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Original poster

Can you drive in dual carriageway right hand lane?

28 replies

gonegrl · 16/04/2024 10:34

I drive a dual carriageway home from work. When I was learning to drive, my instructor said there is no "fast lane" on the dual carriageway. I have since learned that he is only sort of right and that the Highway Code says they the right lane is for overtaking and turning right.

My question is: if I am driving 70mph, am I okay to stay in the right lane? Whenever I do, someone comes up in a rage behind me hooting and flashing until I move out of the way. I find it frustrating because I don't want to do 55mph behind the lorries in the left lane but on the other hand, I don't want to go more than 70mph. So I end up weaving in and out, speeding up to 70 on the right then having to put on the breaks get down to 55 to move to the right so that the person wanting to do 90 behind me on the right can go. What do you generally do on this situation? I've taken to just driving 55 in the left land because I find the road aggression quite stressful and find constantly switching lanes very stressful.

OP posts:
MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 16/04/2024 13:36

crackofdoom · 16/04/2024 10:54

Hmmm....it's tricky, isn't it? It took me ages to become confident at constantly switching lanes. That's probably part of it...not wanting to do constant manoeuvres when you're not confident.

A lot of the whole lane discipline is based on experience and "feel", I find. Everyone slags off middle/ fast lane hoggers, but...how long is reasonable to stay in the middle lane if you can see another lorry coming up on your left ahead?

Everyone has a different opinion- and some drivers of powerful German cars just think that frankly you shouldn't exist if you're getting in their way for a nanosecond. I am so over having some twat trying to bully me out of the fast lane when I'm already doing 80 and parallel with the lorry I'm overtaking!

My personal opinion (which happens to align with the actual law) is that nobody should be bullied or hassled for refusing to exceed the speed limit. I mean, sometimes I do speed on the A30, but if someone's doing 70 in the fast lane then I feel I have to just slow down and let them determine the pace( whilst grumbling internally).

And tailgating and flashing your lights at someone is always, always, always the action of a terrible cunt.

The problem is that, by hogging the middle lane, many drivers (not saying this is true of you, @crackofdoom) are forcing other people to do more manoeuvring than is necessary. Instead of being able to use the middle lane, drivers have to keep pulling into the overtaking (fast) lane, to get round people who should have pulled left. It's extremely selfish.

It also chokes up multi-lane highways, as faster drivers can no longer overtake.

I don't speed, but I have noticed a huge increase in the number of times I am stuck at 65 in the overtaking lane, because someone else is too selfish to pull left.

I agree that tailgating is twattish behaviour, but so is this.

Fluffywigg · 16/04/2024 13:38

Nothing worse than a middle lane hogger on the motorway. It shows that the person isn’t fully aware of their surroundings, driving along in their own world, causing other drivers to have to manoeuvre around them.

No need to sit in the right hand lane when you’re able to drive in the left lane.

PuttingDownRoots · 16/04/2024 13:40

There are always impatient idiots.

I had to follow a Wide Load down the A1 for 80 miles last week at 50mph. It was frustrating... but nothing could be done. Some people were trying to overtake (despite both lanes going at 50mph!). It added 15-20 minutes to the journey in total, just felt a lit longer!

You just need to relax sometimes.

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