Lane Hoggers?

[alabbasi]

It's not really beside the point though. You can still legally pass a car in any other lane, if there are two or more and they are free. In the UK if an idiot like this hogs the fast lane, you are not allowed to pass them until they move over for you, even when every other lane is free of traffic. Try that for a few miles and see how different it feels.

You can't pass a car on the inside lane if the inside lane is occupied. That's not how physics works.
I've driven extensively in both countries. It's worse in the US.

 

[rf065]

You can't pass a car on the inside lane if the inside lane is occupied. That's not how physics works.
I've driven extensively in both countries. It's worse in the US.

But you can if the lane is empty, and we cannot, that's what makes the UK far worse than your experience.

 

[alabbasi]

But you can if the lane is empty, and we cannot, that's what makes the UK far worse than your experience.

Nope. You obviously haven't driven much in the US. There's a sign for a reason.

 

[rf065]

Nope. You obviously haven't driven much in the US. There's a sign for a reason.

I've driven in the US every year since 1997, any logical thinking person can see why it's worse in the UK. Why do I get the feeling I'm arguing with Donald Trump?

 

[alabbasi]

I've driven in the US every year since 1997, any logical thinking person can see why it's worse in the UK. Why do I get the feeling I'm arguing with Donald Trump?

That's very cheap and telling.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Nope. You obviously haven't driven much in the US. There's a sign for a reason.

Your left lane would be our right lane - we drive on the opposite side I’ve driven extensively in the US for 40years, lane discipline is generally poor, - worse in LA (Which is diabolical) general awareness is low - so many people on phones!

 

[alabbasi]

Your left lane would be our right lane - we drive on the opposite side I’ve driven extensively in the US for 40years, lane discipline is generally poor, - worse in LA (Which is diabolical) general awareness is low - so many people on phones!

Yip, that about sums it up.

 

[Dryce]

I've driven in the US every year since 1997, any logical thinking person can see why it's worse in the UK. Why do I get the feeling I'm arguing with Donald Trump?

UK accident fatality statistics are rather better than the US.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I was tootling down a 2 lane highway (overgrown dual carriageway) In the US and saw an official sign stating ' No modified exhaust systems beyond this point' ..OK , fair enough. But there was no way of leaving the highway at that point to take an alternative route if you had a modified exhaust ?? I never did spot the sign further along saying 'Modified exhaust systems now allowed beyond this point, have a nice day' ! Meaningless

 

[neilrr]

From 2005. One thing that's changed (for the worse) is everyone is on the phone all the time.

Pick a lane, any lane | Driving/Incidents/Roadrage

Well, I have been looking forward to the opening of our glorious 5-lane M25 section for some time. It has finally happened. We all know how some idiots drive in lane 2 - the middle lane - of a 3-lane carriageway for miles, whilst lane 1 remains empty. When the M25 4-lane section opened, I...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[rf065]

UK accident fatality statistics are rather better than the US.

I was only referring to lane hogging, accident statistics involve every other aspect of driving and road safety.

 

[glojo]

Rule 268 is exactly what I was referring to.
You can pass slower traffic in a lane to your right if your lane is “proceeding” (without breaking speed limit) and you are merely proceeding along with it.

Oh dear
You appear to be trying to justify a point with an incorrect definition.

I think we have all experienced congested motorways where the traffic is SLOW MOVING in all lanes be that two, three or even four. No, one but no one expects the usual rule of 'No overtaking to the nearside' to apply, hence rule 268.

IF, however that lane hogger is travelling at 65 - 70mph and is in a World of their own, then nope, it is illegal to overtake on the nearside.

Mute point however if you are travelling down a slip road leading off the motorway and you overtake on the nearside, traffic that remains on that motorway.

Rule 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.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Rule 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.

If there's a lot of traffic in the outer lanes all moving at around 60 - 65mph, either through choice or being held up by lane hoggers, then arguably that can be called congested conditions. So according to the letter of Rule 268 it's permitted to pass this congested traffic in the left-hand lane, even though there's a high chance of one or more of the many vehicles in lane 2 deciding to move into the left-hand lane without warning and without first checking that it's clear to do so? However, on a quiet motorway with someone driving at 65mph in the outermost lane it's not permitted to pass at 70mph in the left-hand lane whilst one or more lanes provide safe separation?

No. What we have to remember is that the Highway Code differentiates between 'do not' and 'must not'. Rule 268 says "Do not overtake on the left ..." so it's not a hard and fast law but instead a rule to help make our roads safer, whilst being able to be interpreted sensibly and safely where the prevalent conditions dictate. Unlike Rule 269 that says "You MUST NOT use the hard shoulder for overtaking", an unambiguous instruction.

 

[E55BOF]

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.

Simples, innit? Good luck to those who find it necessary to argue their interpretation with the boys in blue...

 

[neilrr]

9,999 times out of 1,000 they won't need to argue with the boys in blue, there are none about!

And those that about have bigger crimes to look into.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Oh dear
You appear to be trying to justify a point with an incorrect definition.

I think we have all experienced congested motorways where the traffic is SLOW MOVING in all lanes be that two, three or even four. No, one but no one expects the usual rule of 'No overtaking to the nearside' to apply, hence rule 268.

IF, however that lane hogger is travelling at 65 - 70mph and is in a World of their own, then nope, it is illegal to overtake on the nearside.

Mute point however if you are travelling down a slip road leading off the motorway and you overtake on the nearside, traffic that remains on that motorway.

Rule 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.

Oh dear??? Sounds rather condescending...

---

....and accusing me of “justifying” is just plain wrong.

If you actually read my post #2 on this thread, you may actually see that I NEVER SAID to move into lane 1 to “undertake”.

That’s just your mistake.

I purely made an observation that I often just stay in lane 1, and it can actually move you along than all the people trying to travel in L-2 L3 (and L4) especially on stretches of the M25 near Heathrow - and the part of the A40 I use between the Polish War Memorial and the A312.

I get on stay in L1 and it moves quicker than trying to join the other lanes at all.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

9,999 times out of 1,000 they won't need to argue with the boys in blue....

Not sure that’s even possible.

 

[E55BOF]

Let's hope the arguments are more convincing than the maths...