Left lane is the new slow lane on many streets: Roadshow

Q: When did the “passing lane” become the new slow lane? Consistently, when I drive westbound on Ygnacio Valley Drive into Walnut Creek, most vehicles are in the “passing lane”, then the center lane, with the slow lane usually wide open. Do people think they’ll get to where they’re going faster by clogging up and going slow in the passing lane? Or did the driving laws change and I missed it?

Gerald Fogel, Concord

A: Yes, your observation is right about relative lane speeds now, on many city streets, and sometimes the freeway. The laws didn’t change, but drivers’ choices and behavior have. A few years ago, a traffic cop scolded me for saying there was no fast or slow lane on a wide city street, but I still disagree. So many people think the far left lane will be faster, and they just need to look around to see what the reality is, on that street, at that time.

Now we’ll flip to another road that has gotten a lot of attention, only this time the news is better.

Q: Highway 17 between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz has its challenges, but it is not a bad road. It is a mountain road, not a freeway. There are some drivers who don’t know how to drive a mountain road, while others treat it like a raceway, or at least a standard freeway. Add the heavy traffic that has become common on that stretch.

All, or at least almost all modern cars can handle that road well and take it at a decent speed, forgetting traffic. How many driving instructors take their students on a mountain road, or even mention mountain road driving techniques?

Art Beatty, Los Altos