To say the fast lane doesn’t bloody exist?

[Brigleylake]

I’ve been driving back to work recently on an A road with two lanes, usually doing 70-75 max. I don’t want to drive in the “slow lane” and do 50/60 with tractors and lorries etc but I don’t want to be doing 90 either.

For the last week, every single day I’ve been tailgated dangerously and swore at twice! Doing 70 in the “fast lane”. Friend says it’s because that lane is for doing 80 plus!

That isn’t the law though, 70 is the law, and the “fast lane” doesn’t exist. I’m really sick of feeling forced on the other side to trudge along slowly when all I want to do is abide the law!

AIBU?

You’re meant to keep left when you’re not overtaking so yabu

YANBU for doing 70 but it is the over taking lane.
Dick heads just like to speed through it though.

It's for overtaking. Where there's a gap you should be moving back into the "slow lane" to allow traffic to pass you.

Maybe you and your friend could both do a refresher driver course together? I'm being serious. Staying left unless overtaking is a fairly basic rule of the road, and if neither of you know that, then what else might you not know.

I read once in an old motoring mag that if you are in an overtaking lane and it is going to take more than 10 seconds to reach and overtake the next car in the lane on your left then you need to get over into a slower lane.
Not using lanes correctly can cause hold-ups and actual stationary traffic because of the snowball effect of slowing and accelerating of each following car (I've seen a model of this, it was fascinating)

Gosh, lane hoggers!

Lazy, dangerous and bad drivers. I would swear at you too.

I don’t think it makes a great deal of difference that it’s an A road - if the road is very busy and there are lots of tractors etc on the left lane, then in practice you could end up in the overtaking lane for a while, but you are still on the look for a space to move back to the left as the default.

All those who want the speed limit increased - drag goes up as square of speed so going faster uses more fuel. Realise few on here are actually bothered about climate change but if you have bred, you really should be.

And before the usual dumbfuck comments, I'm talking about raising the NSL to faster than 70mph. The 'absolutes' brigade will think this means we should all drive at 20mph.

I’ve mentioned this before, but people like OP used to drive me bloody mad when I was an on call doctor providing emergency cover to two hospitals from home! (Thankfully, I am now retired.)
OP, there may be a damn good reason why the person behind you is doing 110mph. Please just get out of the way. It’s not much to ask.

On a busy road there will be loads of traffic going slowly in the left hand lane. If I'm on a dual carriageway I don't see why I should pull back into that lane every single time I've overtaken anything and have to slow down to the speed of that lane, so that in 100 yards' time I have to pull out again to overtake something else. If I am in the right hand lane I am overtaking and that's that. And if I'm doing 70 then it's illegal for anyone to drive faster than that, so tough shitski. It isn't lane hogging, it is driving at the maximum speed allowed.

don’t want to drive in the “slow lane” and do 50/60 with tractors and lorries etc but I don’t want to be doing 90 either.

Drive properly then.

Overtake the tractors and lorries then oh wow back in.

@Babdoc there may be a "good reason" but it's illegal and dangerous or else we'd all be allowed do drive at that speed

Many rural A roads are NSL which I think is madness.

I think YABU. What is the problem to change the lanes when you see a car approaching from behind? “I’m going the speed limit never moving out of the way drivers” boil my blood. Same on motorway. 4 bloody lanes all clogged up.

@Kokosrieksts

I think YABU. What is the problem to change the lanes when you see a car approaching from behind? “I’m going the speed limit never moving out of the way drivers” boil my blood. Same on motorway. 4 bloody lanes all clogged up.

Because there isn't always the room to move back in when you see some overbearing outside lane hogger speeding up behind you.

I find it annoying when I overtake something while I'm at 70 in the outside lane and something comes rushing up behind me at 90-100 while I'm in the process. I always pull to the left afterwards, but they have no patience and are speeding anyway.

@ViolaValentina

It's the overtaking lane. Everyone should be be the left hand lane unless they're overtaking a slower vehicle.

This

There isn't a fast lane or a slow lane. There's an overtaking lane and a lane for driving in when you are not overtaking.

As others have said, you should be driving as left as possible.
If you're sitting in the outside lane because you want to do 70 and you don't like the slow lane then people will rightly be getting annoyed.

Do you sit in the middle lanes of motorways too by any chance?

^ CounsellorTroi

Kokosrieksts
I think YABU. What is the problem to change the lanes when you see a car approaching from behind? “I’m going the speed limit never moving out of the way drivers” boil my blood. Same on motorway. 4 bloody lanes all clogged up.

^Because there isn't always the room to move back in when you see some overbearing outside lane hogger speeding up behind you. ^

If it genuinely is overtaking then it’s not an issue, but I very much suspect that there is plenty of space to pull in. I think it’s really bad and lazy driving not to change lanes because somewhere there I’m far distance is another lorry to overtake.

That isn’t the law though, 70 is the law, and the “fast lane” doesn’t exist. I’m really sick of feeling forced on the other side to trudge along slowly when all I want to do is abide the law!

Just because your speedometer says you are doing 70 doesn't necessarily mean you actually are. They are allowed to over read by 10%, so you could only be doing 63-64 when you think you are doing 70.

Plus, as has already been pointed out, the rules if the road are to keep left unless you are overtaking. There is no fast lane.

Well obviously it's important to move back over once you have finished overtaking but this is rubbish.

I’ve mentioned this before, but people like OP used to drive me bloody mad when I was an on call doctor providing emergency cover to two hospitals from home!(Thankfully, I am now retired.)
OP, there may be a damn good reason why the person behind you is doing 110mph. Please just get out of the way. It’s not much to ask.

If you have a legitimate reason for speeding you should have undergone extra training and be equipped with lights and siren, or be an undercover police driver. A doctor going to work is not entitled to break the speed limit. If you caused an accident with your excessive speed and arrogance, the fact that you had a "legitimate reason" for breaking the law would be of no benefit to your victims.

@Babdoc

Being on call isn't a good reason to drive 110mph. I'm sure emergency services ambulances, police, fire etc rarely get up to that speed, and that's with their blues and twos on and advanced driving skills.

@LolaSmiles I was going to say the same, I wouldn't be surprised if OP drives relentlessly in the middle lane of the motorway wondering why people are getting annoyed with her. 🙈

I’m really sick of feeling forced on the other side to trudge along slowly when all I want to do is abide the law

Except that you're not abiding by the law as you're cruising in the overtaking lane. And that's exactly what it is, it isn't a lane to sit in, you should only be in it when you're overtaking, not because the left lane is going too slow for you.

Also, 75mph is speeding, you can't judge someone for speeding in that lane when you're doing it yourself, 5mph or 10mph is still over the speed limit

Obviously the aggression is wrong, but are you sure it's because you're doing 70 and not becuase you weren't overtaking? I mean how have they managed to swear at you from behind and if there was space from then to undertake....?