To have called DH out for hogging the middle lane

[Buildaaargh]

DH habitually sits in the middle lane when motorway driving and I find it deeply annoying. He says he doesn’t like being on the inside lane as it limits his options but I find it really inconsiderate. This weekend we did a long drive and I pointed out a couple of times when he was doing it.

He said he doesn’t criticise my driving (not entirely accurate) and I shouldn’t criticise his. I get that it’s annoying to have someone pick up on how you’re doing something, but I find it deeply selfish.

YABU - none of your business how he chooses to drive
YANBU - totally fair enough to say something

What ‘big signs’ are these???

He's committing an offense. Get him on an advanced driving course if he's not confident changing lanes.

The electronic signs. The ones that say ‘A417 closed after A48’ or ‘reports of debris in the road’ etc.

Those signs are nothing to do with general motorway driving though, they’re warning signs of unexpected issues.

There is a middle ground between staying in one lane and ‘weaving in and out’ though isn’t there? I can’t see how changing lanes to overtake and then moving back over is dangerous unless the person overtaking can’t use their mirrors: judge distance.

I voted YABU because the time to criticise someone’s driving is not when they’re behind the wheel on a busy road. I do t like my DHs driving, so when we are in the car together I always drive.

Your DH is a bad driver

But they do have messages about middle lane hogging sometimes, like they also sometimes tell you not to drive when you’re tired.

As the partner of someone who drives for a living I can tell you, middle lane hogging is selfish, illegal and the mark of a shit driver. If you don’t understand how motorways work, or are scared of changing lanes, DONT DRIVE ON THE MOTORWAY!

I can honestly say I have never ever seen a sign that tells drivers to not hog the middle lane.

If there are no closures or accidents I've noticed general notices on the matrix boards, saying eg "tiredness kills, take a break" , or (usually at Christmas) " don't drink and drive"
During covid they had loads saying stay at home, essential journeys only.

We don’t legally have all lane running I. This country. Undertaking is illegal and he’s also breaking the law

Just had a Google, here’s an example.

I would t be so quick to laugh. He has a valid point. If you ever do any kind of advanced defensive driving training (which I’ve done more times than I can count) you are taught the best defensive driving position to be in is in the middle lanes as it gives more options to manoeuvre away from a potential accident ie you can go left or right. If you are in the inside or outside lanes you only have one option.

The move over and only pass on the right rules are increasingly out of sync with the reality of increased traffic on UK
motorways. They worked great up until the 90’s but there’s simply too much traffic on some routes to make them viable, you just end up with a traffic jam in lane 3. At some point we need to change the rules to allow passing on both sides like they have in the USA. I used to live there and have driven on multi-lanes freeways and the passing on both sides works absolutely fine and keeps the traffic flowing, though I’m sure the idea would be terrifying to many people here.

I hate this the amount of people that are to lazy to use motorways correctly, totally agree not just annoying but lazy driving if my hubby did this I would refuse to go in his car.

All wins for him isn't it? He gets out of the driving..clever.

They use them on the M4 to tell people to stay left unless overtaking now too. It's a newish thing as I've only just started seeing them.

It’s terrible driving but it happens a lot. Is he generally a crap driver OP? Maybe he needs extra lessons.

I once saw a poster on a previous thread about this say, “I just like to get into the middle lane and zone out/ chill on long journeys”. That struck me as incredibly foolish and dangerous - is your DP doing something similar?

Last time I drove up the M1 there were signs saying ‘ Don’t hog the middle lane ‘ periodically after the Watford gap - I liked the Northern directness ….. I have seen ‘ Keep left unless overtaking ‘ down South .
Personally I do all the driving and of course keep left and a safe distance from the vehicle in front .

They’re used for generic messages when not needed for accidents or delays, I.e. take a break, don’t hog middle lane, don’t drink and drive etc.

The institute of advanced motorists specifically teaches to keep left. You’d fail the advanced driving test if you hogged the middle lane. The police driving handbook called Roadcraft says the same.

He doesn't have a 'valid point'. He's breaking the law.

Yes of course they do- until there is a law change they have no choice but to follow the Highway Code and the law. I’m talking about international best practice and basic common sense, and the unsustainable situation in the UK with ever increasing traffic volumes. At some point there will need to be re-evaluation.

Yes that is how driving on the motorway works. That is how I do it. Clearly if there is traffic and you are doing 70 and the traffic on the inside lane is doing 50 then you would be overtaking and not hogging!

we have been on the motorway so many times doing 70 on the inside lane and there is a car just sitting in the middle lane and nothing around it. It is not overtaking anything nor gaining on any other car. We then have to cross to the outside lane to overtake and come back to the inside line- very dangerous.

I’ve also been in a situation where a car has been sitting about 60 in the middle lane and I have gone past on the inside at 70 (which is allowed as long as not undertaking but just passing). Crazy

I completely agree with this but I drive in the US a lot more than in UK.