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?

YANBU at all, I do a lot of driving and it drives me round the bend. So many people seem to have no clue. And don't get me started on people who indicate right at a roundabout when they are going straight on.

Really glad you posted this because this is what I do. It's frustrating, but all too common to see slow middle lane hogs.

Op, you are perfectly reasonable btw.

I’m surrounded by the M1, M18, A1. All are very different, and can change from 2-3, back from 3-2 lanes within miles. Also have the Smart section of the M1 to contend with (or Death Alley as it’s known locally) You just have to engage driving brain, assess what’s going on (can be checked on a Smart phone before setting off) and tell yourself that it’s better to arrive alive. Nothing is worth killing yourself, or even worse killing someone else’s loved ones just because you are fed up, in a rush, or whatever. I also drive a variety of cars, from a big Jeep Wrangler, to a Mini, to a small motorhome, to a classic MGB. Other drivers react very differently to those vehicles, and I don’t think I drive any differently in terms of looking after myself and respecting others.

Agree

It's fine to go past them on the inside lane so ling as you don't cut in front of them. Ex driving instructor

Fair point. But i think that in this country, on these motorways, driving at 90 when everyone else is at 70 or below IS dangerous because of course, your planning/expectations are based on what you think is most likely combined with what you see. You're right though - probably not so dangerous on the autobahn when it's normal etc.

I agree CLODs at 60 are a nightmare. But I’m opposed to people going past in the left hand lane; apart from anything, you prevent people from pulling back into the correct lane.

Are you driving at 70 in the inside lane? Because that is extremely annoying and, frankly, wrong.

On top of that it’s also a really offensive putdown, pretty much along the lines of ‘get back to the kitchen’.

I’d expect better from all people, but especially coming from a woman that’s really quite 🤨

Also I don’t think in 2024 anyone makes tea for a living anymore.

People seem to think that they know the law but can’t interpret a short paragraph. I fully agree that laws should be phrased in more accessible language and easily interpretable, but it’s quite frustrating in which manner the professional experience of SMEs is questioned.

No it’s not. It’s perfectly legal. What’s annoying about it?

It is very relevant if somebody is claiming that driving at 80mph is definitely driving dangerously.

Why is it more dangerous here and not there? Because somebody back in 1965 decided that we needed a speed limit on motorways and plucked “70” out of the air?

And it's not just the middle lane.
Woman at 50 in right hand lane for miles the other day. Massive tailback and so dangerous. I went into lane 1 to overtake her because no way was I going to do so in the middle lane - driving that badly, you never know what they are going to do.

I wish I'd had a dashcam.

Because the inside lane is supposed to be for overtaking. The only way you driving in that lane at 70 is okay, is if there is plenty of traffic on all lanes and you are therefore in the fastest moving lane of traffic.

This is also why there is some understanding that speed limits are not absolute - sometimes, in order to overtake, speeding up slightly over the speed limit is okay.

You are absolutely part of the problem the OP is talking about.

“I take issue with this. The 70 limit is arbitrary number. In many countries the limit is just over 80 mph. Are the drivers driving at the limit in those countries driving dangerously too?”

If you look at road stats, you will see that the UK is one of the safest countries in the world to drive. Speed limits are almost certainly part of that. https://www.finn.com/en-US/press/the-worlds-safest-roads

@JacquesHarlow The issue is that many motorways in the UK don't have hard shoulders. If there were hard shoulders, then 60 mph drivers would be happier to stay in lane 1.

The inside lane is lane 1, the left lane.

well, to reiterate my earlier point - I think there's something to be said about norms. So in this coutnry, driving at 90 is dangerous because it's unexpected. If you see a car in the distance, you assume they're NOT doing 90mph. And I've certainly been surprised now and again when I've seen someone in my rear view mirror only to have them speed past me a lot sooner than I would have expected.

But I do agree that if the speed limit is more in other countries, and that is then expected, that driving at that speed or slightly over is far less likely to be dangerous there.

Really? That makes no sense to me - the inside lane to me is the lane that is in the middle of traffic ie closest to the traffic going in the other direction too and the outside lane is the "slow lane" But okay, I'm more than willing to accept that I might not have that right. In that case @runrabbitruns are you driving at 70 in lane that is furtherest to the right or furtherest to the left. If furtherest to the right, I stand by my comment that you are part of the problem.

You are wrong. All three lanes have the same speed limit which is 70mph. If travelling at 70mph in the inside lane no-one should need to overtake you and you aren’t holding anyone up. As a driver in lane 2 you have the option to drop back and slot in behind the faster car. You can then proceed at 70mph which is the maximum legal speed limit.

It sounds to me as though you are more part of the problem than I am!

The problem isn't the speed though is it?

The problem is lane discipline.

It's ok to want to drive at 60mph as long as it's in the correct lane. Other vehicles are limited to that speed.

This. It's not undertaking if you're just maintaining your speed within the limit.

@Likewhatever I apparently am confused about what's referred to as the inside lane! So the question is - do you cruise at 70mp in lane 3 or the lane furtherest to the right (often thought of as the "fast lane" albeit, of course, not an accurate term). or do you cruise at 70 in the inside lane (the one furtherest to the left). If the former - you're part of the problem. if the latter - my apologies for messing up the terminology!

It might make no sense to you but the inside lane is the left hand lane.

Definitely not the former and if that’s what you meant I’m in agreement!

It seems more and more people go all the way in the left hand lane.

Terrifyingly, I see people doing this and signalling left throughout. I don't know what they think indicators are for.