Whats the point of 4-lane plus motorways?

[KAgantua]

What I mean is, with a two or three lane motorway/ DC everyone* knows what the score is, left lane for driving, right or third lane for overtaking (and Audis lol)

But what ive noticed, as soon as you add a fourth or fifth lane into the mix, you suddenly have everyone in the middle or right lanes, and lane discipline seems to go out the window.

What do you guys think? And apologies if this has been done before.

* Well, most people.

[R8VXF]

It means I get a nice empty lane 1 to undertake everyone on

Edited by R8VXF on Sunday 22 February 09:16

[V88Dicky]

The M1 through Leicestercestershire, lane 1 completely empty for mile after mile.

Makes for good progress.

[andy-xr]

I used to do a fair few trips from Nottinghamshire to Surrey, route was M1/M25/A243 then the same in reverse.

Could guarantee on the way back whatever time I lost on the M25 I could gain back by hitting L1/2 at Luton and staying there through to the M6 junction while everyone in L3 and L4 sat nose to tail in the comfort brake convoy doing about 55 while I was doing a fair 70. Even waiting for the lorries then getting back up to speed seemed to go better than using the right hand lanes.

[TheAllSeeingPie]

KAgantua said:

But what ive noticed, as soon as you add a fourth or fifth lane into the mix, you suddenly have everyone in the middle or right lanes, and lane discipline seems to go out the window.

Really? Or is it just more obvious? As far as I can tell each time it goes to four lanes, everyone seems to drive as though the extra lane was added to the left hand side of the road.

[swisstoni]

In my experience the middle laners attach themselves to lane 3. I think they are scared of the naughty lorries and want to get as far away as poss.

[motco]

M40 from M25 junction to J3 is free-for-all. No lane pattern at all.

[Spare tyre]

They increased the motorway near me to 4 lanes

Usual pricks now occupy 3 and 4 like you'd expect, however it has made joining the motorway a lot easier, especially at the busiest junction, where the new lane one starts turning the three lane motorway into a four laner

[Axionknight]

It isn't just the UK either, I was in Houston last November and lane discipline was clearly a foriegn concept - any lane, any speed, a truly terrible standard of driving.

[Conscript]

I have to agree with the OP. The government must spend billions giving us extra road space, only for numpties to come and ruin it with crap lane discipline.

swisstoni said:

In my experience the middle laners attach themselves to lane 3. I think they are scared of the naughty lorries and want to get as far away as poss.

Yup. The rule appears to be that the correct lane to cruise in is always n-1, where n=the lane nearest the central reservation :/

[swisstoni]

Undertaking in lane 1 is more fun when the undertakee is in lane 3 or 4.
(I don't get out much).

[TheAllSeeingPie]

Axionknight said:

It isn't just the UK either, I was in Houston last November and lane discipline was clearly a foriegn concept - any lane, any speed, a truly terrible standard of driving.

Americans don't have a keep right rule and you can pass on both sides. You'd expect they would be more aware, but in reality because they have a fine system with no points people continue to use mobiles/laptops while driving.

[Ultuous]

motco said:

M40 from M25 junction to J3 is free-for-all. No lane pattern at all.

I think that's probably just the M25 mentality extending upwards!

[GreigM]

TheAllSeeingPie said:

Americans don't have a keep right rule and you can pass on both sides. You'd expect they would be more aware, but in reality because they have a fine system with no points people continue to use mobiles/laptops while driving.

Actually not true, most states do have a keep right rule, its just not enforced.

[Motorrad]

TheAllSeeingPie said:

Americans don't have a keep right rule and you can pass on both sides. You'd expect they would be more aware, but in reality because they have a fine system with no points people continue to use mobiles/laptops while driving.

There is a 'keep right' rule in many states and Texas is one of them. Just not on freeways where you can legally overtake and undertake.

It isn't an offence to use a mobile while driving there.

Unlike many Texas residents I bothered to read their version of the highway code,know the fker back to front and obeyed it.

[cologne2792]

So that lane 3 can be occupied by some loony at a steady 55 mph which either forces people to undertake or slows the traffic into a bunch that then has to filter around it into lane four - I have a suspicion that these people work for Greenpeace...

[Mark-C]

swisstoni said:

Undertaking in lane 1 is more fun when the undertakee is in lane 3 or 4.
(I don't get out much).

This ...and always look across and give them a smile ...

[AKA PABS]

Slightly off topic but I love a good slow speed undertake. Back on topic sort of, middle lane hogging was pushed up the polices order of priorities, but why has it worsened?

[theboss]

Ultuous said:

motco said:

M40 from M25 junction to J3 is free-for-all. No lane pattern at all.

I think that's probably just the M25 mentality extending upwards!

I'm finding the Southern end of the M40 to be worse than anywhere for lane discipline at the moment. My Friday evenings for the last few months have consisted of leaving Marylebone on the A40 destined for the Midlands at about 8pm, and from the moment you have 3 lanes and NSL somewhere around Uxbridge, up until about Thame, you'd think you were still driving on an urban dual carriageway with a 40-50 limit and no concept of lane awareness, even when traffic levels aren't *that* heavy. It's infuriating. At least on the 4 lane section you can make better progress in L1 by virtue of having a slightly wider berth on all the L3/L4 tts. I think its just London weekend drivers taking about 40 miles to wake up.

Edited by theboss on Sunday 22 February 11:05

[zeduffman]

R8VXF said:

It means I get a nice empty lane 1 to undertake everyone on

Edited by R8VXF on Sunday 22 February 09:16

I was making disgustingly good progress in lane 1 on the new bit of the M25 on the way to a Sunday Service last year.