On-the-spot fines for middle laners and tail-gaters

[matt_fsr]

To be honest I thought Motors would have been in rapturous orgasm over this announcement

The principle is correct though, but we are somewhat backwards-retarded in this country..... "here, here's a set of rules and tests that we're going to apply to you before you can drive a car, but on no circumstances will we allow you to go anywhere near those big scary motorways so you can actually get any practice/experience in BEFORE you pass your test!"

Ergo, we have a large number of lousy drivers on motorways, because let's face it - almost nobody reads up on the rules of the road once they've passed their driving test, much less actually follows them.

Glad the penalty for mobile phone use when driving is being increased - at least that is a definite, provable point unlike the middle lane hogging.

 

[Howard]

I agree with Jez, it annoys me but it doesn't annoy me that much. Tailgating I can understand because that falls under the realm of dangerous driving, but it should anyway.

Glad the penalty for mobile phone use when driving is being increased - at least that is a definite, provable point unlike the middle lane hogging.

Is it?
Was it this forum or another I was reading where it was mentioned that the police FPN'd someone because they "saw him using his phone" and yet he was just resting his head on his hand with his elbow on the door?

 

[koolpc]

Money making stunt again! What a load of rubbish. Like was mentioned above, how many times have you seen the cops on the motorway? Hardly ever. Plus it will be hard to enforce.

 

[Yaayuh!]

It's going to be hard to enforce, just looks to be more of a notice/deterrent solution more than anything and not an effective one at that.

 

[MooMoo444]

Just sounds like a scare tactic, to make people more aware of their driving. Should work too, since I don't think many people have a spare £100 lying around.

 

[Dup]

Whilst i dislike bad lane discipline i do not feel that it should ever be punishable, its not actually a big deal at all :/

Is it not? If people had better lane discipline, some of the busiest days and weekends might not be plagued with such bad traffic issues.

It doesn't affect me really as I rarely use the motorway but I do notice the declining standards of motorway use when I do. Some people are annoying, others are reckless. I find it's very difficult to go a few miles without witnessing either kind these days. I just go on my way without a fuss, but it could be better. I doubt it will all come to much however, it's just another option for bored patrol officers if their ANPR isn't lit up like an xmas tree for a while.

 

[Tom_ed1987]

As much as MLM's wind me up, I'm very much against giving the police yet more powers to issue discretionary on the spot fines. The ones relating to being fined for incorrect lane positioning at a roundabout are just a plain bad idea. Even the best drivers get caught out for this if they lack local knowledge.

Simpler solution - legitimise passing on the left. I do it all the time anyway.

 

[4T5]

They should also Ban lorrys from over taking on a dual carriageway, They are all supposed to do 56mph anyway so what's with the 8 mile over taking that ***** the road up for everybody else ?


Can't see any of it making any difference if the mobile phone law is anything to go by, Every time I'm out I see Untold drivers on mobiles, not only on calls either as I see plenty rolling up to the lights slowly with head down whilst they send/read there latest text message.

They should also Ban the Parent run, All kids have to go to the school in there allocation area so why the **** are all these people driving there kids to school ?
Every time the schools are off the roads are clear, It's not rush hour traffic that ***** our roads up it's Lazy parents doing the school run.


In fact while I'm at it Lets Ban everybody except Me.

 

[NickXX]

What offences does this actually cover? Is it just tailgating and middle lane antics, or is it anything which the police happen to consider careless?

 

[NickXX]

Simpler solution - legitimise passing on the left. I do it all the time anyway.

It is legitimate already...

 

[Firestar_3x]

In two minds about this tbh.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Are you middle road?

 

[!bluetonic!]

There is no rationale to that mindset though. It's not for idiot motorists to police what speed other people drive at, in fact, it's downright dangerous.

I drive 90 miles a day, mainly on the motorway. I'm all for using the motorways more efficiently. I'm sure some middle lane drivers are 'policing' the road, but I personally think it's down to laziness, motorway ignorance or 'the fear' of actually changing lanes. I, for the record do not hog lanes. I accept it happens and just get on with my own driving.

70 MPH = National speed limit
60 MPH = Lorries speed limit on motorways and cars towing caravans

If MLM is doing 70 MPH in lane 2, they are overtaking lorries, do not have to change lanes and know that no one is going to overtake them as that person would be breaking the NSL. Take the NSL out the equation and then yes, it would get dangerous.

The lack of no lane indication bothers me. But I've turned that into a positive. Surely an unmarked police car would signal to change lanes. Therefore the BMW that doesn't, is not an unmarked police car .

 

[LiE]

Can't see how this can hurt? I mean Audi drivers will now have to flash their headlights more because they can't tailgate, but it's not the end of the world

 

[acemastr]

Hmm I'm 95% in favour of this but what's the chance of them also fixing lane 1 on most motorways that have massive ruts? I do actually use the middle lane about 20% of the time just so my car isn't tramlining to ****. The z4 is far far worse then anything else I've driven for it though.

I do also hate people that sit in the wrong lane so I'm slightly torn.

This, there's either tramlines or holes in the road in lane 1, or in the case of the other day a Czech lorry driving along with diesel literally soaking 3 foot of the lane.

It surely can't be enforceable as you'd just say you were overtaking a lorry/upcoming lorry.

 

[bitslice]

How is this going to apply to lorries? They regulary tailgate each other going uphills.
I also prefer to hang behind them to pick up some free slipstream and extra mpg.

This is going to do nothing to stop 4x4/BMW man from tailgating me, the last time I saw a cop car on the motorway was last week. I blame the doughnut shops in service stations

 

[unrealrocks]

I like the idea of it on the face of it however as said above, you so rarely see Police on the motorway it seems a bit pointless. I wonder if there is some kind of camera system that could detect middle lane use - or even a cats eye that automatically changes colour or something!

 

[Firestar_3x]

Are you middle road?

All i know is maybe!

People who hog the ML mile after mile, yes do them.

However does the highway code specify upon which point you should pull out of the ML, are people expected to use every single gap on the nearside lane, do we have a minimum distance available in the nearside lane, upon which you must pull over?

I don't hog the ML, however i will not pull over if i'm approaching a junction sliproad after i've overtaken someone, or if i'm doing *70, and would only be pulled over to the nearside lane for about 5 seconds.

 

[Howard]

It is legitimate already...

It sort of is, but only if the traffic in the left lane is flowing faster than the traffic in the right lane. The highway code generally prohibits passing on the left in this example, i.e. cruising past a lane hogger without pulling out and passing them on the right. It isn't a criminal offence though (the relevant Highway Code rule isn't prefixed by "MUST NOT" or "SHOULD NOT", only "do not", which distinguishes it as more of an advisory / prohibition) and you're unlikely to get pulled up on it unless it contributes to an accident, but still.

I agree that it should be legitimised though, and I do it also. I was having an argument about the very subject with someone on another forum the other day, a person who thinks it is reckless and dangerous and "kills many people every year"..

 

[Muffin`]

All i know is maybe!

People who hog the ML mile after mile, yes do them.

However does the highway code specify upon which point you should pull out of the ML, are people expected to use every single gap on the nearside lane, do we have a minimum distance available in the nearside lane, upon which you must pull over?

I don't hog the ML, however i will not pull over if i'm approaching a junction sliproad after i've overtaken someone, or if i'm doing *70, and would only be pulled over to the nearside lane for about 5 seconds.

Well it says to 'keep left' - as with everything else it's at the discretion of a traffic officer; I have no problem with this. Issue arise when you involve cameras and desk jockeys in public sector offices.

If this also frees up Police resources so they spend less time in court then I'm all for it, as has been said you rarely see Traffic Police on the road and I'd rather the opposite were true.