
In a New England Snowstorm, Do You Follow the Lane Lines or the Tire Lines in Front of You?
I'm driving on I95 North, merging onto Route 16 near Portsmouth and Newington, New Hampshire. It's been snowing...a lot.
It is only 5 a.m., so besides the one car behind me, I am alone.
Again - it is snowing A LOT.
There is so much snow that I cannot clearly make out the two lanes. What I do see are tire marks in the middle of the two lanes.
With a vehicle driving behind me, I have two choices:
1. Follow the tire marks in front of me.
The car that drove just before me decided to stay in the middle of two lanes - not choosing one clearly. Instead, the driver before me decided to drive in the middle of the two lanes (aka left tires in the left lane, right tires in the right lane).
2. Follow the lane lines.
Without being able to tell the difference between the left and the right lane, I had to guess (or estimate) where the actual lane was.
Legally, you need to stay in a lane - but does the snowstorm change it?
Can you drive in the middle of two lanes in a snowstorm?
Most people say yes.
But I needed to hear it from an officer - and I did.
Without saying the officer's name or department, I can say that a local policeman has confirmed that it is okay to follow tire tracks in a snowstorm.
Legally, you SHOULD be in a lane; however, we are all just trying to get from point A to point B safely. And because of that, you are unlikely to be pulled over or ticked for following the traffic flow if that means a one-lane drive on a two-lane highway.
READ MORE: Winter Car Problems? Try The 30 Most Trusted Mechanics in New Hampshire
So keep ignoring the line lanes and follow the traffic in front of you. Most importantly, drive slowly.
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