Undertaking VS middle lane hogging

it’s not illegal to undertake.

Undertaking is not de facto illegal. You also have to be driving carelessly or dangerously to meet that criterion. I think in the image that @WatcherWatch posted the authorities would have a hard time proving she was.doing either.of those things...

If you are passing on the left, however, the onus is on you to keep a close eye on the traffic and be aware that others might pull over from the middle lane.

If I had a passenger in the car with a phone (or was the passenger), I would photograph every single car of those you refer to and report them to the police.

If you cannot use the left hand lane when it is available, you should be deemed as mentally unfit to drive and have a lengthy driving ban.

We should stop seeing having a driving licence as if it were a human right.

Yes agree they do seem to do that as soon as they get on!

It's so annoying that they block the middle lane, especially when there are lots of lorries and you can't get out for them sitting there!

I suppose a lot of people think it's more faff/hassle/dangerous to be pulling out to let traffic in, only to pull in again afterwards. Especially on long stretches of quiet roads.

A lot of it is purely psychological I imagine. A false sense of security, or easier driving. I don't know. People do all sorts of weird things and you can even study the way pedestrians move on pavements and the way drivers move on the roads. Studies have indeed been done. Human beings are odd and will often do things that seem obviously counterproductive.

The number of people who will (as pedestrians) turn a corner so tightly and then be shocked to their core when someone bumps into them is insane to me. If you turn the corner hugging the wall of whatever building is there, then you can't see who's coming. Then when the person round the corner is doing the same you're both going to collide aren't you?

I think human beings are just drawn to the path of least resistance even when it isn't actually the path of least resistance on a societal level. It seems easier for the individual to just cruise along in the middle of the motorway, but it's worse in the bigger picture.

@Spudthespanner it's always good to zone out while driving a metal killing machine at somewhere between 50-70mph. Why do they think it's ok?!

Anyone who wants to / expects to zone out while operating a car needs to have their licence permanently revoked and very possibly shoved somewhere painful! (Yes, I know you weren’t condoning what they’re doing)

People sit in the middle lane often during long distance driving because they want to just zone out. If you're in the left you have to be mindful of traffic entering the motorway coming into your lane and you have to be mindful of being spat out of the motorway if you suddenly find yourself in the lane that will force you onto an exit.

I'm not defending it, I'm just saying that's why it happens. It's people who just want to cruise along and zone out.

@sofski91 totally agree with you. I'd say that they weren't scared, and just lazy bastards tbf.

I HATE middle lane hoggers. They are my pet peeve. I tend to move into lane three then very obviously move quickly from lane 2 back into lane one in front of them. Sometimes that then makes them realise that they are in the incorrect lane and will move into lane one. Sometimes it doesn’t.
I don’t understand it either - the safest place to be is left, so that you can easily move into the hard shoulder if there’s a sudden problem. So I don’t understand why people petrified of motorway driving doing 50 sit in the middle lane with traffic coming in and out around them. Surely that’s the most dangerous place to be? If I was a nervous motorway driver I’d just sit in lane one behind a lorry doing 50

I actually nearly started a thread over Christmas asking when the police and traffic officers were going to sort this out! It's so fucking dangerous.

This time of year is the worst for this but every day is fucking awful. I drove Christmas Day and everyone was in lane 3 or 4 of the m1 doing either 50 or 70 and all getting in everyone's way. I stayed in lane one doing my typical 73 on cruise control. I got off as soon as I could as I can't stand the "I'm alright Jack" mode of driving where people think it's safer to stay there than move completely missing how everyone else is having to avoid them!

I always stay in my lane and then do a passive aggressive left indication hinting ag them to move over. Most don't fucking understand. Pisses me right off.

This.

Moving out to the right hand lanes to overtake is more dangerous imo.

I'll often pass on the inside if someone is hogging the middle lane and I am maintaining speed in the left lane. I set my speed limiter to 70 due to having been caught speeding before so I'm not exactly being a speed merchant. The only time I might hesitate is on a smart motorway with no hard shoulder as there is nowhere to go if the hogger decides to actually come back in.

I was referring to your interpretation of the screenshot you posted.

It’s only undertaking if you specifically move into the left hand lane (instead of the right) to pass a slower car.

if you are in the correct lane initially (left) & driving at the speed of the road you can stay in the left & pass cars on the right if your lane is moving as it’s keeping up with the flow of your lane. Whether it’s down to traffic build up in right hand lane/s or muppets hogging you can legally pass on the left if you were there to begin with so providing i didn’t need to go over the speed limit i’d have stayed in the left & passed them.

I'd stay where I was. If there's a whole extra lane between you, then I feel that that's fine.

Middle lane hoggers are a scourge where I am, and it's 3 lane motorway, often with lanes 2 and 3 jam packed and nothing in the lefthand lane at all. In this case, I also stay in the (clear!) left hand lane because there's no way to overtake, and going slower than the other two lanes just to avoid undertaking seems ridiculous. I figure I am proceeding with the traffic, and it's them that's in the wrong for not pulling over left when there was no-one to overtake.

@BurntBroccoli no that picture is unbelievably common on motorways now - if they were just pulling out to allow people to join why would they have pulled over to lane 3 rather than lane 2. You will literally see people join at a junction and immediately pull over into lane 2 of a 3 lane or lane 3 of a 4 lane. On the M4 now lane 3 is just a long line of people doing 60 mph.

Have the middle lane people not moved over to give room to people entering from the slip road? Though not sure why they would only be doing 60mph.

I'd probably stay in lane 1 and be aware they might try to pull back over.

I didn't need to interpret anything. The OP asked what others would do when faced with lane hoggers; that's a question - to which I, along with others, responded.

The only time I will undertake in the left-hand lane is in heavy traffic - and even then with caution.

Undertaking in lane one in normal traffic conditions is asking for trouble; those who choose to drive in the middle lane regardless of traffic conditions are often as unaware as they are dangerous, and usually the ones who fail to first check their nearside mirror if they do deign to move to lane one.

Liverpool52 · Today 19:06

I've done a fair amount of driving on the motorways at 3am/4am where you don't see another car for ages amd yet people still sit in lane 2 or 3 - join at a junction and immediately pull out into the next lane.

I know, it's barmy, isn't it?

Id undertake in this scenario. Not to go fast, but id certainly go at the usual speed.

I've done a fair amount of driving on the motorways at 3am/4am where you don't see another car for ages amd yet people still sit in lane 2 or 3 - join at a junction and immediately pull out into the next lane. Just why.

I feel your pain OP.

It's the new way of driving hog the 2 outside lanes while driving at 50mph.

The standard of motorway driving is horrendous and so dangerous now.

I do what you do.