Is it you driving in the middle lane of the motorway or outside lane on a dual carriage way?

[muchalover]

Nobody is a perfect driver, including me.

But, why do people drive in the middle lane when they could easily pull in and stop the chaos they are causing behind them? Or pull in instead of driving in the outside lane of a dual carriageway when there is a large gap. On the M25 much of seems to be a fancy dual carriageway with 3 empty inside lanes. Why?

It's like advertising you're a crap driver and not willing to pay attention.

Or am I being unreasonable?

If you drive actively, respect the speed limit and safe stopping distances and look ahead you're unlikely to plunge into a stationary car. On the M4 this week a lorry broke down in the second lane. As I went past nobody was plunging into the back of it, although admittedly it was a nasty situation. Cars break down in all lanes.

I'm pretty sure that in at least some of those tragedies use of mobile phones in the following vehicle was a factor. I'd go for a 6 month ban for anyone caught using a phone while driving.

If you're paying attention to what's in front of you, you shouldn't be plunging into anything.

If you read some recent stories about the fatal accidents, they are usually in the left lane and the drivers crashing into the stationary car weren’t speeding (in one case driving at 53mph rather than 70 mph) and were mostly good and in some cases professional drivers who just did not have time to react. What hope is there for some random diligent but just about okay driver like myself? I am very happy that they are banning the building of new smart motorways and will continue to avoid the existing ones like the plague or hogging the middle lane if I absolutely have to use a section that has this system in operation.

I'm well aware that speedometers overread, and I drive accordingly. I am in the correct lane for turning right.

That's ok

If you do that in the left hand lane

Then they must have had serious vision problems.

Motorways are long and usually straight - any bends are very gentle. Except in heavy traffic, in which case the lane in front of you is congested anyway and you should be watching the behaviour of drivers as far in front as you can, you can see for a long way and anticipate any hazards.

Its impossible to not have time to react to a stationary vehicle ahead of you unless you are a) blind, b) drunk or high, or c) not paying attention.

This drives me nuts. They don't even notice when you give them a look.

I actually gave up constantly switching to overtake, in the end, this weekend. M6, 4 lanes, everyone in the third lane. Or worse, one lone person in lane 3 with no other cars on the road. I just stayed in the EMPTY first lane going faster.

Motorways don't have right turns, if you need to be in the right lane where a motorway splits or forks that's completely reasonable.

@Twistyemily , Get over it is never a good way to start a sentence. I’m well aware that twenty miles an hour is a perfect speed in certain settings, in England or Wales.

A lot of these replies are a good case for motorway driving being part of the driving test!

Thank you. The section of road I was referring to is a short section of a dual carriageway, not a motorway.

The point you need to keep in mind is that cars break down in all 4 lanes. The smart motorways thing is more about the fact that people don't have a safe area to stand in away from their cars. Unfortunately breakdowns happen in all lanes, as do the collisons. I know, it's quite terrifying if you think about it too much.

Me too! Sailing along in the left hand lane passing cars for miles. If I'd known you were there in front of me I would have waved. 😁

I’m a regularly driver of the M62 and can nod along in agreement with all of the frustration about poor lane discipline. I think the general levels of driver awareness and anticipation are lower these days, possibly due to many more distractions in the car or just poor skills. One of my bugbears is travelling in a stream of traffic all at a steady 68-70 on a smart section of motorway, only to have the car in front slam on the brakes at every gantry in case there’s a camera there. When there’s no need because we’re all comfortably within the limit. Shows they aren’t paying attention at all to the traffic or their own speed.

The most worrying thing for me is that twice recently I’ve encountered tail gating lorries in the outside lane of three/four lane sections. On at least one of those occasions they had a foreign plate, and it’s bloody scary when you have nowhere to go in heavy traffic.

Absolutely drives me mad! We tow a caravan, stick to the inside lane unless we need to overtake. Coming home a couple of weeks ago ,there was an elderly couple in the middle lane. And they stayed there.Doing 50.
Got to the point where we needed to overtake a lorry. They were totally oblivious to us on the inside of them,hubby indicating, waving and eventually blasting the horn.And it wasn't just us! We couldn't slow down to go behind them and then overtake them because we're not allowed in the outside lane with a caravan. We ended up stuck where we were, behind a slow moving lorry for a good couple of miles whilst Doris and Derek stayed where they were!
It's dangerous and inconsiderate. Unfortunately not enough fines are given out to them.

M25 seems to have it's own rules where you just pick a lane & stay in it with overtaking, undertaking etc etc

@hookiewookie29 I drive a horsebox and have the same problem. Unable to overtake very slow traffic on the inside lane because of the middle lane hoggers. Oh how I wish people would read the Highway Code.

I think middle lane hoggers are also the sort of people who drive 40mph wherever they are, whether it’s on an open rural road or through a built up area with a 20/30 mph speed limit. Both suggest a total lack of awareness of what’s around them.

Not me, I don't drive 😂

I guess as each lane is flowing. You would be pulling in and out every 30-60 seconds otherwise. I only pull in if there in no vehicle ahead that I won’t need to pass quickly (we’ll unless I’m being approached from behind by a faster car, then I’ll duck in and out for 30 seconds obviously)

People need to stop getting so angry about this
I see one, I just go round them and get on with my journey
It makes you a worse driver than them being so angry on the road.

Everyone should drive a bit slower and relax
I have dropped from 80mph to 50mph
It has meant I am half the cost in petrol and arrive at work way more chilled

But the point is you often can’t go around them because they are obstructing vehicles who are correctly using the inside lane. Middle lane hoggers are not following the Highway Code. It is dangerous.

Absolutely this. Their selfishness lack of awareness and I’m alright Jack attitude effectively turns a motorway into a dual carriageway.

They’re an absolute menace but as we can see by this thread they never accept they’re in wrong and everyone is supposed to change to accommodate their poor driving skills.

I never go into the middle or fast lane unless I am overtaking or need to switch lanes to stay on, or switch to, another motorway.
Same with fast dual carriageways.
Where I live though, there are loads of dual carriageways that have cars parked in one lane, or bus stops. When you use the same roads regularly you know which roads you need to stay in the outside lane, but there is always someone trying to undertake only to come unstuck when they go around a corner to find a bus in that lane.

Middle lane hoggers boil my piss. I've seen people join an empty motorway to move immediately into the middle lane and sit there! Another note, there is no slow lane or fast lane on UK motorways. All lanes have a speed limit of 70mph unless otherwise indicated (or if you are towing). There's the driving lane and the overtaking lanes. If you're not currently overtaking you stay in the lane furthest to the left. Whatever your speed and whether you prefer the middle or not!!!

Nope, it really doesn't.