Middle lane hoggers beware! £100 3 points so shift it!
Discussion
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/895094/m...
Was reading this article this morning, and what i thought after reading the following;
“Hopefully, allowing learner drivers to practice on motorways from 2018 will be a step towards reducing the number of tailgaters and middle lane hoggers on our roads."
Was that's for the new drivers from 2018, who's gonna teach the existing drivers hogging up the middle lane? 🙄
Was reading this article this morning, and what i thought after reading the following;
“Hopefully, allowing learner drivers to practice on motorways from 2018 will be a step towards reducing the number of tailgaters and middle lane hoggers on our roads."
Was that's for the new drivers from 2018, who's gonna teach the existing drivers hogging up the middle lane? 🙄
Here's the same story from 2015
http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/motoring/motoring-fea...
Still needs more police to enforce it
http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/motoring/motoring-fea...
Still needs more police to enforce it
If you do see a police vehicle on the motorway there will be a bubble of cars moving over to the left lane until out of sight when normal service will resume.
I know it has been legislated for but in reality how big a problem is it? If I can overtake in the next lane I really couldn't care what the middle lane hogger is doing.
I know it has been legislated for but in reality how big a problem is it? If I can overtake in the next lane I really couldn't care what the middle lane hogger is doing.
50-55mph middle lane hoggers are especially annoying when I am towing my car.
This effectively stops me going any faster than them as I can’t use the third lane.
On several occasions I have used flashing lights and my horn to try and get them to go into an empty left lane but to no avail.
Occasionally I have had to resort to undertaking.
A real pita!
Certainly around the Greater London area The middle lane hoggers tend to be women who are completely oblivious of what is going on around them. Obviously not women all the time but I feel they are in the majority.
This effectively stops me going any faster than them as I can’t use the third lane.
On several occasions I have used flashing lights and my horn to try and get them to go into an empty left lane but to no avail.
Occasionally I have had to resort to undertaking.
A real pita!
Certainly around the Greater London area The middle lane hoggers tend to be women who are completely oblivious of what is going on around them. Obviously not women all the time but I feel they are in the majority.
giantdefy said:
Here's the same story from 2015
http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/motoring/motoring-fea...
Still needs more police to enforce it
It’s a non-story, you’re right there aren’t any trafffic police to enforce it. Drive on a typical motorway and it’s basically anarchy, tailgating, poor lane discipline, excess speed (unless there are speed cameras)http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/motoring/motoring-fea...
Still needs more police to enforce it
Gunk said:
Drive on a typical motorway and it’s basically anarchy, tailgating, poor lane discipline, excess speed (unless there are speed cameras)
Are we still talking about the UK?Jesus Christ, the old grumpy b
ds on here make it sound our roads are comparable to a lawless part of Mogadishu. Basically anarchy ffs 
The real problem with MLMs, is the misconception that overtaking on the left is strictly illegal.
[b]Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.[/b]
What this basically means is you can't do an Audi, swerving all over the shop to "undertake" a bus full of fake clowns, but if your in lane and the road is congested (notice no definition OR mention of speeds), you can continue in your lane keeping up with the traffic ahead. In theory if you in lane 1 and the lane is clear, but lane 2 and 3 are nose to tail doing 60mph, you can stay in lane 1 and pass them all.
What will get you into trouble is if your spotted changing to the left lane with the sole intention of passing.
Middle lane driving is MUCH worse in Australia and they have similar laws regarding "undertaking", but it happens all the time and the Police just turn a blind eye, hell they even do it themselves (as long as your not driving like an idiot). Oddly enough this actually means that despite it being worse than the UK, you can still make good progress.
[b]Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.[/b]
What this basically means is you can't do an Audi, swerving all over the shop to "undertake" a bus full of fake clowns, but if your in lane and the road is congested (notice no definition OR mention of speeds), you can continue in your lane keeping up with the traffic ahead. In theory if you in lane 1 and the lane is clear, but lane 2 and 3 are nose to tail doing 60mph, you can stay in lane 1 and pass them all.
What will get you into trouble is if your spotted changing to the left lane with the sole intention of passing.
Middle lane driving is MUCH worse in Australia and they have similar laws regarding "undertaking", but it happens all the time and the Police just turn a blind eye, hell they even do it themselves (as long as your not driving like an idiot). Oddly enough this actually means that despite it being worse than the UK, you can still make good progress.
lyonspride said:
The real problem with MLMs, is the misconception that overtaking on the left is strictly illegal.
Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
My understanding is this. You are doing 70, car in L3 is doing 60, wont move over, so you chop to L2 pass and stay in L2, not undertaking. This is this is the same situation if you approach in L2 doing 70 and car in L3 is doing 60.Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
I don't think your are on safe ground there. The action of moving left to undertake is the problem regardless of whether you move out again.
Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
Vipers said:
lyonspride said:
The real problem with MLMs, is the misconception that overtaking on the left is strictly illegal.
Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
My understanding is this. You are doing 70, car in L3 is doing 60, wont move over, so you chop to L2 pass and stay in L2, not undertaking. This is this is the same situation if you approach in L2 doing 70 and car in L3 is doing 60.Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
Vipers said:
My understanding is this. You are doing 70, car in L3 is doing 60, wont move over, so you chop to L2 pass and stay in L2, not undertaking. This is this is the same situation if you approach in L2 doing 70 and car in L3 is doing 60.
Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
I'm not sure how you are drawing that conclusion from the rules.Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
It clearly states "in congestion". So if you're in 3 lanes of congestion, all lanes will be moving at different speeds and 100% a lane to the left will suddenly start moving faster.
This rule is to allow this to happen, otherwise any lane wouldn't be allowed to move faster than a lane to the right in congestion.
Bombing along at 70 in the left lane and finding a vehicle in the right doing 60 is hardly congestion. Same if you're doing 70 in the right lane and find somebody at 60, "chopping into the middle lane (or left lane) to overtake is definitely an "undertake" - again, there is no congestion.
The issue is that if everybody followed those rules then we'd never get anywhere as there is always a lane hog somewhere or other doing just this - but I'd say be under no illusion that what you're describing is an undertake.
BertBert said:
I don't think your are on safe ground there. The action of moving left to undertake is the problem regardless of whether you move out again.
Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
Funny isn't it how lots of people read the same thing & interpret it very differently.Vipers said:
lyonspride said:
The real problem with MLMs, is the misconception that overtaking on the left is strictly illegal.
Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
My understanding is this. You are doing 70, car in L3 is doing 60, wont move over, so you chop to L2 pass and stay in L2, not undertaking. This is this is the same situation if you approach in L2 doing 70 and car in L3 is doing 60.Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
Similar situation, you chop to L2 pass car in L3, pull back into L3 and continue, thats undertaking.
Undertaking is passing on the left irrespective of whether you remained in the nearside lane throughout, moved left before passing on the left, or moved left passed & then moved back to your original lane. It's just that passing on the left (undertaking) is permissible within the highway code in some very limited circumstances.
It is not a legislated offence to do it, so if you are to be prosecuted for it then it will be under Sec 2/3 RTA.
However we as individuals interpret the highway code/Sec 2/3 RTA in relation to it isn't really what matters, what matters is the officialdom viewing it & how they interpret it (that is in the first instance Police then CPS then courts). First they have to be alerted to it happening & then care enough to do something about it though.
I think of it like this.
I will proceed at the speed limit in the left most lane until I need to change lanes to overtake slower traffic. As far as I can tell I am following the guidance in the highway code to stay in the left most lane unless overtaking slower moving traffic.
If there is someone to the right of me going slower then that is not my problem as I am not the law.
I will proceed at the speed limit in the left most lane until I need to change lanes to overtake slower traffic. As far as I can tell I am following the guidance in the highway code to stay in the left most lane unless overtaking slower moving traffic.
If there is someone to the right of me going slower then that is not my problem as I am not the law.
jith said:
What the hell does that mean? There is no relationship between bad driving and certain makes; they are all at it, no exceptions, so please refrain from stupid assumptions.
J
Hate to say it, but percentage wise the numbers disagree with you. Whilst every man and his dog appears to have an Audi, around 7% of all UK cars are Audi, but the number of bad drivers inside that 7% is higher than car brands that have a larger market share.J
If there's a car tailgating me when i'm doing the speed limit, i'm hugely surprised if it's not at least German.
Hell, even even their latest advertising campaign shows one of their cars swerving around and undertaking a bus.
The silly thing is, I actually like some of their offerings, but I could never drive one, I just don't want to be associated with that type of driver........
jith said:
lyonspride said:
What this basically means is you can't do an Audi.
What the hell does that mean? There is no relationship between bad driving and certain makes; they are all at it, no exceptions, so please refrain from stupid assumptions.J
Blame him.
lyonspride said:
Hate to say it, but percentage wise the numbers disagree with you. Whilst every man and his dog appears to have an Audi, around 7% of all UK cars are Audi, but the number of bad drivers inside that 7% is higher than car brands that have a larger market share.
If there's a car tailgating me when i'm doing the speed limit, i'm hugely surprised if it's not at least German.
Hell, even even their latest advertising campaign shows one of their cars swerving around and undertaking a bus.
The silly thing is, I actually like some of their offerings, but I could never drive one, I just don't want to be associated with that type of driver........
Is it perhaps because German cars are designed and built to fast and stable on motorways? Designers reflecting subconscious bias? If there's a car tailgating me when i'm doing the speed limit, i'm hugely surprised if it's not at least German.
Hell, even even their latest advertising campaign shows one of their cars swerving around and undertaking a bus.
The silly thing is, I actually like some of their offerings, but I could never drive one, I just don't want to be associated with that type of driver........
Or (more likely) its because German cars are very popular in the UK so the likelihood of a tailgating car being german is very high?
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff