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Original poster

Why can SO many people not drive properly on the motorway?

296 replies

londongirl993 · 12/08/2021 19:22

I don’t know why this annoys me SO much, but the amount of middle lane / third lane hoggers on motorways is actually getting ridiculous. There needs to be some sort of surveillance / fines for poor (and v.dangerous) motorway driving because it is getting so much worse!

There is literally no point having 4 lane motorways because nobody drives in the slow lane, or even the second lane. No point having 3 lane motorways either really because they are basically just 2 lanes of traffic.

It’s not only hugely frustrating for those who actually follow the Highway Code (like me), but also disrupts the traffic flow so much. And it’s so dangerous!! I honestly believe that if everybody / 90% of drivers actually drove on motorways like you were supposed to, traffic would flow so much better.

Okay, rant over. Anyone else agree with me? Can anyone give me an insight as to why people just don’t drive properly on the motorway?

OP posts:
sanityisamyth · 13/08/2021 17:56

@Comedycook

Some motorways DO have four or 5 lanes! The arseholes in the outer lanes who stay there are just as bad as middle lane drivers, especially if they're dawdling along and there is no way of getting around them

Yes this is my confusion. I see people drive the entire time in the right hand lane sometimes

Usually Audi or BMW drivers. small penis syndrome

NoWordForFluffy · 13/08/2021 17:58

Oops, didn't look for slip roads. Hard enough to find a sodding photo which showed what I wanted! 😂🤣 #failstohelpmatters WineGin

MurielSpriggs · 13/08/2021 17:58

@NoWordForFluffy

Oops, didn't look for slip roads. Hard enough to find a sodding photo which showed what I wanted! 😂🤣 #failstohelpmatters WineGin
I thought it was very helpful!

Interested in this thread?

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Driving & parking
BlowDryRat · 13/08/2021 17:58

I don't bother moving to the inside lane if I can see that I'm going to catch up to a lorry / slow car. This probably makes me an annoying rule breaker. I never go at less than 70 unless there's heavy traffic or a variable speed limit though so I'm only getting in someone else's way if they're speeding.

I also undertake quite regularly when people are tootling along at 60 and causing a queue. I don't understand why this isn't allowed here when it is in other countries. I was behind someone the other day doing 60 in the outside lane, causing a wall of cars to wait for them to move over. I undertook them, everyone behind me did the same and on we went, leaving the idiot far behind. So shoot me.

icedcoffees · 13/08/2021 17:59

[quote Comedycook]@NoWordForFluffy. Yes I understand that but theoretically you could then need four lanes of five. Plus some dual carriageways are 70mph yet two lanes. Plus I rarely see people in the fast lane move over back left[/quote]
Many countries have motorways or freeways with 4/5/6 lanes.

You just adapt your driving to the number of lanes lol.

NoWordForFluffy · 13/08/2021 18:02

Just keep bloody left no matter how many lanes there are! (Unless that's a lane which heads off the motorway, and you don't intend to exit. Then move over.)

sanityisamyth · 13/08/2021 18:12

@BlowDryRat

I don't bother moving to the inside lane if I can see that I'm going to catch up to a lorry / slow car. This probably makes me an annoying rule breaker. I never go at less than 70 unless there's heavy traffic or a variable speed limit though so I'm only getting in someone else's way if they're speeding.

I also undertake quite regularly when people are tootling along at 60 and causing a queue. I don't understand why this isn't allowed here when it is in other countries. I was behind someone the other day doing 60 in the outside lane, causing a wall of cars to wait for them to move over. I undertook them, everyone behind me did the same and on we went, leaving the idiot far behind. So shoot me.

It's dangerous because it's not common practise to look over your left shoulder as you're pulling back over to the inside lanes as you wouldn't expect a car to be travelling up the inside of you. I always double check for poor drivers like you just in case someone is undertaking, but I am NEVER a middle lane driver as they annoy me so much. I make a point of pulling out to the outside and all the way back to lane 1 to overtake thick and dangerous middle lane drivers. Some of them get the message and pull over. Some of them are so self absorbed that they carry on their merry way of clogging up an entire motorway.

ineedsun · 13/08/2021 18:12

[quote Comedycook]@NoWordForFluffy. Yes I understand that but theoretically you could then need four lanes of five. Plus some dual carriageways are 70mph yet two lanes. Plus I rarely see people in the fast lane move over back left[/quote]
This is going to blow your mind - some motorways have 4 or 5 lanes, most dual carriageways are 70mph and have the same rules in terms of keeping left and those people are as twattish as middle lane hogs.

Comedycook · 13/08/2021 18:16

@NoWordForFluffy

Just keep bloody left no matter how many lanes there are! (Unless that's a lane which heads off the motorway, and you don't intend to exit. Then move over.)
Yes exactly. That's my point!
NoWordForFluffy · 13/08/2021 18:19

Really? What's all the nonsense about why are there more than 2 lanes then?!

Blossomtoes · 13/08/2021 18:20

@NeonJellyBaby

I’d imagine it’s because those of us who learned before 2018 were never taught how to to drive on the motorway properly. We were just expected to get on with it once we passed our tests.
I passed my test in 1991. I can read the Highway Code which explains in detail how to drive on a motorway.
Comedycook · 13/08/2021 18:20

@NoWordForFluffy

Really? What's all the nonsense about why are there more than 2 lanes then?!
Because if everyone stuck to the rules you wouldn't need a third lane
sanityisamyth · 13/08/2021 18:20

@Comedycook what's your point? You seemed clueless on how a motorway worked an hour ago!

sanityisamyth · 13/08/2021 18:21

@Comedycook how are you back to asking the same question that was answered in great detail earlier?!

Comedycook · 13/08/2021 18:21

[quote sanityisamyth]@Comedycook what's your point? You seemed clueless on how a motorway worked an hour ago![/quote]
No I've always known that but it makes no sense to see drivers remain in the right hand lane if they were sticking to the rules

sanityisamyth · 13/08/2021 18:22

@Comedycook because they're twats, like middle lane drivers.

Blossomtoes · 13/08/2021 18:23

Because if everyone stuck to the rules you wouldn't need a third lane

Of course you would. Sheer volume of traffic demands more than two lanes, particularly where people are entering the motorway.

icedcoffees · 13/08/2021 18:24

Because if everyone stuck to the rules you wouldn't need a third lane

You need three lanes to help ease the flow of traffic.

Mrsmorton · 13/08/2021 18:40

@Comedycook Please tell me you aren't a teacher and you don't have a driving licence [mutters off in despair].

newnortherner111 · 13/08/2021 18:44

To offer an opinion and agree with the sentiment of the OP. There is a total double standard when it comes to car drivers, who are judged totally differently from any other activity. We have an offence of death by dangerous driving, instead of charging the offender with manslaughter, for example.

Mischance · 13/08/2021 18:56

Let's face it, nobody drives well on a motorway - there is always someone who disagrees with what other drivers are doing (too fast/too slow/wrong lane).

I disagree with people exceeding the speed limit; but there are many who assume you can add 10% or more and still be within the law - they are wrong. How often do you drive down a motorways where everyone stays within the speed limit? The speeding drivers can always find some way of justifying their actions. My hospital experience tells me that speed kills. The limits are there for a reason, but are generally ignored.

People exceeding the speed limit come in for less approbation than those driving less fast - why might this be?

I hate motorways:

  • because people exceed the speed limit all the time
  • because entry points are very high risk places (in France there is a ban on overtaking a certain distance from entry points - makes sense to me)
  • because people are bad-tempered on motorways and therefore drive badly with impaired judgement
  • because normal human courtesy goes out of the window once people are speeding along
  • because "smart" motorways with no hard shoulder to escape onto are death traps
  • because motorways are carrying far more traffic than they were originally intended for
Mischance · 13/08/2021 18:57

newnortherner111 - I agree with your sentiment.

BertieBotts · 13/08/2021 19:28

If you're going to overtake another car immediately then it's fine to stay in the middle or further right lane. That's not lane hogging, that's how it works correctly. You should move back over when there's a substantial gap, not after every single vehicle that you overtake.

Therefore it's quite possible when the left lane is busy that you may stay in the middle lane for quite some time. That's not the same thing as sticking to the middle lane because you think that's the one to drive at 70 in or because you're worried you might need to get out of the way of people joining.

That's why you need a third lane so that people can overtake cars in the middle lane. On busy motorways it's not unlikely to end up with a whole line of cars in the middle lane which means the third ends up being used for overtaking and even the fourth.

Nobody is saying never drive in the middle lane ever, or sandwich yourself between lorries or constantly jump in and out. They are just saying that if there is a substantial gap on the left, move back over to make space for anyone going faster than you.

snowballer · 13/08/2021 22:32

I'm also not clear why sitting in the middle lane is dangerous (assuming not doing 40mph in a 70 limit). Annoying, yes. But not dangerous, unlike undertaking which is very dangerous.

The lack of awareness in this is astounding! If you weren't middle lane hogging, no one would be undertaking you in a "very dangerous" way. You're literally causing that dangerous behaviour by pootling along in the middle lane with - one assumes if cars are undertaking - a clear road ahead in your left lane 🤦‍♀️

MrsAvocet · 13/08/2021 22:49

Well we had an experience this evening which puts poor lane discipline well down the list of stupid things people do on the motorway. We turned onto the sliproad to enter the M6 only to find a car driving up the sliproad towards us. I have no idea how it can have happened as the next junction is a long way and nobody could possibly have driven that far the wrong way without being stopped or killed. I'm very relieved that DH was driving as I was seriously injured in an acvident a few years ago when I was hit head on by a car on the wrong side of the road and it really freaked me out. In fact I thought it might have been some kind of hallucination or flashback it was so unbelievable. But everyone else in the car saw it too so it must have been real.
The standard of motorway driving in this country does often leave something to be desired, but this is the scariest/stupidest thing I've experienced for a long time.