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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think lane hogging is inconsiderate on motorway?

358 replies

MangoMonster · 29/10/2011 22:41

why do people hog the middle lane or even worse the third lane on a four lane carriageway? If you're scared to change lanes, stay in the slow lane? Sorry but it does wind me up, especially on a long drive. One of the fee small annoyances that get to me :(

OP posts:
LunarRose · 30/10/2011 14:33

really you think that insurance companies will raise premiums for and increased speed limit?

Grin
SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 14:33

SevenOfNine - try and control your anger if you want an answer?

SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 14:38

Yes LunarRose insurance will rise with any increased risk.

The UK Goverments states:

"That analysis indicated a 1% increase in all road deaths, meaning 19 more fatalities based on the 1,850 people killed in 2010, or 25 more fatalities based on the average of the past five years. The department could not provide an estimate of the increase expected in the 209,000 road injuries seen in 2010."

19 additional deaths so you can drive 10mph faster!

Bunbaker · 30/10/2011 14:41

"Yes, I was going to do that then realised it would cost £80 and I'd have to take unpaid time off work to do it! It was cheaper to pay £60 as we're a bit hard up at the moment. I'm a bit miffed as I have driven for 38 years with a clean licence!"

I did a speed awareness course 3 years ago. It cost the same as the fine - £60 and was held on a Saturday. I felt it was worth it to keep a clean driving licence. The course was really interesting and at no point did the police lecture us for driving too fast.

LunarRose · 30/10/2011 14:47

OK try a little experiment.....

Put into an insurance quote website your details first with a speeding conviction, then with an alternative driving conviction

you seem to be putting forward an idea that we should not rely on the cars speedometer and just drive faster in case the speedometer is set too low?
No I'm purporting you drive in accordance with the highway code, and not think that you are a better driver just because you drive within the speed limit. IT is not your job to police other's speed

LunarRose · 30/10/2011 14:50

Incidentally if speed really was a problem why are some councils removing speed cameras because they have not improved accident rates (in some cases locations' accident rates went up) and that if they really wanted to improve accident blackspots improved road layouts did a better job.

Good driving will always be better than slow driving. Motorways are no exception.

Mapal · 30/10/2011 15:00

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

DownbytheRiverside · 30/10/2011 15:02

Or it could just be that single man has higher standards than many?

DownbytheRiverside · 30/10/2011 15:03
SardineQueen · 30/10/2011 15:06

I duuno

I don't think I would date a man who sat in the middle lane of a motorway with his cruise control on 70!!!

Original poster
MangoMonster · 30/10/2011 15:08

singleman why are you posting almost exclusively about keeping to the speed limit? The thread is about lane hogging, which I will explain again, is when a driver does not move into the lane on their left even though it is completely free and not slow moving.

I give up now, I think some people are just dragging it out or being deliberately obtuse.

Speed limits on motorways are not a big deal in my opinion, but everywhere else they are vitally important and should be adhered to.

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 30/10/2011 15:09

I have vision of 'Farah' trousers with the crease sewn in... and sweaty little palms as the traffic is held back... like an over-evangelical Canute, waiting for a police car to pull in front with a "Jolly Well Done!" message in the rear window... Confused

SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 15:12

LunarRose - insurance is sold against risk - if perceived risk or known risk increases for the population or the individual then premiums rise. This is how insurance works. An increase in death rates will cause premiums to rise.

I don't police anyones speeding by driving at the UK legal limit of 70mph. If you choose to break the law it's up to you. I find the idea that you think a car in front of you driving at the maximum legal speed limit is in someway 'policing you' very odd? If you wish to drive faster you can overtake?

purits · 30/10/2011 15:30

I give up now, I think some people are just dragging it out or being deliberately obtuse.

You are right there OP. Curiously enough, it seems to be the friends of the lane-hoggers who don't understand and are carrying on, regardless of others ... Hmm

SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 15:30

Mapal - the 7th July 2005 - is where you'll find your answer.

SardineQueen & LyingWitchInTheWardrobe - it seems you have nothing more of value to add to the tread.

PreviouslyonLost · 30/10/2011 15:39

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe...'I have vision of 'Farah' trousers with the crease sewn in', thank you for my first full-blown MN snort!

But are you envisaging the Farah's in maroon or beige?

OP you are NBU...but don't forget us B road users, stuck behind a Tesco/Argos/Log lorries for miles with NO hope of passing, EVER!

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 30/10/2011 15:41

POL... whichever is the most hideous colour, probably beige? Grin

PreviouslyonLost · 30/10/2011 15:45

Beige more suited to your more mature driver perhaps? Single man (25?) still in the age range for Maroon...I am now drinking wine (it IS quarter to FIVE, it IS) please refrain from being quite so funny...can't afford to keep replacing the laptops Grin.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 30/10/2011 15:50

Or Forest Green, pretty boaksome, no? At least they would conceal sweaty handprints... Grin

SardineQueen · 30/10/2011 15:55

Sorry matey, you don't get to police MN threads either!

SardineQueen · 30/10/2011 15:57

I'm not sure about the insurance thing either. Most amounts paid relate to non lethal accidents I'm sure. And I think there are fewer accidents on motorways than on other types of road. Obviously 17 more deaths a year is not desirable, but on the point of whether it would affect claims enough to increase premiums across the board - I'm not so sure.

PreviouslyonLost · 30/10/2011 16:00

I have never seen them in 'Forest Green'...Beige, Maroon, and 'Tobacco Brown' yes, but FG might just tip me over into a laptop damaging unending snort-fest...I DEMAND photographic proof.

ShellyBoobs · 30/10/2011 16:18

SingleMan - at the end of 2009, there were 31,000,000 cars on the road in Britain (latest figures I found).

If 19 more deaths occured and each cost the insurers £1m it would equate to £1.63 per car per year.

If you're going to talk about insurance going up due to a motorway speed limit increase, you're barking up the wrong tree. There are much more important factors dictating policy prices, such as the fact that there are millions (yes millions) of ininsured drivers on the roads.

Anyway, you still didn't really explain how at the moment people are putting themselves and their passengers at risk by doing more than 70mph, but if the limit goes up to 80mph, you'll happily do 80mph.

So either you don't actually care about the increased risk of speed at all, or you're so sure that whatever speed limit is set is the correct one that you'll blindly remove reasoning from your decision about how fast to drive.

LunarRose · 30/10/2011 16:53

single man - I note you haven't taken my challenge to find out which factor is actually considered a greater risk.

Please don't try explain insurance to me. I have numerous times had to explain to stubborn ignorant people that the other party's speed has not caused the accident, their bad driving has. nor does the other person's speeding excuse you causing an accident.

Get out of the outside lane if you have room on the left simple. anything else is bad driving and liable to cause accidents

Pendeen · 30/10/2011 17:16

YANBU.

I had to go up to Bristol a few weeks ago and just before Taunton I came upon a Renault doing about 65mph in the middle lane. No other traffic visible ahead.

Because I was going to to be early for my appointent and was a bit bored with the journey I decided to see why he was hogging the lane - MLMs (Middle Lane Morons) have always irritated me.

I slowed down and sat, in the inside lane, about 100yds behind. This went on for about 20 minutes and in all that time we only passed 2 lorries and a caravan. Eventually I got fed up and overtook (having to go to the 3rd lane and then back into the 1st lane to do so. As I pulled away I could see in my mirror the car still glued to the middle lane.

Why are some drivers such complete idiots?