Right hand lane nightmares

[Italian Supermodel]

The frustration and anger I'm dealing with every time on a freeway(or duel laned roads with a speed of 80 km limit)nowadays is increasing weekly.
Is it a lack of basic driver education and enforcement or just a happy go lucky Victorian(Melbourne) phenomenon of sitting in the right lane and stuff anyone behind me?
  Vic Poli$e do not enforce the law at all as I can see. There's been no meaningful or effective media campaign /general advertising highlighting the law, its dangers and the penalties associated.
I've had disagreements with friends/acquaintances who have seen nothing wrong with being in the right lane "as long as you're traveling at 100, then there's no issue". Because "if I move over doing 100 and you overtake me at say 110 you're speeding and that's not allowed and you'll be most likely apprehended/photographed and fined"
Any educated solutions....?

[Craig_m67]

Pretty sure the road rules and more often than not road signs on the motorways say to keep left, period. Your friends are wrong and being selfish. 

That said if it's making you frustrated and angry I don't want to share the road with you, get help from a counsellor/psych for whatever underlaying issue is getting you wound up. You'll live longer.

[poohbah]

The rule everywhere is keep left. However ( here in Perth anyway),  it is understandably irrelevant at peak hour whether you are on the freeway or just a dual lane arterial road. There is a "formula" that says the number of cars expands to fill the amount of road available...

[carlo rossi]

The first Rule in the book is "keep left"
So if you dont know this then you haven't reallly opened the cover!
The problem is a 100kmh on my speedo is 98km/h real
most cars differ 95 to 98 but Toyotas and in particular Landcruisers to make them seem fast
an indicated 100km/h on their speedo is actually closer to 92km/h
So the argument that "for you to overtake me means you must be be speeding"
is a false all it means is for legal terms you were hogging the right lane doing 92 in a 100 zone
towing a caravan in a landcruiser which incidentley is illegal because in certain states towing has a max speed of 80
or an indicated 88km/h for the toyota world
ever wondered at the front of a slow line on the highway why its always a toyota??

[kaleuclint]

"Keep left unless overtaking (or turning right)": fundamental rule of the road.  Rarely observed and most abused by trucks which in some more advanced countries are actively discouraged for driving in the fast lane by serious fines.

Clearly doesn't apply on the Dingley Bypass and I cannot explain the lemming-like desire of so many drivers to occupy the right lane of Nepean Highway inbound at Brighton East, blocking access to the right turn lane. 

"U-turn gives way to ALL traffic" is the other non-understood rule. 

[GTVeloce]

The rule everywhere is keep left. However ( here in Perth anyway),  it is understandably irrelevant at peak hour whether you are on the freeway or just a dual lane arterial road. There is a "formula" that says the number of cars expands to fill the amount of road available...

Peak hour? Any time of the day! For a place that has amazing road quality they also have the most incompetent drivers I have seen and I have driven in a lot of places around the world.

In regards to this issue, I have often thought that it might come from two places (and I am being generous here). Firstly, drivers may have learnt to drive on the wrong (left) hand side of the road and still have the mindset of keep right. Secondly, drivers have a natural tendency to stick to the right as part of being right handed predominantly. I also often see it on the footpath - some people don't feel comfortable on the left and work very hard to keep to the RHS. All just theories of course.

[Italian Supermodel]

Interesting theory GTV....I like it!
Sportiva's response is so so correct on a number of fronts....beautifully assessed and delivered matey... bravo.

[poohbah]

For a place that has amazing road quality they also have the most incompetent drivers I have seen

Hehe, you should see the confusion now they've modified merging/entry lanes on the Freeway (Merging for Dumb-asses 101 ...)

But as I said, the keep left rule becomes irrelevant at peak hour  - no-one is going anywhere fast. Not just here in Perth either.

And Camry drivers are still the greater threat to motoring peace and harmony!

[Garibaldi]

For a place that has amazing road quality they also have the most incompetent drivers I have seen

Hehe, you should see the confusion now they've modified merging/entry lanes on the Freeway (Merging for Dumb-asses 101 ...)

But as I said, the keep left rule becomes irrelevant at peak hour  - no-one is going anywhere fast. Not just here in Perth either.

And Camry drivers are still the greater threat to motoring peace and harmony!

You haven't seen how I drive a Camry! 

[poohbah]

You haven't seen how I drive a Camry! 

In disguise???

[GTVeloce]

Poohbah - is that pic from near Leederville?

Merging 101 in Perth? That's stop first and look to see if it is safe to cross the three lanes to get into the right hand lane for no reason at all.

I so don't miss driving in Perth... although it was great for riding a motorbike - all those stationary cars over a metre apart!

[poohbah]

Nah, its Whitfords I think, looking north. Morning rush hour.

As bad as Perth drivers are, I've had just as hairy experiences in both Melbourne and Sydney (especially on way to/from Kingsford Smith!).

My daughter also came within three minutes of being born on Hoddle St when I got suck in Melbourne's Friday arvo traffic jam on the way to the hospital!