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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's ok to want to travel at 70mph on the motorway...

459 replies

JacquesHarlow · 12/08/2024 10:51

...or am I now completely unreasonable, and the Highway Code is irrelevant?

Hear me out if you will:

I have done a LOT of driving in the past two weeks. M1, A1, A23, M25, M40, M6, you name it.

I am middle aged, F, live in Surrey, for what any of that is worth. I am also it seems one of the stranger folk...in that when I join a motorway, I drive at 70mph on the dot. I also stay in the left lane until overtaking.

AIBU for doing this?

It seems so, judging by the habits of hundreds of road users I encountered, who come onto the motorway and automatically slide into lane 3 of 4, or lane 2 of 3. And sit there for absolutely ages, at around 60 mph.

I kid you not, 60mph.

It's maddening. I am driving at 70mph, in lane 1. It is clear in front of me.

Next to me is someone doing 60 mph. I know this because I am coming up on them quickly. I cannot however undertake them - this is against the Highway Code.

So I indicate, check it's clear, move out to lane 2 behind them. I then look to move to lane 3 to overtake.

Only I can't move over to lane 3, because there is someone doing 60 (or maybe less), right alongside them. Not overtaking, just cruising next to them in their own little lane.

So I indicate again, move out to lane 4. Where of course it takes me 30 seconds or so to overtake, at which point someone is barrelling down on me wanting to do 80mph in their private fast lane. (I'm fine with this, I assert my right to overtake legally etc).

So that's three lane changes to overtake two cars who due to their speed (and the highway code's rules) should be sitting in lane 1.

Why do people do this?

I notice that when I've brought this up years ago on here, or when I've spoken to folk in real life, people often say

"It's more dangerous to do all that 'weaving about' than stay in a lane"
"I'm not going to get trapped in a lorry sandwich"
"People join constantly on motorways and I don't want to have to move over"

OK, great.

So you're going to make me change three lanes, just because you want your own little personal bubble on the motorway, and are happy to be a rolling roadblock?

I think middle lane hoggers are not only selfish, but actually dangerous.

But AIBU?

OP posts:
Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:46

And indicators, seem to be optional to use them these days!

butterbeansauce · 12/08/2024 13:45

PotatoLeopard · 12/08/2024 11:28

I think the conclusion we can come to is that many people can’t drive, and that many people are afraid of some elements of driving- particularly changing lanes whether that is to merge, allow people to merge or to overtake.
It also happens more often than it used to with people going right at roundabouts. When I learned to drive I was taught to enter in the right hand lane then move over to the left when I had passed the exit before the one I want to take. It seems more and more people go all the way in the left hand lane.
Can you tell I drive a lot?😂

I think part of the reason for this is that people are very selfish at letting you in even on roundabouts. I'm not sure if it's because they're not paying attention but at least on a few occasions I've had people to my left speeding up so I can't get into the left hand lane to exit the roundabout.

Another bugbear is that when you have an obstruction in front of you like a broken down car, the people behind you will rush to get into the left hand lane blocking your exit and stopping you moving. Just selfish.

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:45

I take issue with this. The 70 limit is arbitrary number. In many countries the limit is just over 80 mph. Are the drivers driving at the limit in those countries driving dangerously too?

What relevance is the limit in other countries?

Likewhatever · 12/08/2024 13:44

Motorway driving is a different skill and a lot of people do struggle with it. They make up their own rules as this thread demonstrates.
Don’t get me started on towing vehicles, who never, never stick to their 60mph limit.

DeclansAFeckingDream · 12/08/2024 13:44

Reading this thread, it's obvious that some people really don't have a clue how to drive on a motorway.

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:43

The standard of driving on the M25 is truly appalling.

Im convinced half haven’t got a license.

olderbutwiser · 12/08/2024 13:42

One of my happiest M25 memories is driving round it in the height of lockdown with just one other car in sight driving the other way round.

Correction, my ONLY happy memory of driving on the M25.

The standard of driving on the M25 is truly appalling.

OpizpuHeuvHiyo · 12/08/2024 13:42

4 times now on this thread different people have asserted that this "isn't covered in the test or driving lessons". It is. I passed my test in 1994 before the written Theory Test was introduced and all you had to do was answer a number of random questions about the Highway Code during your main test which could be absolutely anything from the book, I remember revising motorway stopping distances and remembering that you aren't allowed to call lane 1 the slow lane and should always be in the leftmost lane. Surely the content of the computerised test doesn't restrict questions to a smaller subset of the rules does it?

Porridgeislife · 12/08/2024 13:42

focacciamuffin · 12/08/2024 12:39

This is a worringly clueless post. I mean yes, people travelling at 80/90 are definitely driving dangerously

I take issue with this. The 70 limit is arbitrary number. In many countries the limit is just over 80 mph. Are the drivers driving at the limit in those countries driving dangerously too?

Speed is determined around road conditions. Road design isn’t identical between countries (age of road, local safety standards), so what is safe on one country’s motorway isn’t necessarily safe in another.

Ansjovis · 12/08/2024 13:42

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:35

I find most people fly past me when I’m doing 70!

Same. The amount of people who come up behind me when I'm doing 70 and actively overtaking a lorry and think it is acceptable to tailgate and flash at me is far greater than the number of drivers I've encountered doing 60 in the middle lane. Yes I see a few but nowhere near as many as the former scenario. And I drive on the motorway at least three times per week.

Ting20161987 · 12/08/2024 13:41

You can undertake them if you are doing the legal limit. My father is a police officer and this is what he has told me, you are driving legally.

julesagain · 12/08/2024 13:41

Just wanted to back up what others are saying about undertaking. It's absolutely fine so long as you not changed speed or direction to do it. Overtaking on an inside lane Is not legal, but that is where speed and direction is changed to carry out. I bloody love undertaking and will often give a wave or a smile at the idiots on my outside. Oh, and I drive professionally for a living.

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:40

I see as many people in the fast lane as I do the middle 🤷🏻‍♀️

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:39

Going on the m25 does my head in thanks to all the middle lane hoggers. Whilst it's now illegal it's not been enough to stop it! How often do people actually get done for it? I'm guessing rarely judging by the amount of people still doing it. I regularly just go past on the inside lane now. Some people get the hint and move over, most just carry on oblivious.

I always thought the M25 was the exception as every lane is normally chockablock so there isn’t space for much movement.

Isittimeformynapyet · 12/08/2024 13:38

Seeline · 12/08/2024 11:26

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.

Where lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds - seems to be the fundamental part of that exception though.
Fine to do when traffic is congested and all lanes are moving at around 40-50 and then one lane speds up for a moment so of course you overtake cars on your right.

It does not mean when the motorway is clearer and you are bombing down the inside lane at 70 and someone is sitting in the middle lane doing 50.

Calling 70mph "bombing" drips with self-righteous disapproval and suggests that you might be one of the people hogging lane 2 at 60.

If so, learn from this thread that you are 100% in the wrong and you should change your attitude.

Porridgeislife · 12/08/2024 13:38

Getitwright · 12/08/2024 12:48

I’d add the only time it’s ok to go past in the left lane is if traffic is crawling along, but speeding past is asking for a body bag! UK drivers are taught to check right when moving to overtake in flowing traffic.

You should shoulder check in both directions. Absolutely no one should move left without checking their side mirror and over their shoulder.

sunseekersunite · 12/08/2024 13:38

GeraniumLeaves · 12/08/2024 12:59

As always with these threads, I wonder where people are driving that they are able to spend much time in the inside lane doing more than 60! My motorway experience is that the inside lane has an almost constant stream of vehicles going at around 55-60 and I end up spending the vast majority of my time on the other lanes, whether overtaking the slow inside lane in the middle or moving out to overtake the 60 middle lane drivers mentioned in the op.

I find all of it infuriating.

80mph limit but rigidly enforced would also be my preference. None of this 70mph with a wishy washy tolerance.

Was on the motorway over the weekend. The inside lane clear for at least a mile with the 57-60mph crew clogging up the next lane. Maddening.

RosesAndHellebores · 12/08/2024 13:38

The last time I used the M1/M25 I'd have been thrilled to get up to 60mph for more than ten minutes. Of all UK roads I find the M11 most populated with silly driving.

It is so much better in France although on the whole there are fewer cars and better roads.

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:38

The reason so many sit in the middle lane (although I see very few doing 60 there) is because many can’t be bothered to weave in and out of the inner lane to overtake lorries etc.

LlamaNoDrama · 12/08/2024 13:37

Going on the m25 does my head in thanks to all the middle lane hoggers. Whilst it's now illegal it's not been enough to stop it! How often do people actually get done for it? I'm guessing rarely judging by the amount of people still doing it. I regularly just go past on the inside lane now. Some people get the hint and move over, most just carry on oblivious.

Porridgeislife · 12/08/2024 13:36

runrabbitruns · 12/08/2024 12:41

I see the opposite. People driving at 80 or 90 getting annoyed at me for driving 70. Particularly on the M25.

Always male, always German cars. Make of that what you will.

I’m genuinely surprised you can get to 70mph on the M25. The NW quadrant crawls along at 50 ish most hours of the working day.

Warmfeet · 12/08/2024 13:36

Martha877 · 12/08/2024 12:23

🙄

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Why the rolling eyes, Martha? I do a huge amount of motorway driving, lots of it on quieter motorways, and I will happily sit at 70 and weave in and out of traffic as required. I don't a refusal to put myself at risk is unreasonable.

Nanana1 · 12/08/2024 13:35

I find most people fly past me when I’m doing 70!

DivergentTris · 12/08/2024 13:34

Honestlynotsure · 12/08/2024 11:16

Hahaha what you've quoted agrees exactly what with I've said! Have you even read it?? This thread is hilarious.

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This rule is saying what the traffic cop actually said!!!!

It is worrying that people cant see this and they are driving on the road believing they are right when clearly they are not!