OFF THE WIRE
June Is Lane Courtesy Month
Two key principles of traffic safety are not understood – certainly not practiced – by much of the driving public. Some may argue that lane courtesy and proper lane merging techniques are law enforcement issues. Indeed, most states do have laws that that count the obstruction of traffic by either hanging out in the left lane or by blocking necessary merging as infractions.
The trouble is that both types of violations are difficult to enforce. And when has the issuance of more tickets truly provided a long-term solution for a traffic issue?
The NMA prefers to view lane courtesy and lane merging as educational issues. That is why for several years now, we have designated June as Lane Courtesy Month and have used the opportunity to explain the benefits of staying out of the left lane unless passing slower traffic on the right.
Here is a link to our Memorial Day press release highlighting the primary advantages of lane courtesy. Included is a link to an informative summary by the Federal Highway Administration of how best to merge with other traffic when approaching a lane closure. This NMA press release was distributed to several thousand national media outlets last week.
Our work will not be done until each and every driver understands the importance of lane courtesy and lane merging to everyday traffic flow and safety.
Please do your part by passing along the link to the NMA release to fellow motorists. Highway travelers everywhere will benefit. ♦
