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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect people to stay in the left hand lane unless they're overtaking?

150 replies

spiralqueen · 23/03/2009 12:30

Had several long drives this last week and am getting increasing irritated by the numpties who insist on getting into the middle lane as soon as they get on the motorway (or even worse the outside lane) and resolutely stay there even though it would take them a month of sundays to reach the nearest car in the inside lane let alone overtake it.

Having to go right out to the outside lane and back to the left hand lane time and time again to get past them is such a pain.

Wish I could have an electronic sign I could flash up in my rear window saying "who the feck are you overtaking?" but no doubt it wouldn't make any difference.

grrr

OP posts:

tattifer · 24/03/2009 16:08

bonneville why do we drive on the wrong side of the road?

diedandgonetodevon · 24/03/2009 16:18

This infuriates me too!
I thought the police were starting to crack done on the middle-lane hogging numpties? The middle and 'fast' lane are purely for overtaking and should only be used to pass other, slower vehicles. Once you have passed, you move over to the left lane again.

They really should have a ad campaign pointing this fact out as far too few people on the roads seem to be aware of it.

reach4sky · 24/03/2009 16:52

That's my reading too AllFallDown. Undertaling is not illegal unless you are switching lanes after the manoeuvre.

midnightexpress · 24/03/2009 16:52

Bonneville, you've clearly never driven in China. It's terrifying.

Ripeberry · 24/03/2009 17:25

Don't they teach people how to drive on motorways these days. They should make ALL recently qualified drivers take one or two extra lessons and not make it an option.

Lillabet · 24/03/2009 17:30

bonneville having driven in India where the rules of the road are loosely adhered to (and by loosely I mean only if there is a policeman around - they carry guns ) they undertake, overtake, indicate by using the horn - in fact the horn is the only method of communicating!! Frankly it is terrifying and I would guess judging by midnightexpress's experience not too dissimilar from China!
tattifer we drive on the correct side of the road - most of the rest of the world have it wrong . Actually given the majority of the population are dominant on the right side (hand, foot and eye) driving on the left hand side of the road in right hand drive car is marginally safer - so I have been told .

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 24/03/2009 17:36

And it leaves our sword-arms free.

Lillabet · 24/03/2009 17:51

OLKN I had forgotten that!! Thank you for the reminder

MadamDeathstare · 24/03/2009 18:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ingles2 · 24/03/2009 18:55

I drive the M20 regularly and always use all lanes if it is busy. But what I can't stand is when I'm driving home at 10oclock at night, and the road is empty, I'm in the middle lane, no reason not to be, there's no other cars and some twat comes zooming down the motorway doing 100+ flashing and beeping. Why can't they pull into the fast lane? Surely they can anticipate it's coming or maybe they're going so bloody fast, I'm a surprise.

AllFallDown · 25/03/2009 08:50

Ingles2 - but that's exactly when there's NO excuse for you not to be in the lefthand lane! The middle lane IS AN OVERTAKING LANE.

mayorquimby · 25/03/2009 12:46

"and the road is empty, I'm in the middle lane, no reason not to be,"

well yes there is a reason for you not to be there, it's for over-taking.
if the road is empty you should be in the left hand lane.

BackToBasics · 25/03/2009 15:58

"They should make ALL recently qualified drivers take one or two extra lessons and not make it an option."

I think they should make ALL drivers take one or two extra lessons on motorways, not just recently qualified. There are drivers out there who didn't even do a theary when they did their test, let alone any motorway training. Scary.

Simplysally · 25/03/2009 16:01

The theory test came in about 2000 didn't it? I certainly didn't take one in 1994.

sarah293 · 25/03/2009 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BackToBasics · 25/03/2009 16:22

I don't know when theory came in?

I passed my test in 2003, i had to do a theory, a hazard perception test (and if you fail ONE of those, you fail the lot) and i had to learn 10 questions about the car and was asked 2 of them in my test.

In my test i was allowed 18 minor mistakes (i got 5) and had to do a round the corner reverse and parallel park. My instructor also made me drive on dual carraigeway and taught me how to enter and exit the carraigeway properly and taught me to move to the next lane, if possible, to allow others to enter onto the carraigeway.

My instructor also took me to carparks to practise pulling in and out of spaces. I learnt quite alot when i think about it.

My older brother said when he learnt to drive in 1989, he did 10 lessons, no theory and just a quick test and viola, he had his licence

Simplysally · 25/03/2009 16:26

I had to do 2 out of 4 manoevres (sp) - parallel parking (which I loved), reverse around a round corner, reverse around a square corner or turn in the road and my test was considered quite stringest then. I doubt if I'd pass now without a good course of lessons.

My instructor also took me to drive in a very twatty busy place as well as the usual mixture of roads as she said 'if you can cope with conditions in X you can drive anywhere' plus she taught me how to put petrol in the car. A much overlooked skill sometimes.

She was a fabby instructor and I can still hear her voice in my head (drop down a gear, cover the brake) when I go down the same roads as I covered on my lessons .

BackToBasics · 25/03/2009 16:41

I think anyone who is too nervous to drive on a motorway or is nervous when actually driving on one, shouldn't be on the road at all!

Motorway driving is the easiest form of driving, so if you can't do that then please don't drive for everyone sake.

sarah293 · 25/03/2009 17:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

juneybean · 25/03/2009 17:09

Simplysally, that is the one thing I was afraid of, filling up the car with diesel, why don't they show you?!

BackToBasics · 25/03/2009 18:34

My instructor showed me how to fill up the tank.

Not a driver who is too scared to overtake a lorry! Arrrrrr....

tattifer · 25/03/2009 20:33

Just thought I'd wade back in with some up to the minute information from a poll of traffic and response officers. If that chap/chapess (ingles2 perhaps) is in the middle lane and all other lanes are free flowing you're gonna have to pull out and round and use the appropriate overtaking lane to overtake. If middle lane and outside lane are congested enough not to be moving at the same speed or greater than the inside lane you do not need to alter speed just carry on and yes, by default, undertake. NB only if middle and outer lane are queued back/congested - not just with one car!

theyoungvisiter · 25/03/2009 20:35

Hooray! The definitive response.

[Tattifer bangs gavel]

tattifer · 25/03/2009 20:38

Hits thumb and yowls

Ripeberry · 26/03/2009 22:06

Has anyone done the Advanced Driving test? They do grill you and you have to give a running commentary of what's ahead and behind you, the signs you've passed and what you are going to do next.
It's worth doing as i had passed my test in 1987 and by 1991 was getting into bad habits so took the test.
It's very usefull and keeps you calm on the road, just let the nutters past and as far away from you as you can

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