If you drive in the middle lane, hogging it, when there is absolutely no need to - why?

[hell091727]

Please stop driving on the motorway and go re-read the Highway Code.

It is dangerous, lazy, and completely disrupts the flow of the traffic.

I have just driven 200 miles and the amount of drivers who just don’t know how to drive is astonishing. And the motorway wasn’t even busy!

Right, but there being no vehicles to my left is something that very rarely happens.

What I do see, though, is people who want to drive faster than the lorries but also want to adhere slavishly to this rule, constantly moving between the left and middle lane, no doubt sincerely believing that they are driving more safely than the people just staying in the middle lane.

That's why I think this rule needs changing, or at least clarifying. Because unnecessary lane changing is dangerous, even if you are doing it out of respect for the Highway Code.

‘We all agree that people doing less than 70 in the middle lane (under normal conditions) are scum of the earth, etc, so let's not bring that up.’

Not if they are using it as it should be used, to pass another vehicle that is going even slower and then get back to the left!
Sometimes it takes them ages because they are lorries or underpowered but there is no point raging about it, they are allowed to be on the road too.
Sorry, as you were!

If the roads are really busy then it's not 'hogging'

rule 264 of the Highway Code states:
“You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear.

I'm interested to know whether people think it's ever justified to take the middle lane when not overtaking.

If I'm approaching a junction I know will be busy, I will sometimes take the middle lane just before I get there, to make it easier and safer for cars to join. Technically this isn't overtaking but it seems to me to be sensible, anticipatory driving, particularly if I can see that there's someone hoping to join who's going to have a hard time matching the speed of the traffic in the inside lane.

Obviously it depends on the geometry and sight lines of the junction as well as the traffic conditions at the time.

One scenario I can think of is where the motorway splits into 2 and you need to get over on to the right side cos that’s the way you’re going. You now have to go faster than the hogger sitting at 70 to get in front of them to make you’re way over in time, you wouldn’t have to if they were doing 70 in your lane

The thing is, motorway conditions vary, and as long as drivers respond to those changes, that’s reasonable.

I did a long, familiar, motorway drive yesterday. I last did it on a weekday with many lorries and heavy commuter traffic, where the ‘no gaps in the inside lane, all doing a steady speed less than 70’ scenario applied. In that journey, I spent a significant period of time in the middle lane, a steady stream of traffic at around 70 when free flowing.

Yesterday, I spent almost the entire journey in the inside lane, doing around 70, as without lorries that lane was a) emptier and b) significantly faster. Those few vehicles travelling slower were swiftly overtaken. However, there were a significant number of drivers doing an ‘I always drive in the middle lane at 70’ routine - doing ‘what would be appropriate on a more normal day’ but not responding to the change in road circumstances.

I think this is the case for many middle lane hoggers - they join the middle lane appropriately but don’t respond to changes in the road / traffic conditions.

I do pop over into the middle lane when I see a stream of cars ahead.

Because many idiots also don't know how to merge and it's terrifying.

When the motor way splits to M6toll orM5 or M40 both splits to M42 east and west you need to move into middle Lane

Would you not slow down slightly and move across behind them?

I know how to merge. There still needs to be a space to merge into.

Driving down the motorway at 3am, nothing else on the road apart from 3 separate muppets all in the middle lane. Why? The whole motorway was empty! 🙄

Have you travelled outside the UK? 😂

I find it rather civilised

Lol. On Friday I spent about three hours driving on a French motorway and for long stretches the middle lane was hogged by lorries overtaking other lorries, leaving only the fast lane for cars wanting to get past the lorries. I think some people here would have spontaneously combusted.

Because many idiots also don't know how to merge and it's terrifying.

you don’t merge onto a motorway from a slip rd it’s give way to traffic already on motorway

Sometimes the exit you need is on the right

Do you drive much

They now have to go faster then you to get to it

Idiots, I had that at 11am on Saturday on M20. 🙄

Not to mention on the way back there is always a certain section of m20 more prone to fog. There was fog and one driver didn't even have headlights on let alone fog lights and was completely invisible and hogging middle lane. Incredibly dangerous. Why would you purposely not want other drivers to know you are there...beggars belief.

Majority of French motorway are two Lane, and the French are very agreesive if drivers do not pull back in to Lane 1
consequently on their 2 Lane motorway lane disciplin is good

Tell that to the idiots merging then

Posters on this thread are assuming that the only idiot drivers are the ones in the middle.

They're merging dangerously to then presumably saunter intro the middle I guess 🤣

I live in France and disagree with pretty much all of this!

I would if it was clear behind me but it’s dangerous to slow down suddenly on the motorway as well

I use the middle lane for overtaking or move over into it if there is a joining slip way to allow easier and safer merging for cars joining the motorway. If there is a long line of slow moving vehicles in the left hand lane, I might stay in the overtaking lane a bit longer until I have passed them all and then move left again.
How long do you need to be in the middle lane to be classed as a middle lane hogger ? does it only count if the left hand lane is clear ?

How could that possibly be true when the speed limit is 70 mph?

I live in France and disagree with pretty much all of this!

sigh of relief

Driving on motorways today is much more stressful than it used to be because of volumes of traffic. Especially on a bank holiday weekend. Which seems to be reflected in the number of motorway drivers describing each other as "morons" or "stupid" on this thread. It's not great, but I expect it was a pretty awful journey.

I avoided the motorway altogether last time I had to do a big journey and got the train. Better for the environment and I got to read a book and go and get snacks instead of driving for four hours from the SW to the NE (I'm the only driver in my household.) Though I do appreciate that trains are not always reliable, which is a massive shame.

Sounds like you are weighing up between two dangerous manoeuvres and need to be anticipating your exit better instead.