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?

@rottd

Speed in and of itself is not negligent.

Speeding ie breaking the speed limit is inappropriate & negligent imo.

Not when deciding on liability / contrib. in a civil court it's not. Only inappropriate speed (too fast or too slow) is negligent.

I live close to the M5/M4 interchange and driving even a short stretch of it to do normal things like shopping, visiting gparents etc is rapidly becoming the most stressful thing in my week. Add in the holiday traffic and its becoming a no-go area. There are accidents and lane closures almost every day.

Main offences include:
People doing 40-50mph on slipways
People doing 40-50mph in inside lanes, forcing hgvs and everyone else into the middle and outside lanes
Oversized vehicles blocking two lanes while one doing 60mph 'overtakes' another doing 59mph, for miles (and then roaring at speed down the smaller roads when they leave the motorway)
People changing lanes without indicating or checking blind spots
Tailgating
People getting impatient and then undertaking
People taking chances and putting too much faith in their SUVs to protect them
Highways suddenly making inside lanes the 'sliproad' for miles before a junction, so that again, hgvs are forced into the middle lane and exiting cars have to undertake or go out to the 3rd lane to get past

It's gotten worse since lockdown. The other day, I was pulled up to a set of red lights and a car crossed the intersection, drove across the front of our lane and squeezed down the side of me (against the flow of traffic) to park on the pavement, fully blocking it! Local council advised to notify the police of stuff like this. I've seen people just ignore red lights, parking anywhere, driving anywhere as if there were no Highway code at all. I've seen road rage, experienced road rage (even when I wasn't doing anything wrong) and seen some bizarre driving. People have forgotten how to drive... or be human.

I always imagine that the middle lane drivers that refuse to move over are Brexiteers. The sort that voted Leave but still want to retire in Spain and can't quite believe they can't.

@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 are undertaking you it’s most likely because you are sat in the middle lane and should just move over.

I don't understand why people are saying well I managed to learn to drive on motorways (therefore implying everyone else had exactly the same experience or opportunity)/it's an excuse - we're not talking about excusing people. It's a conversation about why motorways are commonly not used correctly. More instruction in the first place would be helpful, in my experience.

@BertieBotts but the rules are all there in the Highway Code, the basics are the basics. I understand some people may not be confident but all they have to do is follow the basic rules... like keeping left!!

@Tablow

Lorries should not be allowed to endlessly overtake eachother

This ^^

Annoys the fuck out of me

@BertieBotts

I don't understand why people are saying well I managed to learn to drive on motorways (therefore implying everyone else had exactly the same experience or opportunity)/it's an excuse - we're not talking about excusing people. It's a conversation about why motorways are commonly not used correctly. More instruction in the first place would be helpful, in my experience.

I didn't learn to drive on motorways. But keeping left and checking your mirrors regularly are pretty basic elements of driving. It's not tricky to apply them

I just think the overwhelming evidence is that it clearly is difficult, or hasn't got through for whatever reason, for a lot of people. So saying that you managed it fine therefore everyone else ought to be able to is a bit meaningless.

I don't think British people on average are less intelligent than any other nation of Europe but the general motorway driving skills do seem to differ. The main difference tend to be that those countries have some kind of instruction or practice requirement for learner drivers whereas the UK doesn't. So that's my guess about what would help the most.

@BertieBotts

I just think the overwhelming evidence is that it clearly is difficult, or hasn't got through for whatever reason, for a lot of people. So saying that you managed it fine therefore everyone else ought to be able to is a bit meaningless.

I don't think British people on average are less intelligent than any other nation of Europe but the general motorway driving skills do seem to differ. The main difference tend to be that those countries have some kind of instruction or practice requirement for learner drivers whereas the UK doesn't. So that's my guess about what would help the most.

I don't disagree that training would help. My point was that a lack of specific training doesn't preclude decent driving skills.

I think other characteristics are a lack of entitlement, observation and awareness skills.

My experience is that middle lane hoggers are either generally poor drivers who don't have the confidence to manoeuvre (and therefore would benefit from training)

Or self absorbed idiots who couldn't give a toss/are totally oblivious to the impact they have on others

@Disneyblue

I'm confused.
If you stayed in the middle lane at 70, who are you holding up and delaying?
The people who are illegally are going over 70mph?

I could equally well say about the speed limit: I'm confused, if I'm on am empty motorway what's the harm in putting my foot to the floor and doing 150?

The point is, speeding and middle-lane hogging are both illegal (for good reason). Just because you can't see the harm in your particular situation doesn't mean you ought to do it.

I hate this. I passed my test in 1998 and there there was no motorway driving.

But it’s common sense.

Similar to roundabouts. Why are so many people doing that wrong?

I think this thread sums up completely the issue.

We have people who want no one going over 70.

We have people who love to undertake to prove some kind of point

We have people who want to be moving across 3 lanes at any opportunity

People who think cars in the left should keep space for those coming on a slip way, but at the same time everyone is supposed to be in the left and no one should ever brake or change speed

We have people who want to drive at 100mph unimpedded.

And we have people who want to stick in one lane religiously - which pisses me off too but considering the mayhem unfolding around them - on reflection who can blame them.

@LemonSwan

I think this thread sums up completely the issue.

We have people who want no one going over 70.

We have people who love to undertake to prove some kind of point

We have people who want to be moving across 3 lanes at any opportunity

People who think cars in the left should keep space for those coming on a slip way, but at the same time everyone is supposed to be in the left and no one should ever brake or change speed

We have people who want to drive at 100mph unimpedded.

And we have people who want to stick in one lane religiously - which pisses me off too but considering the mayhem unfolding around them - on reflection who can blame them.

There's a fair old amount of creative interpretation as to the content of the thread there.

Middle lane hoggers either need to learn how to use the motorway or stay off the damn things.

@LemonSwan

I think this thread sums up completely the issue.

We have people who want no one going over 70.

We have people who love to undertake to prove some kind of point

We have people who want to be moving across 3 lanes at any opportunity

People who think cars in the left should keep space for those coming on a slip way, but at the same time everyone is supposed to be in the left and no one should ever brake or change speed

We have people who want to drive at 100mph unimpedded.

And we have people who want to stick in one lane religiously - which pisses me off too but considering the mayhem unfolding around them - on reflection who can blame them.

But it’s often those people who stick to one lane who are causing the problem.

You sometimes have to undertake to get past these people, it’s not about proving a point, it’s about progressing on your journey safely.
If someone is stuck in the middle lane you sometimes have to go across three lanes of traffic to get past them (and actually it’s entirely legal to do so).
If you’re in the left lane and someone is joining, it’s OK to move into the middle lane you don’t have to sit there regardless.
I can’t believe that people are excusing and justifying driving like this, I’ve never thought this before but if you don’t know how to drive on a motorway safely (which clearly a lot of people don’t, it turns out), find another route or learn!!

I think the difference in the UK is that people care enough about petty shit like this to go on and on about it. Some people use them correctly. Some don't. I'll adapt my driving to the situation that other cars present to me. Who gives a fuck really ?

I read on here before that lots of people actually choose to drive in the middle lane because they don’t feel confident changing lane. Beggars belief. Shouldn’t be driving.

I learned in the 90s and had a 3 hour motorway lesson after passing my test. I had to do a lot of slip roads on and off and back round a roundabout, overtaking, returning to the left lane and all that. We took a break at a service station so I could navigate following the signs for cars etc parking up, using the loo there and buying a coffee! He was a really great instructor.

I am glad it is now part of the driving test. My SIL quit a job as her office moved and it involved a brief stint on the motorway, no way round it so she quit as she is not confident driving. We told her to hire a driving instructor to help her feel better about driving it but she refused.

@Pinchoftums

I always imagine that the middle lane drivers that refuse to move over are Brexiteers. The sort that voted Leave but still want to retire in Spain and can't quite believe they can't.

Spot on!

I belted up and down the M5/M6 the other week, and found it almost impossible NOT to be in the middle lane when it was really busy. The main reason was lorries taking up nearly all of the left hand lane - I found it very difficult to get into that lane, and even harder to get out again. I also can't help thinking that in a smallish car, in a motorway without a hard shoulder, being sandwiched between two lorries in a stream of lorries, I'm pretty vulnerable in the event of a sudden slamming on of brakes further up the line. Having said that, I don't think I "hogged" the middle lane - I drove as fast as I could, used my rear mirror constantly to check others weren't queuing up behind me, and used the outer lane(s) to overtake whenever cars ahead were slower, or whenever lorries were overtaking out of the left hand lane.

I am glad it is now part of the driving test

It's not though. Learner drivers can be taken onto the motorway by their instructors in a dual control car, but it's not part of any driving test and I don't know anyone in our town who had motorway driving lessons before their test, and hardly anyone after either.

The point about 70mph is that your car is likely to be slightly inaccurate. My current car is out by about 2m/ph. My last car was out by 3m/ph.
If you are three under and their car is three over that discrepancy of five makes a difference to flow. Everyone is driving ‘to the speed limit’ but to you it looks as if they are going over, to them it looks like you are going under.
Don’t police others speed. You keep to all of the rules, and let them do the same.

@WouldBeGood

I read on here before that lots of people actually choose to drive in the middle lane because they don’t feel confident changing lane. Beggars belief. Shouldn’t be driving.

Why stay in the middle and not the left though? I don’t get it

TBH I’m more concerned with the number of people who drive too close, especially at speed and in wet conditions. I once missed by the narrowest whisker being involved in a pile up, because of people doing exactly this.

We ought to have ‘space’ chevrons on the road, like they do in France. An automatic reduction in the speed limit when it’s wet, like they have, wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

As for being taught how to drive on motorways, many of us weren’t. You just use your common sense, not that that’s exactly common any more.

My DH said one of his friends told him that he drove in the middle lane as it gave him 'options'! Both of us were 🙄 at that. After all, motorway options are keep going or take the slip road. I'm not sure what other options he felt he got!