Lane Hoggers?

[E55BOF]

This is not a swipe at the Centre Lane Owners Club; we all know about them. I often stay in the right-hand lane when technically I should move over if I can see I'm going to be overtaking another car in a minute or two, but I watch my mirror, and if somebody is coming up behind me, I move over well before he/she needs to do anything to make me aware of his/her presence.

However, I've noticed a trend recently for more and more drivers to trundle along at a reasonable speed in the right hand lane of a three or four-lane motorway, but not move over until flashed when I come up behind them. One flash and they move over, so they're obviously aware I'm coming; it's almost as though they're waiting to be flashed before moving over. Is it just me, or has anybody else noticed this?

And no, I'm not tailgating and flashing like a lunatic; one flash, perhaps two, and if they don't move over, so be it; I'll wait until they do.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Funnily enough, it can often be the case that you can make better progress in the left lane.....

 

[E55BOF]

Yes, I know, but I'd rather not; the boys in blue don't like it...

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Funnily enough, it can often be the case that you can make better progress in the left lane.....

When traffic is really heavy I find the hard shoulder the fastest route.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Yes, I know, but I'd rather not; the boys in blue don't like it...

It’s perfectly legal to proceed in the left lane, (I’m not advocating switching to ‘undertake’ then move back into centre, just stay left - it’s often quicker - check your Highway Code.

 

[E55BOF]

I thought you were advocating undertaking.

 

[Deleted member 149005]

It is those that move over when asked...


Then move back to the right hand lane as soon as you are passed them,..

 

[BTB 500]

In normal times we drive on relatively empty motorways a lot (very early in the morning, mostly at weekends), and it is increasingly common to find people sitting in the outside lane without another vehicle in sight ahead of them. And yes they usually do move straight back into the outside lane after letting you past. Very odd behaviour!

 

[Petrol Pete]

^^^ That is usually because the person is in a world of their own , either daydreaming or so wrapped up with what is happening on their in car entertainment (smart phone stuck on the windscreen) or they simply do not give a $hit.

I too have spent a lot of time on almost deserted motorways at ungodly hours and witnessed the same behaviour many times.

 

[Alex225]

I have seen this a few times, they are sticking in that lane regardless of what's going on behind or what speed they're doing. As you say Bill, I've seen the ones that move over and then pull straight back out on a near motorway.

I think the worst case I've seen of this was on the M25 one evening, probably around 9pm on a Friday. Traffic was light for the M25, still plenty of cars around but flowing fine. Notice up ahead in lane four, people are braking and something was amiss. Turns out there is a guy in a convertible 3 series, who's had a blow out. He thought the best place for him to crawl along at 25mph with a wrecked tyre was lane four of the M25!!! Utterly staggering. Multiple drivers were coming up behind him, flashing and beeping all of which had to pass him on the left he just would no move.

 

[ToeKnee]

On a similar note, I've often driven on the motorway with my cruise control on at 70, approached another car and pulled out to overtake but once you do that they accelerate, so you pull back in behind them and they then slow back down so you catch them up again. You then end up doing the same manoeuvre time and again until you either slow right down or break the speed limit by going a lot faster just to get ahead? Why do they do it??

 

[glojo]

It’s perfectly legal to proceed in the left lane, (I’m not advocating switching to ‘undertake’ then move back into centre, just stay left - it’s often quicker - check your Highway Code.

I am not sure where you are coming from and PLEASE accept I am not condoning those 'middle lane' hoggers but undertaking is not something we should really do unless:

Rule 267 in The Highway Code states:

‘only overtake on the right’

This is a matter of safety – undertaking on the left hand side is dangerous as it’s harder for drivers to spot approaching cars. However, this is advisory and not a legal requirement, as there are situations when undertaking is accepted, as explained in rule 268.

Rule 268 states:

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.’.

However you MUST not use the hard shoulder to overtake as per rule 269 of the highway code. Doing so will likely result in a FPN and a £100 fine.

 

[bob6600]

Sometimes I wonder if it was the way they are 'taught'? Driving lessons and tests do not involve motorway driving and so when a driver starts driving on the motorway, they ether follow others or do as their mate/family member does. Most probably have never read the Highway Code as to the rules of the motorway.

In the last year, the M6 near me has become a 'smart' motorway and so has 4 lanes now instead of 3. Excluding the junction where the inside lane is used as a slip road, I have noticed that there is a lot of traffic in lane 3 now which used to be the case in lane 2. These drivers are just lazy, they want to continue on their journey in a single lane as long as possible.

 

[Alex225]

Sometimes I wonder if it was the way they are 'taught'? Driving lessons and tests do not involve motorway driving and so when a driver starts driving on the motorway, they ether follow others or do as their mate/family member does. Most probably have never read the Highway Code as to the rules of the motorway.

100%. It's only been in recent years that learners can go on the motorway but prior to that it was a bit of a free for all. When I look at many people I know, most refer to the lanes on the motorway as the 'slow lane' or the 'fast lane'. If you had never driven on it before and you just copied a majority of drivers you'd be sat in lane 2 most of the time.

I did pass plus a few months after passing my test and I was taken on motorways and I learned lane discipline from that (as well as not being an ignorant muppet haha). You can only hope that drives that are being taught motorway skills now will continue that. Also I am noticing digital signage which is saying, 'Keep left unless overtaking' so even if that sinks in with one person in a hundred, it's something!

 

[whitenemesis]

On a similar note, I've often driven on the motorway with my cruise control on at 70, approached another car and pulled out to overtake but once you do that they accelerate, so you pull back in behind them and they then slow back down so you catch them up again. You then end up doing the same manoeuvre time and again until you either slow right down or break the speed limit by going a lot faster just to get ahead? Why do they do it??

I call this the "bow wave" effect...

 

[whitenemesis]

I see this a lot on urban dual carriageways. I sometimes wonder if the driver learnt to drive on the Continent and just absent mindedly revert to the right-hand lane?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

On a similar note, I've often driven on the motorway with my cruise control on at 70, approached another car and pulled out to overtake but once you do that they accelerate, so you pull back in behind them and they then slow back down so you catch them up again. You then end up doing the same manoeuvre time and again until you either slow right down or break the speed limit by going a lot faster just to get ahead? Why do they do it??

I've encountered this many times over the years, and it happens regardless of speed, whether I'm towing a caravan and therefore driving slowly or travelling faster matching the speed of the natural flow of traffic.

Earlier this week I encountered the worst type, he didn't naturally and gently accelerate as I approached (almost subconsciously) as the majority do, he waited until I was alongside and then accelerated very briskly and backed right off when he was say 10-20 cars away - within a minute or so I was alongside again. He must have done it 6 or 7 times until I got off the motorway. I just carried on driving as I would normally, with cruise control set, maintaining a safe distance, and let him get on with it.

 

[Dryce]

Multiple drivers were coming up behind him, flashing and beeping all of which had to pass him on the left he just would no move.

Are you sure that the situation hadn't become a sort of trap?

You end up with a driver slowed down in the outer lane who feels they can't safely pull into lane 2 because of the vehicles approaching from behind at speed sweeping into the lanes to the left of them to pass.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Yes, I know, but I'd rather not; the boys in blue don't like it...

If I was stopped by one of the boys (or girls) in blue for passing a slower motorist on the left and without breaking the speed limit, I’d ask why they hadn’t stopped the motorist hogging the outer lane.

I‘ve passed on the left on motorways quite a few times but I always do so as safely as possible, when I think it’s appropriate warning them of my presence with a tap on the horn or quick flash of the lights. On occasion there has even been room to leave an empty lane between us!

 

[ringway]

This is not a swipe at the Centre Lane Owners Club; we all know about them. I often stay in the right-hand lane when technically I should move over if I can see I'm going to be overtaking another car in a minute or two, but I watch my mirror, and if somebody is coming up behind me, I move over well before he/she needs to do anything to make me aware of his/her presence.

However, I've noticed a trend recently for more and more drivers to trundle along at a reasonable speed in the right hand lane of a three or four-lane motorway, but not move over until flashed when I come up behind them. One flash and they move over, so they're obviously aware I'm coming; it's almost as though they're waiting to be flashed before moving over. Is it just me, or has anybody else noticed this?

And no, I'm not tailgating and flashing like a lunatic; one flash, perhaps two, and if they don't move over, so be it; I'll wait until they do.

You shouldn't even be in the RH lane.

That's the BMW lane.