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

[londongirl993]

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?

@turkeyboots yep I find the lorries aren't a fan of cars.

I drove a lot in France & the motorways are bliss.

@BareVanilla

I think as long as people do 70 in the second lane then what’s the problem? I did 2, 6 hour drives a couple of weeks ago and the left lane should be for vehicles who can’t do more than 50 or 60, horse boxes and lorries. It makes no sense zig zagging in and out of lanes every couple of minutes. When I get into the left lane knowing the car ahead is going slower I find myself then having to slow to their speed while I wait to get in the second lane. If all the second/middle lane drivers drove in left lane they wouldn’t get anywhere. I’d still be in the second lane overtaking for 6 hours.

You shouldn’t be driving on a motorway as you clearly have no idea how they work.

@BareVanilla as above it's not to do with the actual speed you are travelling, only the speed you are travelling relative to others. If you are travelling faster than the cars in the inside lane then you are overtaking them. If you are going the same speed as them (ie not gaining on them) then you should be moving back into the inside lane behind them.

Sometimes this means that you continue in the middle lane for a long time as you are continuing to overtake subsequent slower vehicles. You don't have to dash in and out in between each one. But what happens is people get in the middle lane and just stay there even when they're no longer overtaking.

Tbh it's the speeding on the motorway I find more annoying.

It makes no sense zig zagging in and out of lanes every couple of minutes.

You don't need to zig zag in & out. If you are going faster than the vehicles on your left & there is not loads of space you can continue to overtake. If there is space you should move in & go at your speed.

Well I drove very badly today and was aware of it, on the M25 as I was driving a route I didn't know and kept finding I needed to be in the right hand lane when I was stuck on the left ( or vice versus) and it was so freaking busy I kept getting stuck nearly missing exits as no bigger would let me out. So I stuck in the middle Lane. Mind you, didn't make much difference as all lanes were packed and going at the same speed anyway.

I hate the bloody M25, it's like every man/ womam for themselves .

I once saw all the overtaking on the M4 invert, with everyone undertaking into the middle and "slow" lanes in heavy rain and heavy traffic. It was absolute madness and so very dangerous.

You are so right!

@Mountaingoatling

You are so right!

Thank you.

Stay left unless overtaking has been the rule forever. So glad to see this thread.

But so frustrating to see one person who still thinks the motorway is 'different speed = different lane' despite being shown the rules. Stay in the left most lane unless overtaking. It's quite simple. Motion studies show it is absolutely the best way to reduce traffic, and safest way to plan fast road systems (totally understand the wish to undertake, but if everyone followed the rules there'd be no need). It's why all our junctions come in and out on the left. Unlike Australia where you can have junctions coming off on both sides!! Madness. So unsafe. You don't know which side of the road you need to be on for your junction, it's no wonder the traffic's appalling and people lane hog over there!

On the way up on the M6 it was just haunching with bellends that clearly thought changing lanes was a death defying stunt only to be attempted as a last resort.

The M6 is shocking. I absolutely detest it.

We tend to avoid it as much as possible due to so much being 'smart' (ha!) motorway now.

There are junctions on both sides of the M8 (I think it is) in Glasgow. It's baffling the first time you need a right hand exit! 🤣

@BonnesVacances

And people who overtake you on the inside and pull out into your stopping distance space. I've noticed this practice is increasing too.

If people undertake you on your left, you're in the wrong lane. You need to move over to the left, so they can overtake you correctly.

If people undertake you on your left, you're in the wrong lane. You need to move over to the left, so they can overtake you correctly.

I don't think there is any excuse for undertaking. If you are going faster then those in the lane to your right slow down & overtake correctly. Don't overtake on a motorway & be a defensive driver.

undertake!

@rottd

If people undertake you on your left, you're in the wrong lane. You need to move over to the left, so they can overtake you correctly.

I don't think there is any excuse for undertaking. If you are going faster then those in the lane to your right slow down & overtake correctly. Don't overtake on a motorway & be a defensive driver.

What happens when the person is in the right lane doing 65mph; with absolutely no traffic in the other two lanes, as I witnessed the other day?

Too right in undertaking in those situations I'm not sitting behind them until they decide to move

I have just been driving on the M25, at 8.30pm. The slow lane was empty except a few lorries. Second lane had hardly any vehicles in. Third lane full of cruisers going at 65mph. Every time one of the cruisers decided to overtake someone, by going into the fast lane, they disrupted the whole traffic flow because a) they don’t speed up when doing so, and b) all of the drivers in that lane have to slow down.

Then, I watched some people sit in the middle lane on the A3 with both the inside and outside lane empty. Did they move? No.

It’s honestly unbelievable and I am surprised this kind of driving is not dealt with more by the police / motorway traffic officers.

@rottd

If people undertake you on your left, you're in the wrong lane. You need to move over to the left, so they can overtake you correctly.

I don't think there is any excuse for undertaking. If you are going faster then those in the lane to your right slow down & overtake correctly. Don't overtake on a motorway & be a defensive driver.

There is no excuse for driving in the wrong lane, hogging it and completely disrupting ALL of the traffic flow.

@rottd

If people undertake you on your left, you're in the wrong lane. You need to move over to the left, so they can overtake you correctly.

I don't think there is any excuse for undertaking. If you are going faster then those in the lane to your right slow down & overtake correctly. Don't overtake on a motorway & be a defensive driver.

I do this, thanks.

What I was saying to previous poster is if she is finding people are undertaking a lot, she probs needs to move over to the left. Because if she was in the correct lane, people wouldn't have the opportunity to undertake.

I would go behind them at the correct distance & hope they get the message initially. I would be nervous undertaking a driver who had no self awareness & no other lane to move into.

I have witnessed numerous times where cars on the inside lane are going fast but a super car appears behind them & they all move out of the way. I have never seen anyone pootle along the motorway in the inside lane going slow but like I said the only empty motorways I use are in France.

@NoWordForFluffy

There are junctions on both sides of the M8 (I think it is) in Glasgow. It's baffling the first time you need a right hand exit! 🤣

Yep. It’s the only place I sometimes sit in a middle lane - because the right or left lane can suddenly just split off or the whole road divide without enough warning to cross four lanes to get where you need to be. It’s really not fun if you don’t do it often enough to know what’s coming.

There is no excuse for driving in the wrong lane, hogging it and completely disrupting ALL of the traffic flow.

where did I say there was?
my point was undertaking is dangerous, if you disagree that's your opinion.

I get a bit of a kick out of undertaking middle lane hoggers
I only ever do it when the motorways are quiet and sometimes when it feels more dangerous to move several lanes just to get around them.

I was never taught to drive on motorways (I passed in 2009) but it's just kind of obvious what you do! Keep left unless overtaking.
Maneuver, mirror, signal seems to be the way people drive nowadays!

Third lane full of cruisers going at 65mph. Every time one of the cruisers decided to overtake someone, by going into the fast lane, they disrupted the whole traffic flow because a) they don’t speed up when doing so, and b) all of the drivers in that lane have to slow down.

They must have sped up if they were doing 65mph in lane 3 & then were overtaking? Why was there so much traffic in lane 4, shouldn't they be moving to the left if it's clear?