To think it's ok to want to travel at 70mph on the motorway...

[JacquesHarlow]

...or am I now completely unreasonable, and the Highway Code is irrelevant?

Hear me out if you will:

I have done a LOT of driving in the past two weeks. M1, A1, A23, M25, M40, M6, you name it.

I am middle aged, F, live in Surrey, for what any of that is worth. I am also it seems one of the stranger folk...in that when I join a motorway, I drive at 70mph on the dot. I also stay in the left lane until overtaking.

AIBU for doing this?

It seems so, judging by the habits of hundreds of road users I encountered, who come onto the motorway and automatically slide into lane 3 of 4, or lane 2 of 3. And sit there for absolutely ages, at around 60 mph.

I kid you not, 60mph.

It's maddening. I am driving at 70mph, in lane 1. It is clear in front of me.

Next to me is someone doing 60 mph. I know this because I am coming up on them quickly. I cannot however undertake them - this is against the Highway Code.

So I indicate, check it's clear, move out to lane 2 behind them. I then look to move to lane 3 to overtake.

Only I can't move over to lane 3, because there is someone doing 60 (or maybe less), right alongside them. Not overtaking, just cruising next to them in their own little lane.

So I indicate again, move out to lane 4. Where of course it takes me 30 seconds or so to overtake, at which point someone is barrelling down on me wanting to do 80mph in their private fast lane. (I'm fine with this, I assert my right to overtake legally etc).

So that's three lane changes to overtake two cars who due to their speed (and the highway code's rules) should be sitting in lane 1.

Why do people do this?

I notice that when I've brought this up years ago on here, or when I've spoken to folk in real life, people often say

"It's more dangerous to do all that 'weaving about' than stay in a lane"
"I'm not going to get trapped in a lorry sandwich"
"People join constantly on motorways and I don't want to have to move over"

OK, great.

So you're going to make me change three lanes, just because you want your own little personal bubble on the motorway, and are happy to be a rolling roadblock?

I think middle lane hoggers are not only selfish, but actually dangerous.

But AIBU?

So OP you are saying if someone was in the outside lane doing 60 then nobody is allowed to pass at all as that would be undertaking and there is nowhere to go on the other side. That's obviously ridiculous

Just drive past them in your inside lane. The problem is theirs

I hate driving on motorways so I don’t anymore ( although I am a good driver in towns, just don’t like motorways it uses a totally different part of my brain somehow!) but I do know to keep to the left lane on motorways except when overtaking or making room for someone to enter at a junction. So even “ crap” drivers do know this..
Many many people are forced to drive because public transport in the uk outside London is so so bad. So maybe campaign about that?

I see the opposite. People driving at 80 or 90 getting annoyed at me for driving 70. Particularly on the M25.

Always male, always German cars. Make of that what you will.

I'm so glad there are some other people on here that can interpret it correctly. There are others that are absolutely adamant I'm just the tea lady at the police station and don't have a clue what I'm talking about, it's depressing!

It's the people that join the motorway going up the sliproad at 40 that infuriates me too!

Ultimately, bad motorway driving is a combination of a lot of things. Aggressive driving, timid driving, not being fully conversant with the UK Highway Code around which lane to use for overtaking, not paying attention to type of traffic on the roads such as lots of HGVs that can only use two lanes, bad weather conditions, simply not paying attention. My OH spent his working life going to motorway accidents, he’s seen some sights no human being wants to see. Mainly caused by one or more of the factors above.

Aggressive? Why, don’t be stupid

Timid? Simple, have a motorway lesson, or at the very least go on at quiet times and build your confidence up

Don’t hog the wrong lane, keep as left as you can, paying more attention at junctions.

Busy with HGVs? They are slower than cars and often cannot use the outside right lane, so don’t drive into the back of one!

Bad weather? Slow down in rain, fog, low blinding sunshine. If you cannot see a long way ahead, don’t be a prat.

Not paying attention? Link your phone hands free, set your Sat Nav before setting off, strap the kids in tight, strap the dog in where it should be, and no, mirrors are not for applying make up or checking your pout on the move!

None of it is rocket science, and the Highway Code is there to keep everyone safe.

I think motorways can be a bit of a free for all because it's not covered in a test, and there are a lot of areas where motorway driving isn't needed so lack of experience. I passed my test and never had to drive on a motorway for around 10 years! Even now, I rarely drive on a 3 lane section of motorway. Most are 2 lanes so to all intents and purposes, just a dual carriageway with extra rules. And there are no smart motorways up here. So I would be like a learner all over again if driving down south!

The speed limit in other countries is irrelevant . It is 70 in this country and so needs to be adhered to.

This is a fairly simple concept .

I agree with the earlier comment that no one teaches you these things! Why is it not part of driving lessons to learn how to drive on the motorway, and then prove what you’ve learned during your test?

To be honest when I qualified at 17/18, I just assumed the three lanes were like swim lanes: slow, medium, fast. So I drove in the middle to avoid getting stuck behind caravans and trucks on the left, and racers on the right. I imagine many people start driving on motorways with the same ignorance/assumptions!

I’d add the only time it’s ok to go past in the left lane is if traffic is crawling along, but speeding past is asking for a body bag! UK drivers are taught to check right when moving to overtake in flowing traffic.

Me too!

Well said

We should just adopt overtaking on either side like in other countries eg the USA and problem solved.
Yes I have lived and driven in the US on multi lane freeways and it works fine.
Overtaking on the right only works on a three lane motorway when traffic is below a certain level. These days, and ever increasingly, traffic volume is increasing. Overtaking both side would help keep things moving.

This is why I’m wary of passing a car in the middle lane when I’m in the slow lane . But SO many people sit in the middle lane .

I actually didn’t realise it’s not legally classed as undertaking though. So surely that means insurance companies can’t blame the car in the slow lane ?

Once you have passed your test, a final lesson on a motorway is a good idea. Motorway driving is rather different to driving on single carriage roads, and it’s a good idea to thoroughly understand the theory, but practical experience is so useful and builds confidence for many. 🙂

I took a motorway lesson when i first got a car, as I had barely driven in the 7 years since I'd passed my test, and Dorset doesn't have motorways anyway. The instructor took me back on an A-road, on the grounds they're more dangerous than motorways.

I'd like to ban lorries trying to overtake each other on 2 lane motorways, especially uphill.

I'd also like to ban the person who flashed me to move over on the M3 late last night. I was overtaking at the time (at slightly over 70mph, to be fair,) and could not change lane until there was space. They then sped past, undertaking another car. I figure it's always best for drivers like that to get well ahead of my car, anyway. I do hope they got caught in the delays that the road signs were promising past J9. (I took the back roads to avoid it, so no idea if it was still a problem.)

I look forward to the day where I can do as much as 70mph on the M27, though...

First and foremost blame will be with the driver changing lanes. The fact they are coming up on your left is irrelevant. You as a driver are still responsible for clearing your own blind spots on all sides left or right before changing lanes or making any other manoeuvre. Or do you just move over to the left lane blindly without checking because there “shouldn’t” be anyone there?

As always with these threads, I wonder where people are driving that they are able to spend much time in the inside lane doing more than 60! My motorway experience is that the inside lane has an almost constant stream of vehicles going at around 55-60 and I end up spending the vast majority of my time on the other lanes, whether overtaking the slow inside lane in the middle or moving out to overtake the 60 middle lane drivers mentioned in the op.

I find all of it infuriating.

80mph limit but rigidly enforced would also be my preference. None of this 70mph with a wishy washy tolerance.

I will overtake on the inside if someone is hogging the middle lane and carry on my way, not then cut back in front of them.

If you were on a dual carriageway and someone thought they'd do 60 in lane 2, surely folk would not stay in lane 1 because they're 'not allowed' to undertake..

English comprehension seems a problem in this thread. Undertaking is not a thing in the HC - we are talking about overtaking on the left.
This is explicitly forbidden.

It is ok to overtake on the left 'in congested conditions' and 'where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds'

The suggestion that it's ok if you slow down and pass with a speed delta of 10mph is bonkers - why would you extend the time you are in their blind spot? If you must do this then slow down until you are at this kind of delta and behind them then accelerate past.

Driving without due care and attention (careless driving) is an offence and the CPS gives examples of careless driving:

• overtaking on the inside;
• driving too close to another vehicle;
• driving through a red light by mistake;
• turning into the path of another vehicle;
• the driver being avoidably distracted by tuning the radio, lighting a cigarette etc.
• flashing lights to force other drivers to give way;
• misusing lanes to gain advantage over other drivers;
• unnecessarily staying in an overtaking lane;
• unnecessarily slow driving or braking;
• dazzling other drivers with un-dipped headlights.

Cf www.cps.gov.uk/crime-info/driving-offences

Yes! I only learned this recently and it's saved me alot of road rage 😂

Really? Really really? Because my DH does the whole pull up alongside (the middle lane blockers who are driving too slowly for it) on the left, then fall back, then go around them in a huff from the right. I don't do that and just go past them and he gets grumpy at me!

70mph is not the minimum speed, it is the maximum.
Get back to practice, Max

I must admit that I find my natural motorway speed is 80mph, which I’m aware is above the speed limit before anyone points that out. I try to stay slower but it’s too easy to speed up if you’re not watching the speedometer constantly. However, I’d argue that an 80mph driver observing the lane discipline customs is a lot safer than a 60mph driver sitting in the middle lane, causing others to have to weave around them.

It’s clear that lots of people aren’t confident driving on the motorway; DH for one. I grew up being ferried 200 miles between my parents’ houses and driving to Alpine ski resorts so am comfortable with multiples lanes and higher speeds. Poor DH goes into ex firefighter ‘I’ve seen loads of accidents’ mode and ends up being a 60mph danger out of sheer worry.

It would be sensible for the law surrounding motorway lanes to form part of the driving theory test, then for a motorway lesson to be mandatory before the final full driving licence can be issued after passing the main test.

Middle lane hoggers should face a lengthy driving ban, and dash cam or passenger mobile phone evidence should be easy to report. Before being allowed back on the road, the theory test should have to be retaken as a minimum. No exceptions for hardship whatsoever.

If we had as I advocate two categories of car licence (normal and large/high performance) then if they are then allowed back on the road, it should be normal car for at least the first three years.