Page 6 | Middle lane - how did you know?

Graasspp · 2023-11-08T13:33:26+00:00

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?

Zuma76 · 08/11/2023 18:33

JustFrustrated · 08/11/2023 16:02

This thread is terrifying.

As a frequent flyer on motorways all over England, I detest middle lane hoggers. I detest those who have zoned out.

I hate bad driving

(Worst motorway is M25/M4)

And I hate, hate, HATE, when a motorway is 4 plus lanes and no one is using the inside lane at all, instead bunching up into the outside two.

This is definitely the worst. People bumbling along at 60mph in the third lane with the two left hand lanes clear. We travelled across the country this weekend and it was packed with these dangers

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 18:34

Flyhigher · 08/11/2023 15:50

Ok. Maybe zoning out is too strong a word. But I hate cutting in and out all the time. If the road is empty say at night what difference does it make being in the middle lane. With several junctions coming up it means anyone can get on the motorway easily. The left lane is almost never empty in the day. It has lorries and slow drivers in it. You can't see the road signs properly as they are blocked out by lorries. If you are driving for an hour or three hours or four, simply can't be switching out of the left lane every 10 minutes when a car or lorry slows down as it can't make up a hill. Or is slowing down to turn off left.
I see the angry left lane crew zipping in and out on the motorway and think it's aggressive and pointless. If you have kids or elderly people in the car it's just not going to happen.
I tend to drive in the fast lane if motorway is full dipping in and out and middle if it isn't. Think we have bigger problems.

You really need an intervention. Or perhaps some sort of warning that you’ll be on the motorway so we can avoid you. You are the very definition of dangerous (and a bit stupid). Please. Just. Stop driving or get some lessons. Or just. Stop driving.

Shade17 · 08/11/2023 18:36

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

It’s 100% legitimate. I’m not talking about being sat on someone’s arse flashing.

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 18:42

DelightfullyDotty · 08/11/2023 17:48

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?

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Genuinely believe people who can’t work this out should be condemned to rail replacement bus services for life. FML.

Philandbill · 08/11/2023 18:44

Middle lane hoggers need to do some driving in Germany. A big Mercedes (legally) doing 130 mph roaring up behind them on the autobahn might scare them back into the left lane where they belong...

WhatGoesUpMustComeDown · 08/11/2023 18:47

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.

Actually @enchantedsquirrelwood it's on both - you can be done for dangerous driving for going too slowly as well as for speeding.

I failed my first driving test for needlessly doing 20mph in a 30mph the first time (I didn't see the speed limit and was erring on the side of caution).

Yes in an ideal world people would not let anything bother them and would all be happy and not get irritated, so those getting stuck behind middle lane hoggers would chill out - but in the real world, people have shit to do and places to get to and anybody who causes extra unnecessary stress and irritation to other road users and stops them being used as intended can and should be penalised.

TeslaTwat · 08/11/2023 18:52

enchantedsquirrelwood · 08/11/2023 15:26

I have to say I always find all this talk of "constant" middle lane hoggers quite bemusing. I actually see very few genuine middle lane hoggers, as in someone who sits in the middle (or third lane on a 4 lane motorway) for miles, even when there's nothing in the inside lane.

Everyone else seems to think that a hogger includes someone who stays in the middle lane 10 seconds longer than the driver behind decides that they need to, or dares to move over because the inside lane will become a slip road, or goes onto another motorway or similar. Or doesn't keep weaving in and out of lorries when there is a small space between them.

The bigger issue for me is the lorries that decide to overtake another lorry when one is going 58mph and they are doing 59mph. And then sit alongside them for miles.

I drive for work and I constantly see them for miles and miles and miles. Sometimes, I'll stop at the services and I'll go past them a second time still sitting there dillydallying and clueless.

I don't see Lorries overtaking for mass periods, just as long as it takes and they always move over as soon as they're done. This wouldn't really be a problem if people in lane 3 were all going at 70 but you get those that were doing 62 move over and continue, again causing a backlog.

SkyTree · 08/11/2023 18:52

I obviously know this now, but my driving instructor didn’t tell me this and I drove for about a month when I first passed my test under the impression that you were supposed to drive in the middle lane, and should only drive in the left lane if you were soon leaving the motorway.

This was a long time ago now. I found out because I was a passenger with a friend and he made a comment about middle lane drivers. I asked my mum later and she explained 😳

Fladdermus · 08/11/2023 18:58

enchantedsquirrelwood · 08/11/2023 18:12

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!

True here in Sweden too. If you indicate to change lanes other drivers create space to let you in. But when I drive in the UK they'd close the gap to block you. But our motorways are nowhere near as busy. I drove into the city once and my colleagues all moaned about the traffic. It was like the M4 at 4.00 am on a Sunday morning. I showed them pictures of UK bank holiday traffic and they thought they were photoshopped.

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 18:58

I always think to myself, if something happened I would MUCH rather have the hard shoulder (and possibly embankment) next to me than be stuck between traffic.

Genuinely believe that some people
dont have the capacity to drive on the motorway so I always plan to avoid them. Some are on this thread it seems.

Fionaville · 08/11/2023 18:59

I'm definitely not a middle lane hogger, they are annoying. But I do have a friend who constantly complains about them. We were both driving on the motorway the other week and whereas I stay in the middle lane when I'm going to be overtaking a car in the next 30 seconds, she was in and out of the left lane like a cuckoo 😆 It was absurd and definitely more dangerous to be in and out like that.

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 19:00

Fionaville · 08/11/2023 18:59

I'm definitely not a middle lane hogger, they are annoying. But I do have a friend who constantly complains about them. We were both driving on the motorway the other week and whereas I stay in the middle lane when I'm going to be overtaking a car in the next 30 seconds, she was in and out of the left lane like a cuckoo 😆 It was absurd and definitely more dangerous to be in and out like that.

30 sec is half a mile. You really aren’t driving as well as you are convincing yourself. You should be looking at 10 sec.

asterel · 08/11/2023 19:02

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 18:58

I always think to myself, if something happened I would MUCH rather have the hard shoulder (and possibly embankment) next to me than be stuck between traffic.

Genuinely believe that some people
dont have the capacity to drive on the motorway so I always plan to avoid them. Some are on this thread it seems.

Edited

Except that many of the busiest motorways don’t, of course, have a hard shoulder any more; and driving on a smart motorway with variable speed limits is much more like “pick a lane and stick in it” driving, because cars changing lanes actually causes ripple effect queues.

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 19:11

asterel · 08/11/2023 19:02

Except that many of the busiest motorways don’t, of course, have a hard shoulder any more; and driving on a smart motorway with variable speed limits is much more like “pick a lane and stick in it” driving, because cars changing lanes actually causes ripple effect queues.

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But it is of course fairly obvious if there is a hard shoulder - it is routinely observable by seeing it on the left of the carriageway.

I don’t agree with your point but I acknowledge it. It doesn’t explain the behaviour observed in 90% of motorway drivers in the uk.

Also. This who don’t understand why it’s an issue, genuinely. Seek help. You probably lack understanding of many aspects of adult life.

sqirrelfriends · 08/11/2023 19:37

It disrupts the flow of traffic and causes undertaking which is dangerous.

Im sure someone will be along with a better answer soon but I’ve seen instances where it’s almost caused accidents.

Fionaville · 08/11/2023 19:56

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 19:00

30 sec is half a mile. You really aren’t driving as well as you are convincing yourself. You should be looking at 10 sec.

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I've been driving on motorways daily, for over 25 years. Never had so much as a near miss. I know what lane I should be in, and when it's safest for everybody for me to change lanes. I dont stay put in the middle lane. My friend who complains about others driving in the middle lane for more than 10 seconds, has been driving for 3 years. I know which one is the more erratic driver.

Aria999 · 08/11/2023 20:29

It would be fascinating to know how many of the people complaining that middle lane hogging is illegal, routinely break the speed limit.

I find middle lane hoggers mildly annoying but aggressive drivers who think everyone should get out of the way so they can go at 90 in their Audi rather more so.

MarvellousMinnie · 08/11/2023 20:42

@Flyhigher you are commonly known as a mobile roadblock. As you 'zone' out and travel merrily along the middle lane, cars in the left can't overtake as you're in the way and this is one of the main causes for jams...your appalling driving has consequences for mikes but you won't see it as you're oblivious.
Please don't tell people to chill out...motorway driving is dangerous and you need to be alert. Your bad driving is what makes other drivers angry! Drive properly and people won't get angry with you!
Have you seen those signs on motorways? Stay Left Unless Overtaking? They're aimed at people like you!

VestPantsandSocks · 08/11/2023 21:20

Question to all those who hate middle lane hoggers:

The two left lanes veer off towards the M25 whereas the right two lanes go onto the M23 (the direction I want to go).

If I stay on the left, then:
a) I will join the wrong motorway
b) If I dont move to the right well ahead of time, then you get caught in the M25 tailback.

Please do advise which lane I should be in to avoid your wrath.

GrittyTunnocks · 08/11/2023 21:26

VestPantsandSocks · 08/11/2023 21:20

Question to all those who hate middle lane hoggers:

The two left lanes veer off towards the M25 whereas the right two lanes go onto the M23 (the direction I want to go).

If I stay on the left, then:
a) I will join the wrong motorway
b) If I dont move to the right well ahead of time, then you get caught in the M25 tailback.

Please do advise which lane I should be in to avoid your wrath.

You know precisely what this thread refers to. Just in case you’re hard of Highway Code… get in the correct lane in good time. Move off the motorway when required. If it’s too tricky, get some lessons.

HTH. It’s actually quite straightforward if you engage your brain.

DappledThings · 08/11/2023 21:27

VestPantsandSocks · 08/11/2023 21:20

Question to all those who hate middle lane hoggers:

The two left lanes veer off towards the M25 whereas the right two lanes go onto the M23 (the direction I want to go).

If I stay on the left, then:
a) I will join the wrong motorway
b) If I dont move to the right well ahead of time, then you get caught in the M25 tailback.

Please do advise which lane I should be in to avoid your wrath.

You move into the lane marked M23 as soon as it appears on the gantry.

VioletLillyRoseDaisyIrisJasmineDahlia · 08/11/2023 21:37

The left lane is too slow. I'm generally in the other two overtaking.

Overthebow · 08/11/2023 21:37

Flyhigher · 08/11/2023 15:13

Ooh. You guys will hate me then. I always go middle lane. Tend to find left lanes drive at 50/60. So have to overtake all the time. I think we were taught that you could drive in the middle lane.
It's full of lorries you can't see anything ahead. I don't feel safe there.
I do tend to go in middle lane and zone out relaxing. And I hate the guys who go cutting in front and then go into the left lane. Especially if both lanes are quite empty.
It's more dangerous cutting in. It feels very aggressive. I'm often looking out for road signs and trying not to get lost. So be kind instead. Life is too short.

You zone out and relax in the middle lane? That is terrifying.

VioletLillyRoseDaisyIrisJasmineDahlia · 08/11/2023 21:40

Ilikewinter · 08/11/2023 16:04

Well, the people who piss me off are the ones who on a 4 lane motorway decide to drive in lane 4 at 62mph - when there is an empty lane 3 and quiet lane 2. Im afraid she did get a flash of my lights to bloody shift and when she didnt I ended up undertaking her. Utter madness.

Agree with this!

Deathbyfluffy · 08/11/2023 21:40

Flyhigher · 08/11/2023 15:13

Ooh. You guys will hate me then. I always go middle lane. Tend to find left lanes drive at 50/60. So have to overtake all the time. I think we were taught that you could drive in the middle lane.
It's full of lorries you can't see anything ahead. I don't feel safe there.
I do tend to go in middle lane and zone out relaxing. And I hate the guys who go cutting in front and then go into the left lane. Especially if both lanes are quite empty.
It's more dangerous cutting in. It feels very aggressive. I'm often looking out for road signs and trying not to get lost. So be kind instead. Life is too short.

If there’s room for them to cut across to the left lane and you’re in lane 2, then you’re the problem.
Keep left unless overtaking, it’s that simple - if you can’t comprehend that then you need to use public transport.