Do The RIGHT Thing! and Learn Lane Courtesy Protocol; June is Lane Courtesy Month

WAUNAKEE, Wis., June 11 -- The National Motorists Association (NMA) has designated June as Lane Courtesy Month and is urging motorists to "Do The RIGHT Thing!" by yielding the left lane to faster moving traffic.

Before lane courtesy can become commonplace the driving public will have to adopt a few simple rules of conduct. Standard signals that foster communication between drivers are necessary to implement the lane courtesy concept.

The driver of a faster vehicle in the left lane should signal their desire to move past a slower vehicle in the left lane by turning on their left directional light for a few seconds. The operator of the slower vehicle should acknowledge this request by turning on their right directional light and seeking a space in the right lane to pull into. The slower driver should maintain their speed, or accelerate while seeking a space to merge into the right lane. They should never slow down; assuming a space will appear. Slowing down will disrupt and confuse surrounding traffic.

If the slower driver fails to respond to the directional signal request, the faster driver should briefly flash their headlights, just to catch the attention of the slower driver. If the slower driver still fails to respond to the "please yield and let me by" signal, do not engage in dangerous tailgating antics, just fall back and wait for another opportunity to safely pass.

Should you be in the right-hand lane and a driver on your left signals to merge right, possibly to allow others to pass, accelerate or slightly decelerate to provide space for the merge. The same courtesy should be extended to vehicles entering the highway from an "on ramp."

And finally, drivers of faster vehicles in the left lane should not request that drivers of slower vehicles merge right when such a merge is not advisable, such as in the vicinity of on ramps where other vehicles are merging to the left.

Collectively, these are common sense gestures that smooth traffic flow, reduce congestion, and largely eliminate many of the aggravations that can cause road rage. They cost nothing to implement and benefit all road users.

This is the third in a series of five releases on the importance of lane courtesy. For the previous releases, more information concerning "Do the RIGHT Thing!" and other highway safety tips, please visit our site at http://www.motorists.org/.

The National Motorists Association (NMA) was established in 1982 to represent the interests and rights of North American motorists. It operates at the national level and through a system of state chapters. The NMA is supported through the contributions of individuals, families and small businesses. For more information about the NMA, call 608-849-6000, Email us at nma@motorists.org, or visit the NMA web site at http://www.motorists.org/.

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