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?

@MarvellousMinnie those on the left are generally going slower than me. I am overtaking them all the time. The ones ahead can't overtake me as I'm behind them. It's just the ones far behind me that are speeding at 90 miles an hour to catch up with me on the left lane that have the issue. And they want me to move into the left lane slow down the traffic to find a space go in. Then when there's another space come back out. Back and forth, every time I slow down to get onto the left lane I slow down the middle lane and the left lane. Just so someone who wants to go faster than 70 to overtake me in the middle lane. This just isn't rational. It will slow everyone down. It's just impatience. Won't get you there any quicker. This is nothing to do with safety. It's speeding. It is not my responsibility to look back in the mirror to see if someone wants to overtake me and move left. If they are that much in a rush go in the right hand lane. You want two free lanes. So you can drive in and out as you please. Madness. The roads are too busy for that. It's utter nonsense.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I think all you angry ranty drivers are far more dangerous than people staying in the middle lane for a few seconds longer than you'd like...

This. 💯

I drove continuously for about 35 mins in the second lane from the left today.

The left lane was constantly populated by lorries travelling at 55- 60mph. I was at all times overtaking. Was i wrong?

As long as you're driving faster than everyone in the left lane and you're overtaking all of those cars, that's absolutely fine. It's the people who are driving at the same speed/slower than those in the left who are the problem.

No, because you’re overtaking.

Do you mean the M25/M26 and A21 junction? The M25/M23 junction doesn't do that. (I drive this stretch very regularly.)

Get in the correct lane in in plenty of time. There is no need to keep moving left after overtaking if the gantries are indicating different lanes for different roads.

Please hang up your keys (for good) and get the bus - your posts show you’re really not fit to use a motorway.

If there are lorries spaced at c 10- 15 second intervals in the left lane (this is pretty common), am i expected to nip in and out as i pass each one? I see some people do this and if anything the constant lane changing feels more dangerous, they often don't leave enough room and essentially cut sharply in front of other cars forcing them to brake.

But is it really the most efficient traffic management to nip in and out if the timing/spacing of vehicles means doing so forces others to brake to allow you to cut back in, you to brake because you are travelling slower than the lorry you've moved in behind, only to then pull out immediately to overtake?

If so why do so many motorways post signage instructing you to stay in lane when its congested?

I should add, i am resident in the south east and have never seen an empty left lane in my life.

@Flyhigher I undertake people like you. If you find lorries scary, you shouldn't be on the roads.

You are a very good example of someone who’s too simple to understand the concept. Not sure what you can do. You can’t become less simple can you.

Perhaps more easily than you might become less rude.

And I hate the guys who go cutting in front and then go into the left lane. Especially if both lanes are quite empty.

Even i can see the issue here. If both lanes are "quite empty" there's no reason you can't be in the left one? Its normal to expect to overtake sometimes. Just not that you'd have to cut back in at the slightest gap for no real reason when travelling constantly faster than a congested left lane.

Grittytunnocks did thank you.

I notice you didn't answer the question. Please could you point me to the relevant highway code etc that instructs you to pull in behind a vehicle moving slower than you on a congested motorway solely for the purpose of avoiding remaining in the middle lane?

If both lanes are quite empty. There's no holding up of traffic. So the only issue is someone speeding behind me quite some distance I'm doing 70 in the middle. They have to go 80/90 to overtake me. The left lane is doing 50, and is sparsely populated. So I have to keep ducking in so someone can do 90 in the middle lane? No.

You know precisely what you need to do. Just keep out of the middle lane. Not hard.

Jesus.
What a terrifying read this thread is.
We have just driven from Devon to Sheffield and my blood is boiling due to drivers 'zoning out and relaxing' in the middle lane.

If it is clear to your left then move the fuck over, you are causing all types of carnage behind you, you stupid ignorant twat.
There is no slow lane or fast lanes, THEY ARE FOR OVERTAKING ONLY.

It is absolutely ok to overtake in the middle lane, then move back left. Overtake again, get stuck behind a MLD go the outside lane to overtake the twat and then go right back into the left hand lane. That is what you are supposed to do.

We call them Tory Voters. They're ok, they will get to their destination and the rest of society (the motorway) can fuck off cos I'm all alright Jack.

Then whilst you are in the middle lane you are overtaking 🙄if they're going slower than you.
I'm getting road rage just reading this ignorance.

If your left is clear move the fuck over. If your left is not clear then you are quite clearly overtaking the car to your left. When you have finished overtaking, be that one car or twenty cars go back into the left hand lane.

So if everyone drives on the left, and overtakes in the middle lane, what is the third lane for?

👌

Driving lessons. 20 years ago. But obviously understand overtaking and lanes in a broad sense before I learned to drive just from being in the car with my parents and living in the world.