Centre Lane Owner-Drivers

[WMHV70]

We've all seen them... Happily pottering along in lane 2 on the motoway, despite there being either a massive gap between two other vehicles, or no other vehicles at all, in lane 1, causing people who want to pass to have to use lane 3.

What would be the most fitting punishment for these CLO-Ds?

[dazren]

Exocet missile!

On a more serious note, years ago police cars/bikes would flash the perp and nod towards the inside lane. Would be good to see this happening again now, but I can't see that this would provide revenue or nice stats for the Chief Constable to pat himself on the back.

DAZ

>> Edited by dazren on Tuesday 4th May 17:03

[henrycrun]

No problem - you know they won't move so just go past em in lane 1............

[rospa]

1st offence: Caution
2nd and subsequent offences: 1 penalty point

.

[shnozz]

the other sort of driver that s me off - similar thing really. They want to turn right at the end of the dual carriageway. So they sit in the right hand lane - the entire way. If the dual carriageway is 100 yards - furry muff. But when its mile after mile they sit there

w*nkers. not whores though. w*nkers.

[crazylegs]

WMHV70 said:

We've all seen them... Happily pottering along in lane 2 on the motoway, despite there being either a massive gap between two other vehicles, or no other vehicles at all, in lane 1, causing people who want to pass to have to use lane 3.

If there is nothing in Lane 1 then I'd agree with you, but when there is a procession of vehicles in view I'd be reluctant to pull over even if there was enough space in between. In the cars I have driven if you can't get straight back out into lane 2 to pass the next vehicle you lose speed and it takes forever to get it back up.

Fair enough on a dual-carriage where there's no other way past, but while there's an empty lane of empty tarmac to get past, use it, thats what its there for!

[clubsport]

I considered this a few times over the weekend...
I tend to use the middle lane as my inside lane,,the main reason for this is that for the most part the HGV use the inside lane.Over time they have worn ridges in the road surface. If you have a car with wide tyres,rock hard suspension and a mild track day camber setting it can play havoc with tramlining. Aplogies if i am holding you up

[TheExcession]

clubsport said:

I considered this a few times over the weekend... I tend to use the middle lane as my inside lane,,the main reason for this is that for the most part the HGV use the inside lane.Over time they have worn ridges in the road surface. If you have a car with wide tyres,rock hard suspension and a mild track day camber setting it can play havoc with tramlining. Aplogies if i am holding you up

See, everyone has an excuse!

Seriously though there is nothing wrong with crusing the middle lane provided you are aware enough to notice that just occasionally it makes everyone's day if you pull in to let folks pass.

I'm sure we all agree it's Numpty McGoo not looking further than the end of their bonnet that gets everyone's back up.

Me, I'd like to see all these posh new motorway signs that remind us not to drive whilst tired exhibit some other pearls of wisdom.

Perhaps along the lines of 'Keep Left!' or 'It's Behind You!'

[Mikey G]

I can understand what is being said here, but if there are 3 lanes use them! If the person in the middle lane is clearly there for a reason use the other lane! if not just politly inform them what they are doing wrong, NOT FLASH THERE LIGHTS LIKE A DEMENTED IDIOT AND GIVE ME THE BIRD LIKE SOME MERCEDES DRIVING SCUM DID ON SUNDAY, WHO THEN PROCEEDED TO CUT ME UP AND THEN REALISE HE HAD TO OVERTAKE ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WHO WAS OVERTAKING A LORRY!

Thats better

[clubsport]

TheExcession said:

clubsport said: I considered this a few times over the weekend... I tend to use the middle lane as my inside lane,,the main reason for this is that for the most part the HGV use the inside lane.Over time they have worn ridges in the road surface. If you have a car with wide tyres,rock hard suspension and a mild track day camber setting it can play havoc with tramlining. Aplogies if i am holding you up See, everyone has an excuse! Seriously though there is nothing wrong with crusing the middle lane provided you are aware enough to notice that just occasionally it makes everyone's day if you pull in to let folks pass. I'm sure we all agree it's Numpty McGoo not looking further than the end of their bonnet that gets everyone's back up. Me, I'd like to see all these posh new motorway signs that remind us not to drive whilst tired exhibit some other pearls of wisdom. Perhaps along the lines of 'Keep Left!' or 'It's Behind You!'

To be honest mate i was having a bit of a lark...my excursions into the middle lane don't hold too much up....the ones who go past tend to have a blue flashing light

[Balmoral Green]

You would think that when not one, not two, not three, but four vehicles have just pulled from lane 1, across lane 2, into lane 3, passed centre lane hogger and then all four have cut back across from lane 3, across lane 2 and then back into lane 1, then hogger might get the message that it could actually be safer to keep left rather than stay in the middle.

I didnt pass using lane 3 when I saw this happen, I am a stubborn SOB so I kept back in lane 2 with my main beam on, determined to make numpty move over, numpty eventually wakes up, moves to lane 1, I pass and immediately return to lane 1, numpty returns to lane 2, a truck then comes up in lane 1 gaining on numpty, crosses into lane 2 and main beams numpty telling him to return to lane 1 so truck can then use lane 2 to pass.

All this passing, lane switching, frantic mirror checking and positioning is damn dangerous even in light traffic just because a hogger is in the way, life would be much easier if folks just kept left. Its the truckers who get the worst of it that I feel sorry for, they cant use lane 3 to pass them.

They should invent lane hog cameras, if you pass said camera and no car is to your left, you get a nip!

[Pies]

Pull over and a right royal bo11icking

Most people have never been taught how to drive on a motorway,so maybe some lessons should be brought in after the basic driving test has been passed

[hertsbiker]

Balmoral : top post! I can do this too, as the nudge bar is most formidable.. and backed up with 2000Kg of 4x4. Think I may take a leaf out of your book & try this tactic myself, but I too have seen 'em do the same thing re moving back to L2.

[8Pack]

I was once held up on a almost completely empty motorway whilst pulling a trailer at the legal 60mph, by some numpty doing 50mph in lane two.

After several miles of sitting behind them, several polite flashes of lights, moving back to lane one in the hope that they would follow, sitting behind them in lane two, again, and some other shortsighted numpty I remember in a Cavilier passing me in lane three and giving ME the bird for hogging lane two.

Not wishing to take part in this rolling road block any longer, I too passed on the inside lane shaking my head in the drivers direction. As the distance increased and I looked back through my mirror, Yes, still there! lane 2!

So next time you think you are being held up by a trailer or caravan, make sure it's NOT the numpty IN FRONT that's causing the problem.
And if you're the one sitting in lane two going slowly, just remeber that the car behind with that trailer, CAN'T use lane 3. GET OUT OF THE BLDY WAY!

[deltaf]

Only ever use the middle lane when letting faster traffic past(not many of em) and tend to stay in lane 3, eating up the motorway miles at some figure way over the speed limit.
Im a lane 3 hogger...

[dcb]

deltaf said:

Only ever use the middle lane when letting faster traffic past(not many of em) and tend to stay in lane 3, eating up the motorway miles at some figure way over the speed limit. Im a lane 3 hogger...

oh no. Don't block the motorway, drive left and let someone else block the motorway for you !

I've just been up the A12 again. Some young lad in a purple (FFS!) F reg Ford Escrot caused quite a bit of trouble with his poor lane discipline. It didn't matter if he was doing 55mph or 95mph, he wouldn't move from lane 3 for in excess of 20 miles.

I gave him the side lights, then dip beam, then fog lights and eventually a couple of miles of full beam, but he wouldn't pull in.

I even tried undertaking him.

Eventually I gave up, condemned to travel at his speed, not mine, and let an Alfa Romeo & and a Transit sort him out.

Those Transits accelerate well from a 95 mph cruise.

He turned off at Malden and Alfa Romeo, Transit Van and me got on with out him.

Why are there so many bad drivers in UK ? Can't we take them out the back and shoot them ?

[WildCat]

Pies said:

Pull over and a right royal bo11icking Most people have never been taught how to drive on a motorway,so maybe some lessons should be brought in after the basic driving test has been passed

Agreed - but Germany includes this in L-test! It was introduced back in 1976 after probationer caused serious accident. Perhaps your DSA should look at raising your overall standard to at least that level and include motorways or similarly fast dual/three lane carriageways in lessons and driving test?

Another reason why I think too many hog middle lanes, which is especially noticeable on M60 on odd occasions that I have misfortune to drive along it! -- M60 road design at Ashton (I think?) - inner lane disappears into sliproads in rapid succession - and looking at driver behaviour and rapid lane changes at that point - it seems to me that road signs and markings are not giving enough warning and clues to too many. You have to be wide awake at this stretch! Know also that many exit M60 one particular roundabout at Stockport and end up back on M60 in opposite direction - again because of road lay out and perhaps road sign problems. Note that talivan is not on bridge at this dodgy junction on M60 - but on nice straight stretch where no doubt lots of £60 are there for the taking!

Also M55/M6 Blackpool - would say signs are better - but still see too many either hogging L3 or getting into wrong lane at that point as well - especially northbound!

[philthy]

TheExcession said:

Perhaps along the lines of 'Keep Left!' or 'It's Behind You!'

Oh no it isn't !!!!

Philthy

[Mr2Mike]

deltaf said:

Only ever use the middle lane when letting faster traffic past(not many of em) and tend to stay in lane 3, eating up the motorway miles at some figure way over the speed limit. Im a lane 3 hogger...

Hogging lane 3 is just as bad as lane 2 IMO. Also staying in the outside lane all the time, especialy if speeding, is far more likely to attract the plods attention.

[DustyC]

dcb said:

Why are there so many bad drivers in UK ? Can't we take them out the back and shoot them ?

1. They need educating. They are too dumb/busy/lazy to learn them self.
2. I wish.