Motorways, "middle lane hoggers" ?

[Cyclone]

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.

However driving without due care would be a very easy case to make.

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.

That would be because you were overtaking.

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.

Well we all have to make a judgement on that, I'd use a shorter time period, although it depends on the conditions, anywhere between 10 or 20 for me.

 

---------- Post added 22-08-2013 at 07:23 ----------

 

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?

 

He described what he'd do, are you trying to catch him out somehow after making a mistake in your maths?

 

I don't agree with how large a gap he requires, but there is a judgement to make, non of us would pull into a gap that we'd have to pull out of 1 second later, nobody competent would sit for 5 minutes in the middle lane to avoid pulling out again. Somewhere between those two durations is the 'correct' minimum time below which you just choose to stay where you are.

[Justin Smith]

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.

 

The size of the gap I`d be prepared to pull into has reduced since I got a car with an mpg readout because if I have to drive at 65 or even 60 I just glance at my mpg meter and see it going up !

[Andy]

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.

 

I see something similar nearly every week on the M1 through Bedfordshire. The signs tell people "Use Hard Shoulder" but apart from a couple of lorries it's empty.

[SpikeMac]

I see something similar nearly every week on the M1 through Bedfordshire. The signs tell people "Use Hard Shoulder" but apart from a couple of lorries it's empty.

 

The M1 is usually busy when I drive through Bedfordshire.

 

Do you drive late at night?

[Gravydownshi]

I agree with the original post.

I dont want to be jumping in and out of lanes when there is no need to.

I think there should be seperate speed limits for each of the 3 lanes and leave it at that.

Lets say up to 50 mph for lane 1, 50 to 60...lane 2.. and 60 to 70 for the 3rd lane.

So pull holes in that idea .....you mad eyes...

[anywebsite]

I agree with the original post.

I dont want to be jumping in and out of lanes when there is no need to.

I think there should be seperate speed limits for each of the 3 lanes and leave it at that.

Lets say up to 50 mph for lane 1, 50 to 60...lane 2.. and 60 to 70 for the 3rd lane.

So pull holes in that idea .....you mad eyes...

 

It'd be more dangerous, harder to leave your lane & nobody would pay any attention.

 

Some motorways have 2 or 4 lanes.

 

Imagine you're doing 70 in the 2nd overtaking lane & there are people behind you doing 70 too, but you need to come off the motorway at the next exit. To obey this law you'd need to brake to 60 before you moved over into the middle lane, causing everyone behind you to slow, then brake to 50 before you could move over to the outside lane to come off the motorway.

 

If you wanted to drive 61mph, you'd need to be in the 2nd overtaking lane even if there was nothing else on the motorway, so nobody would be able to overtake you.

 

Speedometers in cars aren't that accurate & can differ, if it says you're doing 60 you're probably only doing 54mph - so you'd get tickets for going too slow. Even when your speedo says 70 you might only be doing just over 60.

[hard2miss]

Everyone bar those in the inside lane seems to drive at 80mph anyhow so Im for some serious debate about raising the speed limit on the motorways.

[Longcol]

I agree with the original post.

I dont want to be jumping in and out of lanes when there is no need to.

I think there should be seperate speed limits for each of the 3 lanes and leave it at that.

Lets say up to 50 mph for lane 1, 50 to 60...lane 2.. and 60 to 70 for the 3rd lane.

So pull holes in that idea .....you mad eyes...

 

Are you one of those people who trundles down the sliproad at 45mph to join a motorway with big artics hammering along at 70mph in the inside lane?

[megalithic]

The middle lane should have speed bumps every mile, as if you haven't overtaken in that distance you probably should have stayed in the nearside lane.

 

Lorry drivers are the worst for this, they take over two hours to overtake to gain a lorry length.

[Longcol]

The middle lane should have speed bumps every mile, as if you haven't overtaken in that distance you probably should have stayed in the nearside lane.

 

 

Be a bit of a sod for us drivers that use all three/four lanes appropriately