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

The problem I can see with more traffic police on the motorways is more congestion.

I cringe when I see one on the motorway, for one reason: People go into stupid mode and just slow down to 68.9mph in ALL lanes, and dither about all over the place because heaven forbid they should approach or pass the nasty police car. If you're overtaking a slower-moving lane of traffic at 75mph, just bloody carry on! He won't care.
 
People driving in th middle lane just doesnt bother me. But I try not to let the driving of 'others' wind me up.

Life's far too short to be losing the plot behind the wheel of a car.
 
Howard said:
The problem I can see with more traffic police on the motorways is more congestion.

I cringe when I see one on the motorway, for one reason: People go into stupid mode and just slow down to 68.9mph in ALL lanes, and dither about all over the place because heaven forbid they should approach or pass the nasty police car. If you're overtaking a slower-moving lane of traffic at 75mph, just bloody carry on! He won't care.
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Indeed but the limit is supposedly 70 :p The battenburg cars will cruise at 60 for this reason but I don't seem many plain cars either!
 
4T5 said:
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 ?
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IME they're usually overtaking someone in a car unable to go above 50 because they have potatoes for brains.
 
!bluetonic! said:
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 :p.
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^ I like it, never thought of it like that. :D

I think we have to be pragmatic though. NSL is the law, no question, but it's enforcement (or lack of) on motorways speaks volumes to me. Most speed cameras are only active when a variable speed limit is in place (i.e. it is dangerous to be doing NSL or above anyway) and even the average speed check cameras have laughable tolerances that make them nothing more than an irritance in the guise of "OMG SAFETY!"

Because of the above and the fact that most cars these days will easily climb up to 80MPH with no discernable difference beyond fuel consumption and a couple extra feet in braking distance, I think it does introduce an element of danger when you have people oblivious to the fact that they're in the middle lane for no reason at all. Perhaps it's some kind of idiotic and false stigma that the inside lane is 'the slow lane' or 'for lorries and coaches,' but when you're impeding a flow of traffic that is travelling faster than NSL, these people are in the wrong and presenting a needless danger.

I know this view is probably as unpopular as it was when I voiced it before, but my experience has been that you can go sailing past motorway police at 80-85MPH and unless you're unlucky they will not go to the bother of pulling you over, provided you're not driving in a particularly dangerous or careless manner.

I'd agree with you that lack of indication is a more irksome problem though. That and people who change lanes without looking or when there is a signifcant speed delta between them and the traffic behind them. The lack of spatial awareness and an appreciation for speed is frightening.
 
▼ Agree with Theophany.

From another viewpoint, if we all had GPS combined radar units then 'it' would be telling us how to drive (and probably report back somewhere). Granted some people need that, but I'd personally take the hit of MLM et al so I can have the freedom.
 
Good!

Whilst on the subject, can they enforce fines on "no indicator at roundabouts", and "using the wrong lanes on roundabouts"

Thanks
 
Nightglow said:
Fixed penalties for using a mobile phone while driving or not wearing a seatbelt will also rise by £40 to £100.

Still not enough, for using a mobile while driving, double it I say:D.
Harsh you say, I've lost two friends due to idiots using phone while driving.:(
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The problem with fines is, That the rich don't care.

We had a footballer who used to park near my office on double yellows as the nearest carpark was 200m away. He was always getting £25 fines. Did he care obviously not.

If this was about safety they would be given more points. Its not, Its about generating an income and targeting drivers
 
Most people that do it aren't even aware they are doing anything wrong. So the fact this is headline news is a good thing. I don't think it's actually a good idea though. A TV advert would have sufficed really. They should do a TV advert series on middle lane hogging, tail gating, and merge in turn.

I hope they will use proper discretion because on sub zero winter nights, on an empty motorway, the middle lane is the safest place to be.
 
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I don't have a problem with people NOT indicating as long as its NOT needed. I'm sure they teach you now NOT to indicate unless their is someone to indicate for.

If I pass a car doing 50 in lane 2 and I'm doing 70 in lane 3 I wont indicate to pull back in. Why would I my actions have NO consequence on the car in lane 2.
 
mattyg said:
If this was about safety they would be given more points. Its not, Its about generating an income and targeting drivers
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I don't think it's about either in reality. It's simply about being seen to be doing something about a problem, even if the solution is unworkable. i.e. Politics.

Numbers of police are falling all the time and they simply don't have the manpower to enforce this at a level that would make any significant difference. I also doubt there would be much left of the £100 fine by the time all the paper work would have been processed.
 
Jez said:
Especially when speeding by a large margin :)
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Yeah. Arguably any time the motorway is clear the middle lane is the safest place to be. It gives you two directions to swerve in the event of a truck tyre, deer, dog... or if you have a blow out you have twice as many options in trying to keep control of the car.
 
Middle lane hoggers don't bother me too much, I mostly see them at night anyway and I just pass them and let them continue being tards. In the daytime in busy times under or overtaking them doesn't usually make much difference anyway as you come to hoggers in the 3rd lane as well. Just keep a steady distance behind until traffic breaks.

rossk26 said:
Good!

Whilst on the subject, can they enforce fines on "no indicator at roundabouts", and "using the wrong lanes on roundabouts"

Thanks
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If you're trying to ask whether that would fall under careless driving then this explains it:

(via) ...careless driving is "defined by law as driving that 'falls below what is expected of a competent and careful driver' and 'driving without reasonable consideration for other persons only if those persons are inconvenienced by his driving'
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So if you're in the wrong lane or fail to give satisfactory indication which results in other drivers having to take action to avoid an incident then you should be fined.
 
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Good.
At the very least, the publicity on BBC News might make those drivers who do drive in the middle lane think again.
 
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