I am becomming a middle lane hogger, are you?

[Drumroll]

Just back from a round trip from North Yorkshire to Bristol. I found myself spending a lot of the time in the middle lane. Mainly because cars that could go into the first lane didn't. My problem being because there were so many cars in the middle lane, (spaced out well enough that you couldn't argue that the middle lane was going slower than the first lane, and stay in the first lane) the third lane was the only lane "making progress" and there wasn't many safe gabs to move into the 3rd lane. (On 4 lane sections the problem just seemed to move to the 3rd lane) Anybody else finding this or is just me?

[spookly]

No. And please stop it.

[davepoth]

+1, please stop it. Get into lane 1 if you possibly can, even if it does mean you pass people. It's their problem for going too slow in lane 2.

[otolith]

They're doing it for the same reason you are. Choose not to be part of the problem.

[CaptainSensib1e]

It's not 'fast lane' and 'slow lane'. Middle lane and right hand lane are overtaking lanes, the speed your going does not dictate what lane you should be in. If you're not overtaking, keep left. It really is that simple.

[Drumroll]

Perhaps I didn't explain myself correctly. I am trying to make progress. I have maybe moved out to the middle lane to overtake something but then find, I can't safely move out to lane 3 as traffic is moving faster and there is more of it because of people in the middle lane (who could easily move to lane 1). I can't go back to lane 1 as I would then be undertaking the slower cars in the middle lane. Hence why I was stuck in the middle lane.

Well aware what the lanes are for and always refer to them as lanes 1,2,3 (4 & 5) just seems I ended up in the middle lane more than I wanted to.

[qska]

Tell this guy as well (in the comments). I tried.....
Time code 7 min 03 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmmuhIbPGyQ&t=7...

[Composite Guru]

qska said:

Tell this guy as well (in the comments). I tried.....
Time code 7 min 03 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmmuhIbPGyQ&t=7...

What the bloke fails to notice is by sitting in that lane because he was going to have to pull out again anyway is why the lane is full, everyone is on the same agenda.

I went past a fat woman sitting in the 3rd lane of the 4 lane M1 stretch and there was nothing in the 1st and 2nd lanes. I just put it down to she just couldn't be bothered to put the effort into turning the steering a bit to get out of that lane.

Edited by Composite Guru on Friday 29th July 14:27

Edited by Composite Guru on Friday 29th July 14:28

[spookly]

Drumroll said:

Perhaps I didn't explain myself correctly. I am trying to make progress. I have maybe moved out to the middle lane to overtake something but then find, I can't safely move out to lane 3 as traffic is moving faster and there is more of it because of people in the middle lane (who could easily move to lane 1). I can't go back to lane 1 as I would then be undertaking the slower cars in the middle lane. Hence why I was stuck in the middle lane.

Well aware what the lanes are for and always refer to them as lanes 1,2,3 (4 & 5) just seems I ended up in the middle lane more than I wanted to.

So get back in and undertake carefully if you have to.

You're still part of the problem if you don't move back in to a lane on your left when you are not actively overtaking something. And in my books overtakes do not take more than 5-10s max to complete. If you don't have a speed difference of 10mph+ then speed up, get the overtake done and get the f**k out of the way.

[vonhosen]

spookly said:

Drumroll said:

Perhaps I didn't explain myself correctly. I am trying to make progress. I have maybe moved out to the middle lane to overtake something but then find, I can't safely move out to lane 3 as traffic is moving faster and there is more of it because of people in the middle lane (who could easily move to lane 1). I can't go back to lane 1 as I would then be undertaking the slower cars in the middle lane. Hence why I was stuck in the middle lane.

Well aware what the lanes are for and always refer to them as lanes 1,2,3 (4 & 5) just seems I ended up in the middle lane more than I wanted to.

So get back in and undertake carefully if you have to.

You're still part of the problem if you don't move back in to a lane on your left when you are not actively overtaking something. And in my books overtakes do not take more than 5-10s max to complete. If you don't have a speed difference of 10mph+ then speed up, get the overtake done and get the f**k out of the way.

All of which may lead to it being you getting the pull from BiB where observed.

[cmaguire]

vonhosen said:

All of which may lead to it being you getting the pull from BiB where observed.

They are unlikely to be pulling anyone over, but I get the sentiment. It seems to me that either due to a fear of cameras, the result of successful brainwashing by the authorities or the fact so many others are also doing it, there are now no end of drivers that overtake so slowly it is frequently dangerous. Running out of roadspace due to an unwillingness to exceed a limit is idiotic, either get on with it or don't overtake at all unless the vehicle being overtaken is so slow the action is possible in safety.

Getting held up I can cope with, getting held up unnecessarily I cannot. Which is why using the roads annoys me more than it used to.

[Register1]

davepoth said:

+1, please stop it. Get into lane 1 if you possibly can, even if it does mean you pass people. It's their problem for going too slow in lane 2.

Agree,

Although when under-passing just keep an eye on the jerk in the middle lane, who may suddenly decide he wants lane 1 after all.

[vonhosen]

cmaguire said:

vonhosen said:

All of which may lead to it being you getting the pull from BiB where observed.

They are unlikely to be pulling anyone over, but I get the sentiment. It seems to me that either due to a fear of cameras, the result of successful brainwashing by the authorities or the fact so many others are also doing it, there are now no end of drivers that overtake so slowly it is frequently dangerous. Running out of roadspace due to an unwillingness to exceed a limit is idiotic, either get on with it or don't overtake at all unless the vehicle being overtaken is so slow the action is possible in safety.

Getting held up I can cope with, getting held up unnecessarily I cannot. Which is why using the roads annoys me more than it used to.

He isn't likely to run out of road space in the OPs example overtaking on what is probably a dual carriageway by the sound of it.

[Toltec]

spookly said:

So get back in and undertake carefully if you have to.

You're still part of the problem if you don't move back in to a lane on your left when you are not actively overtaking something. And in my books overtakes do not take more than 5-10s max to complete. If you don't have a speed difference of 10mph+ then speed up, get the overtake done and get the f**k out of the way.

If they are doing 60 and you are at 90 then it will take about 10 seconds. That assumes you start to pull out at two seconds gap and they have a two second gap once you are back in lane.

Try counting from the point at which you start to pull out to when you are back in lane, unless you are leaving it to the last few car lengths to pull out and swerving back in across their bonnet it will be more like 20 to 30 seconds.

[7db]

Start counting from the point where you couldn't stop behind them if they dropped max anchor. Advice: pull out before this point.

[davepoth]

vonhosen said:

All of which may lead to it being you getting the pull from BiB where observed.

To which I would respond with Highway Code rule 268.

The Highway Code said:

Rule 268

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 left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

My interpretation of congested is "the road is not free flowing", which is the case if a load of stupid people are sat in lane 2 and lane 3 bumper to bumper at 65mph and panic braking every so often.

In these situations I pull into lane one and maintain speed. Sometimes I gain a few metres, sometimes I lose a few. But it's the correct thing to do.

[briang9]

CaptainSensib1e said:

It's not 'fast lane' and 'slow lane'. Middle lane and right hand lane are overtaking lanes, the speed your going does not dictate what lane you should be in. If you're not overtaking, keep left. It really is that simple.

well said that man!!

[big trousers]

you english and your 3 lanes, keep it simple and have 2 lanes.

when i see that "welcome to scotland" sign i know im on roads built by the sane (apart from the roundabout near glasgow that somehow takes me back to glasgow when i head north practically everytime)

[vonhosen]

davepoth said:

vonhosen said:

All of which may lead to it being you getting the pull from BiB where observed.

To which I would respond with Highway Code rule 268.

The Highway Code said:

Rule 268

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 left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

My interpretation of congested is "the road is not free flowing", which is the case if a load of stupid people are sat in lane 2 and lane 3 bumper to bumper at 65mph and panic braking every so often.

In these situations I pull into lane one and maintain speed. Sometimes I gain a few metres, sometimes I lose a few. But it's the correct thing to do.

Each case will be dealt with on it's merits, whether you get reported or not will not rely on how you view conditions (or interpret congested), but how the person deciding whether to report you does.
I have a clear idea in my mind what congested looks like for me & whether you have merely maintained a lane in congested conditions (that 268 permits), or have moved to the left & passed in congested conditions (not what 268 permits), maintained a lane on the nearside in uncongested conditions (not what 268 permits) or moved to the left & passed in uncongested conditions (not what 268 permits).

[davepoth]

vonhosen said:

Each case will be dealt with on it's merits, whether you get reported or not will not rely on how you view conditions (or interpret congested), but how the person deciding whether to report you does.
I have a clear idea in my mind what congested looks like for me & whether you have merely maintained a lane in congested conditions (that 268 permits), or have moved to the left & passed in congested conditions (not what 268 permits), maintained a lane on the nearside in uncongested conditions (not what 268 permits) or moved to the left & passed in uncongested conditions (not what 268 permits).

Let's extrapolate to absurdities then. A tractor is travelling at 8mph in lane 3 on an otherwise empty motorway. Legal to pass on the left or not?