From 00:50 to 01:10, why is the car driving in the left lane, when the right lane is clearly not turning? It's strange to see this behaviour as someone living in Germany, where you are supposed to, by default, drive in the right lane if you are not overtaking another car or there is a traffic jam...
EDIT: also, did it turn into the wrong lane at 2:25-2:30? is this a security risk?
At 0:47, there is a car in the right lane, so it makes the right turn and immediately merges into the left lane.
Yes, you're supposed to drive in the right lane when not passing - some localities are more strict about this than others. For example, here in Michigan, there's a fine for driving in the left lane and not passing anyone for...one mile? Two miles? I forget, it's never really used. And you're supposed to "FALL" into the First Available Legal Lane. But in practice, if the second lane is open, people will jump across the first lane for the second - just watch your rearview as you accelerate and make sure the oncoming car wasn't moving over for you.
This is more aggressive driving than I would have expected from an automatic algorithm, but perfectly matches my expectations for the driver of a luxury sport car like a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes - and probably a Tesla, or a compact car driven by a young driver. I would expect a minivan, hybrid, or small commercial vehicle to wait. And I would expect a bus, garbage truck, or semi truck to just pull out and force the oncoming car to merge into the left lane.
Also, it would be a safety risk, not a security risk.
I will reply because I actually know that road. That is Sand Hill Road going toward the I280 onramps. The car stops at the top of the hill where the Rosewood Hotel is. On the otherside of the hill, the right line is only for traffic taking the I280 northbound onramp.
Also, the left lane is only for passing rule doesn't apply like that in California. Instead the rule is that you cannot be going slower than the traffic behind you or the traffic to your right. If you are, you have to move over. But if you are going faster than the traffic around you (or nobody else is around you) you can stay in the left lane as long as you like.
German living in the US here: This does only apply for highways / interstates - not for city streets which seems to be the case here.
Side note: People are not very strict about that rule here and nobody cares. Mainly because you're allowed to overtake other cars on both sides - not just only on the left. Isn't that dangerous? Yes, but there's everywhere a speed limit of around 65mph (104kmh) which makes overtaking other cars much easier / safer.
You need to differentiate between highways and local streets. Highways the drive right lane thing is common. In a city street you often can and should drive in the lane based on your next turn. Driving in the right for 1 block then veering across 2 lanes to make a left turn at the next stop sign is no good.
> It's strange to see this behaviour as someone living in Germany, where you are supposed to, by default, drive in the right lane if you are not overtaking another car or there is a traffic jam...
That used the be the norm in the US as well, but it has broken down over the past few decades. Some studies and motorist groups blame the nationwide 55 mph speed limit imposed in the 70s due to oil shortages. Slow drivers suddenly felt safe driving in left lanes and a whole generation has learned to drive like this. [1]
There are laws in many states against impeding traffic in the left lane [2], but they aren't that enforced. You also see signs occasionally on the highway, but my issue with these signs is that they say "Slower traffic keep right" (instead of eg, "Stay right except when passing"). I strongly suspect that very view people view themselves as "slow drivers" -- rather everyone tends to believe they drive the appropriate speed and everyone else is driving too slow or too fast.
In the US, you're "supposed to" drive in the right or middle lanes, using the leftmost lane only to pass. Here's a map of the state laws as of 2010. (It's only necessary on highways and state routes, I think?) http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-b...
However, it's not a hard and fast rule, and a lot of people don't follow it. So I have to deal with morons who drive 5mph below the speed limit, in the left lane, on state routes. Every single day. As I drive up and down a decently large hill.
RE: Wrong lane: that Tesla driveway would be confusing to even a human driver. It's definitely not a regular road, so the car didn't understand it.
> also, did it turn into the wrong lane at 2:25-2:30? is this a security risk?
Yes, totally a crash collision risk! I've witnessed this happened once in a Costco parking lot. Car A made a right turn onto the left lane of the crossing road and the oncoming car B didn't pay attention at the moment and bumped into it head on.
I'm not sure we're talking about the same situation.
But: in a standard right turn at a 4-way intersection in California, where neither street is one-way, when turning right, you must turn into the rightmost lane of the cross street. In particular (barring special things like dual right-turn lanes), you can't swing wide into the second lane of the cross street. By "second lane," I don't mean the lane for opposing traffic (obviously you can't go into that lane) -- I mean the left lane of the two that are going in the direction you are turning.
If you are making a left turn, you can go into either the left lane or the right lane of the cross street.
EDIT: also, did it turn into the wrong lane at 2:25-2:30? is this a security risk?