Recent Alaska Shipping News

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Legal use of your high beams
Safe use of your high beams
Final word
 

Legal use of your high beams

Your “high beams” are what most people refer to as your brights. These are the lights that all vehicles have right next to their headlights that more brightly illuminate a much larger portion of the road for use in a situation where you are driving in extremely dark conditions. For example, there are several areas in Alaska where street/highway lights are far and few between. It can also get as dark as possible in Alaska for very long periods. Hence, the use of your high beams may be more frequent here than most other places.

It is not always legal to drive with your high beams on. Alaska does not have a specific law against particular use of your headlights but it does have a law that states “the glaring or high-intensity portion of the light is not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver.” Thus, you can get pulled over for using your high beams in Alaska if a police officer deems that you are either fully or partially blinding oncoming drivers. If you are using your high beams and want to avoid being pulled over for doing so, then you should do the following:

• Turn your high beams off within two hundred feet of any approaching oncoming driver.
• Do your best to limit your use of your high beams in general. Only use them on very dark and desolate roads.
• If you do use your high beams, do so intermittently. This means you can always use your high beams to see when driving in a particularly dark area but once you are out of that area, ensure that you switch to your normal headlights.

So, to be sure that you are only using your brights legally there must be no approaching oncoming cars within several hundred feet and there must also be a legitimate need for you to be using your high beams when you do use them.
 

Safe use of your high beams

The safe use of your high beams will include turning them off at times but also includes knowing when to definitely use them, especially in Alaska. So, as we mentioned, your high beams can temporarily blind oncoming drivers that are approaching. If this occurs, a head on collision is a definite possibility. Head on collisions are one of the most dangerous type of collisions because the impact of the force during the crash gets magnified exponentially due to the forces of both vehicles working in opposite directions. Head on collisions were the second most deadly type of collision in 2020, behind only T-bone collisions according to the Insurance Information Institute.

You should also know when you need to use your brights in order to maximize safety when you are driving in Alaska. Driving on dark roads without much auxiliary lighting or other traffic is one such example of a time you should definitely use your brights. Alaska actually has several notoriously dark and dangerous roads. The darkest roads in Alaska are:

1. Richardson Highway
2. Dalton Highway
3. Seward Highway

Another time in Alaska that you should always choose to use your brights will be when you approach an area marked with signs for animal crossings. In Alaska, there are many animals that could be in the roadway or crossing it at any time. Some of the animals are extremely large like bears, moose and deer. If you strike one of these animals with your vehicle, the damage to your car could be catastrophic. It can also land you or your passengers with some very serious injuries. Even if you are able to swerve out of the way of one of these animals as a last second reaction, doing so can still easily cause you to end up in a serious accident. When you drive with your brights on, you will be able to see a maximum distance in front of you as well as to both peripheral areas in front of you.
 

Final word

Alaska has some of the darkest stretches of roads in the entire country. Overall, it has some of the least sunlight of anywhere in the world during certain periods of the year. This is why some people will frequently drive around with their brights on here. Some drivers use them as if they were regular headlights. However, if you are using your headlights and oncoming traffic is approaching, you could temporarily blind a driver which could directly cause a head on collision possibly leading to a fatality. If you are overusing your brights in Alaska you can also possibly get pulled over and ticketed. Always turn your brights off when approaching oncoming traffic is within a few hundred feet. However, you should always use your brights when it is necessary and safe such as on a particularly dark stretch of highway and/or when you approach an area of highway at night with frequent animal crossings.

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Increased risk of an accident
Legal and financial consequences
Final word
 

Increased risk of an accident

Whenever you speed, you risk serious damage to your vehicle, serious injury, legal liability, death as well as the safety of other drivers and pedestrians. The statistics about speeding are proof that it is not worth driving above the speed limit in order to arrive at your destination a few minutes sooner. When you speed, it will take you longer to slow down and stop which increases the likelihood of a collision occurring. Speeding also increases the force with which you are traveling, so if you do get into an accident, it will be much more severe.

The following are some eye-opening statistics about speeding and how it impacts safety on the road:

• Almost one third of crash fatalities were from speed related accidents in 2020. – iihs.org
• Over three hundred thousand people were injured in speed related accidents in 2020. – NHTSA
• Speeding related fatalities increased 17% from 2019 to 2020 across the entire country. – NHTSA
• The difference in the distance that it will take you to stop between traveling 50 miles per hour and traveling 80 miles per hour is almost two and a half times as far. At 50 miles per hour your vehicles stopping distance would be just under 200 feet. At 80 miles per hour your car would take just under 440 feet to come to a stop. – Automotive Fleet

Legal and financial consequences

There are legal consequences when you speed whether you are involved in an accident as a result or if you are caught and pulled over by a police officer. Alaska is no exception to this. The laws regarding speeding in Alaska are strict and for good reason too.

If you are pulled over for speeding in Alaska these are the consequences depending on how fast you were going:

• Under 10 miles over the speed limit – You will be fined $8 for every mile over the speed limit.
• 10 to 19 miles over the speed limit – You will be fined $8 for every mile over the speed limit.
• 20 plus miles over the speed limit – You will be fined $12 for every mile over the speed limit
• “Driving faster than is reasonably prudent” – This is when you are driving at or under the posted speed limit in Alaska but you are driving too fast for inclement road conditions. For example, if the rain is very heavy and other vehicles are driving about 30 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone and you are driving 52 miles per hour, you could receive this ticket if you are pulled over. The cost for this ticket is a flat $90.

So, if you are caught speeding 15 miles over the speed limit in Alaska, you will be fined $120. If you are caught driving 22 miles an hour above the speed limit in Alaska, you will be fined $264. These amounts do not include the applicable fees and taxes which can end up costing you an additional $100.

There are also very costly repercussions when it comes to your auto insurance when you are ticketed by the police for speeding in Alaska. On average, your car insurance rates will increase by 24% or just under $400 per year.

If you get a ticket for speeding and plead guilty or are convicted, you will inevitably receive points on your license. The point system for your driver’s license is a way of determining when someone’s driving infractions have reached a point where they should have their license suspended or even revoked. You can also even receive time in jail if you get a certain number of points in a certain time period.

The points that you will receive on your license if you are caught speeding in Alaska is as follows:

• If you are caught speeding between one and ten miles over the speed limit you will receive two points on your license.
• If you are caught speeding between ten and nineteen miles over the speed limit you will receive four points on your license.
• If you are caught speeding twenty or more miles over the speed limit you will receive six points on your license.

Finally, and most importantly, if you are involved in an accident and it is proven that you were speeding, you will very likely be held legally and civilly responsible for the damage you caused to any other vehicles or people involved in the crash. So, this means you or your insurance will need to cover the cost of the damage to the other cars and any other damaged property in addition to your own car. You can also be sued if you caused any injury in the accident. This can literally cost you millions of dollars. If you were deemed to be driving recklessly, then you could be convicted of a serious crime up to and including vehicular homicide or involuntary manslaughter if the crash resulted in someone else’s death.
 

Final word

When you make the decision to drive over the speed limit in Alaska, you are not just taking a risk yourself, you are selfishly putting everyone else on the road at risk. Someone could be seriously injured or even killed as a result of you speeding. Even if that is not the case, you face expensive consequences when you are inevitably caught and ticketed by the police which includes your annual insurance premiums increasing significantly.

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What to do when you are behind a stopped school bus
Try not to drive in the busses blind spot
Final word
 

What to do when you are behind a stopped school bus

Driving safely and paying attention when you are driving near a school bus is not just important to avoid a collision with the bus itself but also to avoid possibly colliding with a child that just exited the bus. If the bus is stopped, you must remain completely stopped behind the bus until the flashing lights cease and the stop sign on the side of the bus is retracted. Even after that, drive very slowly and pay extremely close attention to the next few hundred feet, because the children that just got off the bus could be crossing the street without warning.

Beyond the moral and ethical ramifications of driving around a stopped school bus, there are strict laws and penalties for doing so as well. In Alaska, if you are caught driving around a school bus that is stopped and dropping off children you will face:

• A two thousand dollar fine
• Six points on your license
• Three months in jail

Six points on your license will certainly raise your insurance rates as well as put you only 6 more points in the same twelve-month period away from a one-year suspension.
 

Try not to drive in the busses blind spot

As you might imagine, school bus drivers have a very difficult time seeing cars to either side of them. This is why they have such large side-view mirrors. However, it is still quite easy for them to not see someone who is driving in their blind spot. So, if you are in a school busses’ blind spot in traffic either pull ahead of the bus, even-with the front of the bus or completely behind it. This way, the driver will be able to easily see you in case they have to change lanes, pull over or turn.
 

Final word

Driving in any way other than safely and focused in the vicinity of a school bus is egregiously hazardous. If you drive around a school bus that is stopped and dropping children off then you risk colliding with a child and/or stiff legal penalties. Always remain stopped thirty feet behind a stopped school bus until its lights stop flashing and it retracts its stop sign. If you need any type of car, motorcycle or even a specialty vehicle shipped anywhere to or from Alaska, give the automotive logistics experts at Alaska Car Transport a call today at (907) 331-3100!

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Roof rack basics
Roof rack safety
Final word
 

Roof rack basics

A roof rack is a great way for you to increase the amount of storage space that your car has without having to sacrifice passenger space and/or views out of any of your vehicle’s windows. A roof rack is most typically used to secure a roof box. A roof box is simply a secure and aerodynamic box that will hold whatever you want so long as the dimensions fit the box. However, roof racks can also be used to secure bikes, kayaks, surfboards, skis and other things.

In order to install a roof rack on your car’s roof, you must first check the compatibility of your specific car’s make, model and year with any roof racks that you are considering using. Not all vehicles are compatible with all roof racks. Once you have found a suitable roof rack, you can move onto the actual installation. Whichever roof rack you get will come with specific instructions on how you can install it. These instructions will depend on which type of roof rack you are using.

The primary three types of a roof rack for a vehicle are:

1. Bare roof – “Bare roof” roof racks are designed for vehicles that have no components on their roofs to support a roof rack. Some vehicles will have raised bars or rails and others will have grooves or tracks. Both of these features are intended to support easier installation of a roof rack. With a “bare roof” roof rack, you will have a roof rack that will usually clip on to the edges of your roof using a clamp system.
2. Raised rail – Raised rail roof racks can only be used with vehicles that have the raised bars on the roof. These roof racks are almost always the easiest to install.
3. Track – A track system roof rack is only to be used with vehicles that have the tracks or grooves in the outer part of the roof itself. The installation is fairly uncomplicated.

Roof rack safety

When you are driving with a roof rack, you will always want to put safety first. The ability to drive completely safely with a roof rack will begin with ensuring you have safely installed your roof rack. If your roof rack is not correctly and securely installed, it can easily slide off while you are driving your vehicle.

Once you are certain that you have correctly installed your roof rack, there are several other measures to take in order to ensure complete safety while you haul something with your roof rack. First, when you are positioning a roof box or anything else, you must be sure that you secure it as close to the center of your roof rack as possible. If you are using a roof box, you should also be sure that you pack the heaviest items towards the bottom of the box so as to ensure proper weight distribution.

Whenever you drive with something attached to your roof rack, you should be aware of your car’s new height. In the case that you are going through a tunnel, drive-thru or under a bridge with a low clearance, the additional foot plus of height can be the difference between making it and disaster. Finally, never exceed your roof rack’s weight limit. In fact, you should try not to come that close to meeting your roof rack’s weight limit either.
 

Final word

Roof racks can be the difference between being able to take everything with you on a trip or having to ship several things. They can also prevent you from having to store too much in your car during a trip which can directly decrease passenger space and comfort as well as negatively impact your ability to see out of your car’s windows which can be extremely unsafe. When you do decide to make use of a roof rack be sure that you do your research and choose one that is compatible with your vehicle. Upon installing your roof rack, ensure that you do so correctly and securely. Once your roof rack has been installed, take all the necessary precautions to remain safe as you drive including properly distributing weight in a roof box and being mindful of your car’s new height.

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Illegal car modifications
Penalties for illegal car modifications
Final word
 

 

Illegal car modifications

Illegal car modifications are things that someone can do to a vehicle for a variety of reasons that end up posing a safety risk to the occupants of that vehicle and/or other motorists on the road. A prime example is someone who has added purple flashing lights to the underside of their car. While it is not illegal to have this on your car in many cases, it is illegal to drive while these lights are on and flashing. Each state in the country has different laws regarding illegal vehicle modifications, many of these laws overlap with similarities while some do not. Let’s take a look at some illegal car modifications in Alaska:

• Noise increasing exhaust devices – This is anything that intentionally causes driving your vehicle to produce more sound and/or louder sound. “Whistle tips” are a prime example of this. That is when muffler openings are welded much more narrowly so as to create a continuous and high pitch “whistling” as a vehicle drives which resonates for several blocks.
• Removing pollution control devices/equipment – If you reduce the function of or entirely remove any pollution control devices it qualifies as illegally modifying your vehicle. People choose to remove or disable these because then the environmental sensors in their car will always pass it for inspection without having to get any expensive repairs.
• Too high of a frame – In Alaska, car frames can only be certain heights off the ground dependent on three weight ranges:
  1. 24-inch height maximum – 4,500lbs and under
  2. 26-inch height maximum – 4,500lbs and 7,500
  3. 28-inch height maximum – 7,500 and 10,000
• Over-the-top-tinting – Too dark of a tint for a vehicle’s windows can be dangerous because the driver will have a considerable amount less of visibility. In Alaska, illegal tints include tints on the lower 95% of the windshield, front driver and passenger side tints that block more than 30% of light and rear passenger windows that block more than 60% of light.

Penalties for illegal car modifications

As you might imagine, if you are caught with illegal modifications in your vehicle, there are penalties and fines. For the most part it is just the fines. However, you will also need to get the modifications undone/fixed before you can drive again. If you fail to and are caught again, this can lead to increased fines, license suspension and even eventually arrest.

The following are a few of the specific penalties for having illegal car modifications in Alaska:

• Exhaust System Improperly Modified – $150 fine plus applicable fees
• Must Not be Equipped with Siren/Whistle/Bell – $60 fine plus applicable fees
• Use Of Lights In Colors Not Authorized – $50 fine plus applicable fees
• Operating Vehicle Modified To Be Too Low Or Too High – $300 fine plus applicable fees

Final word

Getting your car illegally modified in any way in Alaska or anywhere else might seem like a good way to make your vehicle look nicer or cooler, but you are sacrificing safety for vanity. Even worse, you are not just sacrificing your own safety but the safety of everyone else out on the road. You are also risking expensive fines and fees if you are caught with these modifications by the police. On top of that, you will need to spend even more in order to correct these modifications to prevent further fines and penalties in the future.

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Pros and cons of having a remote starter
What does a remote starter cost?
Final word
 

Pros and cons of having a remote starter

A remote starter is a device that will allow you to start your car from the comfort of your home or from just about anywhere within a few hundred feet. Typically, people get a remote starter installed in their vehicle in order to be able to “warm up” their car when it is cold out. This can obviously be quite useful in a place such as Alaska. However, there are additional benefits as well as several drawbacks to getting a remote starter for your car.

The pros of getting a remote starter for your car:

1. You can warm up your car before you go outside – In freezing temperatures, your car will be room temperature or warmer by the time you jump in to start driving.
2. It will automatically shut off – If you have ever left your car running with your keys in the ignition, odds are you probably did so for much longer than ten minutes at some point. With a remote starter, your car will automatically shut off after a predetermined interval such as fifteen minutes.
3. You can keep your car locked while it runs – If you ever wanted to run into the store quick while a passenger or pet waited in your car, you probably worried about leaving the keys in the ignition not only because that makes theft much easier but also because you cannot lock your doors in that instance. A remote starter will let you run your car with your doors locked and your keys in your pocket.
4. Idling laws make an exception for remote starters – If you leave your car running with your keys in the ignition and you are not in the car, in many states, you can be ticketed for violating idling laws. However, these rules typically make exceptions for remote starters, and this absolutely holds true in Alaska.

The cons of getting a remote starter for your car:

1. The overall price can be high – As you will see below, the overall cost of a remote starter will be several hundred dollars after installation is factored in.
2. It wastes a lot of gas – You will be burning through a considerable amount of gas which, over time, will be quite expensive.
3. You are contributing to pollution – Unless you drive an electric vehicle of some kind, you will be creating unnecessary carbon emissions by running your vehicle in front of your home.

What does a remote starter cost?

The cost of a remote starter will vary based on multiple factors. This includes the specific type of remote starter you get, what kind of vehicle you are having it installed in, the additional cost of installation and whether or not the starter is covered by a warranty.

Currently, these are some price ranges for remote starters based on the options you can choose from:

Final word

Getting a remote starter for your car is a great way to stay warm during the cold Alaskan winter. Having that device installed in your car will also allow you to avoid leaving your doors unlocked while your car runs and will prevent you from getting an idling ticket. However, some drawbacks of using a remote starter for your vehicle include costly installation, an expensive and consistent waste of gas and an unnecessary contribution to pollution.

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Keep your tires and car safe
Keep yourself safe
Final word
 

Keep your tires and car safe

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by a long shot. It is comprised primarily wilderness and tundra. This means many of the “roads less traveled” will not be paved. Thus, when you are out driving on a dirt or gravel road in Alaska, you will want to do so with an abundance of caution. Roads that are commonly used in incorporated have been paved for a reason, in order to ensure the smoothest and safest trip possible. However, you can still have a relatively safe and smooth ride when you off-road as long as you do the following:

Keep yourself safe

You also want to ensure that you and all of your passengers remain safe when you are driving on gravel or dirt roads. A good starting point is to only use a vehicle intended for this type of driving. Some sort of sport utility vehicle or Jeep could work. Avoid trying to use a typical passenger car such as a sedan for any driving on unpaved roads.

Make sure that you are well prepared in case of an emergency where you will not be able to drive any further. Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle. This will include:

• Extra food and water
• A well charged cell phone with excellent service or a satellite phone
• First aid kit
• A spare all-terrain tire (not a donut)
• Flashlights
• A jump box
• Some basic tools

When you are off-roading in particularly remote areas always be sure that you let someone else who is not going with you know where you are going and when you expect to return by. If you end up stranded, this can be the difference between a quick rescue and a considerably longer one.

Finally, your tires should be off-road appropriate as well. If you have a vehicle like a Jeep, odds are it already has off-road ready tires. However, some SUVs and other trucks may only have more typical stock type tires upon purchase. The type of tire that you will want on your vehicle will be all-terrain tires.
 

Final word

Driving on an unpaved road is not that much of a risk as long as you know what you are doing, and you are prepared. You must drive cautiously without any sudden maneuvering or braking if possible. You should only use the right type of vehicle with the right type of tires. You also need to be ready for emergency situations where you will not be able to continue driving on any further.

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Only use the left lane if passing
HOV considerations
Final word
 

Only use the left lane if passing

The left-most lane of any road that has more than one lane going in the same direction is always reserved for passing. It is only for drivers who are constantly passing cars in the lane directly to the right of them. If you only intend to pass one car, get back into the middle lane after you have done so.

There are two main types of set ups involving passing lanes. A two-lane road/highway and a three-plus lane road/highway. In a two-lane road situation, the left lane is for passing and the right lane is for both traveling and entering/exiting the highway. On these types of roads traveling can be a bit slower because of cars using the same lane to travel as well; as to enter and exit the road. You can choose to travel in the left lane but it is imperative that you remain passing the cars in the right lane. If you do not, you must get back into the right lane.

As far as roads or highways with three plus lanes, the left lane is also exclusively for passing. However, the middle lane or lanes are for traveling and the right-most lane is for entering/exiting the highway. This set up leads to less congestion because there are no cars entering or exiting the highway in a travel lane and, ideally, there are no cars traveling in the passing lane.
 

HOV considerations

In certain urban and city areas where there is typically a lot of traffic congestion, there are sometimes what are known as HOV lanes. HOV stands for “high-occupancy vehicle” which refers to any car or vehicle with two or more people inside. In the United States, these lanes are located in the left-most lane with a clear painted division between them and the lane to the right of them with exits/entrances every few miles. The two primary purposes of HOV lanes are to decrease both pollution and traffic congestion by incentivizing people to carpool with the reward of being able to avoid being stuck in traffic.

The HOV lanes tend to be for passing, traveling and entering/exiting the lane itself. However, because vehicles are entering from what is already a passing lane rather than a slower road altogether, there tends to be much fewer slow downs and overall speeds remain high in these lanes.
 

Final word

The passing lane is the left-most lane of any road or highway with multiple lanes. These lanes are only to be used if you are consistently passing vehicles that are travelling in the lane to the right. If you no longer wish to maintain a higher speed that would be necessary to constantly pass vehicles in the lane to the right, you must merge into that lane. HOV lanes are special lanes which are located to the left of passing lanes. They require at least two people are in your car in order to use them. The speeds in these lanes tend to be similar to those of passing lanes when there is no traffic. If you would like to ship your car to Alaska at anytime through out the year, give the vehicle transport experts at Alaska Car Transport a call for a free instant quote at (907) 331-3100!

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Stop and wait
Pay attention
Final word
 

Stop and wait

The most obvious and important part of taking caution near a railroad crossing is that you stop and wait at the crossing if the lights start to flash rather than attempting to beat the train and/or the closing gates over the tracks. The risk is simply not worth it. It is extremely unlikely that you or anyone else in your vehicle survive if you are struck by an oncoming locomotive. Even if the train has applied its emergency brakes, it will likely not be able to stop or even slow down enough in time to spare your life.
Here are a few statistics regarding trains, their speeds and the force of their impacts:

• A train can take over one mile to come to a stop when it applies its emergency brakes as hard as it can. That is equivalent to just under twenty football fields. So, by the time a conductor sees you it is already too late.
• Even if a train has slowed considerably, its impact will still very likely be fatal. Most trains weigh around half a million pounds, give or take several tons. If trains travel at an average speed of sixty miles per hour and the conductor is able to see you a half mile away they might be able to slow the train to thirty or twenty five miles per hour. Imagine being struck by a half million pounds of force traveling twenty-five miles per hour or more.
• In 2021, 11% of all accidents where a train struck a vehicle were fatal. Another 32% resulted in injuries. In the majority of these incidents the vehicle was totaled. These statistics also do not discount incidents where people fled their vehicle prior to the train strike. Thus, the chance of injury or death is higher than these statistics reflect.

Pay attention

As we mentioned, it is critical that you pay attention when you are approaching a railroad crossing just in case the lights start to flash signaling an oncoming train. Always stop and wait until the flashing ceases. However, you also should never be closer than fifteen feet away from the tracks when there is any indication that there is a train approaching. If you are ever in a situation where you get caught on the tracks after the gates have closed, drive through the gate. Having to pay the ticket, the cost of replacement for the gate and the cost of repairs for your car is better than losing your life or being seriously injured. Plus, even if you escape unharmed, your car will be totaled which insurance will surely not cover a dime of.
 

Final word

Railroad crossings are no joke when you are driving. Over two thousand cars were struck by trains in 2021 due to negligent drivers. Many of them lost their lives or were injured. All almost all of them had their vehicles totaled. You must always stay focused and pay very close attention when approaching a railroad crossing in your vehicle. Once the lights start flashing it is time to stop because the gates will come down shortly after that which will obviously be followed by the train crossing.

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The zipper technique
Other unwritten rules of the road
Final word
 

The zipper technique

When it comes to being out on the road in Alaska or anywhere else in the country, there are a few unwritten but understood rules that the vast majority of drivers on the road will abide by. This makes things much easier in terms of general driving unless someone chooses to go their own way and ignore one of these unwritten rules of the road. Do yourself a favor, learn these rules and always follow them.

The first and one of the most important of these unwritten rules is known as “the zipper”. This refers to an instance where you have a busy highway with a lot of traffic congestion, and you also have a bunch of people simultaneously trying to merge onto that highway at the same time. This can easily lead to issues such as fender benders and road rage. However, these things are easily avoided when people use the zipper technique. This is when one car already on the road/highway being merged onto allows one car from the row of cars trying to merge to successfully and easily do so.

There is no law requiring that anyone do this. There is also no law that says a second vehicle from the row of cars trying to merge onto the highway cannot try and squeeze in right behind the one in front of it. However, almost everyone knows not allowing one car to merge or, conversely, trying to sneak in as a second car is frowned upon. Everyone knows it’s a figurative zipper – one car merges and the car that let that car in continues on behind that car, one from each side each and every time.
 

Other unwritten rules of the road

There are also several other unwritten rules of the road that you should definitely be aware of before you start driving again. The first is that you should never drive in someone’s blind spot for more than a quick moment in order to pass them. Although it is expected for all good drivers to always check their blind spot prior to changing lanes, we likely have all forgotten once or twice and had a blaring horn directed at us as a result.

Not cutting people off is another unwritten rule of the road, although this may be the most frequently ignored of any of these rules. You should always pay attention and plan your lane changes ahead in order to have enough safe time and distance to do so. Finally, as a driver you should never drive in the furthest left lane unless you are driving at a speed in which you are constantly and consistently passing cars in the lane next to you. People ignore this more frequently too, but they are rewarded with angry drivers tailgating them.
 

Final word

Unwritten rules can be looked at as an unspoken form of mutual respect through action between members of a community. For our purposes, our community encompasses everyone driving. There certainly are several very important unspoken rules of the road which you should always try to abide by. This includes using the zipper technique, not driving in someone’s blind spot or cutting them off and never driving slow in the fast lane.