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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is everyone allergic to the inside lane??

197 replies

mapleleaf23 · 18/04/2023 17:02

Honestly I’m noticing it so much more and it actually infuriates me. Whenever I’m driving on A roads or motorways with 3 lanes, everyone just cruises in the middle lane even though they’re going super slow.
No one uses the inside lanes properly or use the overtaking lanes to actually overtake. Even 2 lane roads, the amount of people I have to undertake because they’re going 10mph below the limit and still in the right lane…

It actually infuriates me. Do they not teach this on tests anymore??

OP posts:

Devoutspoken · 20/04/2023 15:28

Fur and feathers, I was referring to you calling others stupid and incompetent

Devoutspoken · 20/04/2023 15:29

Stepaway, who said I was a non driver?

Neededanewuserhandle · 20/04/2023 15:33

Quisquam · 19/04/2023 16:45

There is no 'real' risk to staying in lane 1.

I disagree. We live near a stretch of the M1, supposedly one of the busiest stretches of motorways in Europe, with statistically 3 injury crashes a week. The most common crash we see, is foreign lorries who have moved from the middle lane into the slow lane and squashed a car there, they couldn’t see, because they are right hand drive. One of my friends had her car written off, like that. I never want to drive left of a foreign lorry!

This post doesn't make any sense. Foreign lorries are generally left hand drive, not right hand drive, so if they are moving from lane 2 back into lane one the driver is on that side.
Anyone spending any significant time alongside either side of a large goods vehicle is taking a risk as they have significant blind spots on each side.

TheKobayashiMaru · 20/04/2023 16:16

Or the idiots who leave it late for the slip road, pull in front of a wagon and hit the brakes... In the 90s, I saw that on the A1 and the car was a bit bent. I was following on my motorbike, hardly any traffic was about and there was no need for it.

They don't leave it late in my experience, they do it so they don't have to join the inside lane earlier and travel slower. They leave it until the last moment then try and get a space. Dangerous if the traffic is almost at a standstill when they try and muscle in.

SinnerBoy · 20/04/2023 16:26

They leave it until the last moment then try and get a space.

That's what I meant, they don't want to drive at 55 for a minute.

Whichnumbers · 20/04/2023 16:30

On the M5 earlier today and on the inside lane, junction up ahead and can see literally 20 vehicles approaching the motorway - indicate to move to middle lane but am unable to move as middle lane driver, not only hogs middle lane but refuses to use outside lane which is clear....

Whichnumbers · 20/04/2023 16:36

I never want to drive left of a foreign lorry!

I spend a lot of time in the inside lane, if an HGV is overtaking I make sure there is a gap in front of me big enough for the HGV driver to pull into, sometimes it means lifting the right foot of the pedal but, its safer. Sometimes the driver will thank you for the manoeuvre.

Its not through virtue I sit in the inside lane, its just far better fuel consumption and with a lot of trips I tend to save on fuel, especially on the M6 where a lot of HGV are in front of me.

CardinalCopia · 20/04/2023 16:39

When I was a mature student I lift shared to Uni with a younger girl. The route was about 30 miles and probably 80% dual carriageway.

It became obvious really quickly that she had no clue about lane discipline at all and as soon as we joined any dual carriageway she'd pull into the outside lane and there she'd stay.
I debated for ages whether to mention it, in the end I decided I had to after one guy was demonstrating some pretty serious road rage behind her one morning, eventually performing an undertake. Apparently moving over only to overtake was not something her instructor had taught her.

Thankfully she was happy to finally understand why people behind her were always annoyed, but this was a bright girl who genuinely didn't know better.

I came to the conclusion that there must be some pretty awful instructors out there.

Whichnumbers · 20/04/2023 16:41

I came to the conclusion that there must be some pretty awful instructors out there.

or perhaps the driving testing isn't adequate at failing people that don't understand the Highway Code and practicalities of driving sufficiently ?

CardinalCopia · 20/04/2023 16:54

Whichnumbers · 20/04/2023 16:41

I came to the conclusion that there must be some pretty awful instructors out there.

or perhaps the driving testing isn't adequate at failing people that don't understand the Highway Code and practicalities of driving sufficiently ?

Perhaps. But as her instructor hadn't actually bothered teaching her the very basics of lane discipline at all, he certainly falls into the 'pretty awful' category for me.

Quisquam · 20/04/2023 17:47

This post doesn't make any sense. Foreign lorries are generally left hand drive, not right hand drive, so if they are moving from lane 2 back into lane one the driver is on that side.

Ok, I was tired and got right hand drive and left hand drive mixed up. It is a fact, we see far more crashes where foreign lorries have squashed cars on the inside lane, than ones with British lorries.

PrinceHaz · 20/04/2023 17:53

There’s always someone doing 58 mph in the middle lane for their entire journey.

Islandgirl68 · 20/04/2023 18:03

We were recently on 4 Lane motorway heading gbti the tunnel, and the two outside lanes were full and the two inside lanes were empty. Also the middle lane huggers. So annoying to be on inside lane come up to the hogger, pull out to middle then outside pass the hogger and then pull back into the inside lane and look in mirror and they are still hogging the middle lane. It's nuts. Then yiu arrive in France and a lot of their motorways are two lanes and no hoggers. People just don't know how to drive.

Tinybrother · 20/04/2023 18:46

The fatal accident I witnessed in the U.K. was a left hand drive lorry pulling out into a right-hand lane to overtake and hitting the car that was overtaking it on the right (correct) side, rather than the other way round.

mybeautifuloak · 20/04/2023 20:11

Whichnumbers · 20/04/2023 16:30

Why couldn't you just slow down and go behind them. Then go to outside lane and over take ?

Neededanewuserhandle · 20/04/2023 20:37

celticprincess · 20/04/2023 11:23

What annoys me more is when I am in the middle lane doing 70mph due to slower loving traffic in the inside lane. I’m often undertaken by people clearly exceeding the speed limit. No one should be undertaking someone in the middle/right hand lane who is doing 70in a 70!! I’m not a middle lane higher but one as taught to read the road ahead and rather then over take a lorry, go back in and over take another one and so on, if there are lots of lorries or slower vehicles in the inside lane then when over taking to stay there until past them and then move back in.

It's not up to you to Police other people's speed. If they can pass you on the inside you aren't overtaking so should move back to the left.

DidyouNO · 20/04/2023 20:39

It's much worse down south I've noticed. Also people that can't zip at lane closures and cause tail backs because they move over for too soon. Ridiculous.

Whichnumbers · 20/04/2023 20:40

Why couldn't you just slow down and go behind them. Then go to outside lane and over take ?

because there wasn’t enough time.
why wasn’t the middle Lane driver in the inside Lane rather than matching my speed in the middle Lane?
why not jyst use the HC rules?

Oakbeam · 21/04/2023 18:36

There’s always someone doing 58 mph in the middle lane for their entire journey.

There is. It’s really annoying if you are towing and want to do 60 and can’t use the outside lane to overtake.

HurdyGurdy19 · 21/04/2023 19:03

FletchingStraight · 18/04/2023 17:19

Agreed it annoys me so much. But I was taught you shouldn't underpass either so I have to go round them in the fast lane

Agreed. But I feel it must be safer to undertake, keeping a close eye on the middle lane hogger, than to pull out of lane 1, cross lane 2 into lane 3, and back again.

SerenaB12 · 21/04/2023 19:56

You are not wrong OP..I take the M11 into Essex Mon-Fri.. its a quiet route, few cars.. some thundering up at 90/100 .. the middle lane inevitably causing potential danger by oblivious chuggers at 70.. could easily move to the inside lane as is fairly quiet. It's every day and it's super annoying, I'm only on for a few miles but see the stupidity every day.. the fast drivers are bad (no need for it) but the fact you can't move lane into the middle to clear the lane is just ugh! I don't think they teach it now. Can't explain why else it's such a prevalent issue.

pinachina · 21/04/2023 20:20

Everyone agrees it's the most selfish, idiotic behaviour.... yet the middle lane is full. Someone's doing it! Drives me nuts.

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