• Nissan’s ProPILOT 2.1 system has a feature meant to stop slow drivers from hogging the left lane.
You've been in this frustrating situation before. You're driving down the highway in the left lane to overtake vehicles, only to come up behind a car advancing slowly in that lane. Maybe the driver is distracted, or maybe they simply don't know to move into the right lane when not passing.
Because the rules are clear: On any road where the speed limit is over 70 km/h, motorists must drive in the right-hand lane, unless overtaking or taking a left-hand exit. Staying on the right isn't just a matter of courtesy.
And yet, it’s a common sight. And it can lead to potentially dangerous situations in which motorists following behind lose patience and attempt dangerous manoeuvres by overtaking from the right, or even on the shoulder.
Nissan to the rescue
Nissan may have a solution to the problem. The latest version of its ProPilot driver assistance technology incorporates a very simple function: after overtaking with ProPilot activated (version 2.1 of the system), drivers will receive a friendly alert inviting them to return to the right-hand lane.
It’s slightly disheartening that it has to come to this simply because of a lack of knowledge, discipline or concentration on the part of road users.
The technology itself won't work miracles, but it could help reduce the number of vehicles loitering in the left-hand lane, especially if the technology spreads to other brands’ models.
General Motors’ Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system is able to overtake on its own when a vehicle is slower ahead. With that system, once the pass is completed, the vehicle returns to its original lane. Note that with Nissan's Driver Assistance System, lane changes are made manually, initiated by the driver, unlike GM's Super Cruise system.
The new lane-return function is being deployed slowly on Nissan and Infiniti models, starting with the 2025 Rogue. A company representative confirmed that it will also feature in the revised new Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX80 SUVs.
