Driving in the middle line of carriage way is it an offence
Driving in the middle line of carriage way is it an offence
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Discussion

Georgelondon

Original Poster:

1 posts

164 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
I was tonight traveling back home driving my car from Acton I got on the carriage way (A40) to westminster central London, so I drove in the middle line of the A40 at night and I was followed by marked police car all the way to baker street. I drove in the middle line All the way after i turned into baker street I was flashed to stop so I did. I come out talking to the officer what's wrong Sir He relpaid do u hold driving license so I told him yes have it for 11 years now he said I can't beleive I asked why Sir he asked which lane should u use on carriage way of three lane to my knowledge please keep on the left and right lane for overtaking only I replied so he said because you were driving in the middle lane on the A40 I'm going to give you fine it's an offence to drive in the middle lane if the left is clear so I replied I have no knowledge of it and I see every body driving and I would like to appeal it as I feel it unfair so he said well you will loose your license if you go to court for appeal I said I will go to court I don't think highway codes say its offence so he asked the other officer to examine the car (tyres,handbrake .....) and told me to stand a side while he write my ticket and check my insurance and driving license 5 minutes the officer finished examine the car and went to the officer who was checking my license a minute later the officer came out of the car telling me he have to answer emergency call and I was lucky that he was called for despatch giving me my license back and drove off speeding with blue light and without issuing me a penalty notice ANY BODY HERE PLEASE CAN REPLAY IF THE OFFICER HAD THE RIGHT TO GIVE ME PENALTY FOR DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF CARRIAGE WAY Thank you

Dave Hedgehog

15,303 posts

221 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
If this is true the cop is a HERO thumbup and I hope more start to do it.

The no 1 thing that pricks do on roads is not pull over when a lane is free

When I am supreme galactic commander it will be an automatic ban tank

karona

1,927 posts

203 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Georgelondon said:
I was tonight traveling back home driving my car from Acton I got on the carriage way (A40) to westminster central London, so I drove in the middle line of the A40 at night and I was followed by marked police car all the way to baker street. I drove in the middle line All the way after i turned into baker street I was flashed to stop so I did. I come out talking to the officer what's wrong Sir He relpaid do u hold driving license so I told him yes have it for 11 years now he said I can't beleive I asked why Sir he asked which lane should u use on carriage way of three lane to my knowledge please keep on the left and right lane for overtaking only I replied so he said because you were driving in the middle lane on the A40 I'm going to give you fine it's an offence to drive in the middle lane if the left is clear so I replied I have no knowledge of it and I see every body driving and I would like to appeal it as I feel it unfair so he said well you will loose your license if you go to court for appeal I said I will go to court I don't think highway codes say its offence so he asked the other officer to examine the car (tyres,handbrake .....) and told me to stand a side while he write my ticket and check my insurance and driving license 5 minutes the officer finished examine the car and went to the officer who was checking my license a minute later the officer came out of the car telling me he have to answer emergency call and I was lucky that he was called for despatch giving me my license back and drove off speeding with blue light and without issuing me a penalty notice ANY BODY HERE PLEASE CAN REPLAY IF THE OFFICER HAD THE RIGHT TO GIVE ME PENALTY FOR DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF CARRIAGE WAY Thank you
In before the bloodbath.
If the leftmost lane (inside lane, lane 1, slow lane, whatever) is empty you should drive in it unless you are overtaking a slower moving vehicle, it IS in the Highway Code.

It is a pet peeve of PistonHeads that Middle Lane Hoggers stay in the middle lane when the lane to their left is empty.

Having said that, If I wanted to troll PistonHeads, this post definitely ticks all the boxes.

Welcome to PistonHeads
FX<evil cackle fades to distant thunder>

garrykiller

5,670 posts

175 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
in the high way code its says

"On a two-lane dual carriageway you should stay in the left-hand lane. Use the right-hand lane for overtaking or turning right. After overtaking, move back to the left-hand lane when it is safe to do so."

"On a three-lane dual carriageway, you may use the middle lane or the right-hand lane to overtake but return to the middle and then the left-hand lane when it is safe."



kVA

2,460 posts

222 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Oh dear.... Where to start.... wink

Middle lane hogger...furious

SHOUTING ON THE INTERNET! furious

Never mind the Traffic Police, where are the spelling & grammar police when you need them (I guess they'll be along soon) biggrin

As for joining PH especially to have a rant in your first post ... Good luck with that!

Send in the lions biggrin

DaveH23

3,334 posts

187 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
We need more police like this!

OP as the search here isnt all that copy this in to google:
Pistonheads + mlm

I very rarely do motorway driving but do a fair bit on 2 lane dual carriageways and you always see cars join the carriage way and pull straight in to lane 2 when there is nothing in lane 1! Why i ask?
If your not overtaking move the fk over!

Anybody caught in lane 2 or 3 when lane 1 is empty should be subject to death by stoning.

smileymikey

1,446 posts

243 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Georgelondon said:
I was tonight traveling back home driving my car from Acton I got on the carriage way (A40) to westminster central London, so I drove in the middle line of the A40 at night and I was followed by marked police car all the way to baker street. I drove in the middle line All the way after i turned into baker street I was flashed to stop so I did. I come out talking to the officer what's wrong Sir He relpaid do u hold driving license so I told him yes have it for 11 years now he said I can't beleive I asked why Sir he asked which lane should u use on carriage way of three lane to my knowledge please keep on the left and right lane for overtaking only I replied so he said because you were driving in the middle lane on the A40 I'm going to give you fine it's an offence to drive in the middle lane if the left is clear so I replied I have no knowledge of it and I see every body driving and I would like to appeal it as I feel it unfair so he said well you will loose your license if you go to court for appeal I said I will go to court I don't think highway codes say its offence so he asked the other officer to examine the car (tyres,handbrake .....) and told me to stand a side while he write my ticket and check my insurance and driving license 5 minutes the officer finished examine the car and went to the officer who was checking my license a minute later the officer came out of the car telling me he have to answer emergency call and I was lucky that he was called for despatch giving me my license back and drove off speeding with blue light and without issuing me a penalty notice ANY BODY HERE PLEASE CAN REPLAY IF THE OFFICER HAD THE RIGHT TO GIVE ME PENALTY FOR DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF CARRIAGE WAY Thank you
I love that policeman woohoo in fact I love him so much I would be prepared to throw my heterosexual ways out of the window and have his babies....He only let himself down by not dragging your sorry middle lane hogging arse out of the car and giving you a face full of CS gas, prior to a good working over with his baton.

Pints

18,448 posts

211 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
To the PC who pulled the OP...

clapclapclapclapclap

DaveEssex

252 posts

174 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Pints said:
To the PC who pulled the OP...

clapclapclapclapclap
Here, Here!!!

When will these people take the time to learn how to be a responsible member of society. It's not difficult.

Classic Grad 98

25,706 posts

177 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
I had no idea the Police were actually prepared to do something about Middle Lane Morons!

SS2.

14,625 posts

255 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
If this is true, then top cop.

Wish there were more willing to do the same..

Edited by SS2. on Thursday 26th January 09:18

Classic Grad 98

25,706 posts

177 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
karona said:
Having said that, If I wanted to troll PistonHeads, this post definitely ticks all the boxes.
This too. I predict seven pages by the start of February

Jagmanv12

1,573 posts

181 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
SS2. said:
If this is true, then top cop.

Wish there were more willing to do the same..

Edited by SS2. on Thursday 26th January 09:18
+1

Durzel

12,802 posts

185 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Got to be a troll surely? I mean it's so blatent..

STW2010

5,870 posts

179 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Georgelondon said:
I was tonight traveling back home driving my car from Acton I got on the carriage way (A40) to westminster central London, so I drove in the middle line of the A40 at night and I was followed by marked police car all the way to baker street. I drove in the middle line All the way after i turned into baker street I was flashed to stop so I did. I come out talking to the officer what's wrong Sir He relpaid do u hold driving license so I told him yes have it for 11 years now he said I can't beleive I asked why Sir he asked which lane should u use on carriage way of three lane to my knowledge please keep on the left and right lane for overtaking only I replied so he said because you were driving in the middle lane on the A40 I'm going to give you fine it's an offence to drive in the middle lane if the left is clear so I replied I have no knowledge of it and I see every body driving and I would like to appeal it as I feel it unfair so he said well you will loose your license if you go to court for appeal I said I will go to court I don't think highway codes say its offence so he asked the other officer to examine the car (tyres,handbrake .....) and told me to stand a side while he write my ticket and check my insurance and driving license 5 minutes the officer finished examine the car and went to the officer who was checking my license a minute later the officer came out of the car telling me he have to answer emergency call and I was lucky that he was called for despatch giving me my license back and drove off speeding with blue light and without issuing me a penalty notice ANY BODY HERE PLEASE CAN REPLAY IF THE OFFICER HAD THE RIGHT TO GIVE ME PENALTY FOR DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF CARRIAGE WAY Thank you
Were you not told how to use full stops and commas at school?

Judging by your grammar and driving, your brain stopped taking information in when you reached primary school.

Zod

35,295 posts

275 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
I don't think we'll be hearing from George again.

Middle Lane Moron with appalling spelling and grammar - he couldn't get a worse mauling here if he were Ed Miliband!

Bullett

11,056 posts

201 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,918 posts

233 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Obvious troll is obvious.

Derek Smith

47,882 posts

265 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Without the ticket being written there is no chance of knowing what offence the police officer was considering. Howefver, what is true is that there is no specific offence of driving in the middle lane when the nearside one is clear.

I was taught that when driving at high speeds, this around 100mph, you should drive in the middle lane if conditions permit as this would allow more time for correction if a tyre blew of there was some other mechanical problem. So theree is no actual offence of middle lane driving.

I have had process passed through me for the offence of obstruction by a vehicle in the middle lane. The circumstances were that was a fair bit of traffic and by staying in the middle lane the driver caused a blockage. Half a dozen cars or more seemed to be the limit.

I've seen the offence of inconsiderate driving being used as well. Again there was always evidence of vehicles being held up. On an all but empty motorway then there would appear to be no justification for obsruction as no one was obstructed. If inconsiderate then I would still expect drivers to be inconvenienced.

There used to be a bit of the M23 where the nearside lane was all but impossible to drive in at speed due to grooves from lorries. These would steer cars and it was always a laugh to see a car in front pull into the lane at around 60+. It was best to hang back. Along that stretch I would always stay in the middle lane. I always reckoned that I had a defence if stopped.

Driving in the middle lane is rather like red rag to many PH posters but the fact remains that if there's nothing behind you and you have just overtaken a car and expect to overtake another in a few minutes there is little point in pulling over. Indeed, I think the excessive weaving that one often sees is more alarming.

rs1952

5,247 posts

276 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
Derek's just beaten me to it but I too would like to spoil the fun by injecting some common sense into this thread.

Whilst many of us might like to see "being an MLM" being made a ticketable offence, and indeed many might go further and say why bother with a ticket at all - just take them quietly to the side of the road and have them shot there and then, that isn't the situation at the moment. There is no offence of "being an MLM" as such.

So the OP, if not a troll, may well have got a ticket, but not just for being an MLM. Sometimes these things need dressing up:

"Driving like a tit down the middle lane at 90 and failing to see us behind you with all blues going" might, for example, get you an SP30 wink

"Driving a shed down the middle lane and, when we stop you, we find you've got a brake light out" might also get you a piece of confetti.

Etc etc