middle lane hoggers!

[G.O'Rilla]

But mid-week you get the HGVs running side by side for 10 miles while one inches past the other (or finds out that actually their limiters ARE set to exactly the same speed after all).

Yes it is frustrating and I also wonder why they don't ease off a fraction to let the other guy past but at least they are professionals and for one, I always let them out if they want to pass. Strictly on the subject of the original post, an HGV overtaking in the middle lane does effectively reduce a 3 lane to a 2 lane but at least there is usually the 3rd lane still available - unless you were the git on the A12 Boreham bypass this morning driving (yes!) a Daewoo Nexia in the outside lane at a steady 52 mph.

When I eventually got past him (as he turned into the inside lane causing mayhem in front of everyone to turn off for Chelmsford) - he looked like a cross between Reginald Molehusband from the 1970's government adverts and the "Red Dwarf" Cat's alter ego. P.S. I'm sure it wasn't anyone on this forum driving that car.......

 

[219]

Talking of Reginald Molehusband - there's a public information campaign that everyone remembers .

We could well do with an up to date series of adverts along the same lines - one showing correct lane discipline would be at or near the top of the list .

 

[thefair1973]

I must confess to being a serial flasher. I detest middle lane hoggers, or outer lane hoggers too and flash them if they dont get out of the way. It's even more annoying when you're on a clear strestch of road and you see people stuck in the middle lanes. Fools. As for indicators, my general rule is if it's a white van, the indicators must always be broken because no white van driver ever seems to use the bloody things!!

 

[thefair1973]

the A14 has to be the worst road for trucks. I'm sure they wait until an incline before starting to overtake. They take miles of road to pass each other and just dont care about the tailback of traffic they cause. Why they all just dont drive at the same top speed in convoy in the inside lane and get banned from overtaking is beyond me. They shoud also be banned from roads between 6am and 6pm - that would greatly reduce traffic on major trunk roads during peak hours. They can then overtake each oother up hills all night long with little impact to the rest of the population.

 

[BTB 500]

Strictly on the subject of the original post, an HGV overtaking in the middle lane does effectively reduce a 3 lane to a 2 lane but at least there is usually the 3rd lane still available

Unfortunately not if you're towing.

Truck drivers would realise that, but granny in the Micra almost certainly doesn't. Not that she knows you're behind her anyway.

 

[G.O'Rilla]

Agreed - apologies for the oversight!

A14 is terrible for trucker convoys - there is a section where they are banned from the outside lane in daytime but all seem to ignore it anyway. Although frustrating, as before, I don't have an issue with the truckers overtaking at 56.0001 mph or whatever their limiter is calibrated to. I know a few and their employers (no doubt not the ones on here.....) put them under intense pressure for scheduling and deadlines etc. They are just mostly honest guys (and gals) doing an honest job to feed their families in a very cutthroat business. Live and let live - it doesn't make that much difference to our own journey time even if we do all think they could pull in and wait sometimes.

 

[G.O'Rilla]

I must confess to being a serial flasher.

There is a special register for people like you


Only joking - no offence taken I hope.......

 

[tambyrne]

Another annoying habit I've noticed over the last few years is, the White Line Hugger. Dawdling along in a wide road six inches from the middle white line so if you have to overtake you have to completely cross onto the othert carriageway.If you flash them to move over you get a torrent of abuse. I've been in a police car on a grade 1 call where we have had to undertake a driver on a single lane road who was completely oblivious to the blues and twos and his offside wheels were nearly on the central white line.
Don't driving instructors teach keep to the left anymore????

 

[neilrr]

On the M4 Westbound at about 2.30 this morning I noticed there were two schools of thought: the middle lane hogs who are oblivious to faster overtaking traffic & flashed lights and the overtakers who pointedly move back to the #1 lane immediately after completing the overtake.

I think the best solution would be for the motorway police who come up behind any middle lane hogs to flash them once & if they don't yield, pull them over.

After about 10 p.m that policy would greatly increase their drink driving arrests and word would soon get out.

 

[lynall]

Unfortunately i have the terrible habit of sitting in lane one at 80 and staying there even using the hard shoulder to undertake any trucks, just joking, buy i do stay in lane one or two depending on traffic and will undertake slower moving traffic, which i know is illegal but i still do it.

Even undertook a nice looking lady in her traffic volvo who couldnt maintain a steady speed the other day, who then got ashamed and managed to get up to 70 so i then over took her at a true 70mph approx 75/6 on the speedo.



Lynall

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

Many moons ago when I started driving I was treated to a special one hour session of Motorway driving from Junction 25 to Junction 24 of the lovely M1.
I remember vividly the instructor I had said..

"The most dangerous thing you can do on a motorway is change lanes, so stick in your lane unless you really need to change. The middle lane is the safest because in fact from the middle lane you have the luxury of going either way (left or right)."

Obviously this many years on and having done over 200k miles of motorway driving I can safely say that as long as others KNOW what you're doing, where you're going and what your intentions are, it's perfectly safe..

I don't think my instructor was the only person to think like that and lo and behold there are people up and down the country who believe it. As someone said earlier.. a whole generation has evolved thinking that it's ok to stay in the middle lane.

So many times now, I've gone 6 or 7 junctions on the 4 lane part of the M25.. and people are still pootling along at 60 in the lane next to the fast lane (it's not even the middle lane anymore) - I often have to give up and pull alongside them in the slow lane before they even think about where they are.

I don't believe there is a solution except to have different tolls on different lanes - but I'm not sure how many people would be willing to pay say:
0p a mile for the slow lane
5p a mile for the next lane
10p a mile for the next
(and where there's a fast lane in the fourth, 15p a mile).

of course.. why are we even thinking of taxing drivers more.. this isn't right either!

 

[stevesey]

In a previous incarnation of this subject someone suggested grading the tarmac so the further left you go the less tyre noise you get.

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

In a previous incarnation of this subject someone suggested grading the tarmac so the further left you go the less tyre noise you get.

...but the faster you travel the noisier it is anyway, so this is almost in effect already?

 

[219]

people are still pootling along at 60 in the lane next to the fast lane ...... I often have to give up and pull alongside them in the slow lane ...I'm not sure how many people would be willing to pay say:
0p a mile for the slow lane
5p a mile for the next lane
10p a mile for the next
(and where there's a fast lane in the fourth, 15p a mile)

There is no such thing as 'fast lanes' and 'slow lanes' . I do wish people would stop referring to them as such . The ONLY exception is , very occasionally , on a long incline the nearside lane will be designated as a 'crawler lane' for vehicles that cannot maintain speed because of their size .

The speed limit in each lane is EXACTLY the same and everyone is entitled to drive up to that limit in any lane , but should keep to the lane furthest to the left in which they can make progress as required , without impeding following traffic . The lane furthest to the right is for OVERTAKING ONLY and should be vacated as soon as any overtake is complete .

 

[stevesey]

...but the faster you travel the noisier it is anyway, so this is almost in effect already?

What has your speed got to do with which lane you are in - you're beginning to sound like a BMW driver.

[pompous Clarkson voice]I own a big fast BMW so I'm going to sit in the outside lane all day[/pompous Clarkson voice]

My motorway speed stays the same whatever lane I'm in.

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

There is no such thing as 'fast lanes' and 'slow lanes' .

Pardon my colloquialisms.

 

[normanr]

This is from the VW forum so we are not alone at moaning about the morons on the roads now.
QUOTE:

Trip to Weston

What the hell has happened to lane discipline though.

Loads of people now hang in the Middle or outer lanes oblivious, holding everyone up
There's a big climb on the M5 & there were two idiots doing about 50mph in both right hand lanes while the inner lanes (there's 4 in total) were free. This caused serious problems as most people were cruising at 70 so were coming up behind & braking.

GET IN THE LEFT LANES WHEN ITS CLEAR YOU STUPID PEOPLE!!!!
__________________

 

[Roger Jones]

"In a previous incarnation of this subject someone suggested grading the tarmac so the further left you go the less tyre noise you get."

I do believe that was me, and I still reckon it's a good idea to be implemented whenever resurfacing is undertaken. The reaction of several people to whom I suggested it was "Yes, that would work".

"but the faster you travel the noisier it is anyway, so this is almost in effect already"

But it's relative. Lane 1 with a super-smooth quiet surface will still be quieter than lane 3 with a rough and noisy surface, whatever the speed. And I mean quiet enough to be compelling and noisy enough to make you want to get off it as soon as possible.

No additional cost for our taxing authorities either.

 

[stevesey]

This is from the VW forum so we are not alone at moaning about the morons on the roads now.

I went south on May BH Friday - for the whole section from the Avonmouth bridge -> Clevedon I was sat in the left hand lane, which was the quietest, and the most smooth flowing. All 3 (or 4) lanes were travelling more at less at the same speed but the fact that the outer lanes were more crowded meant those of us in the left hand ones were either very slowly creeping past the outer traffic. Then every now and again a braking ripple hit the outside and we would carry on at our steady pace.

Norman and other locals will know - but the 4th lane up the hill was added not specifically for lorries, but also as a result of the vast number of caravans who use this stretch in the holiday season. So it was somewhat ironic to see a couple of caravans in lane 3 being slowly underhauled by 2 lanes of traffic on their inside.

P.S. Norman what happened to the Lexus?

 

[normanr]

Coming off the topic Steve but I thought you might like to know I have a mate in London and the weather is beautiful (Barby weather)