Middle lane !!

[Dr Evil]

Why is it that the majority of people who drive on motorways in this country have a problem with driving on the left hand lane ?
Every day I find the middle & left hand lanes running at 50-60 mph and the left lane is empty !!!
What is going on ? :twisted:

[landyman37]

Why is it that the majority of people who drive on motorways in this country have a problem with driving on the left hand lane ?
Every day I find the middle & left hand lanes running at 50-60 mph and the left lane is empty !!!
What is going on ? :twisted:

That will be that there sat nav has not told em to get back in to the near side lane.  

[Jake]

IIRC it's the law not to use any other lane other than lane 1 unless over taking another slower moving vehicle.
Not that it gets policed, the amount of man hours it'd cost to enforce and just try and change 80% of the nations bad driving habits
Not a chance
The best thing, over take them and gloat in your speed advantage
 :lol:

[Dr Evil]

The best thing, over take them and gloat in your speed advantage
 :lol:

I do, but the whole thing is really annoying.
Not so bad in the Disco cos no one expects you to go fast, but in my Pug everyone thinks you're some kind of maniac !

[L90OOK]

The highway code recommends/advises driver to use the left hand lane.

IIRC there was a study on this.  If people moved into the middle & left hand lane promptly when safe to do so, something like 100 miles, could have been allot more, of UK motorway space would be freed up.

You can legally undertake as long as you don't change lanes to do it...i.e. you can't whizz up the middle or outside lane & deliberately move left to undertake cos someone is hogging the lane in front of you.  However if you approach said lane hogger from an inside lane, overtake them then move out once past this is perfectly acceptable. :D

[strapping young lad]

i strongly believe that those who sit in the middle lane do so as they fear going into the left hand lane will block them in from overtaking so if they sit in the middle lane they will be fine...  OR they DO have a fear of overtaking slower vehicles than themselves (although i often see trucks going faster than them) and rather than run the risk of having to overtake they sit in the middle lane contented and annoying the population with their selfishness

[SteveGoodz]

You can legally undertake as long as you don't change lanes to do it...i.e. you can't whizz up the middle or outside lane & deliberately move left to undertake cos someone is hogging the lane in front of you.  However if you approach said lane hogger from an inside lane, overtake them then move out once past this is perfectly acceptable. :D

Not so!

"Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in the left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with traffic in your lane even if it means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake." Quoted direct from the Highway Code (2007 edition) Rule 268.

[SteveGoodz]

Middle lane hoggers are colloquially known as members of the Centre Lane Owners Club (CLOC)  :D

[Dr Evil]

Some of the worst offenders seem to be foriegn truck drivers.

[freelanderpx54]

The ones that sit in the middle lane are the same clowns that drive down the slip road at 40mph and wonder why everyone is waving at them as they join traffic that is travelling at 60 - 70 mph

[CaptainColourful]

Some of the worst offenders seem to be foriegn truck drivers.

Have you ever noticed that
 1 Most accidents on motorways and dual carriageways that involve HGVs are usually "sideswipes" by left hookers ?

 2 "Johnny Foreigner" has absolutely no idea how to use roundabouts and invariably turns right from the left lane ?

As far as CLOC is concerned, "They don't like it up em Capt. Mainwaring ! "
The sight of my little truck trundling along behind em with lights blazing soon reminds em to get outa my way ... well usually !

Talking of lights, have you noticed how on a damp drizzly grey day the majority of grey/silver cars don't use headlights ?

They do when I pull out on em !


Oh and another thing, who agrees that rear foglights are the daftest thing to have been made compulsory on cars ? We very rarely need em but they seem to be used when visibility gets below 4 nautical miles 80 miles from the sea !


ok rant over

bed time

[mike142sl]

Don't forget, the Highway Code is nothing more than guidance NOT law. The Road Traffic Act is the law bit. From memory it states we should keep left at all times under normal conditions, which includes A and B roads - how many people do you see sitting on the white lines?

[burgerman]

The tram lines in the middle lane are considerably smaller  :lol:
    But Yea, I do agree with you on this one, ( blimey an agreement on m/c :lol: )  Usually trundle down the inside lane and have no traffic issues at all

[cardiff_gareth]

The tram lines in the middle lane are considerably smaller  :lol:
    But Yea, I do agree with you on this one, ( blimey an agreement on m/c :lol: )  Usually trundle down the inside lane and have no traffic issues at all

Beat me to it !
I tend to drive in the middle lane if the motorway is quiet as I find the left hand lane has been damaged by large vehicles and you get into their tram lines and I find they can move you around the lane a bit

[Buddha]

Although failure to comply with the other rules of the code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wordings such as 'should/should not' or 'do/do not.'

Quote taken from The Highway Code - Revised 2007 Edition

[Dr Evil]

Came home on M23/25 tonite and low and behold the left hand lane was packed !
Everyone must have read the forum last night and it shamed them all !!!! :P

[hairyasswelder]

I drive up the middle lane every morning  8)
The only thing is anyone that overtakes me is breaking the speed limit by a good margin and is liable to be prosecuted  :lol:  :lol:
I really cant be bothered to keep pulling in and out between lorries every 2 minutes.
Maybe its just me that can admit it  :?:  

Steve

[SteveGoodz]

I drive up the middle lane every morning  8)
The only thing is anyone that overtakes me is breaking the speed limit by a good margin and is liable to be prosecuted  :lol:  :lol:
I really cant be bothered to keep pulling in and out between lorries every 2 minutes.
Maybe its just me that can admit it  :?:  

Steve

You can take the sack cloth and ashes off now  :D

If driving in the left lane means having to pull out to overtake every couple of minutes I think your philosophy is sound. Overtaking is a dangerous manoeuvre especially during the morning rush hour as most drivers are still half asleep.

I think that it's the "I'm doing the speed limit and can drive in the middle lane if I want" numpties who ignore a completely empty lane 1 for miles on end that annoy most of us. The Highways Agency recently claimed that at any one moment in time middle lane hoggers were making 1700 miles of motorway lane 1 unusable thus adding to congestion and driver frustration.

[Range Rover Blues]

Hey, I'm gald to see I'm not the only one who is up to speed on the highway code :D

More evidence of the generally high standard of driving shown by 4x4 owners

What makes me laugh is the oh-so-considerate drivers who pull over from the middle or RH lanes to allow you to pass, then pull back again :shock:

WHY?

I think these idiots have forgotten how to drive.

Compulsory retesting, it's long overdue.  We'd all pass though, right

[CaptainColourful]

Compulsory retesting, it's long overdue. We'd all pass though, right

Yea yea

Thats the problem, we all think we are better than we actually are, ask any CLOC or anyone driving "sensibly" and they will all say it's the other bloke/bird at fault.

The only way to improve the roads is to ban traffic or make it almost impossible to navigate through a town.

 I think Sheffield council is almost there ! The traffic is horrendous when just one road is blocked by an accident or ongoing " improvements."


 I can see that in the not too distant future they won't have to worry about traffic plans cos nobody will dare to come within the city limits... unless they use public transport.

Yea yea... bring it on Then lets see just how many more empty shops appear in the city centre...  and how many more empty multi story carparks ( Bristol hotel in the centre used to be a carpark ) are converted to hotels for those that get fed up of waiting for a bus.

[strapping young lad]

if public transport was what its supposed to be and large villages/towns actually had train stations on lines passing through them i wouldnt need to use a car.

ive a company pool car in work for any stuff i need to do when im there, but getting there is hassle esp the m6 from standish to haydock :(

[SteveGoodz]

I'm not sure that compulsory re-testing to "L" test standard achieves very much, except increased revenue for the Treasury. I've long advocated that all newly qualified drivers should have to pass an advanced driving test with either the IAM or RoSPA within 5 years of their "L" test. Failure to do this should automatically result in their licenses being revoked or downgraded to Provisional again.

Can't get the IAM interested in pushing this line of thinking and can't understand why  :?

At this point I should declare an interest in advanced driving ~ my friends and family would say I'm a bit of an evangelist when it comes to the subject  :)

[andycwb]

Another IAM driver here.  The good thing about doing the IAM test is that it teaches you the difference between "good driving" and what you believe is good driving.   It's interesting to try and drive to that standard a few years after taking the test: you recognise your own bad habits creeping back.

In my experience, most middle lane hogs are too scared to change lane any more often than they have to, and shouldn't be allowed on the motorway without supervision.

Andy

[Dr Evil]

I drive up the middle lane every morning  8)
The only thing is anyone that overtakes me is breaking the speed limit by a good margin and is liable to be prosecuted  :lol:  :lol:
I really cant be bothered to keep pulling in and out between lorries every 2 minutes.
Maybe its just me that can admit it  :?:  

Steve

If driving in the left lane means having to pull out to overtake every couple of minutes I think your philosophy is sound. Overtaking is a dangerous manoeuvre especially during the morning rush hour as most drivers are still half asleep.

I think that it's the "I'm doing the speed limit and can drive in the middle lane if I want" numpties who ignore a completely empty lane 1 for miles on end that annoy most of us. The Highways Agency recently claimed that at any one moment in time middle lane hoggers were making 1700 miles of motorway lane 1 unusable thus adding to congestion and driver frustration.

Thats the point I was trying to make.
The M25 in the mornings and evenings is just 1 huge 30 mph crawl and I find that the middle lane is usually the smoothest route. Its when the traffic clears and most of the 'commuters' stay in their respective lanes regardles of traffic that gets my goat.
Sorry Mr Evilgoat Sir, no pun intended.

[CaptainColourful]

I'm not sure that compulsory re-testing to "L" test standard achieves very much, except increased revenue for the Treasury. I've long advocated that all newly qualified drivers should have to pass an advanced driving test with either the IAM or RoSPA within 5 years of their "L" test. Failure to do this should automatically result in their licenses being revoked or downgraded to Provisional again.
Can't get the IAM interested in pushing this line of thinking and can't understand why  :?

At this point I should declare an interest in advanced driving ~ my friends and family would say I'm a bit of an evangelist when it comes to the subject  :)

The problem with that idea is that neither of these organisations are officially qualified to test anyone's driving.

[TDi90]

oi oi hold on.
i feel a bit of the underage drivers are all the problem theme coming on.
how unfair.
ill have you know there are a lot of 'young' drivers who are better then some adults, and young drivers are a LOT better then the old drivers who drive around in their stooooooooooopid honda's driving at 30mph everywhere.
now stop going on about young drivers causing the problems. all this L drivers talk once people [pass their tests they can be very good drivers, the tests are getting really quite difficult, and i think that if all adults took their test now i bet you at least 50% would fail on the spot.
Rob

[Sider]

I have to confess that, as a professional driver, I don't hold the IAM test in such a high regard as you do.

Admitedly it is one step above the defensive driving techniques course, but it is nowhere near perfect.

Also, I am not too sure about retesting, however I would be more than happy to see a full medical test introduced, compulsory every five years, two years after the driver is 65, like, say, what is done in Spain.

It makes sure every driver meets the eyesight standard which is only perfunctorily tested nowadays. It also measures your reaction times, your hearing and general health.

My grandfather point blank refused to stop driving, even though he was a danger to everybody, including himself. You can't imagine how relieved we were when the doctor revoked his licence. That was done automatically. No appeal. If the doctor thinks you are not fit, Trafico does not argue it.

Now, over here, chap used to work with me, HGV driver, got a heart attack some 2 years ago. Doctor told him not to drive, likelihood of suffering another one was extremely high. Chap ignores doctor, doctor is legally prevented from contacting DVLA. Unofficially DVLA is contacted, only to be told that the details of the driver could not be acted upon unless the driver gave explicit consent.

Couple of months later, muppet suffers another heart attack while driving a 32 ton tipper, crashes against a minibus full of school children. No one injured, but can you picture the potential carnage???

[Wireless]

I echo the sentiment made when explaining that both ROSPA and the IAM aren't legally able to test anyone as an advanced driver.

As an Ambulance Paramedic, having attended an Advanced Ambulance Driving Course and at my own instigation,  a ROSPA Advanced Driving Test without prior instruction (attained Gold or Grade 1 or whatever they call it these days), and previously trained as HGV (now LGV) and in off-road driving by the MoD, I was more than disappointed in a remark made by a group of IAM members after taking a look through their eye sight testing equipment.

Apparently, due to less than 20/20 vision in my left eye, I shouldn't be driving at all?!??

These people within IAM may vary in quality, but certainly in my area they appear to set themselves above everyone else on a pedestal.

Anyway, at an Autumn Fayre a few years ago, while visiting an IAM stand, they looked fairly upset when I revealed that at that time I drove fast response as a paramedic, at up to the maximum speed of the vehicle (Astra GTE 16V ~135mph).  I asked them whether their experience matched my own, and whether the IAM test had any legal standing, and got stoney silence.

From that point on I've not sought any dealings with the self-appointed idiots, who obviously get a sexual thrill from telling everyone how good they are behind the wheel, and break speed limits because they perceive they are better than everyone else.

I'm a bit of an evangelist when it comes to people who claim to be 'advanced drivers', I'm sure they aren't all the same as the people I've met, who were showing video of themselves speeding along country lanes 'doing their advanced driving'.  They have yet to impress me.

[CaptainColourful]

Self-appointed and yet insurance companies offer discounts to encourage people to use their services.... How come ?

Political spin I reckon. You just keep telling people how good you are and eventually they believe it.

[Range Rover Blues]

What annoys me is as you say insurance companies offer discounts for advanced motorists, well I was insuing one car or another and was asked if I was an advanced motorist,

"yes" I replied, "I'm a fully qualified driving instructor"

not good enough apparently :shock:

They asked if I had RoSPA, AMI, DIA, anything like that

"Oh sorry yes, I have a DSA ADI"

Any old rubbish that adds a few meaningless letters to your name is acceptable, and yet the only person legally allowed to charge money for driving instruction on the highway is a driving instructor, iether PDI or ADI, even if it's to advanced level.

So I can teach it, but apparently I'm not good enough to count for it.