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!

Don’t flash your lights. It’s distracting and dangerous. It’s not your job to attempt to police others.

I just overtake people sitting in the middle lane. I would not undertake in this country. We spend a lot of time in America, where undertaking on the right is allowed on highways.

I can’t comprehend how middle lane hoggers don’t notice the absolute chaos they’re causing around them.

I go around them then go straight back over to the land I was to make a point. Usually gets the point across!!

Presumably you’re flashing these people behind them ie you’re in the middle lane too? What a hog! Just overtake. Saw some really dangerous high-speed middle-lane tailgating yesterday. Just fucking overtake!!!

Don’t flash other drivers, that’s alarming and distracting also for other road users.

Just overtake. But yes, M25, esp heading north near Heathrow

Having said that I have an ‘A’ Level in “sarcastic use of indicators” - once I am in front of them…..and it often gets them to move over.

Also, lorry’s for example can’t use the outside lane to overtake the middle lane hogging idiots. So they have no choice but to sit behind them, whilst the hoggers are doing sometimes only 50mph (and yes I have known this to happen). It’s just selfish and completely inconsiderate.

Not sure I'd agree that most middle lane hogs are actually going as fast as the speed limit.

The Highway Code only permits flashing headlights to make people aware that you are there though - I mean I know I use flashing to let people know to come through when in a village for instance and there are parked cars and I’m happy to wait (and there’s no one behind me).
I reckon the police would take a dim view of flashing behind someone on a motorway. They should of course take a dim view of a middle lane hogger but if something went wrong the “flasher” would be far more likely to be seen to be driving dangerously.
I’ve been flashed once when in the inside lane approaching a junction and my instinct was to brake/slow down because there was no reason for the person behind me to flash (I drive at or above the speed limit on motorways and there were 3 other almost empty lanes to his right. Because I drive a WAV I can’t help but think he did it purposely to distract - I mean I was doing 70…

How do you react to people whom you inadvertently infuriate letting you know with similar levels of aggression?

Nah, sorry. Annoying as it is, you are in control of and responsible for being in control of your car. If you drive dangerously that’s on you. Just overtake sensibly if you need to.

It’s a very easy system if people use it correctly.

Hilarious. Well done for impeding the flow of traffic and potentially causing accidents in your wake as multiples cars brake behind you, slowing traffic down unnecessarily and unexpectedly.

So many angry people all in such a rush and so annoyed by everyone else.

Threads like these make me so glad I live in a sleepy town in the south west and never go anywhere.

You are obviously one of those people who think their human rights are being breached if they have to drive slightly more slowly than they would like to for a short distance.

Yes. I get angry at people who drive in a selfish and dangerous manner by hogging the middle lane which makes motorways less safe for everyone else. I didn't realise that was a particularly controversial view.

I’m not pretending I’m a saint. If I was allowed I would hang a massive light up sign I can turn on at my rear that says, “ move over hogger” :)

Precisely! The M25 would work much more efficiently and be less “phantom” traffic slow downs if everyone used lanes properly :)

This is entirely irrelevant. If you aren’t actively overtaking, you drive in the inside lane. Basic Highway Code. Loads of people don’t even know the basics though.

I feel that if a person is hogging the middle lane, they're probably going to be just as oblivious to other people flashing their lights at them.

I flash them too! Doing 55 on the m5 in the middle lane is common. Meanwhile other drivers are doing nearly 100 in lane 3 and are aggressively impatient if I’m in lane 3 at 70mph. Pull over end of.

This.

I frequently drive on the M25 on a 4 lane stretch. Every single time there are huge stretches of motorway where the first two lanes are empty, then cars spaced out on the third lane, and a busy/full fourth lane. Combined with people getting pissed off with the whole thing and undertaking, frequently at high speed, in the second lane.

I don’t flash headlights at anyone, or undertake, but I can see how the middle lane hoggers are causing accidents.

If everyone just followed the Highway Code it would be a lot safer.

@1457bloom

the issue isn’t people travelling at 70 in lane 2, it’s people doing 55 (often Teslas around here) in lane 2

Precisely this. How many lanes would you like? An extra overtaking lane? Help yourself to the outside lane.

I’m over on the left as much as possible, definitely don’t hog the middle lane. But if someone was hogging the lane I would use the right hand lane to overtake them rather than try and intimidate them by flashing my lights. Ultimately if you are stuck behind another vehicle how long are you actually inconvenienced for? A few minutes maximum.

The problem is the middle lane huggers are sat in the lane for overtaking...