To think lane hogging is inconsiderate on motorway?

[MangoMonster]

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 :(

I personally think this thread is done and just goin over old ground. People either don't understand what lane hogging is but don't do it (they are overtaking) or they understand and don't do it or they don't understand the rules of the road and shouldn't be driving on the motorway. Some people like to be a law unto themselves... Just hope they don't ever cause an accident that could have been avoided, it's a selfish attitude IMO.

You are quite correct MangoMonster. Seems to me that those of us who only drive on motorways in urban areas where the left hand lane is tail to tail lorries and 50 mph ers, cannot fathom that there is a major issue of people pootling along in the middle lane when the left hand lane is empty.

Best to put that all down to experience, much as some people would find it hard to grasp that £600,000 is quite a normal price for a 3 bed terraced house. Or that £80,000 pa is not a huge salary.

Our lives are very different and our experiences are very different in this little country of ours.

Trixy - I rear-ended someone who was doing about 60-65 in the middle lane. I can tell you who the insurance company found to be at fault (to my tremendous expense) , and I would agree with them. I am just deeply grateful that no-one was hurt.

Yes, uneccesary middle-laning is bad driving, but I was pretty shocked that the Highways Agency implied that it was not the responsibility of the other driver not to hit them.

And again - why do you need to be so rude and aggressive?

you should have been driving with your eyes open.

sorry.

I think I've read most of this, most enlightening as to why people drive so badly on the motorway!

The main thing I'm taking away from this are that bad motorway drivers are either scared or thoughtless.

Lots of posts state that if they leave the middle lane, they'll never get back into it. I can safely say in the years of motorway driving I've experienced, this has never happened to me. Even when it's really busy at rush hour and full of lorries and even when there's people in the fast lane too. I've always been able to get where I want to go as people will let you in/out if you want to get off/on, providing you are doing it safely and with respect to the flow of traffic. Not every last person but most will. IMHO at rush hour it's best to pick a lane and stick in it but not to slow the flow of traffic, so if the natural speed in the middle is, shock horror, 75 then you either go with the flow or move in. Easy :)

The thoughtless ones hogging the middle lane, well, I agree you do cause accidents, frustration and resentment and it isn't your job to police others' speed or driving.

PigletJohn - thank you for that perceptive comment - yes I am fully aware that it was my fault and I should have braked sooner, harder etc. It is my one accident in 30 years and hundreds of thousands of miles on motorways, and I am horrified and ashamed with myself.

But also think that the driver referred to in the video should have also been more on the ball and not ploughed into the back of the middle laner, and that the Highways Agency shouldn't be blaming the car in front. By their reckoning (and Trixy's) my accident wasn't my fault but the fault of the middle laner.

And worry that the self-indignant 'every one else is to blame' attitude contributes to frustratiuon and aggression on the roads.

When did I say the speeder wasn't at fault? The HA obviously felt the lane hogging contributed to the accident otherwise why use it as an example?

The rules of the road are there to keep everyone on the road safe and choosing to ignore them to suit yourself is IMHO selfish and stupid and those that boast about it deserve to be told so. If you want to condone it by backing them up,well that's up to you but I prefer to tell it how it is. If that makes me rude, so be it.

Every driver has their own story on driving and outside laner's and bad drivers.

The UK Law States in section 137:
On a two-lane dual carriageway you should stay in the left-hand lane. Use the right-hand lane for overtaking or turning right. After overtaking, move back to the left-hand lane when it is safe to do so.

For people stating that the law tells us to stay in the middle lane I am afraid they have or miss-interpreted it:
Section 134:
You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed.

Please note the use of the word CONGESTED.

Motorway Driving Section 138:
On a three-lane dual carriageway, you may use the middle lane or the right-hand lane to overtake but return to the middle and then the left-hand lane when it is safe.

I hope this makes better sense of the discussion.
In my own personal experience my father was a Sales Director when I was a child, clocking up thousands upon thousands of miles often with me by his side. He was very vigilant about motorway driving, etiquette and dangers. Passing your driving test does NOT make you a competent driver, you are learning. You cannot switch off and sit in the incorrect lane. You will probably hurt or even kill somebody else and you will be totally unaware in your own little world.
The motorway is a dangerous place and should be driven with extra care, looking much further than the immediate car in front of you and watch your mirrors at all times. you should not make any rash dangerous manoeuvres but when safe you pull into the left and when you need to pull out you use your mirrors again, when there is a space then you indicate, then pull out, then you move back to the left.
If you are unable to understand this you need to be re-trained. There is a total lack of training for motorway and Dual carriageway driving. I have seen many Learner cars (instructors) driving with this annoying and very dangerous habit.
This is the Law, it is there for a reason, if you do not abide you will encourage road rage and could end up the main contribute to an horrific accident.