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

You have not driven on M62 and M606. It is the slowest motorway in the country(Source: RAC and AA) but also the most dangerous motorway!

Surely it's the process of passing a car on the inside that is dangerous (and so illegal)?

It's not illegal though. It might be if the manoeuvre is carried out in a careless or dangerous fashion – such as weaving in and out of traffic, or accelerating excessively – but the actual act of passing someone on the left is not de facto illegal.

In @JacquesHarlow's scenario as described in the OP, I don't think there is anything whatsoever about it that is careless or dangerous.

Yes, I really think they need to be giving fines for middle lane hogging. I do a lot of driving up and down the country and it seems to be particularly bad on the motorways around London/Hertfordshire and Bradford. There's also been times with men hogging a middle lane plodding along at 50mph and I take over doing 70, then they immediately speed up to overtake me and then slow back down to 50.

I drive at 70 in Lane 1 (the inside lane)

But if I were to drive at 70 in lane 3 ( furtherest to the right) it is only a problem, or annoying to people who are exceeding the speed limit. It is not wrong to drive 70 in the fast lane. You may think that it is, but the UK legal system would disagree...

At this point I can only assume that you are a male German car owner who likes to exceed the maximum speed limit and then tell other drivers who drive within the speed limit that they are wrong to do so ?

The mind boggles at the entitlement of some drivers....

@whatdoidonowffs of course then in that exact situation they have to stay behind or undertake- but the Highway Code states they shouldn't do it. It reality they will.

Luckily for us folk in cars we don't have limiters so can overtakes

We travelled to London from Lancashire and back this weekend. So many do this. We actually witnessed police overtaking the middle lane hoggers and were infuriated they didn’t do anything.

Surely the safer choice in that scenario is to use the second option and to slow down a bit and pass them gradually in your same lane.

So by those rules every hgv that’s limited to 56 mph and can’t go in the outside lane has to sit behind the middle lane hogger doing 50mph ?

I just come o here to say that I travel a lot on the M25, M20, M23, M1 & M3 and I would love to be able to drive at 70 !!

Not only is there so much traffic almost all motorways at the moment are being "upgraded" and are restricted to 50mph

I love in Surrey OP and frequently drove on the M3, M25, A331, A3, hogs back etc etc.

So many middle lane hoggers. And I'll probably get flamed for this but nearly every middle lane hogger I see on my daily commutes are old, driving some variety of a Honda jazz. Sat about 2 inches from the windscreen clutching the steering wheel with dear life, refusing to get over pootling along in lane 2 at 60mph. Causing people to undertake, or over take increasing the traffic in lanes 2 and 1.

My biggest bug bear.

But as a Surrey driver, probably using the same roads as you, YADNBU!!

Don't be ridiculous, so you never check your blin̈d spots before making a manoeuvre??? Taking one hand off the steering wheel to shrug at someone is not going to cause an accident....because clearly if I am undertaking, the road in front is clear....

If it's ok to undertake because you're going faster than the car on your outside, then why would it be illegal to change lanes in order to do so?

Surely it's the process of passing a car on the inside that is dangerous (and so illegal)?

Congested traffic is the exception because the speed of both lanes is constantly changing and it is safer for everyone to stay in their lane in these conditions.

Middle lane hoggers should all get tickets and be reeducated imo. Their numbers have exploded recently. Fine go at 60 but stay in the right lane.

One thing that is highlighted on all Mumsnet motorway threads is how many people are too scared to change lanes and think that changing lanes in somehow dangerous. They won't move over to let someone on, won't overtake (but will happily undertake and don't see how that may be dangerous) etc.

Of course you should keep left, but there are 3 lanes for a reason and there's no reason not to use all of them when needed.

Have none of you heard of the BMW EV club - they realise by going about 60mph they don't need to stop and charge making their overall journey quicker

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.

Read above. 'Do not overtake on the left OR move to a lane on the left to overtake'

It's not rocket science.

I drive on the M25 and M1 most weeks and agree, there is a lot of very bad driving. Countless people sitting in middle lanes when they don’t need to.

But, obviously dont middle lane hog at a slower speed, and best not go so slowly you're impeding hgvs so they have to slooowly overtake you.

Some vehicles can’t go as fast as 70 either due to their age or because they have a speed-limiter installed. If a person can choose to drive a slow vehicle, can’t they also choose to drive a faster vehicle at 55 to 60 mph?

Of course they can. Some posters are making up the rules, or defining 'conventions' others don't agree with😂

lots of people were driving slower than 70 when fuel prices peaked!

You do realise a speed limit isn’t a goal?

my car drives best about 60-65 so generally that’s what I do. It’s most economical for the car and if someone wants to go faster they are free to over take. I do go faster at times quite happily, it’s nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with knowing my car and not feeling the need to race everywhere

In the grand scheme of things how much longer does your journey take? Enjoy the drive and don’t let other drivers stress you out.

Unless you drive a HGV or 50 year old car which can't cruise at 70mph, why do you prefer to get to your destination slower and hold other people up, exactly?

DH often drives at about 62 which is the optimum for fuel economy for his car. It doesn't 'hold anyone up' because he knows how to drive.

Unless you drive a HGV or 50 year old car which can't cruise at 70mph, why do you prefer to get to your destination slower and hold other people up, exactly?

I bet you are the type of person who drives at 40mph on minor roads regardless of the limit and conditions.

Not defending them but I imagine more are caused by people who take both hands off the wheel and don’t look where they are going.

If a police officer spots you hogging the middle lane, you'd better watch out, as they are entitled to give you £100 on the spot fine and 3 points on your licence!!