Oh really ? - New Fines for Motorists

[Deleted member 6183]

Great headlines, but requires police not cameras to be on the roads.

I understand that the intention is that it will be enforced by patrol cars not cameras, next we will hear is that not enough will be caught I expect.

I would imagine that a reduction in lane hogging would lead to a reduction in tailgating.

 

[Stratman]

If they want a real deterrent to mobile phone use they should also confiscate the phone there and then.

 

[Lxb3]

maybe the "highways agency" police will be administering these fines on motorways? I've never worked out what they do apart from drive large 4x4's and shepherd traffic at incidents until the real police come along.

Highways Agency are very separate to police - but you've pretty much hit the nail on the head about what their Traffic Officers do, they shepherd traffic at incidents and remove the bricks / glass / animal carcasses / broken down cars (if they can be dragged with a 4x4 and if there was no criminality or serious injuries) until Police have done their bit, if they are needed. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to have much more highly-paid, highly-trained police doing these less glamorous tasks? I'd rather have them out there nicking members of the Centre Lane Owners Group, or mobile-phone-using drivers, or people who think that car maintenance is optional...

If anyone wants to come along to our control centre in Godstone, which runs the southern half of the M25 and all the motorways and trunk roads down to the Coast as far as Dorset, just yell and I'll see if I can arrange something!

 

[meoldbangar]

The simple fact is
"Whats in it for the Police" eg how many brownie points do they get
Murder - every copper is there - full brownie points
Dented car -my dear old Mum's house broken into - NO points
Don't blame the Police -its the goverment putting a points count on it

Told this by a close family friend who is high up in the ranks after my Mum's house was broken into (whilst she was watching the TV)

 

[Rashman]

What gets me is how beaten up the 1st lane usually is.

I'd happily use the 1st lane more if it wasn't so beaten up.

So what would be nice is if they actually sorted this out so people would be even more inclined to use the 1st lane.

They damn well make sure we get our cars MOT'd every year to make sure our cars are road-worthy, so why don't they make damn sure the roads are car-worthy?!

 

[sjmaxwell]

I suppose the simple fact is we drive on the left in this country and it is annoying that the inside lane is rutted to hell by foreign lorries who pay nothing towards our road repairs but lane hogging is a real pain when you have to manoeuvre across three lanes to get round the guy cruising at 69 miles per hour in the middle lane

 

[moff]

It's just not complex is it.

Highway Code clearly states keep left if not overtaking.

The middle lane is an overtaking lane and the outside lane is an overtaking lane.

It's exacerbated on 4 lane roads too and by the idiot road vigilantes who think it wise to try and govern the speed of other vehicles by maintaining a constant 70mph and not allowing others past.

Many think the 1st lane is for trucks and the middle for everyone else and the outside for overtaking :banghead:

Driving too close is shocking too.

I openly admit to doing the odd undertake through sheer frustration and after always giving a lot of patience first. In nearly all cases I make sure that there is a whole of free space. But, if they drove correctly there would be no need, the road would move smoother and there 'should' be fewer accidents.

 

[Dieselman]

What gets me is how beaten up the 1st lane usually is.

I'd happily use the 1st lane more if it wasn't so beaten up.

So what would be nice is if they actually sorted this out so people would be even more inclined to use the 1st lane.

They damn well make sure we get our cars MOT'd every year to make sure our cars are road-worthy, so why don't they make damn sure the roads are car-worthy?!

I suppose the simple fact is we drive on the left in this country and it is annoying that the inside lane is rutted to hell by foreign lorries who pay nothing towards our road repairs but lane hogging is a real pain when you have to manoeuvre across three lanes to get round the guy cruising at 69 miles per hour in the middle lane

Rubbish. There are very few cases of the left lane being in a noticeably different state of repair tot eh others.

Of course, it's all the Johnny foreigners fault.

Daily Wail, anyone?

 

[Rashman]

Rubbish. There are very few cases of the left lane being in a noticeably different state of repair tot eh others.

Of course, it's all the Johnny foreigners fault.

Daily Wail, anyone?

Lol, hey Will

Mate, the 1st lane is pretty beaten up on a lot of stretches of the M25, M20 & M2.

 

[sjmaxwell]

Rubbish. There are very few cases of the left lane being in a noticeably different state of repair tot eh others.

Of course, it's all the Johnny foreigners fault.

Daily Wail, anyone?

Try some sections of the M2!

And don't get Rash started on the state of the inner lane in the M25 Clackets road works

My main point was the fact that when you do drive on the left you are forced to cross the lanes to overtake the middle lane hogg who won't move over for no one - well they might now or be fined for the privilege. However, I see it as a judgement call on what is tailgating, anyone have the legal definition to hand?

 

[sspeed]

Fast lane?

They made ships there didn't they ?

 

[brucemillar]

Highways Agency are very separate to police - but you've pretty much hit the nail on the head about what their Traffic Officers do, they shepherd traffic at incidents and remove the bricks / glass / animal carcasses / broken down cars (if they can be dragged with a 4x4 and if there was no criminality or serious injuries) until Police have done their bit, if they are needed. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to have much more highly-paid, highly-trained police doing these less glamorous tasks? I'd rather have them out there nicking members of the Centre Lane Owners Group, or mobile-phone-using drivers, or people who think that car maintenance is optional...

If anyone wants to come along to our control centre in Godstone, which runs the southern half of the M25 and all the motorways and trunk roads down to the Coast as far as Dorset, just yell and I'll see if I can arrange something!

When I had a bad accident (rear ended by a 40ton artic) on he M1. The HATO's were brilliant. One lady officer in particular looking after me and calling my wife.

It left me with a great deal of respect for them and their work.

I would like a look round your operations center if the offer is still open.

Bruce

 

[sjmaxwell]

Sounds like a different sort of GTG. I'd be interested

 

[W2--]

The police on the m25 alone can rank in £millions in no time!

 

[Niks]

I can see the benefits of this working on very few of the motorways somewhere in the UK, but i just dont see how its going to work on the M1, M69, M25 and M23.

Last time I noticed, these motorways are pretty much full of lorries doing 55-60mph on the inside lane. Naturally that'll push people into the middle lane doing 70mph.. so whats this going to change? Also, when these lorries decide to overtake each other at 60mph in the middle lane, then what? lol.

I think theres going to be a lot of confused and ****** off people out there. Might sound good in theory, but in the real world.. just dont see it working.

 

[Stratman]

I can see the benefits of this working on very few of the motorways somewhere in the UK, but i just dont see how its going to work on the M1, M69, M25 and M23.

Last time I noticed, these motorways are pretty much full of lorries doing 40 mph on the inside lane. Naturally that'll push people into the middle lane doing 70mph.. so whats this going to change? Also, when these lorries decide to overtake each other at 40.00001 mph in the middle lane, then what? lol.

I think theres going to be a lot of confused and ****** off people out there. Might sound good in theory, but in the real world.. just dont see it working.

Edited for accuracy

 

[E55BOF]

There was a letter in the Telegraph today from somebody who drives at "exactly 70 mph in the middle lane", whose attitude is that anybody who wants to get past him must be speeding, so they can join the other speeders in the outside lane.

If he ever gets pulled, I do hope he puts his point of view to the officers. They quite like putting a little rain in the lives of smug tw4ts once in a while....

Personally, in light traffic I often drive in the middle, or even the outside, lane if I find myself there after passing another car and there is no reason to change lanes. I keep an eye on the mirrors, though, and the possibility of holding up another driver is a reason to move over.

E55BOF

 

[Clkrichard]

There was a letter in the Telegraph today from somebody who drives at "exactly 70 mph in the middle lane", whose attitude is that anybody who wants to get past him must be speeding, so they can join the other speeders in the outside lane.

If he ever gets pulled, I do hope he puts his point of view to the officers. They quite like putting a little rain in the lives of smug tw4ts once in a while....

Personally, in light traffic I often drive in the middle, or even the outside, lane if I find myself there after passing another car and there is no reason to change lanes. I keep an eye on the mirrors, though, and the possibility of holding up another driver is a reason to move over.

E55BOF

" no reason to change lanes " ? How about because you could and because its what the Highway Code expects of you ? If you did you could spend more time watching where you are going instead of looking in your mirrors for faster vehicles you might be obstructing !

 

[neilrr]

Just drove about 30 miles from the beginning of the M4 heading W. & I must say lane disciple is MUCH better than it was a week or so ago. Admittedly a quite time on the M'way but even so the vast majority were moving into the L. lane after overtaking & the middle & R. hand lane were empty for miles.

Only saw one hardcore middle lane hog who despite being flashed a couple of times persisted in driving in the middle lane while the L. hand lane was empty. This ****ing idiot's action caused the only bottleneck & jam on the whole journey.

 

[Sp!ke]

I'd put money on it that the middle laners "doing 70" and suggesting that no one can legally overtake them are in reality hovering around an *indicated* 70 and are actually travelling between 62 and 65 mph true speed

They create a rolling road block forcing all but heavy goods into lane 3 and effectively reducing a 3 lane carriageway into single lane.

I spent last week driving through France and the motorway lane discipline was so much improved over what we have in the UK.

I also think that the rules they have preventing HGVs from overtaking apart from in designated and signed sections makes a great deal of sense. So often our uk motorways have lanes 1 and 2 dominated by trucks crawling past each other at a snails pace.