To think 70mph is an acceptable speed in any motorway lane?

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Disclaimer: I have only recently started driving on the motorway regularly

Surely whatever lane you're in, 70mph is an acceptable speed to be doing? I keep finding that when I'm in the fast lane (eg when overtaking cars in the middle lane) at 70mph, I find I have someone driving 2 metres behind me in a way that suggests they enjoy causing a pile up. Once I'm able to get back into the middle lane they will rush past at well over 70mph.

Did I miss the memo where the fast lane became part of the German Autobahn?

Among European countries the UK is one of the worst for undertaking and people not seeming to understand what "only use the right two lanes to overtake" actually means

Undertaking would probably be reduced if there were fewer people sitting in lanes 2 and 3 doing less than the speed limit.

I don't see why we can only overtake on the right. It encourages more lane changes, which is likely to be a common cause of accidents.

The UK is one of the safest places to be on the road in the world. Whatever Europe does, its not something we want to emulate because it’s inferior.

"Undertaking would probably be reduced if there were fewer people sitting in lanes 2 and 3 doing less than the speed limit."

This ^^

"I don't see why we can only overtake on the right."

It is incredibly dangerous to undertake. They do this in the US, and OH and I have seen some horrific accidents caused by driving like this. If you undertake you could end up at the undertakers.

All of those regularly doing 80 or 90 on Motorways - do you drive in the SE? Because beware (as some local motorists have found to their cost) most motorway gantries on the Smart motorways at least here, have speed cameras on them. Those speed cameras work 24/7 and even if the speed is not reduced you will get a speeding fine if you exceed the speed limit.

OP - lots of people drive badly. Learning to drive defensively, which means obeying the rules, but also realising that other road users will not. One of my basic rules is if someone is driving like an idiot (especially on motorways) I'd rather they were in front of me than behind me - its easier to avoid any chaos they cause that way.

I am surprised at how many people on this thread think it is okay to break the law on a regular basis. It doesn’t really matter what you think about the speed limits and whether they are outdated or not, they are law and you are not!

70 is the maximum speed limit for a motorway so you can drive at that speed on any lane but no faster. The 2 outside lanes are for overtaking, not for sitting in at any speed.

I wonder how many of you would drive past a police car if you were doing 80-90 without slowing down? Perhaps when you get stopped or cause a crash you could try saying that you think the law is outdated and see how far you get?

The law may have been set when cars were not as advanced as they are now, but there were a lot less on the roads, and it also involves the drivers reaction times.

Speed limits on any road are just that, a limit.

There's no point in upping the speed limit to 80 because an arsehole is always an arsehole and will then drive at 90 - 100. Re overtaking lanes, the 10 second rule should be law. If you are not going to overtake someone within 10 seconds you are in the wrong lane and need to get back into the lane on your left.

By all means stick to 70 when in overtaking lane, but look in your mirror before pulling out. If a car in the lane you want to move into is going much faster, wait until it has passed to move out. Why try to cause an accident and/or irritation on purpose

I suspect what the OP is doing is not taking account of the speed of vehicles already in that lane and just moving out at her steady 70mph, regardless of the fact that there is a car approaching which is moving at a faster speed. That's poor driving, even if the other car is going over the speed limit.

Never cause anyone else to break unless it's completely unavoidable is a good rule of thumb on motorways

I've driven past police cars going over 70. I have no points on my licence kahlua

“I am surprised at how many people on this thread think it is okay to break the law on a regular basis. It doesn’t really matter what you think about the speed limits and whether they are outdated or not, they are law and you are not!”

Have you ever been on a motorway? what a load of pious nonsense

By all means stick to 70 when in overtaking lane, but look in your mirror before pulling out. If a car in the lane you want to move into is going much faster, wait until it has passed to move out. Why try to cause an accident and/or irritation on purpose
This ^^
Sure, the law may be 70, but what happens in reality is different.

The other day I was driving in the middle lane (queue of lorries in the left lane at lorry speed) doing 70. Someone pulled out into the middle lane at 60 causing me to throw my brakes on. And then they continued to toddle along in front of me at 60. Common sense says 'gosh there's another car goibg quicker than me, maybe I should wait for it to pass before causing them to throw their brakes on', then again common sense also says if you are pulling out fron lorries actually speed up to get past them, don't toddle along in the middle lane.

I'd say the same principle applies for the outside lane. If i want ro get past middle lane hogger (and I did), I could have pulled out in front of a car doing at least 80 coming up on my right and then sat at 70 just because, or I could wait for that car to pass, then pull out, over take, and move in. The 2nd option is better

The worst and I would see I daily on the motorway, is several lorries in the left lane, so a car pulls out into middle and does 50mph, car then pulls onto right lane and does 50mph- resulting in a lane of pissed off drivers behind wanting them to pull in so they can pass, but they just carry on ignoring the que behind. (Disclaimer: I used to drive all over the UK so this wasn't only a one motorway problem!)

Good advice Bekabeech. I told DS the same thing. It’s no good being right and dead because of someone else’s stupidity.

Yep, I drive on the motorway a lot thanks 😀. And have been in crashes that would have been avoided if people were not speeding ☹️

My mil would still be alive if the other driver was going at the right speed....

It's interesting that the software for autonomous vehicles won't permit them to exceed the speed limit determined to be in force at the time.

A few of these cars on the roads, and it'll get harder for the speed merchants ...

I've noticed in town (Birmingham) that the average speed camera roads have made it almost impossible to speed, as the majority of cars stick to the limit.

For all those saying modern cars have advanced so much , drivers abilities haven't though.

Unless the OP is driving in rush hour or on very congested motorways, I can't think of many occasions when you'd would be overtaking other cars by driving at 70 in the outside lane. The middle lane is usually going at that speed and cars in the outside lane faster.

Agree with a lot of what has been said already - the outside lane is the overtaking lane, not the "fast" lane and there is a definite problem with passive aggressive drivers who think they are teaching other drivers a lesson or showing what amazing drivers they are by sticking fastidiously to 70 mph, irrespective of what is going on around them.

Even worse are the middle lane hoggers who never, ever pull in even though there is miles of open road ahead of them - probably people who think of the inside lane as "the slow lane".

If the OP is pulling out without causing sharp braking, overtaking then returning immediately to the lane on the left, then that's fine. If she's tootling along at 70 while a queue of traffic builds up behind her just because she's at the limit and is trying to someone police the other drivers that's not on. Not your job to try to control what other people are doing. Concentrate on your own driving and let others do as they wish.

Of course you are technically correct but I would say try to avoid the outside lane if only traveling at 70mph. Most people in that lane will be driving more than 70 mph and you could cause an accident if you insist on pulling I to that lane and forcing others to slow.

"If she's tootling along at 70 while a queue of traffic builds up behind her just because she's at the limit and is trying to someone police the other drivers that's not on."

I'm pretty sure someone got prosecuted a few years ago for doing that.

@kamilahbobo
I tend to go 80-90 on average on motorway like most drivers on motorway any way, which is also legal there is no prosecution for that. I also use flashing lights or emergency lights on drivers who cause traffic by slowing down on 3rd lanes ..if they want have a cruise they may take village lanes instead
How refreshing for someone actually admit they drive like a twat

I thought it was quite clear from the op that op used the ‘fast’ lane for overtaking & then moved back when she could?

There is no way that the speed limit should be increased. We have a lot of cars on the road, yet a much lower death toll than other EU countries. Germany has no speed limit on the Autobahn and also has significantly more road deaths per capital than the UK and that is a country famed for being obsessed with safety. It's madness. If the speed limit were raised to 80, most people would start doing 90 as norm. Keep it at 70- speed kills. If you all want to do 80, feel free, but on your head be it if you get caught.

Middle lane hogging is now a driving offence I believe

Where is 80-90 legal on UK motorways. It's illegal and I wonder how many points you have on your license if you believe stupid shit like that?