Motorways, "middle lane hoggers" ?

[Justin Smith]

To be frank I may have given the false impression that I spend all day in the middle lane. I don`t.

In fact generally speaking I prefer it in the inside lane, unless I have to keep pulling out into the middle lane to overtake people, and, as mentioned above, every additional lane change is that little extra bit of risk, so I only go back into the inside lane if it looks like I can stay in there for a while, not just 10 to 20 seconds. The thing is that you can always misjudge how fast that van in the inside lane is going, so sometimes you end up staying in the middle lane that bit longer than you`d have otherwise done, but, if you`re doing the speed limit anyway, it shouldn`t bleedin` matter one way or the other.....

[scottf]

so when im driving at 70 you want me to be in the left hand lane and pull out into the middle lane for every single car i need to overtake??

 

Yes- thats the law!

 

id rather just stick to the middle lane thanks and not be in anyones way.

 

Don't you see- by staying in that lane your in everyones way- as there is now only 1 legal way to pass you, if you were in the left hand lane then someone could pass you in the middle lane and someone else (if they wanted to) could pass THEM in the fast lane.

 

Doesn't matter what speed they are doing- thats not your concern- its the fact that you could be stacking traffic up behind you and causing a hazard to other road users while everyone ques to get past you!!

[John X]

Is'nt it illegal to undertake traffic, see lots of people doing this.

 

Not sure if it still applies, but the Highway Code used to allow you to overtake 'stationary or slow moving' traffic on the nearside. Whether someone travelling slowly in lane two and not in the process of overtaking anyone constitutes slow moving traffic, I'm not sure.

 

If I am travelling in light traffic at 70 mph in lane one and come up behind someone doing 50 mph in lane two, I will stay where I am and overtake them on the inside as I consider that safer than crossing two lanes and crossing back across the same two lanes to get round them, although this needs to be done cautiously as someone who is 'in their own world' in the middle lane is just as likely to return to lane one without checking their mirrors.

 

John X

[jimbob321]

Yes- thats the law!

 

 

 

Don't you see- by staying in that lane your in everyones way- as there is now only 1 legal way to pass you, if you were in the left hand lane then someone could pass you in the middle lane and someone else (if they wanted to) could pass THEM in the fast lane.

 

Doesn't matter what speed they are doing- thats not your concern- its the fact that you could be stacking traffic up behind you and causing a hazard to other road users while everyone ques to get past you!!

 

 

Nope youve got the wrong idea, i dont just stick to the middle lane and never move for anyone! if there's a car behind me wanting to go past and it dosent overtake i will move over to let it pass. However dordle about so its always me that has to pull out and go round the car infront. I drive on the motorway quite alot and its rare that people have to overtake because a car is going too slow (apart from the ones in the expensive cars who drive in the fast lane at about 100 all the way).Generaly the people in the left hand lane drive slow, the people in the middle lane go at about 70 and the people in the right lane go faster, meaning as long as no one is taking the **** there isnt really a need for changing lanes untill you reach the exit.

[jimbob321]

Not sure if it still applies, but the Highway Code used to allow you to overtake 'stationary or slow moving' traffic on the nearside. Whether someone travelling slowly in lane two and not in the process of overtaking anyone constitutes slow moving traffic, I'm not sure.

 

If I am travelling in light traffic at 70 mph in lane one and come up behind someone doing 50 mph in lane two, I will stay where I am and overtake them on the inside as I consider that safer than crossing two lanes and crossing back across the same two lanes to get round them, although this needs to be done cautiously as someone who is 'in their own world' in the middle lane is just as likely to return to lane one without checking their mirrors.

John X

 

And youve got to keep a look out for the police because if they see you do this they will pull you and give you 3 points!!!!

[John X]

And youve got to keep a look out for the police because if they see you do this they will pull you and give you 3 points!!!!

 

I doubt it.

 

As there is no specific offence of 'overtaking on the left', they would have to prove 'careless' or 'dangerous' driving' and any points received would be decided by the courts and not the police. I suspect that if someone in lane two actually changed lane to overtake on the inside, they may have a word with them but I suspect someone maintaining a steady speed in lane one would be ignored by the police if they happened to pass a slow-moving car in lane two.

 

John X

[jimbob321]

Its not called 'overtaking on the left' its called undertaking and its very dangerous so if police see you blatently doing this they pull you over and give you an on the spot penelty charge and depending how nice they are they can give you points on your liscence.

[John X]

Its not called 'overtaking on the left' its called undertaking and its very dangerous so if police see you blatently doing this they pull you over and give you an on the spot penelty charge and depending how nice they are they can give you points on your liscence.

 

Hmm... it depends on who you speak to. The Highway Code calls it overtaking on the left and in fact the word undertaking appears nowhere at all in the Highway Code.

 

And where do you get this idea that the police hand out penalty points? Are you from the UK?

 

John X

[buddysbuddy]

Apprently not, with the amount of women texting and talking on mobile phones whilst driving on the M18. This motorway must be the worst in the country for that practice

 

hey -lets keep the sex thing out of it. do you mean to say you have never seen a bloke do this? and dont get me started on lorry drivers doing this or reading the newspaper while they are drivimg.

[blanco]

Scottf is spot on. If you drive in the middle lane, when there is reasonable space to your left, you force the cars that would like to pass you into the 3rd lane. You're forcing two lanes of traffic to merge into one to pass you for no reason other than selfishness or a miss placed belief it is your responsibility to slow other road users. It's not your responsibility. You concentrate on driving properly and safely yourself, without adding to the danger on the road, and let the other drivers look after themselves.

 

Did you know your speedo is not accurate. Im willing to bet at '70mph' you are actually travelling at 65 mph. Not that that is the point.