Crackdown On Motorway Drivers Who Clog Up The Middle Lane

[Riedquat]

Overtaking on either side increases the risk of two vehicles trying to change into the same lane at the same time from opposite directions.

I think that most reasonable people don't expect you to dart back into the inside lane for five seconds then pull out again but if you could stay in it for at least 30 seconds or so there's no real excuse for not being there.

Ever had the middle-lane obsessed charge up behind you whilst you're passing a stream of lorries and just sit there tailgating you even when the outside lane is empty? Morons.

[mfp123]

the unwritten rule of the motorway.

left lane= slow lane. lorries, vans, drivers in smaller cars that might struggle , those that dont like driving on the motorway.

middle lane is driving at the speed limit.

right lane is for overtaking.

[Tired of Waiting]

the unwritten rule of the motorway.

left lane= slow lane. lorries, vans, drivers in smaller cars that might struggle , those that dont like driving on the motorway.

middle lane is driving at the speed limit.

right lane is for overtaking.

+ 1

[Sour Mash]

the unwritten rule of the motorway.

left lane= slow lane. lorries, vans, drivers in smaller cars that might struggle , those that dont like driving on the motorway.

middle lane is driving at the speed limit.

right lane is for overtaking.

Actual rules - keep left when driving on a motorway. Only move to the right when you want to pass slower traffic.

Incorrectly using the middle lane (as your standard cruising lane) turns a three lane motorway into a two laner and increases congestion.

[Liquid Goldfish]

Undertaking is he way forward. Sometimes in the US I've found the slow lane to be the middle lane, the inside lane remains the fast lane, and the outside the next fastest and for joining / leaving.

Agree. After driving in America, all the swerving in and out here just looks plain silly.

[Bruce Banner]

If the motorway is actually completely empty, shouldn't be anyone around to ticket you.

Of course, if you're that worried about blowouts then maybe you should just drive at something like 50mph max to be on the safe side.

I'm not that worried but I always try to have as much space around me as possible, something my dad taught me, probably based on 1940s cross-ply tyres, but it has stuck.

[Liquid Goldfish]

Here in France tailgating has evolved into an art form. One foot from your back bumper with lights flashing madly is the norm if a "Racing Frog" wants to get by, even if you're already overtaking a lorry and are doing 140KPH in a 130 limit.

It's bad enough here if you're overtaking in the fast lane and leave an appropriate gap to the car in front - the twunk behind will try and undertake and fill the gap.

[Tired of Waiting]

(...)

Incorrectly using the middle lane (as your standard cruising lane) turns a three lane motorway into a two laner and increases congestion.

Even when travelling at the speed limit? Why?

[righttoleech]

When al 3 lanes are full and crawling what then? Only those parked on the inside lane go free?

[Liquid Goldfish]

More seriously, there are perfectly acceptable reasons to stay in the middle lane the most obvious of which is the road condition of the left hand lane. You will find 'tram lines', indentations caused by many heavy lorries over the years in that lane and depending on the separation and tire width of your vehicle and whether you are towing anything these can be downright dangerous to drive in. Or rather dip in and out of which is usually what happens.

After I got 4 new tyres my car kept getting stuck in the tramlines - and got very violently tugged into them - was extremely unsettling the first time and led me to avoid the inside lane completely - finally fixed when I bought a different brand of tyre.

[Bloo Loo]

Even when travelling at the speed limit? Why?

that makes you as bad as the punishers swooping in front of the lane hogger to try and illustrate their illegal ways.

we are free to break speed limits.

we are free to hog lanes.

Now you can get points and a fine for both.

[motch]

I read something years ago that if everyone drove at a constant 55mph on the motorway it would actually reduce congestion, not quite sure how that would be the case, suppose using the 2 second gap rule you could get more cars on the motorway at anyone time and less crashes blocking up motorways for hours on end, who knows.. although if everyone used the 2 second rule the motorways would be more congested anyway.

edited to add: in busy type traffic and not bombing down the motorway sunday morning 5am at 90mph on a clear road.

[Liquid Goldfish]

Incorrectly using the middle lane (as your standard cruising lane) turns a three lane motorway into a two laner and increases congestion.

It actually prevents congestion. Most congestion is caused by people slamming on their brakes because of others swerving in and out which causes a ripple effect and a tailback. All three lanes going at a steady speed makes much less congestion and reduces journey times.

[Bloo Loo]

It actually prevents congestion. Most congestion is caused by people slamming on their brakes because of others swerving in and out which causes a ripple effect and a tailback. All three lanes going at a steady speed makes much less congestion and reduces journey times.

yep...that happens when drivers leave it too late to change to the left when their junction comes up...careless at least, dangerous for those that go for it.

Then again, a faster moving car can NEVER cut up one that has been overtaken....drivers may feel they have been cut up and brake irrationally, unaware that the cutter is leaving them behind....this is what seems to cause the crashes at junctions as following drivers are also asleep at the wheel....or worse, a person diving in past the middle lane is hit by an undertaker on lane one NOT leaving the motorway.

[R K]

I'm not that worried but I always try to have as much space around me as possible, something my dad taught me, probably based on 1940s cross-ply tyres, but it has stuck.

surprised you find that a problem

[Bruce Banner]

surprised you find that a problem

I don't.

[cybernoid]

After I got 4 new tyres my car kept getting stuck in the tramlines - and got very violently tugged into them - was extremely unsettling the first time and led me to avoid the inside lane completely - finally fixed when I bought a different brand of tyre.

Yes it happens a lot, imagine towing something where the distance between the wheels is such that the thing is forever bumping in and out of the tram lines, before long you've a worsening fish tailing problem leading to a collision etc.

The blind rule followers of course aren't sophisticated enough in their thinking to suspect there may actually be a perfectly good and safe reason for you to avoid the left hand lane and get irate. A rational person would just move over and overtake and get on with their life, unfortunately the UK lifers bully as they are bullied and make things unnecessarily unpleasant for everyone with their self righteous ignorant indignation.

Oh well. Carry on.

[Bruce Banner]

Yes it happens a lot, imagine towing something where the distance between the wheels is such that the thing is forever bumping in and out of the tram lines, before long you've a worsening fish tailing problem leading to a collision etc.

The blind rule followers of course aren't sophisticated enough in their thinking to suspect there may actually be a perfectly good and safe reason for you to avoid the left hand lane and get irate. A rational person would just move over and overtake and get on with their life, unfortunately the UK lifers bully as they are bullied and make things unnecessarily unpleasant for everyone with their self righteous ignorant indignation.

Oh well. Carry on.

To be fair to the Brits, the French are much worse, particularly the Mediterranean French. They follow a simple rule, if it is their right of way they will defend it with their lives with much wheel-spin, frantic acceleration and use of the horn. If it is your right of way they will try their best to pull out in front of you and make it their right of way.

[Ash4781]

How much will it add to gdp?

[Bruce Banner]

How much will it add to gdp?

Every little helps .

[Sour Mash]

It actually prevents congestion. Most congestion is caused by people slamming on their brakes because of others swerving in and out which causes a ripple effect and a tailback. All three lanes going at a steady speed makes much less congestion and reduces journey times.

What does the hypothetical scenario of all traffic in all three lanes doing exactly the same speed have to do with the real world situation of people choosing to cruise in the middle lane and effectively reducing the capacity of the motorway from three to two lanes for those behind them wanting to go faster?

It's not effing tricky - just drive in the leftmost lane unless you encounter slower moving traffic in which case move to a lane to your right to pass, when it is safe to do so.

[RichB]

What does the hypothetical scenario of all traffic in all three lanes doing exactly the same speed have to do with the real world situation of people choosing to cruise in the middle lane and effectively reducing the capacity of the motorway from three to two lanes for those behind them wanting to go faster?

You must live near different motorways to me...

[mfp123]

Even when travelling at the speed limit? Why?

i dont understand this either. surely if youre travelling at the speed limit you cant be hogging anything. pretty much everyone is driving at the speed limit.

if everyone sticks to the left lane where all the caravans and HGV lorries have a lower speed limit it will create a mass tailback in that lane and youll be weaving in and out of lane every other lorry.

if someones weaving in and out between lorries youre more inclined to say thats bad driving. motorway accidents are more likely to occur when you change lanes not when you drive in straight lines.

[Sour Mash]

Even when travelling at the speed limit? Why?

What speed other people are doing is none of your business - if they want to go faster than the speed limit it's between them and the law. Just like blocking the middle lane is between the middle lane muppet and the law.

The reason motorways are (supposed to be) quicker is because you have the option to overtake slower moving traffic and shouldn't get stuck behind it for indeterminate period as you are on a regular road where you have to wait for a suitable gap in oncoming traffic and everyone ends up getting stuck at the speed of the slowest vehicle.

It's the option to move to the lane to your right to overtake, that makes this possible. Obviously the more options you have to keep moving right to pass, the better.

By sitting and cruising in the middle lane instead of keeping left except to pass like the highway code tells you to do, you are effectively making it the leftmost lane from the POV of cars behind you thus turning a 3-lane motorway into a 2-lane motorway.

[Tired of Waiting]

What speed other people are doing is none of your business

Safety?

All your arguments below don't work if the car in the middle lane is going at the speed limit. Take a look:

- if they want to go faster than the speed limit it's between them and the law. Just like blocking the middle lane is between the middle lane muppet and the law.

The reason motorways are (supposed to be) quicker is because you have the option to overtake slower moving traffic and shouldn't get stuck behind it for indeterminate period as you are on a regular road where you have to wait for a suitable gap in oncoming traffic and everyone ends up getting stuck at the speed of the slowest vehicle.

It's the option to move to the lane to your right to overtake, that makes this possible. Obviously the more options you have to keep moving right to pass, the better.

By sitting and cruising in the middle lane instead of keeping left except to pass like the highway code tells you to do, you are effectively making it the leftmost lane from the POV of cars behind you thus turning a 3-lane motorway into a 2-lane motorway.