Originally Posted by
howsteepisit
My objection is that in the case cited as justification for always taking the lane, the distracted driver hit a truck in a lane. Thus, the citation does not provide justification for taking the lane. I believe any safety advantage for as far right as proper vrs taking the lane is minimal.
First off, FRAP is as far right as practicable, which is often the center of the lane.
If we're talking about the relative safety of various lane positions when dealing with a distracted driver (what my wife calls driving while playing with a vibrator), then I agree that there isn't likely to be much advantage in one lane position versus any other.
However, I know that when I switched from gutter-hugging to taking the lane in lanes that weren't wide enough for a safe pass I began to experience far fewer close passes and haven't been hit by a passing vehicle since (got side-swiped a few times when I rode too far right), in spite of many more miles post-switch. It's not really evidence, but things have played out exactly as the model I operate under predicted.