Prologue
Back when I started this blog I was intending to write an essay of sorts to explore my theories about why people so often drive in the left lane. I have now spent a good portion of my life driving on the roads, and many of those on Maryland roads. This almost ever day experience has given me time to reflect on why people do what they do.
I'm not going to lay it all out there at once, but I'm going to break it into parts, each one focusing on a different theory. So settle in and get ready to read some insightful brilliance about social behavior at its finest.
Definiton
To adequately explore this we need to understand exactly what it is that we're discussing. Left-lane-driving is when a person drives in the left lane with a line of cars behind them. They make no efforts to move to the right to allow quicker drivers to pass. Many left-lane-drivers will drive at or slightly under the speed limit, rarely driving any significant speed over the posted limit.
*Do you agree with this definition? Help me to refine it to make it better. Post your comments.
Theory #1
Let's start with my most ridiculous theory: Driving in the left lane is a reflection of one's political persuasion. At some point I considered whether Maryland's historical love affair with the left side of the political arena may possibly be seeping out into its citizens driving habits. "Choose the Left" became more than just a belief. Maryland drivers chose to display their political preference more publicly by choosing the left lane to drive in.
Obviously this theory doesn't hold much water. If one's politics affected driving preferences you'd expect to see the behavior more predominantly in States that were liberal. My experience tells me that left-lane-driving occurs in many States regardless of the prevailing political sentiment.
Theory #1 appears to be debunked. However, there is no empirical evidence to discount it completely. If anyone is interested in doing a study, check how your State voted in the most recent Presidential election and then observe how often you see left-lane drivers in your State. Post any results here.
Upcoming Theories:
Left-lane exits and EZ Pass
Cruise Control
Ego / Power Trip
Social Justice and Equality
La-La Land / Distracted
Caught in the Current
Is Big Brother watching?
Quest for stability
Keeping up with the Jones'
Limited space
Lanes mean distance
More?