Middle lane - how did you know?

[Graasspp]

Who taught you to stay left unless overtaking on the motorway?

How did all these utter counts not learn this?

For me it was my dad who told me.

Aibu to wonder how this ignorance prevails daily?

I can't believe people don't.

The guys you hate are trying to make a point to the middle lane hogger aka YOU. They overtake you, then move into the left lane because you are supposed to drive in the left lane once you have finished overtaking.

And as for "zone out relaxing", you're an accident causer waiting to happen.

Idiots like you should have their licences revoked.

The 'cutting in front for the slow lane dangerous manoeuvre' can usually be translated into 'move over, Ive had to hop two lanes and back purely to get past you hogging the middle lane.

If you don't want to keep switching lanes, then just stop driving. It's not for you.

Please hand your license back. You are everything that's wrong with driving on the motorway and humanity in general with your entitled attitude.

You think you have a fast car? Great! We can all only legally get to 70 so no one gives a fuck but they do give a fuck that you think you can do what you want rather than follow the rules of the road which are created and governed for the safety of all other road users.

Typically it causes long, unnecessary tailbacks and delays rather than accidents but that's not to say it doesn't. Those who do middle lane hog typically move at their own speed rather than the speed limit or in relation to those around so there is an increased amount of lane changing and acceleration/deceleration around them which can lead to an increase in accidents. You can google for a video of how this affects the roads and a better explanation than mine.

The Highway Code in my case.

There are the under 10 per cent of instances where it is reasonable (the lorry issue or to let someone out from a slip road), the remaining are not. It is not something to see as a minor irritation, it reduces the capacity of the road at above average use, and can provoke behaviour that leads to crashes or other harmful behaviour.

Evidence from a dash cam or passenger video should be admissible in court to lead to points on driving licences. The usual reticence to report people would not be there.

But it is the speed limit isn’t it? It’s not ‘her way’, it’s the legal maximum limit. And why does someone going over the speed limit need two lanes in which to do so? If you want to overtake someone in the middle Lane doing 70mph you do so in the fast lane surely?

@Flyhigher and @VestPantsandSocks this might help you understand that your way of driving isn't just inconsiderate, it's downright dangerous https://www.pendlelease.co.uk/news/dangers-of-middle-lane-hogging#:~:text=1)%20It%20slows%20down%20traffic,middle%20and%20right%2Dhand%20lanes.

Surely tail gating is more dangerous and aggressive

Absolutely drives me frigging insane. No nedd whatsoever for it! My dad & driving instructor and common sense!

Teslatwat - everything that's wrong with humanity?! Wowser chill out or don't drive

I don't think it is. Try doing it behind a police car and see what happens.

And undertaking, and cutting across, and speeding. And weaving in and out of traffic in the inside lane.

But no, being in the middle lane for a few seconds than Mr Very Important In his Expensive SUV wants you to be is incredibly dangerous.

Apparently.

I think lane discipline on overseas motorways is better than here, but they are also a lot less crowded.

If you are on a quiet part of the M74, lane discipline is excellent too because there's nothing (much) to overtake.

It is dangerous in the same way as driving too slowly on an A road is dangerous - it annoys people and they get aggressive. That's on them. Not the person who is going too slowly or middle lane sitting.

The Germans are fantastic at this, they use the motorways how they are designed and always move in and out constantly

Indeed, but they presumably also let each other out. Which British drivers don't do and you just get stuck. And in my experience, their motorways are much less busy a lot of the time (except when they aren't :))

On the plus side, we don't get nearly as many "ghost drivers" as they do, managing to join motorways in the wrong direction!

But it's also illegal! Other people don't need to get aggressive for that to be a fact. The middle lane hogger is in the wrong. Whataboutery doesn't change that.

It is dangerous in the same way as driving too slowly on an A road is dangerous - it annoys people and they get aggressive. That's on them. Not the person who is going too slowly or middle lane sitting.

But it's not either/or, is it? They are both in the wrong - the driver who reacts aggressively and the driver unnecessarily inconveniencing other road users by not following the Highway Code.

On a German motorway you keep right out of the way of the people going 100mph!

The British could learn a lit from the Germansabout creating space for Emergency vehicles though.

As well as normally being on the busiest motorways, the main 3-lane A roads as well as the motorways near me are all on a major freight route. Which means that the left hand lane can be simply chock full of freight traffic all going at 60 mph - with it being quite dangerous already for joiners. In that situation I absolutely think it is safer for small cars to be in the middle lane going at 70. There are constant accidents around here where small cars have been caught between two lorries — a friend of mine was dragged along the motorway in her Fiat by a lorry which had caught her bumper — terrifying. Moving in and out, and changing speed up and down by up to 10 mph as you do so, is not particularly safe, just because someone doesn’t like the idea of “middle lane hogging”.

As well as normally being on the busiest motorways, the main 3-lane A roads as well as the motorways near me are all on a major freight route. Which means that the left hand lane can be simply chock full of freight traffic all going at 60 mph - with it being quite dangerous already for joiners. In that situation I absolutely think it is safer for small cars to be in the middle lane going at 70. There are constant accidents around here where small cars have been caught between two lorries — a friend of mine was dragged along the motorway in her Fiat by a lorry which had caught her bumper — terrifying. Moving in and out, and changing speed up and down by up to 10 mph as you do so, is not particularly safe, just because someone doesn’t like the idea of “middle lane hogging”.

I agree with this. Not sure if perhaps some of the other posters live in very quiet areas/don't drive during rush hour but I find very often that the left-most lane is completely full of lorries and the odd slow driver all sticking doggedly to 60 or less, meaning if you want to go more than that (even just a consistent 65) you end up spending your whole journey nearly constantly overtaking. Sometimes there is very little point (and it isn't usually safe), to keep jogging in-between the first and second lane every other car length, thus why some people just stick to the second lane. Obviously you shouldn't ever just 'zone out' and stick to the middle/second lane for your convenience; if there is a fair gap then you should move back left, even if you assume you'll probably need to overtake again in a minute, but a lot of the time there just isn't the space!

The 'rules' for driving were introduced when the average car couldn't go anywhere near the speeds they can now, we had far fewer heavy goods vehicles and cars generally on the road.

Yes in ideal circumstances you should spend nearly all your journey in the left-most lane, only venturing out to overtake (or to make space if there are a lot of vehicles trying to join, although this isn't necessary), but there aren't often 'ideal driving circumstances' anymore.

I think people do it for two reasons:

1 They aren't paying attention to the left lane and so don't move in when empty.
2 Nobody lets anybody out anymore so they think fuck it, I'm not moving back in, I'll stay right here.

Neither is good driving obviously but this is my conclusion.

@Flyhigher and life will be even shorter if you keep driving incorrectly and zoning out!

Not all areas have dual carriageways. My boyfriend at the time took his test in a town with a roundabout, a level crossing, and a pelican crossing for hazards!!