If you choose avoiding the fast lane instead of trying to shave a few seconds off your arrival time, you might be decreasing your accident risk by doing so. The fast lane is often where more aggressive drivers spend their time weaving in and out of traffic, making it much more likely that you’ll be tailgated just for going the speed limit. 

When you’re in a rush to get somewhere in San Diego and are focused on minimizing that worry, it’s easy to hop into the fast lane to try to shave a couple of seconds or minutes off your arrival time.

However, using the center or right lane on multi-lane roads enables you to have more escape route in the event that a problem suddenly arises that forces you to change lanes or pull onto the shoulder. More aggressive or risky drivers are also more likely to use the fast lane, making it difficult for you to avoid an accident if someone else is not paying attention while swerving in and out of lanes or using the fast lane at excessive speeds. Did you know that most highway accidents happen in the left lane?

You are also more conspicuous to highway patrol vehicles if you are in the fast lanes so it’s better to stick to the right lane so that you have the opportunity to merge off onto the shoulder or onto an exit ramp should an issue suddenly occur. Taking small steps like this might seem like you’ll have a minor impact on your accident risk while giving you additional inconvenience. However, saving your life is well worth it.

Avoiding the fast lane keeps you out of the fray of busy traffic and harried drivers who are in a rush. Staying in the right lane allows you to have a better scan of your environment and decrease your chances of being involved in a serious motor vehicle accident.