STOP HOGGING THE MIDDLE LANE!

[Flowers217]

Seriously what is wrong with some drivers?!?

I was driving on the m4 this morning. It was pretty quiet and the section I was driving on now has 4 lanes.

Oh, but wait - 2 of them are empty because everybody just loves to drive in the third lane.

Yes it probably annoys me more than it does but my god it is so frustrating!!! and dangerous too!

This,

Of course you can catch up with lorries that are ahead. There is often a decision to be made as to whether to always move to the inside lane or to continue at speed and catch up with the next set. I suppose it depends on the relative speed, volume of traffic and distance to the next set of lorries. As well as the number of lanes.

But it is pretty obvious who is hogging the middle lane and disrupting traffic flow. I am sure YouTube has plenty of examples

Seconded.
Middle lane hogging is bad, but undertaking (especially if the third lane could have been used) is worse.

Yeah. And they’re all travelling at a relative velocity of about 0.0001 mph because they all have limiters on. I mean, what is the point?

Outside lane clogging is also very common at the rear end of the M3 going towards Southampton. Horrible stretch of motorway.

What about when you do this ‘correct’ driving and tuck into the first lane for two minutes and then you have to wait ages for all the people in the middle lane to let you out again, the middle laners are not making any effort to use the first lane and it feels much slower to be waiting to be let out of the lorry lane to go in the middle lane then back in with the lorries. Much smoother to be mostly in the middle lane and occasionally need the outside lane when the lorries have all pulled out to do their overtaking. If there aren’t any lorries which is hardly ever, then it’s not an issue and the three lanes are much more evenly used.
I used to travel down the M11 regularly and haven’t for the last two years and I don’t miss it one bit. As for all the rage, where’s the fire? What amazing earth changing thing is it that you will do with the three and half minutes you have saved haranguing people out of the middle lane?

I know ill be slated but why go in the slow lane to constantly pull out for incoming traffic from junctions, pulling over from drivers doing 50mph, lorries etc.if I'm in a big stretch of the m1 then ill go in the slow lane, if not ill do like the rest of the 80% of drivers and stay in the middle.

Your ignorance is astounding.

You're not undertaking if you move from lane 2 to lane 1 to pass a slower vehicle in lane 2 if you just cruise past (within the speed limit) and you don't rejoin lane 2 (ie you remain in lane 1 after passing the slower vehicle.

Having driven on 3 motorways today - M32 out of Bristol, M4 westbound into the Almondsbury interchange/A38 and onto the M5 southbound I really wish drivers would really read the signs on the overhead gantries and get in the correct lane rather than cutting across multiple lanes at the last minute.

You should use common sense to know when it's appropriate to move in and when it's sensible to be overtaking in the outside lane.

You're not undertaking if you move from lane 2 to lane 1 to pass a slower vehicle in lane 2 if you just cruise past (within the speed limit) and you don't rejoin lane 2 (ie you remain in lane 1 after passing the slower vehicle

It is still dangerous. Because the car in lane 2 could move into the inside lane and not expect a car to be going past them.

It's a risky manouvre.

@PerseverancePays seriously you are not a good driver.
You should only be in the lane to your right if you are overtaking something on your left, one the overtaking is complete you move back to the left. If the cars in the middle make it difficult for you to get back out...news flash you use this thing called an indicator to move back out, it also means they're going quicker than you, so you hogging the middle lane means they would have to pull out to the outside lane to go past you, causing the queues we so often see on motorways. You and other clueless people are literally the reason there is such build ups on motorways.
Seriously if you can't drive properly do us all a favour and get off the feckin road!!

Personally,.at high speeds on the motorway, why do people tail gate ? What happened to common sense.

Or so people just presume, superman will stop their car if the car in front stops ?

And second of all, what the pickle are people thinking still on their phones when driving ? It's like hello, potential accident in the making.

FML - you are a shit driver and, quite likely, the reason for this thread.

If you are not overtaking a vehicle then move across to the slow lane!

OP - I feel your pain. It’s my biggest bugbear re driving.

Love this - simple summary of road rules.

As an aside, I always try to be courteous to lorries that are trying to pull out to overtake a slower vehicle. I feel a sense of solidarity when I get the “hazard lights” thank you from a vehicle much larger than mine!

Agreed - undertaking should not be legal. Twats still do it in the U.K., but it’s no5 legal so it’s not the majority of drivers.

Its a PITA navigating lane huggers, let alone worrying about someone being in the way when you want to switch left for a lane (or right, in your case)

Then, quite frankly, you’re not a good driver.

@Furries what qualifies you to think such behaviour is poor driving?

Clearly overtaking a long line of lorries or slow cars is fine.

Like I said, I'll drive in the first lane IF the flow of traffic is at a reasonable pace or empty.

This obsession with staying out of the middle lane at all costs is ridiculous.

Have we really got to virtue signalling re motorway driving?!

Jesus, the excuses people use for not driving with correct lane protocol is baffling.

And it’s people like you that cause problems.

FML, what is it that’s so difficult to understand about motorway driving and lane etiquette?

Reposting this. Use your lanes correctly.

Motorway driving will often mean switching lanes. If you’re not confident doing so, then please book lessons to increase your confidence.

If you drive a motorway correctly, then you’ll be switching lanes fairlyregularly. If you don’t, then you’re a twat driver.

Have you not read any of the posts explaining correct motorway driving?

I’ve almost given up now.

At least next time I’m cursing at idiot lane-hoggers, I’ll be (not) comforted by the fact that they are fellow MNers!

If everyone stuck to the rules none of these people saying they get stuck in the left lane would be an issue.

Example: 2 cars travelling at a similar speed down the left lane. Lorry coming up ahead, each car overtakes smoothly. Nobody is inconvenienced

If one car decided to sit in the middle lane, this means the other person has to slam on their brakes to wait for the other person to pass before they can pull out. If everyone is doing this, it becomes problematic.

If we all said 'well everyone else is doing it so lets all do it', then we lose an entire lane of motorway and traffic builds up.

If it's a constant stream of lorries and slower cars, then you are overtaking and you are using it correctly

It's not rocket science.

This - it’s a strong reason why I think undertaking should not be allowed. Motorway driving can be stressful. I don’t want to worry about cars eithe4 side of me!

My mum does this. She says it's because she is too scared to go in the fast lane but can't find a gap to get into to slow lane because it's full of lorries. Luckily she doesn't go on the motorway very often...