To hate middle lane hoggers on the motorway?

[ILoveMrDarcy]

Just that really! It's so infuriating when drivers have no clue how to drive on the motorway. I know there are worse things to get stressed about but it does drive me bonkers.

I shouldn't have to slow down and move just because the person behind me thinks they're Lewis Hamilton...erm, yes you should. Don't sit in overtaking lanes. Stay in the left hand lane wherever possible.

YADNBU. This fucking boils my piss.

YANBU. They think they are such great drivers. Keep left, like it says in the Highway Code. Overtake as necessary.

Oh god yes. The worse for it seems to be the 4 lane motorways where people seem to think they can pick a lane and stick to it.

It gives me road rage. I stay in the left hand lane where possible and only over take as and when necessary. I also hate when someone decides to ride up my ass, as I'm overtaking in the middle lane, when they could use the 3rd fucking lane to overtake me. Or they would give me two bloody minutes to overtake and manoeuvre back across.

It’s really annoying. As are the people who pull out to over take then, don’t.

I actually somewhat agree with @Pengggwn, I think there is a difference between a middle Lane hogger, and a fair dispersion of traffic across all lanes.

There are too many cars on the roads these days for everyone to stick in the left hand lane, and only move to overtake. It's a nice theory, but in practice in 2017 it just is no longer sustainable. Yes you should drive in the left lane where possible, but if the middle or fast lane is clear, and you are doing a suitable speed, and there is no one trying to move over, then imo it is perfectly reasonable. It's just common sense.

Often the person driving behind a middle lane hogger is also a middle lane hogger just wanting to drive faster.

I think the trouble is that people use phrases like the 'fast lane' and 'slow lane'. There is no such thing. There is the left hand lane and overtaking lanes. The speed you are going is irrelevant.

I’m pretty much always in the middle lane as I’m pretty much always overtaking people doing 60 on the inside lane.

If you’re doing 70 ish then you’re rarely going to be in the inside lane

There was a thread on here the other week apparently you just undertake them that solves the problem.

I genuinely think that due to motorway driving not being on the driving test (yet!) , there is a whole host of crazy styles on the motorway based more on people's insecurities than anything else useful. How many folk actually read the motorway section of the Highway Code before setting out the first time? I wouldn't expect them to, not a criticism, but you can easily see how strange styles and approaches can come out of pure ignorance.

I've heard the following reasons for middle lane driving:

• "the left lane is used by lorries and is therefore full of ruts. My car drives smoother in the middle lane".

• "it's safer for me to drive in the middle lane, than start in the left lane and have to change lanes every five mins".

• "Everyone else does it, I can't see what the problem is."

• "the left lane is for lorries and heavy goods vehicles".

None of them are based on the Highway Code imperative, it's all based on what works for the driver above all else.

The most frustrating thing I see on motorways is when a German "premium brand" car/premium SUV comes onto a slip road, changes dramatically across three lanes (narrowly missing folk) to park themselves into the third or fourth lane, then steams off and stays in that lane as if it's "premium cars only".

So much of this I reckon is down to the British psyche of not wanting to be in the "paupers" lane, and just get everywhere as quickly as possible

There was a thread on here the other week apparently you just undertake them that solves the problem.

Point of order. Do you mean "undertake" or "pass on the inside"?

I would have to check the thread Her but I don't think I can face looking at it again.

In theory I agree with you. But in practice if you stay in the left lane, you are constantly overtaking because there is so much traffic these days. I do think the fact that there are so many more cars now than when the rules were written makes it a lot more difficult.

I've occasionally looked guilty of this when doing 70 and overtaking someone doing 60 in the left hand lane

That's not middle lane sitting.

Middle lane sitting is when the left hand lane is empty for miles and you're still sitting in the middle lane.

If you are there to overtake, that's not middle lane sitting,

Often the person driving behind a middle lane hogger is also a middle lane hogger just wanting to drive faster

This is very true!

I really don’t see why people struggle so much with this.

If you are passing a car that’s fine, if your not move it. Don’t stay in the middle lane because you can see another car half a mile in the distance your not overtaking at that point your lane hogging.

Point of order. Do you mean "undertake" or "pass on the inside"?

Oh god. Don’t think I could cope with another undertaking thread.

I think I do this and at the risk of heating gindaddy's piss to boiling point, it's because I don't want to keep overtaking every time I come up behind a slow-driving vehicle or a lorry doing 60 particularly when it's raining.

I also don't want to be in the left hand lane when a slip road is joining the motorway, so would always move across.

Surely if I am in the middle lane and never go faster than the cars in the lane on my right then I am driving safely?

Ok, let me have, don't hold back grin

Here you go. All 11 pages of it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3075117-To-overtake-on-motorway-left-hand-lane?pg=1&order=

@NerrSnerr Oh god. Don’t think I could cope with another undertaking thread.

I'm almost tempted to start one about people who merge 3 miles ahead of roadworks then deliberately block people who correctly and safely use the perfectly valid, open lane right up till the point of merge.