Persistent overtaking lane hogger
Discussion
As experienced for a good ten minutes on the A1 today. Speed around 65mph up hill and down, ignoring all opportunities to move into the left hand lane. Two lanes only.
What would the advanced driver suggest without breaking the law? I was at a loss for suitable non-inflammatory actions, barring perhaps a right indicator and positioning so clearly visible from offside wing mirror.
And I recognize I could have pulled over for a coffee and the problem would have vanished into the distance. I wanted to be back in time for the tennis, though
What would the advanced driver suggest without breaking the law? I was at a loss for suitable non-inflammatory actions, barring perhaps a right indicator and positioning so clearly visible from offside wing mirror.
And I recognize I could have pulled over for a coffee and the problem would have vanished into the distance. I wanted to be back in time for the tennis, though
Undertaking is not illegal per se as discussed many times on these fora.However, you could be done for a driving offence such as DWDCA.
Sometimes I will do it if I think it is safe e.g. there is enough room to move out of the way if the vehicle moves over and you have a decent sense of the vehicle's road language and what it is likely to do (and whether the driver appears to be a homicidal maniac). So, mostly not advisable. .
However, what I have found to be effective in many cases is to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle for a period of time after catching them up, then indicate and move over into the adjacent nearside lane. Quite often the driver of the "offending" vehicle will have not seen you until your movement and flashing indicator is seen across their mirrors. They then sometimes get the message and move over. Alternatively, they have seen you and are attempting to block you because they feel they are going fast enough despite there being nothing in front of them. In this case, they still move over - thinking that you might undertake them. At that point I then just immediately move back out and accelerate past them swiftly, leaving them to whatever folly they are engaged in.
Sometimes I will do it if I think it is safe e.g. there is enough room to move out of the way if the vehicle moves over and you have a decent sense of the vehicle's road language and what it is likely to do (and whether the driver appears to be a homicidal maniac). So, mostly not advisable. .
However, what I have found to be effective in many cases is to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle for a period of time after catching them up, then indicate and move over into the adjacent nearside lane. Quite often the driver of the "offending" vehicle will have not seen you until your movement and flashing indicator is seen across their mirrors. They then sometimes get the message and move over. Alternatively, they have seen you and are attempting to block you because they feel they are going fast enough despite there being nothing in front of them. In this case, they still move over - thinking that you might undertake them. At that point I then just immediately move back out and accelerate past them swiftly, leaving them to whatever folly they are engaged in.
Switch exhaust valves to open and rev...
Seriously though I sometimes switch to dipped beams in daylight and hang back so as not to intimidate them or lose safety space - some may dig in their heels if they thing you are being johnny big balls or/and tailgaiting (if they have seen you). Get a little closer now and again at points when they really should be moving over, but immediately hang back if/when they don't.
A friend once flicked the lights off and on a few times on an absolute utter plonker and he immediately dived over left after 10 mins of lane hogging! It proved his steering hadn't seized on left rotations but may blow a bulb
Just remember no plonker is worth your safety, points on the licence or you turning into the worse bad guy so just lever the patience and turn the music up if all fails!
Seriously though I sometimes switch to dipped beams in daylight and hang back so as not to intimidate them or lose safety space - some may dig in their heels if they thing you are being johnny big balls or/and tailgaiting (if they have seen you). Get a little closer now and again at points when they really should be moving over, but immediately hang back if/when they don't.
A friend once flicked the lights off and on a few times on an absolute utter plonker and he immediately dived over left after 10 mins of lane hogging! It proved his steering hadn't seized on left rotations but may blow a bulb
Just remember no plonker is worth your safety, points on the licence or you turning into the worse bad guy so just lever the patience and turn the music up if all fails!
rb5er said:
WaferThinHam said:
Undertake and get on with my day.
This ^Personally I don't think it's wise to start flashing people and winding them up given the amount of road rage there is out there. I don't think I've ever had a lane hog get angry at me for undertaking, which is obviously because they don't understand how lanes and overtaking work.
I also don't think it's wise to just sit behind the lane hog at 65mph, because eventually you'll build a train of cars behind you and that's when undertaking can get dangerous, for obvious reasons.
Johnnytheboy said:
If there's no one in L1 for some stretch, I find moving to L1 and staying the normal distance behind the lane hog sometimes gets them out of their trance. Partly as they realise the error of their ways, but mostly because you are in their blind spot.
If you're in their blind spot at the normal distance in L1, may I suggest that the 'normal' distance when following them is nowhere near enough distance! 
Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 7th July 13:31
RobM77 said:
Johnnytheboy said:
If there's no one in L1 for some stretch, I find moving to L1 and staying the normal distance behind the lane hog sometimes gets them out of their trance. Partly as they realise the error of their ways, but mostly because you are in their blind spot.
If you're in their blind spot at the normal distance in L1, may I suggest that the 'normal' distance when following them is nowhere near enough! RobM77 said:
f you're in their blind spot at the normal distance in L1, may I suggest that the 'normal' distance when following them is nowhere near enough!
I would generally avoid hanging around in someone's blind spot but that could be because as a motorcyclist I'm perhaps more aware of my own vulnerability than othersamancalledrob said:
RobM77 said:
f you're in their blind spot at the normal distance in L1, may I suggest that the 'normal' distance when following them is nowhere near enough!
I would generally avoid hanging around in someone's blind spot but that could be because as a motorcyclist I'm perhaps more aware of my own vulnerability than othersRobM77 said:
amancalledrob said:
RobM77 said:
f you're in their blind spot at the normal distance in L1, may I suggest that the 'normal' distance when following them is nowhere near enough!
I would generally avoid hanging around in someone's blind spot but that could be because as a motorcyclist I'm perhaps more aware of my own vulnerability than othersWhoozit said:
As experienced for a good ten minutes on the A1 today. Speed around 65mph up hill and down, ignoring all opportunities to move into the left hand lane. Two lanes only.
Did he brake for speed cameras?Last bank holiday Monday I was coming down the A1 from Newark. They've recently installed average speed cameras on this stretch. I'm in lane 1, driving a horsebox and restricted to 56, watching a Mercedes doing 65ish with a lot of cars behind him, who braked for each camera
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