A freeway gets us where we are going faster and safer than ever before. However, freeway driving is a skill in itself. People drive faster and conditions are not the same as in normal driving.

We suggest some “DO NOT'S” for freeway driving.

Do Not Tailgate - You must remain at a proper following distance and allow enough space in front of your vehicle to let any other vehicle safely enter and occupy that space. You should always remain at least two seconds in following distance behind the vehicle ahead of you. Under adverse conditions, the time needs to be increased.
Do Not Make U-Turns on the Freeway - It is illegal.
Do Not Drive in the Emergency Lane - The area of the freeway on the outside of the solid white line is for emergency use only. It is illegal to pass another vehicle or to stop to pick up passengers in this lane.
Do Not Insist on Going the Minimum Speed Limit During Bad Weather - The minimum speed limit on the freeway is 45 mph. However, you must always consider the road conditions. You will not get a ticket for going under 45 mph in a blinding snow storm, but you would get a ticket for going over 45 mph if the conditions are unsafe.
Do Not Drive So Slowly That You Block Traffic - Slow driving is not always safe driving. If your speed is so slow that cars are piling up behind your car, you are unsafe, discourteous, and breaking the law. In general, you should drive at a speed similar to that which the other cars around you are driving. However, you may not legally drive faster than the posted speed limit. This also applies to getting off the freeway. There is a lane which is part of the exit ramp and is meant for slowing down. You should not start slowing down while still in freeway traffic.
NOTE: You can be issued a citation for impeding traffic if a vehicle is following behind you in the left lane of travel on a multi-lane highway, and you do not change lanes and allow for the other vehicle to pass.
Do Not Use an Entrance Ramp to Exit the Freeway - It is illegal, even in a traffic jam.
Do Not Insist on the Right-of-Way - Don’t let getting onto the freeway be a battle to the death. It doesn’t have to be that way. If you are on the freeway and can safely allow a car on the entrance ramp to enter traffic in front of you, do it. Common courtesy should not be a painful experience. If you are entering a freeway, you should:
- Look for an opening while you are on the entrance ramp.
- Speed up to freeway speed while you are in the acceleration lane.
- Merge into the right-hand lane without disrupting the flow of traffic on the freeway. Do not force yourself into traffic. You must wait until it is safe to enter the traffic flow on the freeway.
- Do not cross over the solid white line to enter a traffic lane.
Do Not Pass Unless it is Safe - Drivers who force their way back and forth in traffic and do not signal or look where they are going are a danger not only to themselves, but to other drivers as well. To pass safely you should:

Change lanes only to pass, get off the freeway, or to enter the correct lane for an upcoming route separation in the freeway.
Never force your way between cars. If everyone maintained a safe following distance, our freeways would run more smoothly.
Signal for two seconds before you change lanes.
Always check your blind spots before starting to move into another lane.
Do Not Drive in the Left Lane - The left lane on freeways is for passing only, unless there is heavy traffic. If another vehicle wants to pass you, you must move safely to the right, and you may not increase your speed until the other vehicle has passed you.

Interstate 215 approaching SR-68 near Taylorsville: By Ken Lund, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.