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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:
SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 12:50

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe - please take the time to read all my posts in the tread before commenting with such uncontrolled anger. Clearly, I don't advise or justify lane hogging. However, I do stick to the UK speed limit which is 70mph. I find it somewhat odd that many here put themselves and their passengers at greater risk by speeding above the UK legal limit.

Minus273 · 30/10/2011 12:57

I have had someone up my tail and angrily flashing their lights at me while I have been driving at 70mph in the left hand lane so it is not always the one being flashed at who is in the wrong.

trixymalixy · 30/10/2011 12:59

I'm really baffled that people are failing to understand the difference between lane hogging and driving according to the traffic conditions on the road. There is clearly a need to educate drivers how to drive safely on the motorway.

No one is saying that you should drive on the left if there's a gap if it means you have to change lanes every couple of minutes. Clearly that's dangerous.

Add message | Report | Message poster purits Sun 30-Oct-11 06:25:00
ROFL @ the drivers saying "I'm a lane hogger safe driver but some unexplained reason I get a lot of people coming up close behind and flashing their lights at me." Take the hint: it's not them, it's you!

Totally agree purist, if drivers regularly flash you then you need to have a think about your driving.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 30/10/2011 12:59

SingleMan... You said: I'm quite happy to drive in the middle lane at 70mph - just put the cruise control on and don't give a fig for anyone who wants to drive faster. The UK speed limit is 70mph like it or lump it.

You may have back-pedalled a bit later on but essentially, you're a lane-hogger. Uncontrolled anger? Not on a chatboard, I'm really not irked at your posts, just mildly curious at your breathtaking arrogance. HTH.

trixymalixy · 30/10/2011 13:03

Minus, I'm sure the driver didn't flash you for no reason.

Whatmeworry · 30/10/2011 13:09

Actually driving at 70 mph can be very unsafe if you are bogging the fast lane on a busy motorways - a lot of people want to get past you and will do silly things to do so.

Piously insisting that one is right to stick to the speed limit and limit others' speed, while causing all sorts of problems, makes one the most inconsiderate sort of driver on the road IMO.

Also it's not particularly dangerous to drive a modern car at 80 mph plus if all cars are going in the same direction at about the same speed. What is dangerous is to try and disrupt that flow.

You get the same mindset in towns, with people driving well below the 30 mph limit (except when they speed up over the orange light of course) but insisting they are in the right as they are not exceeding the limit.

Minus273 · 30/10/2011 13:09

So what did I do wrong then? I was in the left hand lane. doing the speed limit, had my lights on. I even pulled into the first services and checked my lights, checked nothing was hanging from the car.

SardineQueen · 30/10/2011 13:10

Grin @ bogging the lane

Glitterkitten · 30/10/2011 13:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

trixymalixy · 30/10/2011 13:12

Did you maybe have fog lights on, that can be really dazzling for drivers behind?

SardineQueen · 30/10/2011 13:13

minus they were just being an arsehole

some people are mindboggling, they think that everyone is in their way and do all sorts of things as a result. My worst ones are the ones who join the motorway and immediately cut across to the fast lane even if that means others having to brake hard (speciality manoevre of those in very very expensive cars) and the ones who signal and start to edge over even if there is no space, expecting others to magically get out of their way even if there is nowhere to go (experts at this are juggernauts).

SardineQueen · 30/10/2011 13:16

People flash each other on the M25 all the time, simply because they are aggressive. It's definitely not the case that flashing is always done for a sensible reason.

Minus273 · 30/10/2011 13:16

No I didn't I very rarely use fog lights for a start as I am rarely driving in visibility poor enough to warrent it. When he started flashing me I did an extra check of all my dashboard lights over an above any other checks I always do.

Robotindisguise · 30/10/2011 13:20

Agree Sardine - all the people who have ever flashed me have been doing close to 100mph, when I'm in the fast lane. If I don't pull into the middle lane fast enough to let them pass (usually because it's not yet safe to do so) they flash and fill up my rear mirror. This says something about their driving, not mine.

SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 13:22

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe - I see you have chosen to only give half the information to justify your stance. Unfortunately, I note your choice of forum name?

Anyhow, clearly if you look you will see a post where I write:

'If there's nothing in the left hand lane I drive in it - but it's seldom the case. I also overtake in the third lane but at 70mph.'

LunarRose · 30/10/2011 13:29

Single Man: You are very wrong. On just about all accounts.

Very few accidents are considered to have speed as the proximate cause. In fact there is case law to that effect and accusing the other party of speeding is unlikely to be taken any notice of.

According to basic GCSE physics speed doesn't cause damage, differences in speed (and vehicle weight) do. Therefore it is actually far safer for everyone on the road to be driving at a similar speed in similar size vehicles. This is shown by the fact that the motorways, the fastest roads in the country, are also the safest.

Most speedometers are inaccurrate. You may think that you are driving at 70mph you might actually only be travelling at 64mph and therefore lane hogging totally illegally

Why is breaking the speed limit any more wrong than basic bad driving?

LunarRose · 30/10/2011 13:31

Sorry the second paragraph was in reference to insurance companies

ShellyBoobs · 30/10/2011 13:42

However, I do stick to the UK speed limit which is 70mph. I find it somewhat odd that many here put themselves and their passengers at greater risk by speeding above the UK legal limit.

So, SingleMan, when the new legislation eventually goes through and the speed limit on motorways is increased to 80mph, what will you do?

The laws of physics won't change in line with the limit and 80mph won't suddenly become safe if it's dangerous now, so how will you reconcile the fact that sticking to the (new) limit will mean doing 10mph more which you seem to believe is the be-all-and-end-all in danger on the motorway?

trixymalixy · 30/10/2011 13:49

Yy those that scream up at 100mph flashing their lights are total tossers and driving dangerously, but that does not absolve the lane hogger of any guilt as they are driving just as dangerously and being as much of a tosser.

SevenOfNine · 30/10/2011 14:04

And SingleMan - I note your choice of forum name. Rather ironic that, ever wondered why it might be?

You're wrong. In fact I think you may have come out the other side of wrong and into Complete Tosserhood.

SevenOfNine · 30/10/2011 14:10

My first post didn't post - Sorry about that everyone!

SingleMan, you wrote
"'If there's nothing in the left hand lane I drive in it - but it's seldom the case. I also overtake in the third lane but at 70mph.'"

And what if there is another tosser just like you, sitting in the middle lane doing 70mph? Are you one of those oiks who speeds up to 71mph and overtakes with all the speed of a snail on crutches?

Nancy66 · 30/10/2011 14:23

I think part of the problem is that there's an awful lot of people driving in the Uk from other countries where the rules for motorway driving are different.

That's also why, increasingly, you encounter people who haven't got a clue what to do at a roundabout.

springydaffs · 30/10/2011 14:25

reformed speeder here (slightly off-topic-ish) - always hovering around the 9pts on my licence, all for speeding (m'way).

Did the speed workshop = CURED

SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 14:26

ShellyBoobs - the UK Government have only put forward consultation to change the speed limit to 80mph, at present no decision has been made.

The 80mph idea has been kicked around the department of transport for years - although the change would be popular with many the arguments against have always been the cost and problem of enforcing a new unofficial speed of 90mph.

Also, driving at 80mph instead of 70mph will increase emissions and fule consuption by approximately 20% (good news for Goverment tax revenues but not so good for drivers)

Also insurance companies will not miss the chance to increase premiums as they will rightly see a greater risk.

So I see an argument in favour of keeping the speed limit where it currently stands 70mph and if anything reducing it.

However, if the law changes to 80mph, I'll then be driving at 80mph the new legal limit. However, I suspect many will then think that driving at 90mph is the new norm.

SingleMan25b · 30/10/2011 14:31

LunarRose - 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?

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