Why can people not drive on the motorway correctly?

beachBOYken · 16 Sep 2015 at 10:57

ubersonic said:
If they are in lane two and a car they are approaching in lane 1 starts indicating they are supposed to either move to lane 3 or reduce speed to avoid a conflict.

That makes no sense, so a person who pulls out and causes a collision would not be at fault because a car in lane 2 never gave way?

Adsta · 16 Sep 2015 at 10:58

This is all well and good but I'm pretty sure the speed limit in the UK is "meant" to be 70mph. So if someone is sat in the middle lane doing 72mph and you need to overtake them. You are breaking the law.... "theoretically"

That said I loved European motorways so much fun and people used them well. Especially the Autobahns

cheesyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 10:59

beachBOYken said:
That makes no sense so a person who pulls out and causes a collision would not be at fault because a car in lane never gave way?

If someone's indicating for 4 or 5 seconds, then pulls out, and you slam into the back of them - it probably is your fault. Suspect it would class as 50:50 in reality.

Janesy B · 16 Sep 2015 at 10:59

ubersonic said:
If they are in lane two and a car they are approaching in lane 1 starts indicating they are supposed to either move to lane 3 or reduce speed to avoid a conflict.

No, the responsibility is with the person that wants to change lane.

Adsta said:
This is all well and good but I'm pretty sure the speed limit in the UK is "meant" to be 70mph. So if someone is sat in the middle lane doing 72mph and you need to overtake them. You are breaking the law.... "theoretically"

That said I loved European motorways so much fun and people used them well. Especially the Autobahns

That's fair enough but it's not up to other road users to police the roads so if someone wants to go faster and you can move over, just move over.

ubersonic · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:00

Longbow said:
Where does it say that?

HWC:

167
DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example

when a road user is indicating right, even if you believe the signal should have been cancelled. Do not take a risk; wait for the signal to be cancelled

beachBOYken · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:01

cheesyboy said:
If someone's indicating for 4 or 5 seconds, then pulls out, and you slam into the back of them - it probably is your fault. Suspect it would class as 50:50 in reality.

4-5 secs is not very long when cars are doing 70mph.

The Geezer · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:02

Adsta said:
This is all well and good but I'm pretty sure the speed limit in the UK is "meant" to be 70mph. So if someone is sat in the middle lane doing 72mph and you need to overtake them. You are breaking the law.... "theoretically"

The tired excuse of lane hoggers, I am a moving traffic cone and will manage my speed and anyone to the left of me :mad:

ubersonic · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:02

cheesyboy said:
If someone's indicating for 4 or 5 seconds, then pulls out, and you slam into the back of them - it probably is your fault. Suspect it would class as 50:50 in reality.

This.

cheesyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:04

beachBOYken said:
4-5 secs is not very long when cars are doing 70mph.

Thanks Einstein. I'd forgotten about the theory of relativity - time is indeed slower for those travelling at speed relative to their surroundings.

beachBOYken · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:04

cheesyboy said:
Thanks Einstein. I'd forgotten about the theory of relativity - time is indeed slower for those travelling at speed relative to their surroundings.

no probs

Janesy B · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:05

beachBOYken said:
4-5 secs is not very long when cars are doing 70mph.

4-5 seconds is always 4-5 seconds.

Luggs · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:06

It's a power trip, I regularly see cars in lane 2 accelerate to close the gap to the car in front, to intentionally stop cars from pulling out from lane 1 to overtake slower moving traffic. Stupid behaviour...

ubersonic · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:12

Janesy B said:
4-5 seconds is always 4-5 seconds.

In fairness, he never said that the speed alters the passage of time, just that 4-5 seconds isn't long to react at that speed.

Sharlaw · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:20

The fault is obviously yours, as when I'm in my car I am the lord and master of the highways. The other peasants on my roads should know their place and instantly move aside wherever I wish to travel, so as to facilitate my speedy and hassle free journey to the nearest Starbucks. Whereas I shall continue working on my novel on my iSlab

wozzizname · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:30

On the four lane stretch of the M25, I frequently find that you make better progress travelling in lane 1 (that used to be the hard shoulder), as most drivers refuse to use it.

Often lane 1 is empty when there's a mass of cars in lane three, all refusing to use the other lanes.

Diagro · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:36

The Geezer said:
It may also be that the middle driver is only focused on the middle lane rather than everything around him and therefore unaware that there are other road users

That is driving with undue care or attention

Puzzled · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:37

Just do the same as lorry drivers and pull out blindly anyway

As someone who spends most of the day driving I understand the frustration but expecting people to move for you is never going to end well, just pull out earlier rather than waiting to reach the lorry.

People do seem to get lane fear though, perhaps they are worried that a car is going to come storming down lane 3 or that they wont be able to merge back in to lane 2 without increasing speed. I don't know but the roads sure are nice once all you commuters get off them

The Geezer · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:52

Diagro said:
That is driving with undue care or attention

they get away with it though

Rroff · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:53

Had no end of grief from someone once for this, what they couldn't see from their angle was the motorcycle positioned in the 3rd lane overtaking me.

If it bothers you that much maybe drive a little more pro-actively so you can position yourself in the middle lane in good time as I had done rather than the moment you catch up with the slow moving lorry.

Janesy B · 16 Sep 2015 at 11:58

wozzizname said:
On the four lane stretch of the M25, I frequently find that you make better progress travelling in lane 1 (that used to be the hard shoulder), as most drivers refuse to use it.

Often lane 1 is empty when there's a mass of cars in lane three, all refusing to use the other lanes.

The problem is I find that as soon as you do that, everyone seems a lot more keen to move over into that lane.