Police view of lane hoggers

Police view of lane hoggers

Author
Discussion

Lotusgone

Original Poster:

1,160 posts

126 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Before I email various Chief Plods/Commissioners about why they aren't doing anything about the numbskulls that populate the middle lane, or in the case of four-lane motorways, the third lane, has anyone already done this?

I wonder whether the reply is going to be something about it being safer for some motorists to do this, or something snide about me speeding when I catch them up. Plus, of course, the usual click-and-drag paragraphs about how seriously they take this and what's being done and the improving safety record blahblahblah.

Lane discipline seemed to be a lot better on the M1, but on the M25 it's dreadful. I'm surprised that plod doesn't boost the nickrate and the income from fines by putting a copper on a bridge with a smartphone. They would catch at least a hundred per hour.

steve-5snwi

8,593 posts

92 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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When you email them can you mention that they also need to do something with people joining from slip roads that assume they have right of way and pull out in front of you when you have nowhere to go.

Bennyjames28

1,702 posts

91 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Please also mention the people who purposely block a clear open lane of road with a merge in turn at the end of it, you know to stop others who know the high way code from "pushing in".

And dash cam warriors who drive like irritating pricks so they can wind you up and get you to over/under take them for YouTube footage.

HantsRat

2,369 posts

107 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Ummm we do deal with 'lane hoggers' It falls under careless and inconsiderate driving.

Fore Left

1,411 posts

181 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Ask them where all the traffic officers have gone while you're at it.

superlightr

12,842 posts

262 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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HantsRat said:
Ummm we do deal with 'lane hoggers' It falls under careless and inconsiderate driving.
Not sure if asked before or if ive missed it - Hantsrat - are you on the traffic side of duties? if so im curious as to is there a general anticipated work ie 3 pulled for x 4 for y and once a month for xz offence? ie Whats a normal amount of stops would you do and for what would you generally expect? Clearly if there is a big crash or other major event thats going to take your time up - heck you may be attending one of those each day i dont know?





HantsRat

2,369 posts

107 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
quotequote all
superlightr said:
Not sure if asked before or if ive missed it - Hantsrat - are you on the traffic side of duties? if so im curious as to is there a general anticipated work ie 3 pulled for x 4 for y and once a month for xz offence? ie Whats a normal amount of stops would you do and for what would you generally expect? Clearly if there is a big crash or other major event thats going to take your time up - heck you may be attending one of those each day i dont know?
There is no anticipated work or targets. Normal stops simply depends on their policing style and what you come across whilst on duty.

superlightr

12,842 posts

262 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
quotequote all
Lotusgone said:
Before I email various Chief Plods/Commissioners about why they aren't doing anything about the numbskulls that populate the middle lane, or in the case of four-lane motorways, the third lane, has anyone already done this?

I wonder whether the reply is going to be something about it being safer for some motorists to do this, or something snide about me speeding when I catch them up. Plus, of course, the usual click-and-drag paragraphs about how seriously they take this and what's being done and the improving safety record blahblahblah.

Lane discipline seemed to be a lot better on the M1, but on the M25 it's dreadful. I'm surprised that plod doesn't boost the nickrate and the income from fines by putting a copper on a bridge with a smartphone. They would catch at least a hundred per hour.
I would guess a reply would be along the lines of;

Prioritising our resources, recommend you write to your MP to help enable us to be more resourced. Last year we stopped/did xyz always looking to improve and thank you for your continue support of your local police force.

johnao

667 posts

242 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Lotusgone said:
Before I email various Chief Plods/Commissioners about why they aren't doing anything about the numbskulls that populate the middle lane, or in the case of four-lane motorways, the third lane, has anyone already done this?
I'm not sure that this is a problem that the Chief Plods would, or should, get involved with.

All it takes is for the non-numbskulls, ie. the likes of you and I, to use lane 3 or 4 to get past. Keeps the blood pressure at a reasonable level, avoids the red-mist descending, and saves hours and hours of wasted time in writing letters that nobody is going to read! cool

Yes, they're a pain, but with plenty of forward planning and a timely move to lane 3 or 4 the problem is easily resolved.



MKnight702

3,096 posts

213 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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johnao said:
I'm not sure that this is a problem that the Chief Plods would, or should, get involved with.

All it takes is for the non-numbskulls, ie. the likes of you and I, to use lane 3 or 4 to get past. Keeps the blood pressure at a reasonable level, avoids the red-mist descending, and saves hours and hours of wasted time in writing letters that nobody is going to read! cool

Yes, they're a pain, but with plenty of forward planning and a timely move to lane 3 or 4 the problem is easily resolved.
Not so simple on the 4 lane section of the A1, where lanes 1 & 2 are empty and 3 & 4 are stuffed full of idiots doing anything between 60 and 68. Me, I just sit in lane 1 at an indicated 75 only having to pull into lane 2 to pass the odd lorry or facilitate someone joining from a slip road. If I tried to educate the idiots to keep left then my pee would have melted its way to the earth's core by now.

As for plod, well about 2 years after the revised powers to pull MLMs over were announced there was an article in the local rag that said something like 3 people had been prosecuted, not 3 per mile or 3 per hour, but 3 total.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Too much hassle to prosecute. You can't easily automate it or outsource it to non-police staff with a self-funding business model.

mr rusty

193 posts

91 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Lotusgone said:
but on the M25 it's dreadful.
don't totally agree. When you have 4 lanes that are all doing near enough the same speed with some lanes arbitrarily speeding and slowing down, keeping left is not so practical, "undertaking" is forced on you because the outer lanes start going slower than the inner lanes and in many cases it is safer to just stay in lane. How many times have you tried to slip into a space left at the same time as someone in a nearside lane is trying to slip right into the same space. Staying in lane helps to avoid the hazards of lane switching. It's a case of the practice taking over the theory of keeping L.

PhilboSE

4,323 posts

225 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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mr rusty said:
Lotusgone said:
but on the M25 it's dreadful.
don't totally agree. When you have 4 lanes that are all doing near enough the same speed with some lanes arbitrarily speeding and slowing down, keeping left is not so practical, "undertaking" is forced on you because the outer lanes start going slower than the inner lanes and in many cases it is safer to just stay in lane. How many times have you tried to slip into a space left at the same time as someone in a nearside lane is trying to slip right into the same space. Staying in lane helps to avoid the hazards of lane switching. It's a case of the practice taking over the theory of keeping L.
Undertaking isn't an offence.

"Changing lanes to gain an advantage" is the offence i.e. switching to the inside, undertaking, then moving back over. But maintaining steady progress in lane 2, whilst going faster than lane 3, is not in itself an offence. You still need to be aware that the outer lane hogger may not expect you to do this, however.

mko9

2,328 posts

211 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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otolith said:
Too much hassle to prosecute. You can't easily automate it or outsource it to non-police staff with a self-funding business model.
This.

It is FAR easier to sit in a van on the side of the road with a laser and a camera. In order to actually catch a MLM, you have to drive around and find one, observe them, record them, pull them over, and ticket them. So maybe 2 or 3 an hour, at best? Meanwhile, the van on the side of the road has pegged 20-30 speeders for far less time, effort, and money.


Edited by mko9 on Tuesday 19th June 20:19

catso

14,771 posts

266 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Bennyjames28 said:
Please also mention the people who purposely block a clear open lane of road with a merge in turn at the end of it, you know to stop others who know the high way code from "pushing in".
What like the Police minibus I encountered a year or so ago... banghead

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Really, chill out!

All you are going to achieve is the creation of a massive automated revenue raising system that ultimately penalises every driver for each and every mistake made and that include you.

Sounds like a bloody nightmare future for drivers.

bad company

18,484 posts

265 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Greetings from the USA. Here drivers overtake both sides and it works ok.

I wonder how that would work at home if they simply made it legal?

nonsequitur

20,083 posts

115 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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bad company said:
Greetings from the USA. Here drivers overtake both sides and it works ok.

I wonder how that would work at home if they simply made it legal?
With all the MLM and etc, basically nothing would change

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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With the sole police and media focus on 'safe driving' being directly related to whether someone is speeding or not, so long as you don't speed it seems you can get away with anything you like on the roads these days.

Cognoscenti

102 posts

91 months

Tuesday 19th June 2018
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Wow seriously? There’s starving children in the world and you’re ACTUALLY making a complaint about middle lane hoggers?

Get a grip. “Plod” are too busy for your ste.