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No test for manners

Janice TeoComment News

THE writer of the letter in the May 12 edition headlined "Unsafe drivers" stated of an earlier writer: "I am curious to know if this driver sticks to the left-hand side of the dual road or just hogs the right-hand lane".

First, if all drivers travelled only in the left lane nobody would ever get to work on time since the road would then accommodate only half the volume of traffic of which it was capable.

However, even in this situation those who demand that drivers travelling at the speed limit should "get out of their way" so that they can freely overtake at a speed well above the limit are simply themselves road hogs.

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Second, it is logical, if travelling at the speed limit, for traffic that is to turn right along the road to travel in the right-hand lane. This would stop lane jumping that may be dangerous.

Third, everyone has as much right to travel in the right lane if travelling at the speed limit as does everybody else on the road.

Those who object to anybody else travelling in the right lane at the speed limit, because it inhibits their freedom to overtake other road users whilst bombing along well above the speed limit, are simply selfish and ill-mannered.

Fourth, if some people regard the right lane simply as an overtaking lane (and if this were true), our dual highways would have the most expensive, exclusive overtaking lanes in the world.

Slow traffic (and traffic travelling at the speed limit is not slow traffic, despite what the road hogs think) should travel in the left lane.

However, other road users should be courteous enough to allow them to change lanes in good time to turn right when they signal intent to do so - Id like to see that.

In practice, at all times when our roads are carrying heavy traffic they are clogged to the max and all lanes travel at well below the speed limit, so the question as to whether to travel in one lane or another does not even arise.

Unfortunately, the driving test does not and cannot test for common sense; nor can it test for common decency and good manners.

What a pity.

TOM EDMANDS, Gosnells.