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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not really understand the problem with driving in the middle lane?

440 replies

BrokenSunglasses · 16/08/2013 09:15

I've done a lot of motorway driving recently, and it's got me thinking, because I don't really understand when it's ok to be in the middle lane and when it's not.

I've worked out that its ok to stay in the middle lane when there's lots of cars/lorries on the inside lane and I'm going faster, but how long is it ok to stay in the middle lane when there's nothing right next to you on the inside lane?

Sometimes I stay in there longer than I perhaps should, but that's either because I can see that I'd only have to move out again in a minute because there's a slow moving lorry ahead, or because I can see a junction coming up and there will be cars filtering onto the the motorway.

I did that yesterday, and got flashed a lot by a van behind me, but it was raining so the visibility was crap, and I'd have had to slow down and be too close behind the car that was on the inside lane and would have been able to see even less because of the spray. It seems to me to be sensible to leave lots of space inbetween vehicles when it's raining, but this van made me doubt myself. He overtook me in the outside lane eventually, and I thought he should have just done that in the first place because that's what it's there for.

Was I being a lane hog or was he being a twat?

I really don't get it.

OP posts:
breatheslowly · 18/08/2013 16:23

Candy - people find it difficult to remember inside and outside - like port and starboard on a ship. So they say fast and slow. I think that is fairly reasonable as overtaking should be done on the right, therefore making it the faster lane.

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 16:30

Surprisingly, fedup, among the other three hundred posts are several answers to your question.

Hmm
HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 16:31

DH has taught me to call them lane one, lane two, lane three, etc, like the police do. No fast/slow confusion, no near/far confusion, no inside/outside confusion especially on roundabouts.

SauvignonBlanche · 18/08/2013 16:44

Was I being a lane hog or was he being a twat?
The answer to both is yes.

I really don't get it, after 17 years it's about time you did!

Ilovemyself · 18/08/2013 18:48

Just been on the M25 for 2 junctions and about 4 miles. The number of idiots in lanes 3 and 4 when 1 and 2 were clear was amazing. And when I had to out to lane 4 to overtake someone doing 50 I couldn't help but think of those on here saying it isn't an issue!

ivykaty44 · 18/08/2013 19:18

sorry long day it will be on the sot fines not through the post...

MorrisZapp · 18/08/2013 19:53

I'm sure somebody else has said this, but its a bit rich to pick and choose which bits of the highway code we expect drivers to adhere to.

The highway code says that on motorways you must stick to the national speed limit which us 70mph.

Those of you protesting the rights of faster drivers know fine well that faster drivers are not doing 70. Why should anybody drive in a manner that accommodates others need to break speed limits.

RobotHamster · 18/08/2013 20:01

Rtft

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 20:01

I don't exceed the speed limit. I still suffer middle lane hoggers.

In any case, it is not the responsibility of any civilian driver to control the driving of any other driver. If someone's speeding then you want them to get past you cleanly and fuck the fuck off into the distance, well out of your way not behind you getting cross. Their being wrong doesn't make you right.

noblegiraffe · 18/08/2013 20:27

Sticking to the speed limit doesn't mean that you are allowed to use the overtaking lane when you aren't overtaking. If the lane to the left of you is clear, pull in. You aren't any better than the people breaking the speed limit.

Also, as speedometers aren't that accurate, you are probably smugly thinking you are doing 70 when you're actually going more slowly.

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 20:30

It's quite interesting calibrating one's speedo against sat nav or milometer on a long journey. For instance, drive an hour with cruise control on 70mph and note that you did 66 miles...

breatheslowly · 18/08/2013 20:34

Realistically few middle lane hoggers will be fined as I can't imagine, dangerous that it is, that many people will get stopped for it. Just as lots of people get away with speeding.

Ilovemyself · 18/08/2013 20:37

But breath slowly. Just like speeding the ones that are the worst offenders are the most likely to get stopped and fined!

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 20:38

Sorry, me again.

We got stuck behind middle lane hoggers on Friday night. As we eventually passed them on the inside, because DH was driving and wanted to make a point (sigh) we noticed that only one of the three in the car had a seatbelt on, and at least one light was out.

DH did a quick sum and reckoned the police stopping that car could have given £200 and six points minimum.

It's worth mentioning that the police have to have a reason to stop you when you're driving. If you get stopped for middle lane hogging they might also check your treads, smell your breath, etc, etc.

trixymalixy · 18/08/2013 20:45

Why should anybody drive in a manner that accommodates others need to break speed limits.

It's not to accommodate the tossers that speed, it's to allow the rest of us to stay out of their way safely. There will always be someone who wants to scream up the motorway at a ridiculous speed unfortunately. Middle lane drivers force people to overtake in a further over lane than necessary and make it so much more dangerous for everyone including themselves. They are just as much at fault as the speeders.

fedupofpoo · 18/08/2013 20:57

But if you are doing 70 in the middle lane,why should anyone need to overtake you?if they do 'cos they want to go faster then its their business.I can't see how staying in lane is dangerous.doesn't make any sense at all

Nervousfirsttimer · 18/08/2013 20:59

Then you shouldn't be driving!

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 21:00

Because your "70" is actually 66...?

That or they are driving an Audi Grin

Ilovemyself · 18/08/2013 21:04

fedupofpoo. Because your dangerous driving could impede an emergency vehicle legitimately travelling at high speed.

I guess if you think that people shouldn't be doing over 70 you don't look in the mirror much, "because no one should be overtaking you"

trixymalixy · 18/08/2013 21:06

If there's nothing wrong with it, then why are they introducing fines fedup. Could it be that it's fucking dangerous?!?!?! Just because you don't get it doesn't mean that there's nothing wrong with it.

fedupofpoo · 18/08/2013 21:29

Oh ffs. Can't someone ask a question??a emergency vehicle would use a emergency lane surely?

fedupofpoo · 18/08/2013 21:30

Seem to me ur not really understending the reason for this rule either...

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/08/2013 21:30

I think police cars, fire engines and ambulances use the hard shoulder when traffic is stationary or crawling, but generally they use the standard lanes.

PeanutButterMmm · 18/08/2013 21:36

I do not agree with people driving in the middle lane on an empty motorway either but if someone is unable to overtake a middle lane driver via cutting across 2 lanes and back again on an empty motorway than surely their driving skills need to be questioned to.

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