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 also always think it's funny how people go on that middle lane sitters should not police other people's speed (ie the argument I am going at 70 in the middle lane which is the speed limit so why do you need to overtake me) but find it amusing to police other people's lane etiquette.

As an aside, I'd like average speed cameras on our motorways so people have to stick to 70.

if driving in france or other european country except belgium, those fuckers can't drive if you get into a traffic jam on a reasonably quiet stretch of motorway you can be sure that there is a middle lane hogger with uk plates hilding up traffic for everyone else.

In my speedy days, I was on an otherwise empty M5 late at night, driving about 85mph in the inside lane (NB Motorways do not have a “slow” lane or a “fast” lane, they’re the inside, middle and outside lanes). Ahead of me in the middle lane was another car doing 85mph, the same speed with plenty of room between us for him to move into the inside lane, but he was happy in the middle and it was an empty road otherwise. Behind me, in the inside lane was another car, also doing 85mph, and thusly we continued for a few miles.

Then the car behind me twinkled its pretty red, white and blue lights, and my heart sank - it was too dark and there was too much distance between us for me to have realised it was a police car. But it moved into the middle lane and flashed the car in front of us to pull over instead! For driving in the middle lane when the rest of the motorway was empty. Ha!

Then the car behind me twinkled its pretty red, white and blue lights, and my heart sank

You know police cars in the UK don’t have red flashing lights, right? (Other than rear reds which you wouldn’t see if it was behind you)

Ah, thanks. “Pretty blue lights” then.

I had a “Little Flasher” when I had horses - a keyring tiny torch that twinkled red, blue and white lights like a police car, and although I never actually used it when riding (as I only rode in daylight), I often thought I should use it in my car when behind some dreadful lane hogger on the motorways, to make ‘em move over. It was only the fear of doing it to an unmarked police car that stopped me.

I haven’t sped since I got a car with an MPG counter 12 years ago. It’s one thing knowing the theory that slower driving = better fuel efficiency, but to see it with my own eyes was game-changing.

You make out if changing lane is some onerous Herculean task rather then the several second manoeuvre that it actually is.

@Flyhigher do you really sit in the middle
lane for 10min when you could move left? That’s 6 or 7 miles! Insane!!

But to answer the original question: I used to read the Highway Code for fun.

And my father was one of those annoying people who would go out from the inside lane, over to the outside lane and then cut across back to the inside lane to make a point. To be fair, he never undertook anyone. And it was "proper" middle lane sitters who'd been there for miles doing 60mph.

You make out if changing lane is some onerous Herculean task rather then the several second manoeuvre that it actually is

Weaving in and out is not sensible driving and betrays a lack of looking ahead to see what's in front of you.

There are also rules about not changing lanes within x metres of a junction, that's why the lane markings change. If it was safe to change lanes continually, those rules would not apply.

You're a hazzard too!

I haven’t sped since I got a car with an MPG counter 12 years ago. It’s one thing knowing the theory that slower driving = better fuel efficiency, but to see it with my own eyes was game-changing.

I like to play the opposite game, how low can you get the MPG. Always amusing on track or continental blasts.

How do the lane markings on the carriageway change at a junction? Not seen this ever on any motorway…

If he's in the left lane going 90mph and catches you up, you aren't going faster then the left lane are you, you're just sitting there in the middle lane doing 70mph oblivious to your surroundings.

It doesn't matter what speed you're going, lane hogging is lane hogging. If you won't move in if it takes you less then 10 minutes to over take something you ARE hogging the middle lane.

you are breaking the law and being an arsehole at the same time, but you do you.

Jesus, you're complaining about people who go back in the left lane?! They're the ones who are driving correctly, not you. Sounds like you need to take a re-test.

Oh yes, I used to race my sat-nav’s estimation of how long my journey would take.

Now it always underestimates the time.

You’d think they’d learn, wouldn’t you? Sat-navs, I mean. They have no memory. I always take a different, faster, shorter route home on the narrow single-track lanes than it wants me to, but it never remembers.

@GrittyTunnocks you haven't noticed or been told about the difference in line spacing at junctions, towards hazards and where motorways merge? Where did you learn to drive? Fuck sake.

How do the lane markings on the carriageway change at a junction? Not seen this ever on any motorway…

In response to this

The gaps between the white lines are closer together.
Some of the comments in here scare the shit out of me.
I am 75, been driving since 1975. Got a clean licence, not even a parking ticket. I stopped driving a year ago due to vision problems (glaucoma). I’ve got slight peripheral vision loss in one eye, I don’t notice it and I was passed fit to drive by the DVLA after I notified them of my condition, this was my choice, no one told me to stop. My confidence aint what it was.
I miss the independence driving gave me. I’ve just renewed my licence and was considering getting behind the wheel again but after reading some of the comments on here I don’t think I’ll bother I’m safer on the bus.

Because the two are not equivalent:

• It is OK for them to complain about you lane-hogging
• It isn't OK to use their car to push your car to the side to physically stop you from lane hogging
• It is OK for you to complain about them speeding
• It is not OK to use your car to physically stop them from lane-hogging

Oh yes, I used to race my sat-nav’s estimation of how long my journey would take.

Another great game, always try to beat the ETA. When we were younger we often used to run a stopwatch on some of the regular journeys or even some roads, the joys of a misspent youth!

can we just put this to bed: changing lanes while overtaking is NOT 'weaving in and out of traffic' it's literally how motorways work and if everyone did what they were supposed to BY LAW the motorways would flow a lot better.

There are also rules about not changing lanes within x metres of a junction, that's why the lane markings change. If it was safe to change lanes continually, those rules would not apply.

If you're talking about motorways where the inside lane/s becomes a different road, there are designated lane markings that appear to denote what it happening, as soon as those close together small lane markers appear, you don't treat it as a lane of the motorway anymore, that left lane has become a single file or dual lane leading somewhere else and should be treated as such.

It IS safe to change lanes continuously if you are going faster than other vehicles, if you're incapable of reading road marking and signs and are too scared to look over your shoulder, indicate and move around on a motorway.. you should probably NOT be driving on a motorway.

you've never seen THIS on a motorway?

The lane markings become smaller and closer together to denote that one of the lanes is about to become another road, like this:

For those struggling with the concept of this (@enchantedsquirrelwood) .. at this point in the picture the left lane is marked to indicate that it is branching off, and you should treat this lane as a single file road if you're going that way, the 3 lanes on the right are a continuation of the motorway you are travelling on and unless signage says differently, you can still change lanes on those 3 lanes!

It comes down to common sense. If the left lane is full of trucks then stay in the middle lane until you've overtaken them then move over, similarly if several cars are all doing 60 (or less) and you want to overtake them. But it rarely lasts for miles and miles. Plus, just sitting in the middle lane makes motorway driving more boring than it already is.
Thinking your special and have 'a fast car'.(I have a 1.2 Micra but it'll still do ninety so whatever) doesn't really cut it.
There truly is no cure for stupid.

That's a specific kind of junction with a filter lane. One where it was already agreed should be treated as a separate lane and anyone not wanting that junction should move to lane 2. That would not in any way be considered MLH as that lane becomes the first lane until past that junction.

The implication of the previous post was that the lane markings change before ALL motorway junctions to discourage lane changing in the approach to them. Which they don't.

Are you a driver? Or a non driver with an air of superior knowledge?