I do circa 25k miles a year and maybe its age, or becoming a father or just having a boring car (Eco A4 Avant). But ive stopped caring, i stick to 70, and just try to use the lanes properly, its made me a much calmer driver, and i make just as much progress as when i had my ST3 and used to tear up and down the motorways at 90+mph.
Motorways
- Thread starter Danger Phoenix
- Start date
Soldato
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- 28 Nov 2005
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- 13,088
I drive up the M1 M18 and A1 regular and i think i have seen everything that can be bad with driving
I try and be as sensible as possible but im not surprised i havent been in a serious crash with some idiots
Some people think they have the right of way until they are crumpled up in a bush
I try and be as sensible as possible but im not surprised i havent been in a serious crash with some idiots
Some people think they have the right of way until they are crumpled up in a bush
This!! Skeeter nailed it back in September.
Theres a stretch of DC I commute on daily that goes from a 50mph to a NSL midway along and the amount of selfish/asleep drivers who continue to cruise along in the outside lane is rageworthy. I end up undertaking at least 1 car daily, my record is a line of 4 at once.
No point trying to fix the world or getting angry about it (I hate train ***** though). The roads of this country are full of people who I would not wish to follow let alone sit next to but I decided a long time ago not to get worried about them. These days I simply undertake them or flash them in my faster car.
Oh...wait...
Oh...wait...
Soldato
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My pet food hate has changed from people who go slowly on sliproads to people who sit in the middle lane for miles at a time, oblivious to everyone else. This seems like quite a new phenomenon, and I haven't even been driving that long.
This phenomenon is probably older than you and is the classic example of poor motorway discipline
Meh I hog the middle lane, it's easier.
If you go into the first lane, then the middle lane guy goes past you and then levels off with you. Then you start to approach a lorry in the first lane and have to slow down and then go to the second lane behind the guy who levelled off with you.
Who cba with that, if you can't beat them then join them.
If you go into the first lane, then the middle lane guy goes past you and then levels off with you. Then you start to approach a lorry in the first lane and have to slow down and then go to the second lane behind the guy who levelled off with you.
Who cba with that, if you can't beat them then join them.
Latest for me would be the lack of people's understanding of managed motorways. Driving the M62 every day the hard shoulder lane when in use is hardly ever used, people just sticking in the lanes 1 & 2. Especially hgv drivers, on the stretch between jct29 and 25 people hardly ever use it so it's essentially been a big waste of money installing it.
Second is people diving off at the last minute. At jct 26 and jct 24 on the 62 westbound the inside lane is reserved for people coming off the mway, but the amount of people who try to get to the front of the queue by diving in at the last minute winds me up. Seen a few smashes this year where someone has misjudged it, come to a stop partially in the live lane 1 and got hit from behind usually by an hgv who can't pull out to overtake in time. Risking you life for 5 minutes of queuing.
Second is people diving off at the last minute. At jct 26 and jct 24 on the 62 westbound the inside lane is reserved for people coming off the mway, but the amount of people who try to get to the front of the queue by diving in at the last minute winds me up. Seen a few smashes this year where someone has misjudged it, come to a stop partially in the live lane 1 and got hit from behind usually by an hgv who can't pull out to overtake in time. Risking you life for 5 minutes of queuing.
Which is exactly what all the other lazy, selfish drivers are thinking.
Soldato
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I spend 200miles a week on the M1 and M25 and its crazy seeing everyone dive into the 3rd/4th lane and straight into a standstill while lane 1 is moving, i must save 20+ minutes by just sticking to lanes 1&2.
So I'm all for people with lazy lane discipline if it keeps the other lanes free!!
So I'm all for people with lazy lane discipline if it keeps the other lanes free!!
Associate
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- 1 Mar 2004
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- Warwickshire
This is so true. Up until recently I regularly used the m25 past Heathrow at rush hour. The far left lane was pretty much always empty, and that combined with 'coming off and on again' at j13/j14 meant it was a pretty stress free journey for me, while all around the veins on the middle aged executive foreheads popped.
A whiff of congestion/slow down now and I usually dive for lane 1.
When it's free flowing I think it's best to either sit 60 with the lorries, or at gps 95 (still eligible for fixed penalty yo). Any other speed just gets you caught up with the mouth breathers.
The M40 on a Saturday night, the odd middle lane moron aside, is a lesson in what a motorway should be like.
I'd support a tiered car driving license similar to bikes, and with greater experience and demonstrated skill you can drive vehicles above a certain registered kW/HP at higher speeds on motorways. The idea that "it's the other people you have to worry about" is true, but with experience and skill you can manage that quite well. If other people are travelling at c. 70/80 MPH, travelling at e.g. 120 MPH in certain situations (i.e. not right past them with busy lanes) is fine and gives you plenty of time to react to anything that might happen.
Man of Honour
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- 21 Nov 2004
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- 47,910
Have to agree with the OP. People that stay in the outer lanes not overtaking frustrates me, as do lorries constantly overtaking each other causing huge congestion. On the other hand, there are many drivers that need to chill out a little and have some patience.
I always find the M25 to be a strange motorway - even when quiet (as quiet as it gets anyway!) people travel so slowly on there. Perhaps because they are used to sitting in traffic? Many cars barely doing 70.
Then get onto the M4 and the minimum speed is 70 and many cars in the outer lane doing 90+.
I always find the M25 to be a strange motorway - even when quiet (as quiet as it gets anyway!) people travel so slowly on there. Perhaps because they are used to sitting in traffic? Many cars barely doing 70.
Then get onto the M4 and the minimum speed is 70 and many cars in the outer lane doing 90+.
I've just started using the M25 regularly now and that is one thing thats amazed me. I sit in Lane 1 or 2 doing 70mph as they're mainly empty yet there is people sat doing 60mph or less in lane 3, which has filled up so much that now Lane 3 has become the "slow lane" which means if I want to overtake them correctly I'd have to swing out over 8 lanes there and back to get past them legally.
When I win the lottery I'm taking out adverts on TV about Lane discipline and Slip roads just to remind people that the vast majority are terrible drivers.
Until then I'm considering one of these in the back window saying "Pull Over you ****" -
Soldato
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- West Sussex
I would only support a speed increase if the limits were variable on Motorways.
I have never recovered from an experience on the M25 in which thick fog came down reducing visibility to about 30 feet. I slowed down and many others did but many still thought that belting along at 70-80mph was acceptable.
It really defied belief.
I have never recovered from an experience on the M25 in which thick fog came down reducing visibility to about 30 feet. I slowed down and many others did but many still thought that belting along at 70-80mph was acceptable.
It really defied belief.
Associate
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- 31 Dec 2004
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- Essex, UK
Legally you can pass on the left as below, however only if the traffic in front is doing so due to road conditions/congestion if you are actively catching up to traffic in front whilst passing on the left then that is illegal which is how most undertaking takes place.
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 pet peeve is middle lane drivers, if the left lane is clear use it! all the right lanes are for passing only.
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 pet peeve is middle lane drivers, if the left lane is clear use it! all the right lanes are for passing only.
Associate
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- 12 May 2011
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I do all mentioned in the list. I like to get from A to B in the fast lane at a nice speed so if your in the way and not moving over, undertaking, flashing, beeping ect.
Driving on the M54 a couple of weeks ago, happily going along at 70 in lane 1 see some cars and a couple of trucks in front so go out to lane 2 in preparation, cars in front to do the same and then the lorry tries to over take the one in front. I swear the lorry in lane 1 was going under 50 and the lorry in lane 2 must have been going 51... it pulled out about 5 lengths before the lorry in front as well. Took about 10 minutes to over take and then cut in front of it as it went off the junction before the services junction.
Can't stand lorries over taking other lorries or horse boxes, caravans etc.
Can't stand lorries over taking other lorries or horse boxes, caravans etc.