I hope i'm not going to get taken apart here but.. I have been driving for 3 years, never really been on the motorways before driving to my university, and I just went into the assumption that the middle lane was just that... the middle lane for a speed for 60 - 70, generally overtaking the cars on the left-hand side. Not once have I been told/known that the middle lane is for over-taking like the outside lane. But, obviously now I have seen the OP I am now MORE aware of how to drive on the motorway and will not be "cruising" in the middle lane, just over-taking. Also, it helps to know that it is an annoyance to drivers as I have never realised this, probably due to no-one being up my back-side or undertaking. I think an awareness campaign will make some difference, because I can assure you a lot of people do not realise this "keep left" rule and especially on the motorways.
Should we have a "Keep Left" awareness campaign...
- Thread starter Conscript
- Start date
This is precisely the problem....you have had no formal instruction on how motorways work, and you're right, it's the same for most drivers. Good to see you've learnt something from this thread though, now you can see why people should be made more aware
The best way to imagine how it's annoying and can cause congestion is this; undertaking (ie, going apst someone on their left side) is technically wrong and dangerous. So, if you are sitting in the middle lane of a three lane highway, you have effectively reduced the highway to two lanes, as everyone has to go past you on you're right.
The idea of having three lanes is that everyone should keep to the left lane, and only move into the middle and far-right lanes to overtake slower moving traffic. This allows maximum high speed traffic flow. With everyone sitting in the middle lane, it becomes congested as there is essentially only one overtaking lane, unless people move to the slow lane to get past you which is dangerous...not only is it slightly harder to see traffic coming up in your rear left hand quarter (In right hand drive vehicles) but also, most people simply dont expect to be passed on that side and may move over into you path without looking or seeing you.
Last edited:
That's pretty shocking, and emphasises just why we need some motorway element in the standard driving test.
I fully agree something should be done about this. I see it as a far simpler solution to motorway congestion than making the hard-shoulder a 4th lane.
Driving down the M6 the other night you would have thought the left hand lane was closed it was so empty. As a result the middle and fast lane were packed, the motorway felt congested and people were driving up each others arses.
I am sure the problem has got worse in the last 5 years and believe it is largely related to peoples attitudes, such as 'no one overtakes me'.
However as soon as we entered the average speed camera stretch on the M42 everyone moved over to the left and middle lanes and the motorway was much less congested and more relaxed. Perhaps an average speed camera motorway network wouldn't be so bad after all
Driving down the M6 the other night you would have thought the left hand lane was closed it was so empty. As a result the middle and fast lane were packed, the motorway felt congested and people were driving up each others arses.
I am sure the problem has got worse in the last 5 years and believe it is largely related to peoples attitudes, such as 'no one overtakes me'.
However as soon as we entered the average speed camera stretch on the M42 everyone moved over to the left and middle lanes and the motorway was much less congested and more relaxed. Perhaps an average speed camera motorway network wouldn't be so bad after all
Jeez that is shocking. Well done for the honesty there chap!
I have ofter wondered if there is some sort of old wives tale circulating 'stay in the middle - you will be safer there!'
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 13,311
- Location
- Telemark
We need it in the lake district for single lane tracks.
You can tell who's local, they drive in the middle of the road, until a car is coming the other way, when its on the brakes and exactly 1 inch from the side of the road.
On bank holidays we spend all day waiting for tourists to move into that 2 foot gap to their left so we can pass each other.
On Rally days all the tourists drive like idiots and smack my wing mirrors off.
You can tell who's local, they drive in the middle of the road, until a car is coming the other way, when its on the brakes and exactly 1 inch from the side of the road.
On bank holidays we spend all day waiting for tourists to move into that 2 foot gap to their left so we can pass each other.
On Rally days all the tourists drive like idiots and smack my wing mirrors off.
I always go the back way to Bicester from here (through Kirtlington) to avoid the A34 entirely
In the mornings I do, then A34 outside rush hour.
I sometimes get the impression that some drivers think that the lanes are actually speed-bands: lane 1 = <70mph, lane 2 = 70-80, lane 3 = 80+ (or 80-90 if there's a fourth lane, with number 4 being 90+). How else do you account for people on four-lane roads staying in lane 3, even though all lanes are clear? It can't be a coincidence that such vehicles are nearly always doing about 80-85mph. I usually just solemnly cruise past in lane 1. They almost never get the hint, although a handful concede and move over. To lane 2.
As for undertaking, while it is illegal, the definition of undertaking as applied by the courts is a bit shaky - and most traffic feds I know will not bother with drivers who undertake because the refuse to move out to pass a slower-moving vehicle. Most only consider it undertaking if you deliberately move left to get past. But don't bet your licence on it.
M
As for undertaking, while it is illegal, the definition of undertaking as applied by the courts is a bit shaky - and most traffic feds I know will not bother with drivers who undertake because the refuse to move out to pass a slower-moving vehicle. Most only consider it undertaking if you deliberately move left to get past. But don't bet your licence on it.
M
I do this, simply to stay out of the way of people in lane 1 who will be travelling considerably slower than me. I do move over if anyone wants to overtake though.
What I hate more is people who pull in then pull out to over take 10 seconds later.
A) you obviously have no awareness of what's happening ahead.
B) more manoeuvres you do the more risky it is
C) they usually think there high and mighty and have a hatred of middle lane drivers.
A) you obviously have no awareness of what's happening ahead.
B) more manoeuvres you do the more risky it is
C) they usually think there high and mighty and have a hatred of middle lane drivers.
What about awareness of whats happening behind? I'll pull out and stay in the middle lane if I need to overtake a car further ahead, but I'll pull in again if people behind me are moving faster.
Is it more risky to stay put and wait for someone to undertake, or get annoyed and sit 4 feet from your tailgate? If done swiftly and safely with good observation, I don't believe it's all that much of a risk to take to keep everything moving smoothly.
Was that a snipe at me?
If your in the middle lane that usually leaves the outside lane free to overtake. Of course you need to keep an eye on what's happening behind. But people who weave in and out with a holier than though look wind me a treat.
No, it was a general remark.
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 13,311
- Location
- Telemark
I saw one the other day who took keeping as far left as possible a little to seriously, he was doing half lane changes then back out again between every car he passed.
Granted, I just think when it's busy we should be making full use of the carriageway. You pay your road tax, use all the lanes
Also, on a dual carriageway, I will of course pull over into the left lane after overtaking, especially on the way out of London, as it wont be long before theres a 4x4 bearing down on me from behind
Fair one. Hatred is too strong a word though. This does irritate me somewhat and it can be frustrating. It's not like it sends me into fits of road rage though.
Boils my pee this motorway malarky,
people who insist on sitting in the outside lane of a 2 lane motorway and refuse to move over regardless of how empty the inside lane is, yes i know the limits 70 but its not your role to try and enforce it with a rolling roadblock,
uNDERTAKING- If theres enough room for me to undertake safely then there was enough room for you to pull over in the first place. so dont get all pissy tailgating me and flashing your lights at me when i do
middle lane hoggers, - scum o the earth,
people who refuse to let you keep a safe distance- yes i've left that couple of cars gap between me and the guy in front to give me some braking distance not to allow you to force your way in Pillock
Coming from somsone who drives for a living i've noticed my driving habits getting worse and worse over the last couple of years, i find myself undertaking regularly driving too close and many many others thanks to the kind of things listsed above, i'm sure i'm not the only one
people who insist on sitting in the outside lane of a 2 lane motorway and refuse to move over regardless of how empty the inside lane is, yes i know the limits 70 but its not your role to try and enforce it with a rolling roadblock,
uNDERTAKING- If theres enough room for me to undertake safely then there was enough room for you to pull over in the first place. so dont get all pissy tailgating me and flashing your lights at me when i do
middle lane hoggers, - scum o the earth,
people who refuse to let you keep a safe distance- yes i've left that couple of cars gap between me and the guy in front to give me some braking distance not to allow you to force your way in Pillock
Coming from somsone who drives for a living i've noticed my driving habits getting worse and worse over the last couple of years, i find myself undertaking regularly driving too close and many many others thanks to the kind of things listsed above, i'm sure i'm not the only one
I feel bad if I am in the middle lane cruising and somebody comes up behind and has to use the "fast" lane to overtake me, you are forcing them to commit to the faster lane, when you could quite simply move over and let them past.
Had this on the way home from my plumbing course thursday night, thing is the car sat in the middle lane was a T5 Traffic car doing about 75 indicated, i thought i'd be cheeky & creep past him doing about 1mph more than him.
Made sure i didnt look at him though, he pulled over just after i passed him.
Made sure i didnt look at him though, he pulled over just after i passed him.
Then come back out in 50meters?
Better for them to move out and over take.
If there's noting in the slow lane then fine. But if your moving over then coming out within a few seconds it's pointless.
This really annoys me. I leave a 2-second gap from the car in front and the car behind tailgates me as if I have no right to leave a gap that big
OH I agree, for the sake of a few meters it's not worth moving across, but in general if its *quite far* I would feel bad as people behind would all move to the outside lane and slow it down.