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

YANBU Op, it drives me insane. If I can't manoeuvre past them, I will undertake and look at them going past and raise my hands to say WTAF. Shoot me, but its these clowns that cause accidents.

I'm NW also - do you reckon all these naff drivers on the M6 etc are on holiday from Cornwall, Norfolk/East Anglia, Wales etc..? that would explain a lot. Should they not have to travel on A and B roads once they get to Birmingham and leave us be? Or alternately take a concentrated motorway exam where they get shipped to a city with motorways for a day or 2?
I also notice a number of holiday makers most likely in hire cars, come from abroad and flown into Manchester airport heading to the lakes and these are more clueless than anybody!!
Some driving education is clearly awry somewhere and holiday makers from abroad should have basic competence tests before hiring cars, and the cars should only be allowed in lane 1 ever. Limited to 50 miles per hour and get stopped and the vehicle confiscated if they move out of lane 1.

The highway code mentions a steady cruising speed and does not give a limit - so why on a fairly empty motorway does someone come up close behind rather than going into a different lane.
If the motorway is busy then I will match the inside lane speed (which is still less than sixty) and not hold up traffic although smart motorway will have put up a 50 or 60 limit by that time

Obv some vehicles have restricted speed (that’s a given) but generally speaking, the convention is to drive at 70. If you’re pottering at 55, you’re preventing people from using the slow lane as their main lane as they have to dodge round you to continue on at a sensible pace.

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?

Doesn’t need to go to dragons den you can buy these already.

The rule is to 'make progress' (as my IAM instructor told me over and over!).

You drive at the speed limit. On motorways and dual carriageways, lane one is for driving in, the other lanes are for overtaking (unless directed otherwise). So, if it's a 70 limit, you drive at 70 - unless...blah, blah.

I think on the 'smart' motorways it's a bit different - by popular consent on some sections if traffic isn't too heavy people are mostly leaving lane 1 clear and then using 2, 3 and 4 as if they were 1,2 and 3. Which seems sane and sensible to me.

I'm not noticing too much egregious middle lane hogging round here recently except on stretches with 4 lanes where the idea of lane discipline seems to break down.

Re mot having motorway driving in the test - impractical in parts of the country, maybe whatever there is in the theory section needs beefing up?

That case is completely different. The guy changed lanes to "undertake" and changed his speed too! What people on here are saying IS allowable is to stay in your own lane and stay at the same speed. I'm not surprised the guy in the article got a fixed penalty notice for weaving between lanes when undertaking!

As far as I know, you go at 70 in the slow lane to keep the traffic flowing unless you have no choice because your stuck behind someone driving at 55.

I find a lot of motorway users ridiculously impatient and think if everyone gave themselves 15 minutes extra time driving would be a lot less stressful all round. I've made a few drivers extremely angry by moving over to let joining traffic from the sliproad enter the motorway.

@Chester23
You go past their blind spot on the right too. The driver in lane 2 should be checking mirrors. What if I matched there speed next to them, should they not look then either?

You should check your blind spot whenever you move lanes on a motorway but because drivers are seated on the right hand seat of their vehicles then blind spots are more of a problem to the rear left of your car than your rear right. Surely that's obvious. It's much, much worse for vans and trucks.
Again, surely that's obvious and surely you know that.

Add in the fact that drivers are much less likely to expect to be undertaken then that seems like a good enough reason not to ever undertake (unless in slow moving traffic where you are all moving with the traffic as described by previous posters)

Also undertaking (in most cases) goes against the Highway Code.

Middle lane hoggers are annoying and having to overtake them is annoying but I'd rather be annoyed than put myself and other drivers at risk.

I prefer to go at 55-60mph on the motorway but will hog the inside lane. Still got harassed by faster drivers even though lanes 2, 3 and 4 were completely empty

I’m North West too so I know exactly what you mean, it’s easy to take for granted just jumping on the Motorway even for short trips!

Yeah, fair point, I’m just spoiled in the north west - they’re everywhere!

It would be hard to make them a mandatory part of the test as there are large areas of the country which aren’t local to a motorway.

The M5 ends in Exeter and there is no Motorway West of there.

I always think this. Mine would be on the passenger side and as I go past it
would light up " who are YOU overtaking?"

https://www.driving.co.uk/news/the-wrongs-of-undertaking-does-being-branded-a-careless-driver-fit-the-crime/

Are motorways a mandatory part of the driving test? If not, why not? The number of people who are totally clueless about the use of lanes and getting on and off is bizarre (because it’s not that complicated).

And middle lane hoggers, I just don’t get it at all. I can’t actually get my head around what they’re thinking.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a light up rear display, so that once you are safely past you could give a bit of help…….😁

”Thanks for hogging the middle lane”

“Thanks for getting off your phone”

”Indicators can be a useful driving tool”

Another one for Dragons Den!

You go past their blind spot on the right too. The driver in lane 2 should be checking mirrors. What if I matched there speed next to them, should they not look then either?

I also use motorways every day. And notice same thing. I have noticed someone driving in lane 3 with 1 and 2 empty. I think its lazy driving so they don't have to change lanes but it's more dangerous to have to change extra to get round them, it also infuriates people which makes them make stupid decisions

People keep talking about the Highway Code, but a lot of the Highway Code is guidance not law. They advise against overtaking on the left because it is potentially unsafe (the driver to your right might not be aware of you), but it isn't de facto illegal.

To meet the threshold of illegality the driver performing the manoeuvre would have to be driving dangerously or carelessly. @JacquesHarlow sounds like she is in control of her vehicle, driving sensibly and within the speed limit. Highly unlikely she would be considered to be acting illegally.

Yanbu

At least 20% of drivers on motorways seem to have no clue what the rules are. Or why.

But you are undertaking, surely. In terms of, you're going past in their blind spot and they won't expect you to be there. Cue screechy noisy crash. Just because you're not switching back into the middle lane after going past doesn't make your manoeuvre safe.