to ask middle-lane sitters why they do it?

[Gentleness]

I'm not starting this thread to criticise or belittle at all, so please don't flame me. The audi thread just got me thinking about my constant mental battle to assume the best of other drivers. I have to, as I'm naturally a harsh critic and I don't like it in myself. But while I can think someone speeding is trying to get to their sick child, or someone dithering has had a bad scare, I struggle to understand the drivers who sit in the middle line on motorways. So, tell me why so I can train my brain to be kind!

It is possible to be intelligent and courteous though.

Yes.

[Fuming]

Why are you fuming?

We can but dream and hope.

Oh I see. Well thus thread has been a bit of an eye opener. Next time I am on the motorway I am sure i will be thinking about it.

I am fuming with utter crossness and similar unpleasant emotions, because of the dangerous and stupid behaviour exhibited by swarms of drivers on the motorways. I drive over 80 miles every day on motorway and see the numpties endangering themselves and others, ever 10 minutes.
Oh, why can't somebody invent common sense with touch of intelligence - in a spray can.

80 miles a day on the motorway roll. No wonder you are cross. You must have seen it all. Inner calm required.

Middle laners make me so cross that I'm going to have to hide this thread because I can feel my blood starting to boil

The Highway Code says:

37. 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.

38. On a three-lane dual carriageway, you may use the middle lane or the righthand lane to overtake but return to the middle and then the left-hand lane when it is safe.

And

264. You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

carling - it's true, speedos are calibrated to read a little faster than real speed. speedos can over report speed by 10% but must not under report speed at all, so car makers calibrate it forward a touch for the law's sake.

My inner calm rules the roost whilst driving. Once deposited safely in the big chair by the fire, with a large glass of something or other, then out comes the frustration.
It's very dangerous to become emotional while in charge of motorcar.
[wise old moi, ahem]

meant to add, gps units are v accurate on constant speeds only, due to their slow refresh rate on the display. around town, lots of gear changes, etc, they're too slow to keep up, on the whole.

Looking at the Highway Code posted by Follyfoot am thinking it depends though what you mean by "return to the middle and then the left-hand lane when it is safe" and "as soon as you are safely past"

It does even mention "If you are overtaking a number of slower moving vehicles"

Sometimes the roads are so busy these days that I feel these things are open to some interpretation.

I also feel that some very safe, cautious drivers are criticised much more harshly than much worse offenders who persist in speeding, tail-gaiting, and other aggressive driving attitudes and behaviours. It's as though fast, aggressive driving has become the norm.

I don't see a similarly angry thread on the danger of tail-gaiters for example.

As MrsDeV said some of us just want to get from A to B, sometimes with our DC, as safely as possible. That doesn't mean that either she or I use the middle lane excessively (as agree that could be dangerous too) Just that safe driving is our priority.

Viva, I must offer my apologies, I didn't read your post fully/correctly/not enough coffee yet.
If there is a half mile gap in the left lane, one should be in the left lane, in that gap. However, my rant is about the drivers who don't forward plan.
If there's a constant traffic of lorries et al in the left lane, with relatively small gaps in between, then it is a better driving practice to stay in the middle lane whilst doing the speed limit, until one finds large enough gap to move to the left lane.
I do agree that the drivers who just sit in the middle lane whilst left lane is empty, are prize eejits.

[I shall go and enjoy my day now and stop ranting]

It also says "You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear

Well, that is open to interpretation too. On modern motorways how often is the left hand lane truly clear ?

OK I can't contain myself any longer, THERE IS NO FUCKING SLOW LANE AND THERE IS NO FAST LANE

Pull over to the left unless over taking

OK WHO. But there is a middle lane?

Well the good news is that this can't happen anymore as Ben Miller put it in room 101 last night

Good question, most of the motorway near me has four lanes, the local plod call them lanes 1,2,3,4

People still sit in lane 3 on an empty road

Is it actually illegal to undertake on the motorway? What happens if I'm driving in the left lane (because I'm leaving at the next junction), slowly gaining on the car hogging the middle lane going at 60 mph, then the driver of that car brakes and slows down? Do I:

A) Slow down so I don't undertake but then find I am driving on the motorway at 45 mph which seems dangerous to other drivers.
B) Cross two lanes to overtake only I'm doing 45 mph by this point and I have to get in to a lane doing 70 mph, overtake then cross back to the left hand lane to leave the motorway - also seems dangerous.
C) Undertake the car in the middle lane as safely as I can.

This happens to me frequently on the M2 into Belfast and it infuriates me that my safest option is the illegal one. The road slopes steeply just after junction 4 and I can only assume some drivers panic because they're driving down a big hill and brake even though the road conditions are safe for their speed.

I'm not absolutely sure on the legalities Stunt but I think you can undertake if you're in a lane designated as a leaving at next junction lane (that is there will be markings on the road to that effect) ?

I think people must think its very pretty in the middle lane, i was always told that there is only one lane for driving in on the motorway and the other two are for overtaking only.

Stunt - how about option 5, read the road ahead?

Stunt - yes you would slow down till you reach the slip road unless you could see you had time and opportunity to overtake safely you could do that.

Once you're on the slip road not sure if you can pass on the inside but would personally be extra cautious (well wouldn't personally) incase you get someone entering the slip road late as you are alongside them.

Most slip roads you would be slowing down anyway I would imagine depending on the junction.

The first lane is for driving in whenever it is available. The second and third lane are for the purpose of overtaking only

I've read this so many times on this thread. If as many posters are saying, we should all be with the HGVs in the LH lane and ONLY use the other lanes for overtaking, then why do we need two of them? So you can overtake someone who is overtaking? That really does sound dangerous.

A motorway is not a dual carriageway, but if everyone drove as some posters on here are suggesting I can't see why anyone would ever use the RH lane

Nobody is suggesting diving in & out behind every lorry, gymmummy64, that would be crazily dangerous. On a busy motorway with lots of lorries doing 50-odd, passing them and mostly staying in lane two (middle or next-to-left-most) until there's nothing in lane one is the obvious and safe thing to. That's when the third lane is needed.

The OP was talking about quiet motorways with lots of space in lane one, and some numpty still sits in lane two doing 60. That's when they should shift over.