Motorway lane discipline

[kensalriser]

Once again driving on the M1 at the weekend I found myself on the inside lane drifting past people in the middle lane who showed no inclination to move over.

I'm wondering how the law applies in this instance. Clearly, if you're travelling in the outside lane and use the middle lane to overtake and resume your position in the outside lane, that's not permitted.

But if you're travelling correctly in the inside lane minding your own business are you committing an offence by not moving two lanes over to get past middle lane hoggers who themselves aren't observing the law?

 

[Shude]

Once again driving on the M1 at the weekend I found myself on the inside lane drifting past people in the middle lane who showed no inclination to move over.

I'm wondering how the law applies in this instance. Clearly, if you're travelling in the outside lane and use the middle lane to overtake and resume your position in the outside lane, that's not permitted.

But if you're travelling correctly in the inside lane minding your own business are you committing an offence by not moving two lanes over to get past middle lane hoggers who themselves aren't observing the law?

It's dangerous ground but what you're talking about is "passing" rather than "overtaking".

I passed dozens of middle-laners on their inside last week when it was a bit foggy, there was just me and two trucks on lane one for about 5 miles of M62. I was the fastest car on that stretch of motorway and hardly budged from the inside lane for the whole journey, cruise set to 60mph.

 

[masqueraid]

242: 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

So once the traffic in the middle lane is going slower than you are ...

Of course pulling back out into the middle lane immediately after passing the tortoise in the Maestro is frowned upon

 

[Shude]

So really the only question is "at what point are road conditions considered 'congested'?"

 

[PJH]

Lane disipline is bad in the UK.
Sometimes the Motorway design of drop-lanes and pickup-lanes encourages people to stay in lane 2. People don't want to change lanes for half a mile and then move back again.
Also, people joining a Motorway WANT to cross a line rather than stay in the pickup-lane. Hence they end up in lane 2.
The reverse is true when approaching an exit, people will cut across rather than get in lane sooner.

 

[Satch]

Grrrrrr! Pet hate and so many people guilty of this crime against motoring humanity.

If I understand the situation correctly passing on the left is not a specific offence, only becoming one if it amounts to careless/dangerous driving. So another judgement call.

But worst of all are the middle lane caravanners who, correctly, stick to 60mph. A rolling road block

 

[masqueraid]

Guilty as charged! Afraid I will as a rule get into lane 2 on the M25 as soon as possible for exactly the reasons stated, with the exception of the new Heathrow section as far as I'm concerned it's a 3 lane motorway with very long entry & exit slips!

 

[Tigger]

I too plead guilty to cruising in the middle and fast lane only although I cannot recall the last time I was passed by someone on the inside.

My reason for doing so is my staggered 18" wheels tramline like crazy in the inside lane so I avoid it.

 

[Dryce]

Once again driving on the M1 at the weekend I found myself on the inside lane drifting past people in the middle lane who showed no inclination to move over.

http://www.middlelanemorons.com/index.php

 

[Dryce]

If I understand the situation correctly passing on the left is not a specific offence, only becoming one if it amounts to careless/dangerous driving. So another judgement call.

Bottom line here is that if an accident ensues you just landed
yourself in some trouble.

The middle lane obstructor could be done for driving without
due consideration. I don't recall of ever hearing of this
actually occurring.

 

[Rose Chap]

Guilty as charged! Afraid I will as a rule get into lane 2 on the M25 as soon as possible for exactly the reasons stated, with the exception of the new Heathrow section as far as I'm concerned it's a 3 lane motorway with very long entry & exit slips!

So even if the lane to your left is clear and there is a queue of cars passing you on the right? You still stay in the middle lane?

 

[kensalriser]

So essentially undertaking is not illegal, but if there's an accident a driver of a car making such a manoevre may be judged to be driving dangerously. Well, I think I'll continue to drive on the left regardless of the speed of vehicles in the lane to the right.

Caravans should be outlawed.

 

[masqueraid]

So even if the lane to your left is clear and there is a queue of cars passing you on the right? You still stay in the middle lane?

Pretty much, except that on the M25 it's generally lane 2 (of 4) and normally lane 1 is empty because lane 2 is slow/stopped and cars in lane 1 have either left at the next junction (lane 1 becomes the slip, lane 2 becomes lane 1 etc..) or is stationary further ahead with all the people at the junction signalling to turn right into the lane I'm already in!

For the 800 or so yards between the off road and the on either side of the junction I'm back in lane 1 without changing lanes!

Please don't tell me I'm the only one ??!

 

[uumode]

To add something else in the mix, if the traffic in the first lane is doing a fragmented 55mph - 70mph and some cars are doing 70mph in the middle lane, but not pulling in at every opportunity when the first lane is flowing at 70mph (because they will be going in and out, in and out and might be more dangerous , and less environmentally friendly braking, accelerating and braking to squeeze back into the 70mph flow of the middle lane) is that lane hogging?

and if they are doing 70 mph in the middle lane 'technically' you can't go any faster than 70 anyway so it would be 'technically' impossible to overtake on the inside lane.

Bikes also tend to 'invent' a fourth lane in slower moving traffic e.g. 50mph and I see bikes fly past wing mirrors at 70-80mph

cars themselves also 'invent' a fourth lane in heavily non moving traffic and use the hard shoulder. (I used to be obnoxious and half straddle the hard shoulder to block the traffic using the hard shoulder - but don't anymore as I'm less confrontational and it's none of my business to police the highway I guess)

 

[bibamus]

I`m quite surprised at the lack of knowledge about lane discipline! Its a basic driving skill which is taught and examined on during a driving test ( though, obviously not on motorways) But, I suppose as long as people refer to "slow lane" and "fast lane", middle lane hoggers will always be with us!
The law is clear, you return to the nearside lane when you have finished your overtaking manoevre; using other peoples poor driving as an excuse to pass on the near side is wrong, but, happens all the same.
I have prosecuted plenty of middle lane hoggers and undertakers, as well as motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic on multi lane roads because, of course, the Highway Code doesnt apply to them!
Its perfectly legal to pass vehicles on the nearside in slow moving lines of traffic when the road is congested, but using the nearside lanes to pass cars on your right when travelling at speed (say, over 20mph) can be classed as an offence and you, quite rightly, risk prosecution.
Of course, roads like the M25 encourage poor driving and adhering to the law and Highway Code sometimes will cause more problems than you can shake a stick at, but, if the presence of your car on the road causes an accident, you may have to stand up in court and convince the Judge / Magistrate, that your actions were correct and you were driving within the law! Its really as simple as that.

Allan

 

[kensalriser]

Except that passing on the left is not strictly illegal as far as I understand it. The offence would be driving without due care and attention or dangerous driving. And I fail to see how a driver of a vehicle travelling at a constant legal speed in the left hand lane could be considered as such simply because he is passing cars travelling at slightly lower speeds on the right whose drivers can't be bothered to observe lane discipline.

 

[scumbag]

i believe the highway code requires us to drive on the left unless overtaking. so the only time you may overtake on the left is when the traffic on the right is queuing. such as the right turn section at traffic lights, and if the lane on your right is straight on, and your lane is left turn etc and so on.

I dont know what the legalities of overtaking on the left actually is, but it breaches the highway code by doing so.

I dont use the expression undertaking, as my view is that undertaking is when you slow down and allow the other cars past.

 

[bibamus]

The following highway code rule refers.

242: 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.

Allan

 

[del320]

So now you've been told twice! (see post#3)

We should really differentiate between urban and provincial motorways. Middle-lane hoggers on open motorways with empty inside lanes are pests who just encourage tailgating, undertaking and other bad behaviour.

Urban ones often have such a close succession of junctions that it does makes sense to avoid the inside lane forever dodging slip road traffic. It appears to be the rule that traffic entering the motorway now assumes right of way .

On the M8 through Glasgow, many sections of the inside lane simply becomes the slip road for the next junction so if you start at the left, it becomes near impossibe to move over into the next lane on your right! Incidently, there is one slip road which exits from the outside (3rd) lane. Are there any others like that in the UK?

Lane discipline in this country is lousy anyway. I like the Channel 4 between-program link - you must have seen it. Possibly done at the M40/M25 interchange, a silver W203 hammers past on the right, lays down two stripes across the middle and inside lanes and shoots up the slip road via the hatched lines.

 

[Shude]

Urban ones often have such a close succession of junctions that it does makes sense to avoid the inside lane forever dodging slip road traffic. It appears to be the rule that traffic entering the motorway now assumes right of way .

LOL this morning on the M62 a silver BMW and I did a "you first", "no, you first!", "no! you first!" exchange as he tried to join the motorway and we ended up losing about 30mph almost to the point of being stationary (was a busy junction with slow traffic) but in the end I had to speed up to let him on. I would have pulled out but there was a steady stream of cars to my right.

I like the Channel 4 between-program link - you must have seen it. Possibly done at the M40/M25 interchange, a silver W203 hammers past on the right, lays down two stripes across the middle and inside lanes and shoots up the slip road via the hatched lines.

I love that clip, if I get chance I'll turn it into an MPEG, I'm sure it will appear on my TiVo again soon.