Motorways, "middle lane hoggers" ?

[blanco]

This is a Forum answer.

I`ve never heard anyone in the real world say that driving in the middle lane (assuming your doing the speed limit or close to it), is "more serious" than speeding, i.e. breaking the law.

 

I`ll not be intimidated by anyone, and if driving at 70mph in any lane is dangerous it`s only because the arrogant git behind is breaking the law, which automatically puts him (because it usually is a him) in the wrong.

 

You`re not reading what I`m saying anyway. I don`t spend all day in the middle lane, but equally I try to limit how often I change lanes, that`s a good move when there are prats on the motorways overtaking on the inside and others (in fact sometimes the same ones) doing 100mph. Changing lanes for only 10 or 20 seconds is pointless, particularly if you`re doing the speed limit anyway.

 

The moment anyone says that driving at "only" 70mph is "dangerous", this thread is starting to get silly.

 

 

Why the need to say you're "not intimidated by anyone", where did that come from. This discussion is about whether it is correct to 'middle lane hog'.

 

It is generally understood that speeding is more dangerous than not speeding. That is not the purpose of this thread, why not start your own 'Is speeding more dangerous than not' thread up.

 

I am reading what you are saying.

 

Your logic is very poor. ' you try to limit how often you change lanes, which is a good move because there are people who undertake you'? Do you read back to yourself, what you write?

 

If it is even possible for anyone to undertake you, there was PLENTY of space for you to have moved left, when you should have.

 

You say its not worth lane changing, WHY? does it take alot of effort? Do you not feel safe doing so?

 

I'm speaking for you here so correct me if I'm wrong ... Your use of 'hypocritical action', 'absolutely pathetic', 'Driving up your a**e', 'I`ll not be intimidated', 'arrogant git', 'automatically puts him in the wrong', makes me think you dont genuinely believe that middle lane hogging is acceptable. Instead it comes across as you strongly believe no-one should speed, and that you see middle lane, or even 3rd lane, hogging as your way to let faster drivers know this.

 

If this is the case, it'd be more productive to say this, agree lane hogging is wrong, allowing us to move on to discuss the dangers of speeding separately.

[Justin Smith]

Just for the moment let`s ignore the fact that people who think driving in the middle lane is "worse" than speeding are wallowing in hypocritical inconsistency (and the highway code obviously disagrees with them), but if these arrogant drivers think the law only applies to everyone else and they want to overtake whilst exceeding the speed limit, why don`t they just pull out into the right hand lane and go past in that ?

Is that too difficult for them ?

If they`re quite happy for everybody else to change lanes at the drop of a hat, why don`t they do that themselves, keep quiet and stop arguing that black is white.........

 

Incidentally, coming up the M1 this afternoon this prat in a Vauxhall went past us (and a few other cars) on the inside doing about 90mph. What was that I was saying about changing lanes involving a small amout of risk ? I`d be interested to know which carries more risk, changing lanes 10x on the motorway, or, for one flight, getting blown up in an airliner ?

I bet that statistically the latter is probably safer.

Bear in mind that there are people on here who are quite happy to humiliate themselves going through airport X ray scanners (to lessen an already miniscule risk), where`s the consistency ?

[Number Six]

Just for the moment let`s ignore the fact that people who think driving in the middle lane is "worse" than speeding are wallowing in hypocritical inconsistency

 

Shall we ignore it because you haven't defined 'worse or provided any evidence?

 

but if these arrogant drivers think the law only applies to everyone else and they want to overtake whilst exceeding the speed limit, why don`t they just pull out into the right hand lane and go past in that ?

 

Have you been on a motorway? A lot of people do exactly thatn. However, the capacity of each lane is finite, so if someone is ambling along in the middle lane it means that potentially two lanes of traffic has to pass them in a single lane, which causes delays. You can see this quite clearly when a wide load is being moved.

 

Delays mean wasted money, wasted time and more pollution. Arguably they also cause more aggressive driving as people try to make up the time they have lost.

 

If they`re quite happy for everybody else to change lanes at the drop of a hat, why don`t they do that themselves, keep quiet and stop arguing that black is white.........

 

I do. I am very rarely in the same lane for long unless it is the inside lane. The point is that by travelling in the middle lane when the inner lane is free you are throttling the capacity of the motorway, and if you are driving considerably slower than other cars you are a danger to yourselves and others.

 

Ask yourself the question if you'd feel save travelling at 30mph in the middle lane of a normally flowing motorway. Chances are you wouldn't. What about 40mph? 50mph? 60mph? You'd feel safe at some of those speeds but not others I'd suggest, which demonstrates that we all understand that travelling more slowly than other traffic is dangerous.

[galanthusgal]

The number of times (loads) when I've driven on the motorway, happily tootling along at 70 mph on the left-most lane when I've approached a car going slower than me in the middle lane. What to do? Swerve out (gently mind...) to the 3rd lane, pass moron (hooting if narked!), then gently swerving back to lane one, or just steadily undertake at my current pace (hooting if narked)?!

Usually there is another car also about to pass, so the middle car ends up being under & overtaken at the same time...

Funnily enough, they then often pull over!

[truman]

I think I saw Justin on the M1 this morning an a red KA,I was in the inside lane he was in the middle lane...fairly empty stretch of road..I pulled into lane 2 intending to go to L3 and overtake..the KA pulled into L1..I overtook and did the same..looking in the rear view mirror the KA then moved back out into L2....nothing in L1....except me pulling away from him...

[Obelix]

I think I saw Justin on the M1 this morning an a red KA,I was in the inside lane he was in the middle lane...fairly empty stretch of road..I pulled into lane 2 intending to go to L3 and overtake..the KA pulled into L1..I overtook and did the same..looking in the rear view mirror the KA then moved back out into L2....nothing in L1....except me pulling away from him...

 

That'll be because they got scared by the car coming past them and moved over. Once in L1 they thought "I'll get caught napping in a small car in L1 and looks tupid and everyone will think I have a small manhood so best get back in L2 and 'dominate' the road again"

 

Passed about four people sat in L2 from Notts to Leeds last night - invariably doing about 60 in the middle of the motorway. I always flash the buggers as I go past on the outside so they know something is there - I've had them change into the outside lane before now as I try to overtake them, God only knows why...

[Xt500]

Quite ironic but guess what lane hoggers hate the most???

 

Yup lane hoggers!

[Conrod]

Changing lanes for only 10 or 20 seconds is pointless, particularly if you’re doing the speed limit anyway.

That is just ridiculous. Staying in the middle lane, with the nearside lane empty for the best part of a third of a mile - for no other reason than stubbornness?

 

As other posters have said above, that type of bad driving which you are so proud of is what causes congestion and frustration. Ask any traffic Policeman and they will tell you that it is not speed which causes accidents in itself, but differentials in speed, so when some clown forces two lanes of traffic to have to merge into one, that inevitably causes many to brake, or accelerate, or potentially make errors of observation when lane changing - all needlessly because of one narrow-minded individual's personal crusade against widely-accepted norms of traffic flow on motorways.

 

The moment anyone says that driving at "only" 70mph is "dangerous", this thread is starting to get silly.

No, the silliness is proudly stating that you deliberately cause motorway congestion as part of your misguided stance on motorway safety.

 

Your actions would be far, far more likely to lead to an accident than somebody passing you at 80mph.

[Justin Smith]

There is an interesting sidelight to this debate. I, and I suspect most other drivers, are more likly to return to the inside lane (and, come to that, also to the middle lane from the outside lane) when the motorway is less busy.

Why ?

Well, when the motorway is busy, you have the problem of getting back out into that lane when you inevitably come up to a slower moving vehicle, and pulling out into a lane which is already full is an experience that most people would prefer to avoid as much as possible. To be frank you can`t really blame for that.

[Justin Smith]

That is just ridiculous. Staying in the middle lane, with the nearside lane empty for the best part of a third of a mile - for no other reason than stubbornness?

 

As other posters have said above, that type of bad driving which you are so proud of is what causes congestion and frustration. Ask any traffic Policeman and they will tell you that it is not speed which causes accidents in itself, but differentials in speed, so when some clown forces two lanes of traffic to have to merge into one, that inevitably causes many to brake, or accelerate, or potentially make errors of observation when lane changing - all needlessly because of one narrow-minded individual's personal crusade against widely-accepted norms of traffic flow on motorways.

 

No, the silliness is proudly stating that you deliberately cause motorway congestion as part of your misguided stance on motorway safety.

 

Your actions would be far, far more likely to lead to an accident than somebody passing you at 80mph.

 

Absolute tosh from start to finish.

Let`s face it, you and loads of other petrol heads just want to drive faster. The fact that it`s against the law is only of concern to you if you get caught, which is not only an incredibly arrogant attitude, but is also the same attitude as most common criminals have. Personally I wouldn`t be happy to have the same attitude as that particular group of individuals, but it takes all sorts I suppose.

 

I`m amazed that anyone can argue against the Highway Code which states quite categorically that middle lane driving is (at worst) advised against, but speeding will result in prosecution.

I have many strong feelings against many things, but even I never argue that black is white.

But there are none so blind as those who will not see, or in this case, don`t want to see........