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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say the fast lane doesn’t bloody exist?

163 replies

Brigleylake · 30/04/2021 13:25

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?

OP posts:
donquixotedelamancha · 30/04/2021 16:33

I don’t want to drive in the “slow lane”.......For the last week, every single day I’ve been tailgated dangerously and swore at twice! Doing 70 in the “fast lane”.

Pretty sure you are the problem. There are always pushy areholes but no-one gets that much grief driving reasonably and even your description of what you are doing sounds like lane hogging.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 30/04/2021 16:35

@TeachesOfPeaches

70mph became law in the 1960s, if does need to be updated in line with modern car capabilities.
Modern drivers' capabilities certainly haven't improved in that time - and there's more of them, to boot.

Keeping it at 70 is just fine.

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 30/04/2021 16:38

70mph is too slow for the third lane

spanieleyes · 30/04/2021 16:45

Heaven, please don't ever drive in France. There you drive in the inside lane, pull out to overtake and pull straight back in. If you don't and stay in the outside lane 5 seconds longer than necessary, you will have lights flashing and horns blaring!

VeryLongBeeeeep · 30/04/2021 17:02

If there's room in the LH lane to pull back over safely after overtaking, while maintaining your speed and without either having to brake or causing the car you'd be pulling back in front of to brake, you should pull back in.

If the volume of slow-moving traffic in the LH lane is such that you are constantly passing those slower vehicles while you are in the RH lane and there is no significant gap between them to enable a return to the LH lane without braking, then you're still overtaking and can justifiably stay in the RH at 70mph. But as soon as a gap appears in the LHL which enables you to pull in safely and smoothly as outlined in the para above, you should do so.

If there are gaps in the LHL traffic large enough to allow you to pull in safely and you choose to stay in the RHL at 70mph because you can't be arsed to think about pulling out again in another 15/20/30 seconds or so when you catch up with the next slower-moving vehicle, you're a twat.

poppycat10 · 30/04/2021 17:05

You'll get the proverbial handed to you on a plate OP - people are hysterical about middle lane sitters.

Admittedly when there are only two lanes, it's annoying if someone is blocking the "fast" one when there is space to pull in. But lorries routinely do it - one doing 58mph and one doing 59 mph. AAAAGH!

But when there are 3/4 lanes on a motorway I can't see why people can't just overtake the middle lane sitter. Yes it's annoying and yes they should pull over (although there's a difference between the person who sits there for miles when the inside lane is empty and the driver who doesn't want to weave in and out of lorries - the latter seems to get called a middle lane sitter too and I couldn't disagree more).

Also, people are allowed to overtake. That means that if you come up behind them at 90 and they are legitimately overtaking someone at the legal limit of 70, you will just have to wait. So many people think you don't have a right to overtake if you are doing a slower speed (I don't mean pulling out just in front of someone).

TableFlowerss · 30/04/2021 17:06

If you’re a lane hogger and sit in the 2nd lane because you fancy it, then you are the type of driver that gets on my wick. People are tailgating you to advise you to MOVE!

poppycat10 · 30/04/2021 17:08

If there are gaps in the LHL traffic large enough to allow you to pull in safely and you choose to stay in the RHL at 70mph because you can't be arsed to think about pulling out again in another 15/20/30 seconds or so when you catch up with the next slower-moving vehicle, you're a twat

No you're not, you're a sensible driver, looking at what is ahead and adjusting your driving accordingly. Pulling in and out continually isn't good driving. 15-20 seconds is absolutely fine. Sitting there for 5 minutes, not fine.

Merryoldgoat · 30/04/2021 17:08

I drive on a A road every day for work and the number of people who trundle along at 35 in the middle Lane is breath taking. It drives me utterly insane.

poppycat10 · 30/04/2021 17:09

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

70mph is too slow for the third lane
Oh dear. People really don't know what the speed limit is, do they?

And no, it shouldn't be increased because modern cars are "safer". It was too high when cars were less safe.

poppycat10 · 30/04/2021 17:09

@Merryoldgoat

I drive on a A road every day for work and the number of people who trundle along at 35 in the middle Lane is breath taking. It drives me utterly insane.
Well that is insane (assuming the speed limit on it isn't 40).
FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 30/04/2021 17:12

But when there are 3/4 lanes on a motorway I can't see why people can't just overtake the middle lane sitter.

@poppycat10 in theory you're right but it's mostly annoying when, for example...I'm doing 75mph in the 'slow' lane, and a car is in the middle lane going slower. So I have to go through the unnecessary faff of overtaking when it would just be easier if they sat in the 'slow' lane like they should be

Macncheeseballs · 30/04/2021 17:15

There are a lot of impatient twats on the roads, anyone would think they were all surgeons on their way to perform life saving surgery

Original poster
Brigleylake · 30/04/2021 17:22

Just an FYI, sorry just came back to thread after work, this is at 8am when the left lane is usually backed up, we are near a services so usually it’s lorry after lorry with a tiny gap left in between them- dangerous to pull in between- but the right lane is free so usually there isn’t the opportunity to dip in and out and keep going back over after overtaking.

Yeah, I’d never hog the overtaking, but when I’m in it- I simply want to go 70’s. I’m usually in the right hand lane for on average about 5 minutes a time.

OP posts:
Merryoldgoat · 30/04/2021 17:23

@poppycat10

It’s a 50 limit. Honestly it’s fucking hideous.

There are frequently HGVs in the nearside lane going slower so I understand not wanting to be stuck behind them but just keeping pace next to them makes no sense at all.

It also has quite narrow lanes and the number of people who think it’s entirely acceptable to change lanes without signalling is quite astonishing.

honeybuns007 · 30/04/2021 17:32

People who are calling it the 'overtaking' lane are technically correct but are failing to acknowledge that traffic is so dire these days that often both lanes are completely full. There is no way people would be able to pull back into the 'slow' lane as that lane is completely full as is the 'fast lane. Just two lanes of constant traffic

BottleFlipper · 30/04/2021 17:39

@Brigleylake

Just an FYI, sorry just came back to thread after work, this is at 8am when the left lane is usually backed up, we are near a services so usually it’s lorry after lorry with a tiny gap left in between them- dangerous to pull in between- but the right lane is free so usually there isn’t the opportunity to dip in and out and keep going back over after overtaking.

Yeah, I’d never hog the overtaking, but when I’m in it- I simply want to go 70’s. I’m usually in the right hand lane for on average about 5 minutes a time.

5 minutes at a time? Tailgating can never be excused but seriously thats way too long at a time.
Arbadacarba · 30/04/2021 17:43

It certainly doesn't on the M62.

Elai1978 · 30/04/2021 18:00

No such thing as a fast or slow lane, they’re lanes 1,2,3 etc. Lane 1 is for driving, the rest are for overtaking.

Comeonmommy · 30/04/2021 19:00

I'd be annoyed if it was taking you 5 minutes to overtake!

LolaSmiles · 30/04/2021 19:03

5 minutes isn't an overtake OP. It's causing in the outside lane because you don't want to use the road properly.

LolaSmiles · 30/04/2021 19:04

Driving, not causing

merryhouse · 30/04/2021 19:12

Have you lot never been on a road with a whole load of lorries doing 60mph?

Here's a hint: each of those lorry drivers is driving at a safe distance from the one in front. If someone who's just overtaken them pulls in between the two lorries, then that distance is halved. Either the lorry driver brakes (swearing sotto voce because apparently their gears are considerably closer together than cars') causing everyone behind to do the same, or the driving distance is no longer safe - until the car doing 70 pulls out again to overtake the next lorry. Except of course that because the car doing 70 has pulled in the idiot who thinks they're entitled to do 90 has started to do so, which means the car doing 70 can't pull out, and has to brake.

That's what the OP is attempting to avoid.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 30/04/2021 19:18

Yeah, I’d never hog the overtaking, but when I’m in it- I simply want to go 70’s. I’m usually in the right hand lane for on average about 5 minutes a time.

That's far too much time. It doesn't take five minutes to overtake someone!

You're doing it wrong. Move over.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 30/04/2021 19:19

Have you lot never been on a road with a whole load of lorries doing 60mph?

Yep, everyday.

If you can't overtake safely, then you just need to sit behind them. Driving at 60mph instead of 70mph is really no big deal.