconception that the far left lane, whether on a highway or a regular two-lane street, is intended for the road\u2019s speedsters, but any driver\u2019s ed course would debunk this myth immediately. The left lane is, in fact, intended for passing. If a driver is traveling slowly in front of you, that\u2019s an ideal moment to move into the left lane to eventually pass them. Pro tip: When a roadway is crowded and all lanes are heavily populated, refrain from driving in the left lane if you\u2019re moving slower than average traffic (which has the right of way in this case).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it\u2019s technically legal in some states to utilize an exit lane to bypass traffic, it\u2019s frankly just bad manners. Exit lanes are reserved for exactly what they specify: to exit the highway. In general, swerving in and around traffic can have dangerous consequences. Stay out of the exit lane unless you are, in fact, preparing to exit the roadway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps one of the most stressful aspects of driving (especially for a beginner) is learning how to properly and safely merge onto a highway. It can be both tricky and scary, but there\u2019s one rule of thumb to make the merge a little easier: Pick up enough speed so that you\u2019re moving about as fast as vehicles already on the road. If you don\u2019t, other drivers may be forced to speed up, slow down, or abruptly change lanes at your arrival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n