To expect people to drive in the correct lane on the motorway?

[Sidge]

Drove back from Yorkshire today - 250 miles, most of it on the M1.

Couldn't believe how many people seem incapable of driving in the correct lane - often there was a virtually empty inside lane, then the traffic was all stacked up in the outer two lanes.

What's that all about? Is it because there's a lorry about a mile and a half ahead that you might have to pass in a couple of minutes, so they just sit in the middle lane instead to save having to actually steer the car?

Or is there an invisible force field surrounding the inside lane that only certain cars can break through?

Grr, bloody idiot drivers.

And don't get me started on how many knobheads still use their mobiles whilst driving...

It might be plenty of time to do that winestein but if there is a little line of slow cars in the outside lane all about 1/2 mile apart so that you have to do a sort of motoring leapfrog it seems a it pointless. Makes it more tempting to pootle along at 60 in the outside lane

You must resist temptation Orm. It is wrong, and it is evil, and it is the offside lane

OK. I won't drive in the in-out-left-slow-right-oopsupsideyourhead-side lane ever again.

I commute on the M1 and I find myself sitting in the outside (fast) lane for the entire motorway stretch. I am going as fast as the car in front and there is rarely much of a gap in the middle lane. Of course, most days I will get somebody undertaking me and then cutting into my driving space.

Winestein - you is needing some extra work.

So: nearside is on the right-hand side of your car, and offside is the left-hand side - yes?

I do prefer 'in-out-left-slow-right-oopsupsideyourhead-side lane' though and will use it in conversation.

Bozza is an outside lane hogger! Burn the witch!

Bet you couldn;t have used 'in-out-left-slow-right-oopsupsideyourhead-side lane' in conversation last night...

Nearside is the side of your car normally nearest to the kerb, and that should be the left hand side of your car when you are sat in it. (Of course, depending ont he carriageway cross section, this could be interpreted as the opposite side for Bozza, who is an outside lane hogger

And you see "'in-out-left-slow-right-oopsupsideyourhead-side lane" is interchangeable enabling you to drive whereever you like at any speed.

Oi, Orm. I'm watching you.

I am a bit to discover that when I am drunk, I get into spats with people about grammar and motorway driving. You can imagine how dull I am when I'm sober.

pmsl

"'in-out-left-slow-right-oopsupsideyourhead-side lane" has just reminded me how much I hate nearside-offside-inside-outside and other completely meaningless terms.

When I become Empress of the Known Universe, people will be compelled by law to refer to

a) the driver's side/passenger side on cars, and
b) the left/middle/right lanes on motorways.

Horsey types may continue to use nearside/offside for horses and ponies. [gracious]

i love this thread.

i would cut halfof you up on the mototrway, but i wouldnt hold it against you. im not one for grudges, me

(agree about offside/nearside rubbish... what is that all about??)

Haven't read the whole thread but have been thinking the same thing myself this week as have driven 1000 miles, mostly on motorways.

What really annoys me is the people who won't pull out of the outside lane because they clearly think they are going fast enough and think it is their job to stop me from getting past! They don't seem to understand the principle that you should pull left as soon as there is a space regardless of whether someone wants to get past them.

If someone is going to fast behind you and are driving too close to you, and there is no where to safely pull into let them pass - ensure that the distance between you and the car in front is equal to you your safe braking distance PLUS the braking distance of the car behind. If you have to slow down, slow down! This has the other incentive of seriously pissing them off.
At the same time, don't be tempted to deliberately hold people up of you think they are going too fast - it is not worth the risk. If they want to drive like a twat and risk their licence and their lives let 'em - just get out of their way. I rather have someone like that in front of me than behind me.
The fundemental problem is that there simply isn't enough traffic police to patrol our motorways to stop this idiotic driving. The only thing you can do is make sure YOU drive safe - you do not control other people's driving.
Policywonk - I've driven on the M25 plenty of times, and take your point, if Lane 1 is full of lorries, pass them in lane 2. What people object to is people driving at 60mph in lane 2 on an empty motorway. That is just stupid.
However you do still need to bear in mind that lanes 2 and 3 are for overtaking only, so when there is a decent gap you should pull in to let others pass you.

Oh I got all that advice on driving from my mate's husband who is a police qualified advanced driving instructor.

Ahhh. Bless all of you who can't understand simple concepts. It's mummy-brain isn't it?

well hoooow ruuuude

(my 4yo says that in the best comical voice)

ROFLMAO at weinstein. I think there is also a Daddy brain and a middle aged fart bran too as well!

bran - I mean brain. I on the other hand have pregnancy brain

About 10yrs ago i took the Advanced Driving Test, as i felt my standard of driving was slipping and i felt nervous on the motorways and also on country roads.
Since then i have felt much calmer whilst driving and the training helped me to see "further ahead" and it helped me greatly in anticipating what others would do..even the nutters.
Basically, let them carry on and don't get yourself into trouble on their behalf.
You should all try to take the test, it is a real eye opener and a usefull skill to have.
Also i rekon all 4X4 drivers should pass the IAM test before they can drive one.
Rant over!
AB

ripeberry - I don't think that being a little nervous whilst driving is neccessarily a bad thing. There are too many arrogant tw*ts behind the wheel of a car who think they are invulnerable because they are such good drivers ...until they have a crash (which is always someone else's fault). Of course being too cautious is not good either. Perhaps if we could manage an injection of humility and a touch of caution into certain drivers it might help everyone.

winestein - f*ck off.....