Nice car..........Poor driving.

[m80]

If you can't beat them join them.

I tried that one on the M42 a few years back.

I've been happy to cruise at 58 for a good few years now, so invariably I'm in the inside lane until things become more congested.
I was then in a C320 CDI, a capable lump.
The further south I travelled the busier things bacame, I needed to pass more and more regularly.
So timing my move to the 2nd (and outside) lane using the mirror, indicate and manouvre. I would accelerate some to match the traffic out there, pass and return to lane 1. Trouble is not everyone would see my 65 - 70 as fast enough.
It was becoming harder to get out to lane 2 so I would spend more time in lane 2, with traffic near pushing my rear end at times. So where I could I would pull back in to let 'em past. Not wanting to have to drop to 50ish I would get back out and the process would repeat.

So I pulled into lane 1, a couple or 3 cars passed me and I indicated to pull back out into a good space. A Transit didn't like that and seemingly went for it, I did the same. He met my o/s drivers door and wing.
Blame who you will, or both of course, but my mistake was letting 'em past in the first place. Had I stayed out there at a consistant 70 I would have continued to pass those in lane 1, and in truth w/o flashing blue lights no one has a right to try and pass.

So I tried to be considerate to be met with outa my my Miss Daisy.

 

[bob6600]

To me, the fault lies with the driver at the front of the 'train'. If there is space on the inside and in front, you move over and let the cars following you either overtake or move over behind you.

 

[AMGeed]

Some interesting, and expected replies
As said by one poster, you had to be there.

I'm no outside lane hogger, but why get caught behind traffic moving 20mph slower than yourself for the sake of one (impatient) Ferrari driver?
Incidentally, following his first undertake, he almost took the front off the BMW cutting in front of him. Either that or ram the car in front of him on the inside lane.

It is a particularly poor bit of motorway and 2 lanes are totally insufficient.

To me, the fault lies with the driver at the front of the 'train'. If there is space on the inside and in front, you move over and let the cars following you either overtake or move over behind you.

Agree totally.

 

[BMF]

Driving towards London this morning on the M3 near Winchester services and the road reduces from 3 lanes to 2. The inside lane was moving slower than I was so I stayed behind a red BMW M3 doing around 80mph in lane 2.

In the rear mirror I notice a squat red Ferrari approaching at speed behind me. No problem, I'm doing just above the NSL, the inside lane is busy with slower cars, he can wait.

Oh no, not him. He dived to the inside lane when the opportunity arose, gunned it and undertook about 3 cars before moving to the outside lane ahead of us all.

This in itself didn't bother me, but he then proceeded to do it again. Inside lane, accelerate, pass more cars outside him then move back to lane 2.

Apart from driving too close, and lane hogging, jumping from lane to lane like that is very poor driving IMO and one of my pet hates. OK for a race track, but not a motorway.

So if you are the owner of a red Ferrari with a black stripe down the bonnet and a Reg# that read something like BE4UTY, you have a nice car, but you're a cr@p driver.

Oh, and for all his lane hopping, I found myself one car behind him 10 miles up the road near Basingstoke.

I've just done a check on the DVLA tax check page and on an insurance check page and this reg number comes back as invalid.

Mr Dazzler has seen it too

Anyone seen any good number plates on cars lately?

The reg number that Mr Dazzler saw also shows as invalid on the DVLA site but the insurance sit page shows it as not insured.

 

[BMF]

DVLA tax check page:
Check if a vehicle is taxed

Insurance check site page:
askMID

 

[John]

Often seen cars not showing sometimes despite an apparently-valid plate.

I wonder if an owner posted their own £500,000 whether the askMID would show as the car being insured.

 

[BMF]

Often seen cars not showing sometimes despite an apparently-valid plate.

I wonder if an owner posted their own £500,000 whether the askMID would show as the car being insured.

I thought this was an urban myth, Can you really cover yourself? You would have to be pretty sure of your driving abilities!

 

[AMGeed]

deleted.

 

[Istbclass]

For some reason a lot of drivers think the nearside (lane 1)is only for HGV’s and refuse to use it, although the Ferrari driver was wrong to undertake so blatantly I can’t help feeling if he could get passed three cars there was more than sufficient space for them to get over to lane one and not sit in the overtaking lane.
Personally I’m of the opinion you should have To pass another test to be allowed on a motorway.

 

[John N]

For some reason a lot of drivers think the nearside (lane 1)is only for HGV’s and refuse to use it, although the Ferrari driver was wrong to undertake so blatantly I can’t help feeling if he could get passed three cars there was more than sufficient space for them to get over to lane one and not sit in the overtaking lane.
Personally I’m of the opinion you should have To pass another test to be allowed on a motorway.

My son was a Traffic Cop until recently and he confirms the fact that some drivers, when pulled over often state that they thought lane one was for HGV's and small slow moving cars!

On the other hand I often come across Drivers that won't use Lane Three on a Three or Four Lane Motorway, they will Tail Gate you in Lane Two until you move out to overtake someone and promptly speed up into the space you just left them until they encounter the next vehicle in their Lane!

Another Test involving Motorway Driving would be difficult to achieve in certain areas, the Highland and Island and even Norwich are quite far from the nearest Motorway!

 

[Deleted member 126251]

My bug bear is when coming up behind a slower vehicle, I change lanes to overtake and the idiot speeds up.

I believe that one of the problems is that people set their cruise control and are unwilling to slow down or speed up to get out of the way of others.

If I'm passing a car, I get by as quickly as I sensibly can. Most road users do not set their wing mirrors properly and have massive blind spots - I don't want to hang about there.

 

[whitenemesis]

My bug bear is when coming up behind a slower vehicle, I change lanes to overtake and the idiot speeds up.

I also find this annoying. I've called it "the bow wave" effect ...

 

[Crazyfool]

The fact that he was able to use the space in the inside lane for undertaking indicates you’re all outside lane hoggers doing 80 should be able to return back to lane 1 after passing slow traffic.

Which you don’t as you lot hate weaving in and out and instead prefer holding back faster drivers. God gave you two hands - use them damnit!

This is a cry for help type post. Not a personal attack on fellow MB motorists

It sounds to me as if both were at fault. Lane 1 is the driving lane. Lanes 2, 3, 4, etc are the overtaking lanes. Our motorways are too busy at times, but the principle still applies.

The fact that he was able to undertake a number of cars at a time begs the question as to why they were not in lane 1.

Having said that, because he had to accelerate hard in order to achieve the undertake suggests he’s a complete **** and as you say a dangerous manoeuvre for very little gain.

I drive that section of the motorway a lot. I’m on it tomorrow, and it’s amazing how many vehicles are in lane 2 compared to lane 1.

 

[rf065]

I drive that section of the motorway a lot. I’m on it tomorrow, and it’s amazing how many vehicles are in lane 2 compared to lane 1.

I've noticed more frequently on empty motorways, cars driven in the middle lane without ever moving over even though nothing else is in front of them, and usually a lone woman driver at the wheel.
Even on the French Autoroutes I've seen the same behaviour from cars with UK plates and women drivers.
Is there something about women drivers that make them more comfortable on empty roads if they stick to the middle lane at all times? Just a curious observation.

 

[baxlin]

Well, Russ, I’m not a woman (at least I wasn’t the last time I checked), but I have to admit that on an empty motorway, when I’m bothering nobody, I’ll very often stay out of Lane 1, purely because of the state of the road surface in that lane, caused by the amount of HGV traffic.

 

[m80]

My bug bear is when coming up behind a slower vehicle, I change lanes to overtake and the idiot speeds up.

Aye makes me look like a middle lane plonker when I've pulled into lane 2 to pass a slower car who then matches my speed in lane 1.

Even worse are those that don't like sitting behind me and pass, then pull in front and slow to a slower speed than me on cruise, why pass if you don't want to go as fast as me?

If I'm passing a car, I get by as quickly as I sensibly can.

I'll do that on rural roads to get the manouvre completed but on motorways I believe generally less erratic driving is safer.

 

[John]

I thought this was an urban myth, Can you really cover yourself? You would have to be pretty sure of your driving abilities!

Apparently so. Consultation last year to make 3rd party insurance, as a minimum, mandatory but doesn't seem to have come into force.

Road Traffic Act 1988

If you can afford to deposit that kind of cash for your own insurance, it's probably peanuts to you anyway so I'm not sure the depositor would even consider their own driving ability!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I posted a photo on this forum a few year ago of me driving on the A1 and the left hand lane being clear as far as the eye could see and about 20 cars on the outside lane.

Similar to an earlier post, if I am in the outside lane in a queue of traffic and someone gets really close to the back of me, I pull into the left hand lane at the first opportunity, I’ve grown to believe that life’s too short and 99% of people live in their own bubble and their manner of driving is more about them than you.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Driving towards London this morning on the M3 near Winchester services and the road reduces from 3 lanes to 2. The inside lane was moving slower than I was so I stayed behind a red BMW M3 doing around 80mph in lane 2.

In the rear mirror I notice a squat red Ferrari approaching at speed behind me. No problem, I'm doing just above the NSL, the inside lane is busy with slower cars, he can wait.

Oh no, not him. He dived to the inside lane when the opportunity arose, gunned it and undertook about 3 cars before moving to the outside lane ahead of us all.

This in itself didn't bother me, but he then proceeded to do it again. Inside lane, accelerate, pass more cars outside him then move back to lane 2.

Apart from driving too close, and lane hogging, jumping from lane to lane like that is very poor driving IMO and one of my pet hates. OK for a race track, but not a motorway.

So if you are the owner of a red Ferrari with a black stripe down the bonnet and a Reg# that read something like BE4UTY, you have a nice car, but you're a cr@p driver.

Oh, and for all his lane hopping, I found myself one car behind him 10 miles up the road near Basingstoke.

Actually NOT "OK for race track" on some parts of a race track that kind of driving could earn the driver a penalty or a black flag. From what you describe that Ferrari was being driven by a noob.

 

[Petrol Pete]

A certain type of driver will not use lane one because it is usually more bumpy than the other 2 lanes. I have seen this many times myself and know someone who admits to doing it. Usually owners who have 'modified' their suspension to the point where it becomes non existent/useless.

The contract I am on now sees me commuting on the motorway very late at night and seeing someone cruising in the middle lane of an empty motorway is a common sight.