To ask WHY do so many people hog the middle lane of the motorway?

[Ginuwine]

I realise with a global pandemic etc this is small fry, but I couldn't believe my journey to and from Dorset this weekend. I drive an awful lot for work, but Saturday was an outlier in how many mouthbreathers were on the roads.

Sitting just below 70 mph in the middle lane, junction after junction. Never ever moving back over despite a huge clear inside lane.

Why does this bother me?

Well, when a car is racing up the slip road, the Highway Code says I don't have to give way. They have to match traffic speed and then merge when safe.

However sometimes it would be nice to change lanes to allow them to. Except I can't...because the busiest lane in this three lane motorway is the middle one. Full of people dawdling - not speeding up, not going past, just sitting there in their own world, oblivious.

Worse, I then move across into lane 3, go round, then come back into lane 1.. by which time they've sped up to my position. If I want to go around the lorry in front of me - nope! Rolling roadblock in the way - have to move to Lane 3 just to do it again. And so on..

The funniest are the ones who merge from the motorway and cut up everyone just to get into their favoured lane IMMEDIATELY. Then sit there without question, blocking legitimate overtakes, for eight or nine junctions.

Why?? Why do people do this?

I have three theories:

• People think the left lane is for "lorries" and want a superior position on the road. The "fast lane" (ugh) is for the Porsches and Range Rovers. So middle it is.

• People won't tell you their real reason is laziness. They just say "it doesn't matter anyway - I'm doing the speed limit - people can just go round me. Anyway, tailgating is worse go and shout at them"

• like reversing, some people hate the driving discipline of changing lanes. They want to limit it as much as possible and believe the act of changing lanes causes accidents.

So tell me please - why do so many people hog the middle lane when the Highway Code and all driving instruction tells us to keep left? The congestion caused by middle lane hogging is so frustrating.

[quote Ginuwine]@mamamalt

Thank you! I think you're so right about being taught it etc.

The problem is a lot of us Brits would probably say "sod the Highway Code, I'm staying where I am because changing lanes is dangerous and I know best."

There's no changing the minds of those folk, and there's a lot of them about.. [/quote]
How would it be dangerous? Nobody who is scared of changing lanes should be behind the wheel of a car.

It drives me mad too, OP.

I just undertake them. Usually prompts them to get up to speed or get the fuck over.

YANBU! shock at all those defending hogging of the middle lane

It's the ones that say how dangerous it is to "weave" in and out of the left lane to overtake lorries, so they just stay in the middle lane. Oh cool, so I'll either:

Move 2 lanes to overtake (surely twice as dangerous).
Slow down so I don't undertake ( awesome, thanks I'll just drive under the speed limit yeah?).
Undertake you (definitely the most dangerous).

All because you can't change lanes safely? Just move the fuck over like you are supposed to. It's not fucking hard or dangerous and is in line with the Highway Code. Other options include staying of the motorway until you can drive like you should or letting someone else drive.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

I just undertake them. Usually prompts them to get up to speed or get the fuck over.

It doesn’t. Nothing affects them at all. Sometimes I ostentatiously move from the first lane to the third to overtake them, then back again. Very occasionally I undertake. Same result, they just sit there.

@toomuchtooold

Maybe they should abolish the speed limit on long straight stretches of the motorway, like in Germany. When the outside lane has people whizzing past at 180kph and the middle lane not much slower, you better believe the nervous drivers (me) stick to the inside lane...

Hahahaaa totally! Oh love the autobahn but this kind of driver would move to the outside lane there pronto!

It’s because they’re oblivious to what other drivers are doing and just staring gormlessly ahead

They are effectively turning the motorway into a two lane motorway.
It’s shocking.
The Highway Code is keep left unless overtaking. It was made a motoring offence but I don’t see that deterring people.

As pp have said a lot of people are terrible drivers.

We live in Dorset and we had tons of people parking in astonishing places this weekend - on the grass in the middle of roundabouts, utter morons.

I was stuck behind someone driving a BMW doing about 65 on a duel carriageway today. I pulled in to the left hand lane once I’d gone past whatever I was overtaking.

The BMW stayed in the right hand lane, someone came up behind them, not fast, they still didn’t move over. Eventually they pulled into the left hand lane and the car behind them went past. As soon as the car went past they pulled straight out into the right hand lane again!

Snoozysnoozy
It amuses me how many middle lane hoggers break the highway code by middle lane hogging, and then claim they know more about how to drive safely on a motorway than the people who wrote the highway code.

Did The Highway Code miss the memo that said Drivers shall avoid following the highway code as a safe overtake is actually a lie. We fooled you all?

The wording from hoggers is also interesting. Most drivers would talk about 'overtaking' a slower vehicle. Middle lane hoggers talk about the monstrous danger of 'weaving in and out of lanes'.

Someone one told me that they didn't know which lane to use so they use the middle lane!

I think they believe it is the medium speed lane.

Ever tried circling the middle lane hogger? Only works on a quiet motorway when their lane hogging is completely blatant.

Using all appropriate mirrors / indication etc overtake them on lane three, return to lane 1, ease off so they pass you, overtake them again in lane 3, return to lane 1, ease off etc etc.

Normally after a few goes round they get the hint and move to lane 1 and you carry on with your journey. Occasionally they move to lane 3 which shows there's no hope whatsoever for them.

@Hollowgast

Ever tried circling the middle lane hogger? Only works on a quiet motorway when their lane hogging is completely blatant.

Using all appropriate mirrors / indication etc overtake them on lane three, return to lane 1, ease off so they pass you, overtake them again in lane 3, return to lane 1, ease off etc etc.

Normally after a few goes round they get the hint and move to lane 1 and you carry on with your journey. Occasionally they move to lane 3 which shows there's no hope whatsoever for them.

I couldn’t be arsed with that nonsense. I’m on the road to reach my destination, not play silly buggers.

@Harrydresdenssidekick

I think this is much worse since the introduction of smart motorways which have no hard shoulder and only occasional refuge areas. I am certainly much more alert when driving on the inside lane in case i ram some unfortunate who has broken down. I dont hog the middle lane but i am very aware of the possible dangers of the inside lane on a smart motorway. A very not smart invention in my opinion.

Private Eye is very certain that the rate of accidents on smart motorways is higher per car-mile travelled on them than on ordinary motorways with a hard shoulder.

Even the mainstream media have noticed: www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/27/highways-englands-smart-motorways-policy-killed-drivers-exminister

[quote alwayswithhope]@Ginuwine driving instructor! I don’t see why it’s scary. I’ve been driving ten years and never had an accident/close call. First lane is always v busy with people moving in and out. Surely safer to be in the middle lane if you know you’re not getting off for ages instead of constant weaving in and out of lanes.[/quote]
The middle lane is an OVERTAKING lane, not to just sit there in cruise control at 69moh and eat your floppy sandwiches and soggy crisps. Middle lane hoggers are the pits. It is MORE dangerous for you to sit in the middle lane. Why do you think there is congestion on the motorways? One MAJOR reason are middle lane hoggers.

Another thing that grinds my gears is seeing people pull onto a nearly empty motorway from a slip road and head straight for lane 3, despite the first 2 being clear. Why?? 🤯

Hahahaaa totally! Oh love the autobahn but this kind of driver would move to the outside lane there pronto!

They’d shit themselves when something comes up behind them at 150mph!

I thought about this the other day when driving on the motorway and became stuck in the middle lane. The cars in the inside lane were barely reaching 60mph, the cars in the outside late were doing 80+ mph. If I moved to the outside lane I got a car up my arse every time as they didn't want to do 70. I didn't want to go less than 60 but also didn't want to break the speed limit as I recently had to do the course. It seems to me now that the inside lane really is the slow lane, the middle lane is the speed limit lane and the outside is for 70+. People in cars need to speed up in the inside lane to at least 65 to keep traffic moving as it would on a motorway.

Middle lane hoggers are at best a PITA and at worst a hazard.

Tailgaters are dangerous fucking wankers no matter what and there is NO excuse for doing it.

@Handoverthechocollate

What, no middle laners defending themselves? I drive in the middle lane (doing 70) because if I stay in the left lane, not only do I feel slightly nauseated and like I'm reversing (because everyone is overtaking me) I can't see the road signs in enough time to react if I'm stuck behind a bus/coach/hgv. Only if the motorway is very clear do I use the left lane. There, I've explained myself!

No one’s saying you have to stay in the left lane, stuck behind larger vehicles with “everyone” overtaking you. Just that you should move back there when it is clear.

I thought about this the other day when driving on the motorway and became stuck in the middle lane. The cars in the inside lane were barely reaching 60mph, the cars in the outside late were doing 80+ mph

This is my experience over the last few yrs, everyone in lane 3 is speeding but everyone in lane 1 is going 50/60.

And, seeing as I’m on rant mode, what’s happened to lane changing discipline? When I learnt to drive I was taught that you waited for a gap in traffic before moving lanes. It was up to you to anticipate slow moving traffic in your lane and merge into the overtaking lane safely. Now people just slap their indicator on and change lane with no thought that the cars in the lane they forcefully join are going faster. That also pisses me off. Grumpy old woman that I am.

I'm finding the indicator is often optional!

I do a lot of motorway driving & the worst day to travel is a Saturday or a Sunday as it's full of people who don't know how to drive on motorways! Same with city centres too!