[I] Autostrade e Superstrade • Italian highways and freeways

[Fab87]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

Do you keep to the far right unless overtaking? Even on 2x3 lane motorways?

(Colbert)

Most people don't. To be honest, I remember some road signs suggesting that the right lane is for slower vehicles (speed around 100km/h), whereas the second and the third ones are for "normal" vehicles. It's like saying, ok, in a 3 lanes highway, the right lane is for slower vehicles (trucks, coaches, or slower cars), and then you have the central lane which is like the right lane of a 2-lane highway. As a result, if you're driving on A4 for istance, the right lane is usually occupied by trucks or, during trucks ban, by vehicles driving at 100 km/h or less (because- strangely enough- it's easy to find people in Italy who drive 90km/h on a highway). The central lane is for driving at 120-130km/h and the left lane is for overtaking.

How should it work with three lanes? The central one for overtaking, the third one for overtaking someone on the second one, right? Are you sure it is the only reasonable system? (I'm always referring to 3- or 4- lanes highways)...

[Road_UK]

That's how it should work. Always keep lanes 2, 3 and more lanes clear for overtaking only. Always keeping lanes clear when not needed also benefits traffic flow.

[Road_UK]

Originally Posted by g.spinoza

Ah, ok, only now I see Road_UK's question was intended to JB Colbert.

Yes, but I'm glad that you keep to the right as well. I know you would...

[Fab87]

I keep to the right too, if the right lane is empty The thing is, I usually drive at rush hour and it rarely is. On the contrary, it is occupied by trucks or cars driving at 90 km/h. One every 20m. In this situation it's impossible to drive on the right lane and i keep on driving on the central one without having my lights blinking. In Italy, this would confuse people, they would expect me to be about to move to the third lane. So i keep on driving on the second lane at 120-130 km/h, and i use the third one only to overtake annoying vechicles that use the central lane to drive at 100 km/h. Of course, if I change lane, I use the directional lights

[g.spinoza]

Originally Posted by Fab87

Most people don't. To be honest, I remember some road signs suggesting that the right lane is for slower vehicles (speed around 100km/h), whereas the second and the third ones are for "normal" vehicles.

It used to be so in past, Italian highway code stated that. But - I don't remember the date - a major rewriting of the code changed the rule, and now first lane is not for slow vehicles but for vehicles not overtaking. Net result is that people that got their license before the rewriting still drive as they're accostumed to, and younger generations split into those who obey the new rules (minority), and those who follow the mass (vast majority).

[italystf]

The Italian highway code was reformed in 1992, also many road signs were changed.

[Verso]

In Italy (and elsewhere) it's hardest to drive 130 km/h on motorways (speed limit). Most people either drive slower or faster than that, so you have to overtake and go back all the time (if there's a lot of traffic).

[Satyricon84]

As I promised last week, my pics of the A15, entire lenght from La Spezia to Parma Ovest, northbound

[keber]

Originally Posted by Verso

In Italy (and elsewhere) it's hardest to drive 130 km/h on motorways (speed limit).

Don't know about you but I drive always with cruise control on 130 km/h and in Italy I drive with least cancellations of all surrounding countries, even in fairly high traffic.

[Road_UK]

Apart from France, surely.

[Fab87]

Nice pics! You clearly see two cars driving on the left without any specific reason

[Mauz®]

...a part overtaking HIM (the photographer) and a white vehicle far ahead!

[keber]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

Apart from France, surely.

Why? They drive so good? Didn't drive there much, but as I saw there they are not very good drivers

[Road_UK]

I find them among the best in Europe.

[hofburg]

there are no cars on the road, thats mostly why

[Satyricon84]

Originally Posted by Fab87

Nice pics! You clearly see two cars driving on the left without any specific reason

They were overtaking me. On 2x2 highways I see rarely people driving on the left lane without any reason. On 3x2/4x2 highways instead, most of people drive in the central lane/s and that's pretty annoying when they drive at 110 Km/h. For to don't cut the whole carriage I use to continue to drive on my lane passing them on the right. For the law they are in fault since they could use the free lane on the right, so to pass them on the right is allowed (the law makes difference between "superamento" and "sorpasso"). Driving on the central lane when when right lane is free, if caught is 38,00€ and -4 points on the driving license

[g.spinoza]

Originally Posted by Satyricon84

Driving on the central lane when when right lane is free, if caught is 38,00€ and -4 points on the driving license

Never saw that enforced, however.

[Satyricon84]

Just cause is not easy to catch drivers doing that... when you see a police car in the mirror, everybody drive perfectly. Also fine for speeding, most of them are issued cause people didn't have notice of radar control, but it's a machine that measures the speed. I doubt there's a machine that can see if yopu drive in central lanes without reasons or not (Even if I heard that TUTOR could do that).
Also to keep lights on outside city, especially on highways is compulsory and it's -2 points if you don't do, but I never saw that enforced too.

[Neverworld]

Is lights on compulsory, even during daytime? That makes no sense at all...

[cinxxx]

Originally Posted by Neverworld

Is lights on compulsory, even during daytime? That makes no sense at all...

It does make good sense.
You can better see a pair of lights far away than the shape of a car.
I always drive with lights on even in the city and even at full daylight.

There are a lot of morons that turn on the lights only when it's dark, so not even at dusk. Damn, I even saw an idiot last week on the motorway with no lights and it was blue hour. So, if you have the lights on every time you have no such problems.