Your Opinion Please About A Situation On The Highway

I'm wondering what is the polite thing to do in the following scenario. I know what I do. Just want to see another opinion/opinions:

You are slowly gaining on a vehicle in front of you. You are both in the right lane. There is another truck behind you in the right lane. You move into the left lane to pass when you are still about 4 seconds distance (at highway speed) from the vehicle in front of you. After moving into the left lane, the truck behind you steps on the accelerator and starts moving up beside you. You know he wants to pass you and cut over between the small gap between you and the vehicle in the right lane.

What do you do? Turn off your cruise control and slow down to let the truck slip by you? Or... Maintain your speed while thinking, "Sorry. You will not make it"?

I'm thinking that I handle it depending on how long the other truck was following you . If it had been there for minutes or miles, he can wait on you to pass. If it's only been for a short bit, let him pass.

Generally, I will let others go around me most of the time, except for the exceptions.

What do you do? Turn off your cruise control and slow down to let the truck slip by you? Or... Maintain your speed while thinking, "Sorry. You will not make it"?

I feel very strongly that predictability is critical in preventing accidents. I will normally continue doing whatever I'm already doing. I won't make any changes unless it's necessary. That way people know what to expect from me.

In this scenario, it's clear what you intend to do. You've moved into the left lane and you're about to pass another vehicle. I would keep doing exactly what you're doing and let others decide what they'll do in response to you. Maybe they'll try to make a crazy move, maybe not, but at least they will know what you're about to do.

If you change tactics in the middle of a move and suddenly decide to back off the throttle or switch lanes, it will make everyone around you uncertain about what you'll do next. You made a move, then in the middle of it you changed your mind, now God only knows what you'll do next. How can anyone around you decide what they should do in response to you?

Multi-vehicle accidents happen when one vehicle does something another doesn't expect, like running a red light. If you knew someone was about to run the red light, you would avoid the collision. If you don't know they're about to run a red light, it may be too late by the time you notice it.

By default, try to be consistent and predictable. Just do your own thing and let others decide what they want to do in response.

A few permutations here...

1 - Can you SAFELY complete the pass of the car in the right lane, that you moved into the left lane to pass - WITHOUT SPEEDING (and without bumping your speed limiter)? If so, complete you pass, get back into the right lane - and let truck number 2, do what truck number 2 wants to do - you are NOT the driver of truck number 2.

2 - Someone always seems to be in a BIGGER HURRY THAN YOU. The truck that was behind you (when you were in the right lane), closed your retreat BACK TO THE RIGHT LANE. So you are COMMITTED to complete the pass if you can safely do so. So you keep doing your SAFE/LEGAL pass - and let him down whatever he's going to do.

3 - If the car you were TRYING TO PASS SPEEDS UP to block the pass, and you cannot complete it safely (and legally in the speed limit), then you would have to slow down, abort the pass - and get in BEHIND the truck that was ORIGINALLY BEHIND YOU - because he is obviously not going to slow down and let you back in front of him.

4 - As Brett says - YOU DO YOU. Doesn't matter what the other truck is attempting to do - YOU are attempting to make a legal pass in the left lane.

5 - Courtesy and PATIENCE also count here too - as well as YOUR OWN SAFETY. YOU are not BLOCKING HIM from making the pass, if you moved into the passing lane first. BUT - if the car/truck gets to the point where it looks like his intention is to GET IN FRONT OF YOU and pass the car - I would back off and let him go ahead - versus creating a "rolling road block".

THESE ARE IMPATIENT PEOPLE, if a (so-called) "professional driver" is going to try and make a dumb-ass move like that. These are the guys that you see in a ditch further on down the road - as you nod and say to yourself: better him than me.

Rick

Thank you all for your input. I believe a driver's best defense on the road is knowledge. As Brett made clear indecision and inconsistency can lead to accidents. New drivers and experienced ones can never have too much quality information about what to do in certain situations.

Stay safe, y'all!

You asked about the polite thing to do??

However the polite thing may not always be the safe thing. I love Brett’s answer.

It always amazes me how many truck drivers only look down the road at the end of their hood and do stupid stuff on a consistent basis.

Another scenario I seem to encounter in this realm is merging. It is a lost art these days.

Personally I would continue my effort to pass. If the truck was behind you he is probably content where he was and is just moving up so he will be in a position to pass the same guy you are passing. If he was in a big hurry he would have passed both of you first. Once you move back in, if he has started passing as well he can easily pass both of you if that is his intention. For you to move over to pass then slow down is not polite to you, him or any other car or truck coming up behind you and you will probably hear something to the effect of "what the hell are you doing, pass or get the hell out of the hammer lane moron" or something like that on your CB if you have one. Lol.

I call BS on this whole scenario. Prime trucks cannot pass anyone

I call BS on this whole scenario. Prime trucks cannot pass anyone

That's the most aggravating thing about driving a truck covered at 62 mph. You come up on someone doing 60 mph and you're like "come on man can't you do at least 62."

I call BS on this whole scenario. Prime trucks cannot pass anyone

That's the most aggravating thing about driving a truck covered at 62 mph. You come up on someone doing 60 mph and you're like "come on man can't you do at least 62."

For real! I find myself getting all self-righteously indignant and thinking, "I know you can go faster. Why are you forcing me to actually make a pass?"