Motorways, "middle lane hoggers" ?

[SnailyBoy]

Er, no you don`t. It`s actually comparatively rare to be on the M1 "without another car in sight". I`m not condoning someone being in the middle lane if the motorway really is that empty, but if there really are so few cars around then why don`t you just overtake him/her the outer lane ? Why get so upset about it ? ! ?

Far more common is being in the middle lane, wanting to return to the inside lane but there being slower moving vehicles in it every few hundred yards, or even every half mile. You know you`ll have to pull back out again within 10 to 20 seconds, so, particularly if you`re doing the speed limit anyway*, it`s just not worth farting about and possibly having to force your way back out into the middle lane.

 

* Let`s not forget, by definition, anyone overtaking you who is exceeding the speed limit is breaking the law, and therefore in a very weak (and hypocritical) position to be criticising "middle laners".

 

So I'll ask you again

 

How much of a gap do you need before you would consider completing the overtaking manoeuvre?

 

In your post above you've talked about half a mile, is that the bare minimum for you?

[geared]

* Let`s not forget, by definition, anyone overtaking you who is exceeding the speed limit is breaking the law, and therefore in a very weak (and hypocritical) position to be criticising "middle laners".

 

You are of course assuming the person in the middle lane is doing exactly the speed limit, not just 'near the limit' and more importantly their car's speedometer is accurate (which isn't always the case)

 

Also this is the real world, in general alot of the public don't seem to stick to the motorway limit.

[Cyclone]

It might be uncommon to see the motorway that quiet. But it's really not uncommon to see a driver in the wrong lane for miles at a time.

[Justin Smith]

There`s an interesting forum thread (here) about the Police definition of middle lane driving. This is important with the possibility of being issued a fixed penalty ticket for middle lane driving.

I phone SY Police traffic division and was told you`d only get a ticket for middle laning if you stayed in the middle lane (whilst there was nobody in the inside lane) "for a considerable distance". Furthermore, you wouldn`t be prosecuted if you stayed in the middle lane where there were slower vehicle in the inside lane every few hundred yards.

As far as I`m aware there is no offence of middle laning (it`s still only advisory in the HC), the offence would be obstruction or driving without due care and attention.

If the motorway was virtually empty by definition it`s unlikely you could be done for obstructing other drivers. On the other hand if the motorway was pretty full, the chances are there would be slower vehicles in the inside lane, so, again it`d be unlikely you`d be done for middle laning either.

Basically, it`s unlikely many drivers will be prosecuted for middle laning so it`s really a load of hot air. If you were a cynic, which I am, you would conclude this has been introduced to pander to the motoring lobby who are still annoyed that the motorway limit wasn`t raised to 80mph (which I most definitely don`t think it should be).

Whatever the truth of the matter, as I always have done, if I`m in the middle lane I will return to the inside lane wherever possible, but only if I think I`m going to be there at least 30 seconds. If not, I won`t bother, and if the Police ever try to issue me with a fixed penalty for driving like that then I will refuse it and see them in court.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Justin Smith

[SnailyBoy]

There`s an interesting forum thread (here) about the Police definition of middle lane driving. This is important with the possibility of being issued a fixed penalty ticket for middle lane driving.

I phone SY Police traffic division and was told you`d only get a ticket for middle laning if you stayed in the middle lane (whilst there was nobody in the inside lane) "for a considerable distance". Furthermore, you wouldn`t be prosecuted if you stayed in the middle lane where there were slower vehicle in the inside lane every few hundred yards.

As far as I`m aware there is no offence of middle laning (it`s still only advisory in the HC), the offence would be obstruction or driving without due care and attention.

If the motorway was virtually empty by definition it`s unlikely you could be done for obstructing other drivers. On the other hand if the motorway was pretty full, the chances are there would be slower vehicles in the inside lane, so, again it`d be unlikely you`d be done for middle laning either.

Basically, it`s unlikely many drivers will be prosecuted for middle laning so it`s really a load of hot air. If you were a cynic, which I am, you would conclude this has been introduced to pander to the motoring lobby who are still annoyed that the motorway limit wasn`t raised to 80mph (which I most definitely don`t think it should be).

Whatever the truth of the matter, as I always have done, if I`m in the middle lane I will return to the inside lane wherever possible, but only if I think I`m going to be there at least 30 seconds. If not, I won`t bother, and if the Police ever try to issue me with a fixed penalty for driving like that then I will refuse it and see them in court.

 

So the minimum gap you would expect between you and the next vehicle in the inside lane is over half a mile before you would consider moving over?

[alchresearch]

I wonder if there will be more checks in the evening when its quieter and there's less chance of an argument?

 

I saw someone get caught Monday night around 8.30pm. They were sat in the outside lane of the M53 when there was nothing in the inside. The unmarked police BMW flashed them and it took a few seconds for them to move over.

[tinfoilhat]

I wonder if there will be more checks in the evening when its quieter and there's less chance of an argument?

 

I saw someone get caught Monday night around 8.30pm. They were sat in the outside lane of the M53 when there was nothing in the inside. The unmarked police BMW flashed them and it took a few seconds for them to move over.

 

Best time to check, if this weekend was anything to go by, is Sunday evening. Drove up from Hampshire and saw so much poor driving it was unbelievable. Lots of middle lane dawdling when there is nothing in the inside for literally miles forcing you to go from lane 1 to 3 - which has its own hazards when you have nutters do their best to break the sound barrier, something I don't see as much in the week. I was glad to get home!

[alchresearch]

I went across the M62 at the weekend and found that the new hard shoulder lane 1 from Hartshead Moor was empty for much of the way East. Even though the overhead gantry signs showed it could be used nobody was in it.

[Justin Smith]

So the minimum gap you would expect between you and the next vehicle in the inside lane is over half a mile before you would consider moving over?

 

Don`t know where you get half a mile (805m) from, the relevant statistics are :

 

Required 2 second gap at 70mph = 63 m. But this is front and rear, i.e. the gap between two vehicles must be at least 126m before you move into it (even if all three vehicles are doing exactly the same speed). If not, by definition, you are either cutting up the vehicle behind or tailgating the vehicle in front. If the gap is less than 63m (plus the length of your own vehicle) you are simultaneously guilty of both tail gating and cutting someone up.......

 

If you`re doing 70mph and the vehicles on the inside lane are doing 50mph that`s a 20mph closing speed, which is 9m per second. So if you want to be in the inside lane for at least 30 seconds (to make lane changing worthwhile), the gap would have to be 30 x 9m (270m) plus 126m = 396m, that`s about a quarter of a mile. And yes I wouldn`t bother pulling into a gap smaller than that because I`d just have to come back out again within 30 seconds.

I`m talking about a 3 lane motorway here, on a 2 laner I`d pull into a smaller gap, how small it`d have to be would depend on how slow the vehicles in the inside lane appeared to be travelling, in addition I`d be prepared to drive at less than 70mph (an indicated 65, or even 60) if it meant I could stay in the inside lane for a reasonable length of time.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Justin Smith

[SnailyBoy]

Don`t know where you get half a mile (805m) from, the relevant statistics are :

 

Required 2 second gap at 70mph = 63 m. But this is front and rear, i.e. the gap between two vehicles must be at least 126m before you move into it (even if all three vehicles are doing exactly the same speed). If not, by definition, you are either cutting up the vehicle behind or tailgating the vehicle in front. If the gap is less than 63m (plus the length of your own vehicle) you are simultaneously guilty of both tail gating and cutting someone up.......

 

If you`re doing 70mph and the vehicles on the inside lane are doing 50mph that`s a 20mph closing speed, which is 9m per second. So if you want to be in the inside lane for at least 30 seconds (to make lane changing worthwhile), the gap would have to be 30 x 9m (270m) plus 126m = 396m, that`s about a quarter of a mile. And yes I wouldn`t bother pulling into a gap smaller than that because I`d just have to come back out again within 30 seconds.

I`m talking about a 3 lane motorway here, on a 2 laner I`d pull into a smaller gap, how small it`d have to be would depend on how slow the vehicles in the inside lane appeared to be travelling, in addition I`d be prepared to drive at less than 70mph (an indicated 65, or even 60) if it meant I could stay in the inside lane for a reasonable length of time.

 

Of course you'd pull over if the traffic in the inside lane was doing 65mph, or would you sit there because you'd catch them up eventually?