Tailgaters New Offence From Today

[Conscript]

So to get caught you need a copper stuck behind you

how often are there coppers behind you?

To be honest, we don't really need police to start handing out fines to get everyone to use the correct lanes; we just need to encourage people to adopt the correct behaviour.

At the moment, I think most people hog the middle lane out of sheer ignorance of the hold up it can cause and a misunderstanding of how the motorway works. Either that, or they do understand but are too lazy to change habits knowing that **** all will get done about it.

In either case, if it's made public knowledge that lane hogging is both A) Incorrect use of the roads and B) now an offence which is much more easily policed, then hopefully attitudes should change as people start paying more attention to what they are doing while on the motorway.

 

[SilverTongue]

As a fairly new driver, what would you consider as tailgating?

I remember my driving instructor saying something about 3 seconds gap or something

Remember that 'only a fool breaks the 2vvsecond rule' if you can't say this between the car in front passing a fixed object (eg a lamppost) and you reaching said object then you are too close and therefore tailgating.

 

[ChocolateStarfishRammer]

To be honest, we don't really need police to start handing out fines to get everyone to use the correct lanes; we just need to encourage people to adopt the correct behaviour.

At the moment, I think most people hog the middle lane out of sheer ignorance of the hold up it can cause and a misunderstanding of how the motorway works. Either that, or they do understand but are too lazy to change habits knowing that **** all will get done about it.

Agreed.

But the only way I can see this happening is for people to be forced to retake the driving test again - and it include motorway driving. Things change, people don't keep up with it and stop learning, then go downhill into seriously bad habits and now, like 80% of road users, they cannot drive to even a low standard.

I personally think your driving license should only be valid for 10 years. Then you have to retake the test. Every 2 years once you're over 60.

Easily 60% of the 80% of people that can't drive properly are old.

The amount of people I see on a daily basis that are showing absolutely shockingly bad driving skills and knowledge of the road is ridiculous.

 

[Conscript]

Agreed.

But the only way I can see this happening is for people to be forced to retake the driving test again - and it include motorway driving.

My point was, that in general this decision is a good idea - the fact that it's been publicly announced should be enough to change attitudes.

One would hope that issuing a fine wouldn't be the first action taken by an officer. Pulling over the offender, explaining what they've done wrong and informing them that next time they could face a fine/points should be enough to change habits.

Incorporating motorway driving onto the test is obviously favourite for the future - but unless you are going to suddenly make the whole driving population retake their test, then this is probably the best way to change the driving attitudes for existing motorists.

 

[ChocolateStarfishRammer]

unless you are going to suddenly make the whole driving population retake their test

It would put a huge strain on many infrastructures, namely instructors.. but if it could be done right.. than 1000% in favour of it.

If you have passed in the last 20 years then you must take a theory test within 6 months and practical in 10 years. If you pass tomorrow then you must retake in 10 years time.

Anything over, then you must retake at a set date. Starting with the people who passed their test the longest ago.

The shear amount of the older generation who would fail the test would be off the charts. The amount of them that would then reconsider driving at all would also be huge.. thus less drivers on the road.

5 years down the line with majority of population having taken a recent test, and with regular 5 yearly theory's everyone would be such a better driver then they are today.

*Not saying all the logistics/timeline's are right there.. but the point is.

 

[pioneer2000]

Do bikers have to stay in a lane and not squeeze down the middle then? Surely that constitutes pushing in a queue / lane.

Don't see why they aren't forced to do so. It's dangerous for them and other drivers.

 

[Flipt]

I was on the M1 and M25 yesterday, and on the commute there and back I saw the slow lane empty, even lorries where using the 2nd lane with an empty slow lane!! The motorway was pretty chokka all except the slow lane... I couldn't understand it.

I think the tailgaiting goes hand in hand with middle lane hoggers. I saw plenty of people tailgaiting at 70+mph with no where near enough room to stop if the person in front braked. People not using the slow lane creates more traffic on the other lanes and then will only cause congestion and slow the flow down.

I got sick of pulling in and out all the time, and tailgaiters, and decided to use the inside lane. Only problem was that due to the lack of congestion I was going faster than the traffic in the other lanes and therefore cautiously undertaking *naughty naughty*

 

[~Dockie]

Do bikers have to stay in a lane and not squeeze down the middle then? Surely that constitutes pushing in a queue / lane.

Don't see why they aren't forced to do so. It's dangerous for them and other drivers.

Filtering is legal providing its done safely, and its only supposed to be done in slow moving traffic (opposed to people who tailgate at 70 on the motorway)

 

[Freefaller]

More punitive measures without any sense. We've got these laws already, we just don't have the cops on the roads enforcing them. Why create new legislation, when the standards of driving need to be improved - it's not fixing the root cause of the problem. They could do things like add signs along the motorway saying "keep the left unless over taking" or something like that.

The fact is despite law changes, people still use their phones, and break the rules every day - this is not going to solve the issues.

 

[Janesy B]

Oh wow, more laws to not be enforced.

 

[Adsta]

If I had to take my test again I know I would fail. Not due to being a bad driver but due to bad habits. I rarely keep my hands on 10 + 2, I never ever do that stupid shift thing with the hands when turning the wheel I just cross them quicker and easier imo. Almost every one I know never drives like they did when they were learning or took their test.

 

[MagicBoy]

At least they've now added the offence. If only we had some traffic police to enforce them!

 

[Uther]

Can't say I ever remember being tailgated on a motorway. If somebody's coming up from behind at a fair lick, I get out of their way as quickly as is safely possible. Just seems like common courtesy.

Do 30 in a 30 in roadworks, you'll soon have an arctic up your chuff!

 

[Conscript]

More punitive measures without any sense. We've got these laws already, we just don't have the cops on the roads enforcing them. Why create new legislation, when the standards of driving need to be improved - it's not fixing the root cause of the problem. They could do things like add signs along the motorway saying "keep the left unless over taking" or something like that.

The fact is despite law changes, people still use their phones, and break the rules every day - this is not going to solve the issues.

Oh wow, more laws to not be enforced.

The point is not to enforce the law, but to make everyone aware that the law can be enforced.

Whereas using a mobile phone or speeding is a deliberate act, I'm convinced middle-lane hogging is more a symptom of people's ignorance and laziness. People don't think "**** the police, I'm going to sit at 60mph in the middle lane!". They don't think at all. They don't see it as an issue and so just sit their out of habit.

If you make it public knowledge that lane hogging is easily punishable, then by default you are informing those people that it's wrong and hopefully they will change their attitude and start to think.

I agree that it won't cause an overnight solution to the problem, but if you can at least get people thinking about what they're doing instead of just switching off on the motorway, then it can only help.

Freefaller - regarding signs, I agree completely - I made a thread about it a couple of years ago. I see this change as pretty much the same thing; increasing awareness. (EDIT: my original thread here: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17862303&highlight=left+awareness+campaign)

 

[Skeeter]

Can't say I ever remember being tailgated on a motorway. If somebody's coming up from behind at a fair lick, I get out of their way as quickly as is safely possible. Just seems like common courtesy.

Sound to me like your hogging the wrong lane if your able to get out of the way of anyone who comes up behind you?

If there's a lane to your left that you can move in to, why aren't you already in it?

 

[Janesy B]

Sound to me like your hogging the wrong lane if your able to get out of the way of anyone who comes up behind you?

If there's a lane to your left that you can move in to, why aren't you already in it?

Going faster than the cars in the middle but can slow down and slot in? That's what I do.

The point is not to enforce the law, but to make everyone aware that the law can be enforced.

I don't even spend a lot of time on the motorway but every time I do I see people on phones, tailgating, undertaking, it's a free for all. All you have enforcing are stupid wombles and cameras. Oh no give me 3 points because I did 80 in a 70, but matey undertaking everyone while eating a bag of crisps and playing angry birds is fine because he isn't going fast enough to trigger a cam.

Truck drivers are a nightmare, I've had to pull up pretty sharpish many times because they just swing out with no consideration, just a quick flash of the indicator which means get out of the way, I have to overtake this other lorry because I want to go 2mph faster. They don't even pay attention, every time I'm a passenger in a car I look up and see them with newspapers on the steering wheel or with clipboards filling in sheets.

 

[Skeeter]

Going faster than the cars in the middle but can slow down and slot in? That's what I do.

And with those cars in the middle lane leaving a completely empty inside lane for no reason, presumably

 

[Conscript]

I don't even spend a lot of time on the motorway but every time I do I see people on phones, tailgating, undertaking, it's a free for all. All you have enforcing are stupid wombles and cameras. Oh no give me 3 points because I did 80 in a 70, but matey undertaking everyone while eating a bag of crisps and playing angry birds is fine because he isn't going fast enough to trigger a cam.

You've missed my point.

It doesn't matter that the law is hard to enforce.

The fact that there's a news story that says "Hey! Sitting in the middle lane is wrong and as of today you can face a fine for doing so" is enough to target the people sitting in the middle lane out of sheer ignorance and laziness.

Just because other problems aren't enforced doesn't mean that when a new penalty is introduced that it gets ignored. The people doing the things you mention will probably be doing them regardless of the law, whereas middle lane hogs seem to do it out of ignorance and laziness rather than a desire to flaunt the law specifically. It's these people that might change their habits.

As a sidenote - two of the things you mentioned (undertaking and tail-gaiting) are largely a result of middle lane hogs anyway! If everyone kept left as often as possible then they wouldn't get undertaken and tail-gaiters would have more room to pass them.

Truck drivers are a nightmare, I've had to pull up pretty sharpish many times because they just swing out with no consideration, just a quick flash of the indicator which means get out of the way, I have to overtake this other lorry because I want to go 2mph faster. They don't even pay attention, every time I'm a passenger in a car I look up and see them with newspapers on the steering wheel or with clipboards filling in sheets.

I agree with lorry driving conduct. I use the motorway at rush hour and it's painfully obvious the congestion that can be caused by lorry overtaking manoeuvres. We should take a leaf out France's book, where they restrict HGVs to lane 1 on certain stretches.

 

[Theophany]

Sound to me like your hogging the wrong lane if your able to get out of the way of anyone who comes up behind you?

If there's a lane to your left that you can move in to, why aren't you already in it?

Hence why I said "as quickly as is safely possible," i.e. as soon as there is sufficient gap to allow braking distance for the car behind and for me to the car ahead.

Do 30 in a 30 in roadworks, you'll soon have an arctic up your chuff!

30mph on a motorway?

 

[Janesy B]

The fact that there's a news story that says "Hey! Sitting in the middle lane is wrong and as of today you can face a fine for doing so" is enough to target the people sitting in the middle lane out of sheer ignorance and laziness.

It's not, trust me.