Just yesterday I was driving in the left lane with cruise control set to the maximum allowed velocity, with the maximum gap behind a car driving in front of me. Of course someone overtook me on the right (illegal in Germany) just to swerve in front of me and then drive at the same speed, just 20m further ahead. He ended up being first at the red lights. I’ll never understand it…

Regardless if you’re going the limit or not, it’s illegal to cruise on the leftmost lane when you ‘re not overtaking.

They were rightly annoyed. It’s also a hefty fine if you’re caught doing this.

If you are traveling 80 in the left lane while the right lane is locked in at 60 (trucks who are limited to power speed limits), it is simply impossible to travel in the right lane. You are constantly overtaking vehicles, so it works out legally, but, yes, if someone wants to go 90, there is a conflict. Ideally, you wouldn’t cruise in the left lane because there would be room to cruise in the right lane, but higher traffic situations don’t really allow for it (well, not so high that you can’t go 80 in the left lane).

This usually happens when you are approaching a city and are going to get a new lane or two pretty soon anyways.

If there was room for someone to overtake on the right I don't think your scenario applies.

Well, it sort of does. Imagine your doing 100 in the left lane, as does the car in front of you and the three cars in front of them. There’s a truck doing 80 in the middle lane some 500m away. All of you are going to pass it. Now a sixth car starts tailgating behind the last in line and because there’s left a big safety gap he’s overtaking on the right.

I was the last in line, going at the exact same speed as the cars in front of me, just leaving enough space. Why would I switch lanes?

Plus it was leading to an exit anyway…

You shouldn't overtake on the right.

Exactly. It’s illegal here in Germany. I don’t know if it’s ok somewhere else.

It's not, and it's a bit worrying that it's not widespread knowledge.

This is often true, but it varies from state to state.

https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

I know that. But what am I supposed to do when the left lane leads to the exit I want to go to?

Also: there was someone in front of me going the same speed, I just left a big gap

People don’t intuitively notice speed, they see following distance as a proxy for speed: people with longer following distances are perceived as “driving slow” and they feel they are going faster if they tailgate. Both untrue, but almost universally assumed without a second thought

Wow. I’ve been driving for 20+ years and never realized this is how some people think.

This is not a problem, just chill out.

I have to imagine the level of discomfort depends on the car. I've never ridden in a vehicle with adaptive cruise control, but if it responds quickly to someone jumping in line, that could go beyond annoying to motion sickness if it keeps happening.

Having owned a car with this feature, it's very uncomfortable when it suddenly and unexpectedly brakes hard to allow a car in.

And it can be very confusing to the vehicle behind you.

Ah. I see. My 2015 Model S doesn't do that, it just gently increases the spacing until it is as it was.

Sounds like we need adaptive horn control for when people do that.

In America? Get ready for more road rage shootings

I'm sorry, but can't you just set it to medium or close distance if you're having problems with people jumping into your gap?

Ya you can do that, but then it feels like dangerous. When it gets like that I usually just shut it off and control distance myself (and "cough" adjust it to dissuade swerving and then back off for safety).

ah. my car doesn't have adaptive cruise control but I've rented cars that do. it took a bit to get used to medium and feel comfortable and not dangerous, but then people aren't cutting in.

From some motorcycling book I remember the right response to that is to slow down even more and maintain following distance with the new car in front of you. If we let ego go and can be home 2-5 minutes late on average all will be well.

I've found that the adaptive cruise has made me an almost "egoless driver". It does keep a conservative distance, and aggressive drivers do fill in the gap, but I don't care as much when I'm not the one on the pedal.

With the full map and destination time in front me, I don't feel the urge to game the system (or maybe I'm just getting old).