To flash at middle lane huggers?

[WhatMummyMakesSheEats]

it really angers me how many people don’t know how to drive on the motorway. Especially the M25.

Why are there so many people who just sit in the middle lane and don’t move over? I don’t want to undertake people. So if I’m being made to slow down by a middle lane hogger I’ll flash at them to move over. More often than not they will move to the outside lane, so they obviously know where they should be?!

I do want to add that I also hate people who weave and undertake but I think they are just aggressive drivers and also if no one hogged the middle lane they wouldn’t be able to!

People getting angry at OP are clearly lazy middle lane drivers.

Whilst it is annoying I think YABU to flash. It’s aggressive and has the potential to cause the other driver to react negatively.

There are many morons on the road from tailgaters to middles lane hoggers. I just make a point of letting the tailgaters over take me and be on their way or over taking the slow middle laners and having them far behind me.

Stop policing others and just navigate safely around them which is very easily done.

They are not driving dangerously. I don't dispute it's annoying though I can't get worked up about it. Reacting to it by undertaking or aggressively beeping/flashing is dangerous (and a dick move but that's separate from dangerous).

You are correct OP both about the hoggers and flashing them. They are the idiots who
cant drive properly.

People defending the op are clearly aggressive bellends who can’t just go about their journey without being reactionary dickheads.

Nope, I'm annoyingly conforming in all aspects of my driving, I just don't believe aggression belongs on the road.

OP, I think you mean inside lane rather than outside!

You are impeding the flow of traffic because you are not driving in the lane that corresponds to your speed just because you do not wish to be inconvenienced.

I cannot think of a more selfish dick move than that.

OP, I think you mean inside lane rather than outside!

Yes it can absolutely be dangerous driving when they are not moving at the same speed as surrounding traffic. It shows lack of awareness, inability to assess risk, lack of consideration for fellow road users amongst
other things. When the road
is clear and they are just sat there and someone comes up behind it shows they are once again not watching their mirror and not aware of their surroundings and adapting their driving position accordingly.

A long time ago, I was is the slow lane when a car came flashing it’s lights at a car that was in the middle lane .
My Boyfriend of the time remarked in a way that was very uncharacteristic for him- he said, more in sadness than anger “Well there’s a cunt.”

He noted the ugly aggression in the person flashing and presumed that it extends to every area of their life and character.

We know that aggressive male drivers are more prone to aggression in all areas of life. So that would be my question- would the people you live with say that flashing lights and being OTT hostile to others over minor things is “in keeping”!with your character. Also - I really really hope you don’t drive like that with children in the car, nor set it as an example to your children as future road users.

FFS! It amazes me how many people do not understand the Highway Code. When driving on a motorway or dual carriageway, lane 1 is the driving lane, any other lanes are purely for overtaking. Middle lane drivers are simply reducing a three lane motorway to a dual carriageway! This causes congestion and ultimately leads to accidents.

The flashing of headlights is a warning - it is not distracting or aggressive.

I am constantly amazed at the middle lane hoggers that I overtake - most are completely oblivious to any other drivers!

I said flash my lights not drive aggressively. They are two different things. If you get flustered because someone flashed
their lights at you to the point you lose safe control of the vehicle then you shouldn’t driving.

As a lorry driver who is not allowed in the outside lane and is also limited to 56mph I can either undertake and get out of their way quickly or sit behind them at a speed slower than they are going slowing everything down that’s behind me
I choose to undertake as if I sit behind them flashing and leaning on the horn I would no doubt be reported

Interesting, I’m just discussing it with my husband. I say the ‘outside’ as it’s the outside of the motorway, But my husband says that would be inside haha? I just didn’t want to use ‘slow’ or ‘fast’ because I didn’t want pedantic responses about there being no such thing as fast or slow lanes and they are overtaking lanes 😅 maybe this explains some confusion in some of the responses. I meant they move over into the ‘slow’ lane.

I'll agree it does suggest that the driver is not really an aware driver although the behaviour is not dangerous in itself. All the more reason to drive as safely as you can around them, not try to control their driving - you can't, predictably - or undertake them which is bad and dangerous driving. Just slow down or overtake. And control your temper or you shouldn't be on the road.

This 💯

But they can see what is ahead better than you? So maybe they are waiting to move until they have passed a slower vehicle up ahead.

It’s poor lane discipline. But speed absolutely does make a difference.

Driving in the middle lane at 60mph in clear traffic is frustrating and potentially unsafe.

Doing 70 in the middle when the left lane is full of slow lorries going at 60 might annoy people but it’s not hazardous in the same way.

Going quicker than that in the middle lane ie 80mph and upwards and breaking the speed limit yourself is hardly lane hogging in most people’s eyes. But many drivers would still consider that to be unreasonably slow and would feel justified in undertaking.

Flashing lights because someone isn't doing as you wish them to is aggressive, you aren't doing it for any other reason.

I reckon it's different if you're driving predictably in an HGV, staying in the same lane. I would imagine there are different ways of driving safely on a massive vehicle like that. I don't claim to know as I don't have an HGV license. In a light vehicle, you should overtake on the right and if you can't, slow down. I'm sure you know this as no doubt you drive cars and lorries and drive them quite differently I expect.

It’s really not that deep. No one wants to be in the slower lane as you have to move out of it constantly.

i would much rather hog a middle lane and move to the right when needed as do most people

Middle lane hoggers are an annoyance. The OP however is a sanctimonious know all. And flashing at people can provoke a road rage situation.

Which is far more dangerous

It's actually quite different. On the motorway, the middle and right lanes are both for overtaking, so no one should be driving in the middle lane unless they're overtaking. Undertaking is never a good idea, and nor is pushing another driver into the far right lane unneccesarily.

I'm with you OP, and will flash if necessary, because, sometimes, it's more dangerous not to.

It used to be unusual. It is now extremely common - to the extent that on the regular journey I take down a busy stretch of motorway in the southeast, over the course of a 15 minute journey, I encounter at least two drivers (often more) in the middle lane with an entirely empty stretch of lane beside them with no vehicles in sight in that lane. You’re right that the motorway is busy - it’s like it’s inverted with most vehicles in the ‘overtaking’ lanes.