Worrying Trend

[kelvyn]

I'm sure it's not my imagination but there seems to be a worrying amount of drivers using lane 3 on 3 lane motorways while towing some kind of trailer.
This morning on the M1 a young(ish) looking lad towing a bike trailer with bike pulled out into lane 3 as I was about to overtake him. Yesterday on the M3 we were passed by someone towing a yaught, last monday on the M1 I was passed by a Toureg with a car on a car trailer, the week before that I had to slow to 60 while I waited for a builders van towing what I think was an air compressor to overtake a couple of lorries.
Now I might not be the best driver in the country but I'm pretty sure you are not supposed to tow anything at over 60mph and you are definately not allowed in lane 3 (or have I been wrong all these years?)

 

[davidjpowell]

You are right, and they will learn the errors of their ways eventually!

 

[A210AMG]

I see this and its stupid.

Modern cars can easily tow small trailers, boats, jet skis etc at well over 60mph problem is

1) Its against the law
2) The what if scenario...
3) People simply don't seem to give a monkeys.
4) I wonder if the trailers, brakes, wheels have ever been checked...


I tow our caravan and as sad as it may seem like sat in the inside lane 60mph max, cruise on and just watch everyone else rushing around.

Its a stupid thing to do and irresponsible.

 

[davidjpowell]

I like towing for just this. It's silly and very risky to speed. Far easier to just cruise along and it takes a bit of pressure from that decision - if I go another 5 MPH faster I can get there ten minutes sooner.

 

[kwakdonut]

I remember being overtaken on a motorway in the Pyrenees by a car towing a jet ski.

I was doing 90+ - this car was, I estimate doing 110mph! Trailer was bouncy and skipping merrily behind this car. I can only imagine with horror what might have happened.

As a footnote, I have seen many coaches (52 seat+) using lane 3 too. I also believe this is illegal!

 

[flango]

Yes this problem has definitely got worse I regularly see transit pick ups with trailers with road rollers, minin diggers etc using lane 3 on the M62 on my commute to work also coaches and even the odd HGV.

With the extensive camera network we have why are these people not prosecuted. As said on other threads the standard of lane discipline in this country is apalling.

 

[dchester]

Yes this problem has definitely got worse I regularly see transit pick ups with trailers with road rollers, minin diggers etc using lane 3 on the M62 on my commute to work also coaches and even the odd HGV.

With the extensive camera network we have why are these people not prosecuted. As said on other threads the standard of lane discipline in this country is apalling.

Unfortunately have to agree with you there, almost had some one swerve through me on the M1 this morning, having suddenly realised that the m62 goes off _there_ and not some point in the future .

D.

 

[kwakdonut]

As said on other threads the standard of lane discipline in this country is apalling.

It's not that good!

 

[Shude]

A couple of weeks ago I was stuck in some very slow traffic on the M6 going north through Lancashire. When I finally got to the incident I saw a truck at 45 degrees to the road, back end projecting out of the hard shoulder onto lane 1. As I passed the truck I saw what he was trying to do: a landrover discovery was seemingly hovering over the hard shoulder with his front end and wheels hanging out into lane one, his trailer (might have been a horse box or a caravan, couldn't easily tell from the underside!) on it's side and still attached on the other side of the barrier in a ditch!

 

[Baron_Samedi]

I reckon its due to everyone being such a hurry to be anywhere.

The number of times these days I round corners to find the oncoming vehicle with its offside in my lane is noticeably more than ever

 

[DJC013]

Have to agree with the previous posts, the standard of driving in the UK is now shocking !! I have just come back from 10 days visiting my parents in France, after just 10 minutes off the boat in Southampton i was undertaken on the M275 by a `knob` in a Civic Type R who tooted and waved his fist at me, and then nearly had the front wing taken off by a `Durkin` van who decided to just cut into my lane !! Regards Damian.

 

[Shude]

I have just come back from 10 days visiting my parents in France...

I hope you're not citing the "Frenchists" as the pinnacle of motoring discipline!

 

[Baron_Samedi]

No disrepect intended but I thought I had experienced random driving when in Turkey or Greece, but in recent years I find Turks and Greeks more courteous than drivers here....

At least in France you know what to expect!

 

[corned]

Regarding previous posts on coaches in lane 3, I believe PSVs have always been allowed in lane 3. They certainly used to be allowed a few years ago.

Trailers no, HGV no, PSV yes.

 

[davidjpowell]

Regarding previous posts on coaches in lane 3, I believe PSVs have always been allowed in lane 3. They certainly used to be allowed a few years ago.

Trailers no, HGV no, PSV yes.

Not for quite a few years now.

 

[BTB 500]

I suspect the majority are simply ignorant and have no idea of the law relating to towing.

As with many slow-driving 'middle lane morons', who don't realise that not all road users are allowed to use the empty outside lane to overtake them.

 

[kwakdonut]

From The Highway Code 2007 -


The right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes MUST NOT be used (except in prescribed circumstances) if you are driving

• Any vehicle drawing a trailer
• A goods vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, which is required to be fitted with a speed limiter
• A goods vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes
• A passenger vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes constructed or adapted to carry more than eight seated passengers in addition to the driver
• A passenger vehicle with a maximum laden weight not exceeding 7.5 tonnes which is constructed or adapted to carry more than eight seated passengers in addition to the driver, which is required to be fitted with a speed limiter

 

[kwakdonut]

I suspect the majority are simply ignorant and have no idea of the law relating to towing.

As with many slow-driving 'middle lane morons', who don't realise that not all road users are allowed to use the empty outside lane to overtake them.

Simple rule then - 'ignorance of the law is NO EXCUSE'.

Just because 'you didn't know' doesn't make it ok!

Totally agree with you though. When I passed my test in 88, I felt that we had some of the best driving skills in the world, now I feel the complete opposite.

There are simply too many vehicles on the roads in the UK with not enough continual education and, lastly, not enough traffic Police to control it all.

 

[Baron_Samedi]

I'd vote for you Kwakdonut!

I would ensure that there are more traffic wardens.

And enough traffic cops to ensure that "manners" on the road are kept up.

Spend some of the money on that rather than "safety" cameras....

 

[st13phil]

It's completely unsurprising that driving standards in general, and lane discipline in particular, have reached such dire levels in the UK when you consider how traf pol have been systematically replaced with cameras. I'm sorry, but cameras are hopeless at detecting bad driving and even worse at offering advice to drivers on how to improve - both things that traf pol can be very good at.

Most drivers do not undertake any form of formal training or assessment after they have taken their driving test. In the absence of a check mechanism that periodically measures them against a good standard (even a tug and a talking to by traf pol, for example) they judge their performance against those around them, and guess what? Bad practices are accepted as the norm because "everyone else is doing it", illegal activities become commonplace because so many people routinely do it "it must be OK", and standards continually fall. I had cause to drive around Milano on the A50 a couple of weeks ago and would honestly say that the driving standards shamed those on the M25. Yet Italian drivers are still stereotyped as the wreckless, undisciplined ones by the Brits - who should be taking a long hard look in the mirror, IMO.

The first prerequisite for improvement is for the UK authorities to recognise that their enforcement policies are actually making matters worse rather than better. As such, I hold out little hope of seeing much change for the better in the near future