Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 16 17

Original poster

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

418 replies

Ginuwine · 14/06/2021 12:09

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.

OP posts:

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 14/06/2021 13:21

I don't think it's laziness, I think it's because far too many people don't know how motorways work.

Hollowgast · 14/06/2021 13:21

Also when I'm driving, if I overtake, and if I wouldn't be able to stay in the inside lane for 10 seconds before the next overtake, I'll stay in the middle lane. If the next overtake is more than 10seconds in front, then I'll return to the inside lane.

Staying in the middle lane becuase there's an on-ramp 27 miles ahead of you is madness

Etulosba · 14/06/2021 13:22

I always take a good look when I overtake eventually and 90% of the time it's a middle aged man!

My mum was pulled over for hogging the middle lane. She was indignant because there were hardly any other vehicles on the motorway.

HelloMissus · 14/06/2021 13:23

For me it’s because I don’t want to get sandwiches between lorries in the slow lane. And every time I take to the fast lane someone is up my arse forcing me left, when often there’s just not enough space.

Etulosba · 14/06/2021 13:25

50-55mph motorway middle lane hoggers are absolute bastards when you are towing. You can't use the outside lane to get round them.

hedgehogger1 · 14/06/2021 13:25

People that speed up as you overtake them too. They're annoying. Pootling along at 60ish til you try to get past...

Sakura7 · 14/06/2021 13:28

On busy motorways with the left hand lane full of lorries and the right hand lane full of people competing in a race, the middle lane is the only place you can actually drive along at the speed limit without constantly having to lane change to either get out of people's way or to be perpetually pulling in and out of the slow land to overtake the numerous juggernauts in front of you.

Just no. The inside lane will eventually open up as you overtake the lorries, and the outside lane would hardly have a constant stream of speeders.

In the scenario you describe it's reasonable to drive in the middle lane, but those conditions are not likely to stay the same for your whole drive. So once the left lane opens up, move into it.

pigsDOfly · 14/06/2021 13:29

@Crimblecrumble1990

Drives me mad.

A lot of people confused on undertaking too.

If I am in the left lane doing 70 with nothing ahead of me and drive past someone doing 65 in the middle line (and stay in my lane) I am not undertaking, just driving correctly. I wouldn't go out of my lane to go round them and back in.

Whatever the reason for hogging the middle lane, ego, nervousness, laziness basically, it's because they're bad drivers.

Crimblecrumble1990 No that's definitely undertaking, although not illegal as such, it's very dangerous and could be classed as careless driving. The speed is irrelevant.

CallmeHendricks · 14/06/2021 13:32

@alwayswithhope

What lane is the right lane to be in? I was taught it’s the middle lane. So merge on, first lane is for everyone merging on and those getting off at next exit. Middle lane for those who won’t be getting off for a while and inside lane for those who think middle lane is too slow so overtake.

Who the hell taught you that???!!

Not a qualified driving instructor I hope?

alwayswithhope · 14/06/2021 13:32

@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.

user1497207191 · 14/06/2021 13:33

@alwayswithhope

Then you were taught incorrectly. The rule is to stay left unless you're overtaking.

DarcyLewis · 14/06/2021 13:34

People just don't want to keep weaving in and out of lorries, moving over for slip roads etc. They think what's the point in moving over for 2 minutes when I'll just have to move out again, best stay where I am.

Handoverthechocollate · 14/06/2021 13:34

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!

poppycat10 · 14/06/2021 13:34

I think a lot of the time people don't use the inside lane because they know it will disappear again - or they're worried, on a smart motorway, that one of those "obstruction on highway" signs will suddenly appear. I think people would more confident about using the inside lane(s) if people were less aggressive about not letting them out when they want to come out.

And however annoyed you get about middle lane sitters, it's not ok to undertake.

I'd argue that it is a safer/better manoeuvre to quickly/safely undertake than to go lane 1,2,3,2,1 - four lane changes - to negotiate a middle lane hog when there is nothing else around

Hmm not convinced. You will choose just the moment to undertake that they decide to pull in. The rules are there for a reason.

I do think people get hysterical about middle lane sitters. For me, it's someone who sits in the middle lane for miles, not someone who decides to stay where they are because they see someone else in the inside lane they are going to need to overtake in a few seconds.

Clymene · 14/06/2021 13:35

[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]
Can you not see you're causing more people to have to change lanes by sitting in the middle lane when the inside lane is empty?

Sirzy · 14/06/2021 13:35

@GreatOak

Middle lane hoggers drive me bonkers too! There seem to be so many more these days.

Though it is often due to inexperience. My DS after doing his first ever motorway journey reported that he’d been flashed at in the right-hand lane. “I was doing 70mph!” he protested, indignantly, “they shouldn’t be driving faster than that anyway!” He did not get the sympathy he was looking for from me, and seemed genuinely surprised to learn that the right-hand lane is (really) only for going very fast overtaking.

His instructor should have made sure he was properly taught how to use the lanes!

namechange6754 · 14/06/2021 13:35

It's terrible driving, and I can't say I've noticed a certain demographic. It's the majority of drivers in my experience. I wish they'd put "keep left" signs up instead of all the other pointless messages they put on motorway signs. Who sees "don't drink and drive" and it actually alter their driving, if you're the kind of person who will drink and drive you're not the kind of person to read and listen to motorway signs. I think reiterating the basic rule of motorways is to keep left would be more useful, as people seem to forget....

4fingerKitKat · 14/06/2021 13:35

@MustardRose

Add to that the fact that on many motorways, every few miles the left hand lane becomes a feeder for the next junction, then you might as well stay in lane 2 doing 70mph the whole time.

Obviously it’s fine to stay in the middle lane for the majority of your journey on a busy road where you are consistently travelling faster than the traffic to your left.

The problem is that people apply this as a general principle (left lane is for slow traffic and lorries) and don’t think that they need to move back into the left lane when it is empty.

SoupDragon · 14/06/2021 13:36

A 4 lane motorway must really screw with the middle lane hoggers.

Sirzy · 14/06/2021 13:36

@Handoverthechocollate

All that defence suggests is your not safe to be driving!

How close behind lorries do you drive that they stop you seeing road signs in plenty of time to react?

SoupDragon · 14/06/2021 13:36

(4 lanes on each side, obviously!)

Bryonyshcmyony · 14/06/2021 13:39

If they are driving at 70 then what's the problem?

user1497207191 · 14/06/2021 13:41

@MustardRose

Add to that the fact that on many motorways, every few miles the left hand lane becomes a feeder for the next junction, then you might as well stay in lane 2 doing 70mph the whole time.

Yes, on a busy motorway like you describe, staying in lane 2 is perfectly reasonable. Constantly switching between lanes 1 and 2 is indeed dangerous if you're doing it constantly.

BUT, that's not really what people are talking about. Some middle lane hoggers stay in lane even when there's nothing in lane 1 for miles ahead and there are no junctions with traffic joining/leaving. They're the problem drivers.

I tend to look ahead and try to estimate how long it would be until I need to pass the next vehicle in lane 1. If I think I'll be overtaking again pretty quickly, I'll stay in lane 2. But if the traffic in lane 1 is sparse or travelling at the same speed as I am, then I'll pull over. I'd say half a mile or 30 seconds is my criteria. I.e. if I won't be in lane 1 for more than half a mile or 30 seconds, I won't move over and will stay in lane 2. But that also depends on traffic behind me, volume of traffic in lane 3 etc. No point in moving over to lane 1 for 45 seconds and then having to pull back into a busy lane 2.

Same with a junction. If there's a steady stream of traffic leaving, I'll assume it's a busy junction with a steady stream of traffic joining again half a mile along, so will probably stay in lane 2 until I see the volume of joining traffic.

poppycat10 · 14/06/2021 13:41

How close behind lorries do you drive that they stop you seeing road signs in plenty of time to react

I actually think you can struggle more to see the signs when you are in the middle lane, rather than the inside. It is true that they are frequently obscured by high sided vehicles.

Another reason for people being in the middle (or outside) lane is when they know the road will split. I've sat behind a lorry on the M3 in the second lane over, most of the way between J3 and J2. The reason being that you need the inside two lanes for the M25 and the outside two lanes for the M3 into south-west London. Sure enough, he wanted the M3.

You also get the same on the M5 near Exeter at the A30/A38 junction where people go in the middle if they want the A38. And then again when the A38 splits into the A380 and the A38.

It's all about reading the road and not having a visceral reaction to someone daring to use the middle lane at a slower pace that you want to drive at. The outside lane(s) is/are there. Use them.

4fingerKitKat · 14/06/2021 13:41

The thing which really annoys me, which is a next-level consequence of middle lane hogging is where the running of the road goes into reverse and the outside lane become the slow lane. This normally happens when you have a large number of middle lane hoggers, lots of cars seeking to overtake in the outside lane, which then becomes congested, reducing the speed in the lane to below the speed in the middle lane. Meanwhile the inside lane is practically empty leaving people undertaking faster than either of the other lanes.

Simple cure for this is for everyone to just move left but of course they never do. It’s really dangerous when roads start running like this as well.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 16 17