When does overtaking turn into middle lane hogging?

[shed driver]

Lane one has several HGVs strung out over many hundreds of metres with large gaps between them. I'm in lane two overtaking for about two miles. I could have pulled in after each individual overtake, or should I stay in lane 2 for a single, very protracted overtake? Opinions?

SD

[kambites]

I think the answer is "it depends". On various things - how much other traffic is around, how fast you're travelling relative to the HGVs and the other traffic, etc.

As a rule of thumb, I tend to think that if a car travelling at the speed of the fastest cars in the outside lane could "safely" (ie without cutting seriously into anyone's stopping buffer) undertake me in the gap between the lorries, I should pull back in.

[AMST09]

Depends....

Scenario 1

No one behind you in the middle lane.....no point moving over

Scenario 2

1/2 cars behind you....pull over let them past

Scenario 3

Loads of cars behind you, not really holding them up (theres the outside lane), will be hell to get back out, stay in the middle lane

[R60EST]

The lorries will be doing no more than 56 . If you're doing 70 ish in lane 2 then I see no problem with staying there. It must be more dangerous to make multiple lane changes over a short distance than it is to continue making measured progress in one lane

[Torquey]

I subliminally give myself around 15 seconds per car in free flowing traffic. If its appearing to take longer then I will speed up or ease off depending...

[read5458]

If I pull into lane 1 between lorries, I tend to find that people in lane 2 that are overtaking me, seem to slow to match my speed when I need to move out. Yet if I stick to lane 2, then people seem to drive into my boot rather than move to lane 3. Just go on instinct and reading the road.

[6potdave]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

+2, I feel awkward sat there if I know I could move across safely and then back out again.

[300bhp/ton]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

+3

Although it would depend on how clear the right lane is, how much faster I was traveling to the vehicles in the left lane and how much slower than the vehicles behind in the same lane.

If there's plenty of space room on the right, I see little reason to pull into the left if it means you'll be pulling back out again before anyone overtakes you or if it'll force you to brake and slow and then potenially box yourself in. But I'd never stay in the middle lane if it was clearer enough to move left and/or if I'm holding people in more of a hurry.