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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Minus273 · 02/11/2011 08:08

I had that AF and I suspected tired driver too. I was lucky the road wasn't too busy so I was able to pass in the third lane. I would have called the police if I had had someone else in the car to use the phone for me.

CustardCake · 02/11/2011 08:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 02/11/2011 08:50

AF... perhaps he was a foreign driver, they overtake on the left, perhaps he thought he was going to do that?

I see some very odd driving on my travels.... although I was behind a car on the way up to London yesterday and it was almost 'doing a little jig', as much as a car ever can in one lane. I can only assume that the driver's favourite tune was being played... Grin

IndieSkies · 02/11/2011 10:47

Interesting clip.

But the whole problem is self-exacerbating, and not just about lane mis-use.
In the clip when they look at the 4 cars ahead in the middle lane, there is a lorry a little further ahead in the inside lane. And I think another lorry overtaking, in the middle lane. On a hill.
Long experience tells you that should you that if you do pull into the inside lane, planning to overtake once you come up behind the lorry, you will find yourself trapped in the inside lane, behind a lorry going up hill, and the middle lane will now be full of OTHER middle laners who will not let you pull out to overtake the lorry now labouring up hill in front of you. And NO CHANCE of overtaking onto a gap big enough to allow any decent or safe stopping distances.

Or that the traffic in the middle lane will now be doing 80 or 85 mph with no gaps long enough to pull out from being trapped behind a 60 mph lorry.
And obviously pulling out in front of anything which has to brake or slow down to accommodate you is dangerous.

Lorries overtaking each other on uphill stretches should be banned. There is a stretch of the M11 where it is banned during the day - but they still bloody do it.

It's a simple message they give, but to support it, other drivers need to maintain stopping distances, be courteous and allow other people out, and not assume that they have the right to travel at extremely high speeds, thus making the overtaking lanes only available to those who join them at 90mph.

People don't want to get trapped behind a lorry doing 55 or 60mph when the alternative is trying to overtake onto a line of traffic tearing along at 85 mph. So they stay in the middle lane.

I'm not saying it's the best driving, but it's more complex than 'they all are incompetent old codgers'.

NhameCage · 02/11/2011 11:56

Trixy, already had one thanks Wink. Also, I'm an advanced driver, passed my driving test 1st time with only two marks against me. Never had a crash or caused one.

Pendeen · 02/11/2011 11:57

So we have arrived at a broad consensus?

It seems that it's the perception of what is a reasonable time to spend in lanes 2 or 3 which is causing most of the debate?

Is there guidance - for example police training - to say what is the sensible time to stay in an overtaking lane whilst approaching vehicles ahead, e.g. 30 seconds or 2 minutes (or over 20 minutes for the MLM in my example above)? :o

sheeesh · 02/11/2011 12:09

YANBU I hate middle lane hoggers

betterwhenthesunshines · 02/11/2011 12:12

God my husband does this - sooo annoying. We were in the car this weekend in the 'fast' lane ( yes, I know is not really called that!) with a whole stream of other cars with me in the passenger seat and 2 clear lanes to my left...

Eventually, knowing it's going to cause a row, I said why don't you pull over? But his argument is that when it's busy if he goes back into the inside lane then there's never a gap in the traffic to ppull out and overtake. But god it makes me mad!

PlinkertyPlonk · 02/11/2011 13:35

Pendeen, you've hit the nail on the head, although I don't think it's a 'sensible time' as such, but it should be a 'sensible space' ie the safe distance between you and the next car - to you middle lane hoggers, this doesn't mean 1/2 a mile (unless of course you are speeding excessively Wink )

When it's busy, this isn't so easy. But if everyone stuck in the inside lane until ready to overtake, perhaps the queues in the middle land wouldn't build up. If they are there already because the outside lane is busy, then nothing's going to solve the problem; there are just too many cars on the road, but I think we're in consensus, that doesn't mean it's ok to 'reserve your spot' in the middle lane and cruise.

AnyFucker · 02/11/2011 13:38

thanks for the replies, guys

Serenitysutton · 02/11/2011 13:53

i don't want to stay left. Its where people leave/ join the motorway (where the majority of accidents occur) and its where lorries are slowly making their way along. I don't want to be in an accident with a lorry so I'll avoid them.

not ashamed to hog the middle lane

Insomnia11 · 02/11/2011 14:31

Normally I keep left, but on M25 and M6 (at times) in particular when there are two lanes of lorries and heavy traffic, it is often nigh on impossible/dangerous to get into the left lane or keep switching in and out. If you do get over you will be 'rewarded' by being the thin sliver of meat in a sandwich of two HGVs going up a hill very slowly. The sheer amount of lorries forces a situation of two lanes of lorries and one/two of cars.

Also on M25 near me you have to be in the correct lane to avoid accidentally going off on the A21 or M23. Sometimes I stick in the middle when I know the split is coming up.

AnyFucker · 02/11/2011 14:53

yep, it was the M6 southbound I was referring to

Pendeen · 02/11/2011 15:17

PlinkertyPlonk

Thanks for that although unfotunately not everyone has understood the debate - 'Serenitysutton' has offered the alternative view which is - am glad to say - in the minority.

I agree with you on maintaining a safe gap / distance but still believe that time is the critical measure - for example the conception of what constitutes a 'safe' gap is often quoted in time rather than distance i.e. the well-known "two second rule."

For example you could be near to the safe gap but closing at only a very slight speed differential or closing quite quickly and thus have to move out some way before the safe gap but I do acept that watching both distanc and speed is vital.

MoreBeta · 02/11/2011 15:29

I don't drive but the way I see it the speed limit and the law on motorway lanes is basically totally out of kilter.

The rules on motorway lanes were invented when cars generally went at 50MPH in the inside lane and 70 in the outside lane and overtaking lanes were really for overtaking.

Now everyone does 70 in the middle lane to avoid trucks in the inside lane. By definition, anyone in the outside is therefore breaking the national speed limit.

Why do police not just fine everyone in the outside lane? Reason they don't is because of tacit acceptance that outside lane drivers can drive at sub 90 MPH and no one will blink an eye. The whole thing is a nonsense.

As for undertaking, there are so many traffic jams and congestion the lanes are all travelling at different speeds like a us freeway so undertaking is inevitable in heavy traffic.

Lane changing actualy causes many accidents. Better to stick in the middle lane than trying to pull out at 55MPH from behind a truck into the middle lane travelling at 70 MPH or more.

PlinkertyPlonk · 02/11/2011 17:01

"where people leave/ join the motorway (where the majority of accidents occur)"
I didn't know this, is it really true? I assumed most accidents happen between junctions, probably from drivers falling asleep or rear ending each other when someone piles on the brakes and the person behind doesn't stop in time.

"Why do police not just fine everyone in the outside lane?"
Perhaps it's because some people aren't exceeding the speed limit?!

"Lane changing actualy causes many accidents."
Again, interesting. More stats please.

Serenitysutton · 02/11/2011 18:56

Yes it is true pinkertyplonk. Is it that unbelivable that people know things you don't? Some people actually make a career out of driving research you know, you can do a phd in it and everyfink. And btw alternative views an not undertanding the debates are 2 completely different things.

trixymalixy · 02/11/2011 18:57

LOL at the non driver "Lane changing actualy causes many accidents."

Really? Did you watch the video that was linked to giving the DOT and the police's advice on lane hogging and the problems it can cause?

Do you really think if that was the case, the rules wouldn't be changed to pick a lane and stick in it?!?!?!

trixymalixy · 02/11/2011 18:58

Serenity, I pray for the other drivers on the road that your selfishness and stupidity does not cause an accident. Watch the video.

Serenitysutton · 02/11/2011 19:16

Erm the highways agency one? So a middle lane hogger going 70mph was responsible for the fatality that occured when a speeding car rear ended them? Funny that

trixymalixy · 02/11/2011 19:19

Erm well the police seemed to think they were at fault!!

Serenitysutton · 02/11/2011 19:22

How do you know? That was te slant given to the highway agency video discouraging people from doing it. An insurance company would nearly always put the person at th back at fault.

Your taking a snapshot of the situation and thinking you can apply it ad vernum, life isn't like that. People are hardly going to get eductaed by being called selfish stupid etc- all you're doing is pissing them off, even if you dis have a point

trixymalixy · 02/11/2011 19:24

The police were giving an example of lane hogging causing an accident, what's not to understand?

Serenitysutton · 02/11/2011 19:38

There is nothing about this situation I don't understand. Just to clarify. Saying people don't understand becuase they don't agree with you is childish.

trixymalixy · 02/11/2011 19:49

So saying that you know what the rules are, but you're going to ignore them is what exactly........?

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