It varies not a whit by location. I was speaking of what would make sense for safe driving, not about law. Turn lanes should be kept clear for those ALREADY IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, who need to stop and wait for a chance to turn. Those trying to enter the road already have a safe place to wait, and it ain't the turn lane.
Well, since the streets here are not running red with the blood of those killed by turning-lane mergers, I think the system works well enough.
Oh, people do the same crap here, and I'm sure we have the same number of accidents from that mis-guided practice, too. I don't know if our laws are the same on that, or not.
Oh, the left lane for driving the speed limit isn't just OK. It is often a safer place to drive. Nice law you have there, that encourages unsafe driving.
The reason that law exists is because some holier-than-thou types would sit in the left lane and pace traffic in the right lane causing
traffic backups, short tempers, and the resultant overly aggressive driving of those stuck behind. Their justification would be that they were going the limit and why should they move. I notice you blame those who are calmly driving at the legal speed limit, rather than those who wish to break the speed limit. Yesterday, I was driving 64 in a 60 mph zone, in the far left lane of a six-lane highway (three lanes each way). One of my "victims" passed me in the middle lane, extending a middle finger of friendship. He then pulled into my lane, with only a foot or so of clearance, and quickly decelerated to about forty miles per hour. I'm fairly certain I was not at fault for his potentially lethal behavior.
Holier-than-thou - How do you know that they're thinking? Maybe they just want to drive at a constant speed without dodging back and forth from one lane to the other.
Pacing traffic in the right lane - I don't like to do that, but I would like to know why the person in the left lane is blamed for blocking traffic, rather than the fellow in the right lane. Apparently, it is the result of superstitious ideas about the left lane being some hallowed ground for speed demons.
If both lanes are traveling at the speed limit, then please explain how safety is enhanced by clearing the left lane for those who choose to go faster than the posted speed? Especially when this will often dangerously clog the right lane for those attempting to exit or enter the road?
short tempers, and the resultant overly aggressive driving of those stuck behind.
So, the person traveling the speed limit in the left lane is now responsible for the happiness of those behind him. Guess what? I get short-tempered when I obediently move into the right lane, only to find myself stuck behind those traveling below the speed limit. Then I am tempted to drive aggressively to get back into the left lane, to pass. What I have concluded is that I should stay in the left lane. The problem is not my driving. The problem are those who want to drive at a speed well above the limit. Let them learn some patience.