Are you allowed in the outside lane of a motorway?

[bigtwin]

Disrespectful if they have a load onboard.

I’m not sure that I understand what you’re getting at.

Ian

 

[JockandRita]

I’m not sure that I understand what you’re getting at.

Ian

Nor me.

Jock.

 

[Tantalus]

This popped up on Facebook...

Discuss....

View attachment 1019755

Thank you for this post. Initially, it had me worried. I have occasionally popped into the third lane when lorries take up two lanes overtaking or traffic is heavy. Motorhome, 2.8 engine. less than 3.5 tons.

 

[Ian Bosman]

It's a caravan, which shouldn't be in the outside lane on a motorway with 3 or more lanes.

motorhomes of whatever weight are allowed in the third/fourth lane of course

 

[nelson8217]

Good god, Im nearly always in lane three overtaking the pillocks taking up the middle lane sitting at 60-65!

I do agree, I hate driving on our motorways in a car, not so bad in the motorhome as we tend to stick at 63mph, just faster than the trucks but trying to conserve fuel, and returning to the left hand lane as soon as possible to clear the lane. The highways agency could help by posting the reminder on the overhead gantries about using the left hand lane but they don't. The police could have more motorway patrols (when did you last see one anyway?) Have all the drivers on our roads taken the UK driving test??
It's a real pleasure to drive on the continent with better roads, more considerate drivers and better lane discipline.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pelican]

I’m not sure that I understand what you’re getting at.

Ian

"Undertaker aka Funeral Director

 

[Platelet]

Yesterday I left from home in Manchester to drive up to my static near Lancaster, I had my trailer on so motorway rules, limited to 60mph and not allowed in the outside lane, when going from the M60 onto the M61 I’m in the outside lane of two, it then goes on to become three lanes, at this point I’m now in the outside lane, left signal on well in advance and the car alongside would not pull into the first lane to let me in, as I had vehicles behind me I couldn’t brake so just had to wait till the middle lane hogger went past and I could get in.
I’m now in the middle lane and one heavy goods going faster than the one in front decides to pull out right in front of me, traffic behind so I couldn’t brake and had to swing out to the third lane, I finally managed to get in and settle into the inside lane for most of the rest of the journey.
I always try to stick to speed limits and the rules of the road, sometimes others make you do something different.

Yes that whole section both ways is diabolical. On the opposite side joining from the M61 to anticlockwise M60 in rush hour (joke it’s neatly 3) crossing a live lane to join a stop start 5mph queue is hard work!

 

[sandiesdad]

Any vehicle is not allowed in the 3 lane on a motorway, and my understanding is vehicles over 3.5ton are also not allowed.

 

[nicholsong]

Any vehicle is not allowed in the 3 lane on a motorway, and my understanding is vehicles over 3.5ton are also not allowed.

???

 

[JockandRita]

Any vehicle is not allowed in the 3 lane on a motorway, and my understanding is vehicles over 3.5ton are also not allowed.

Sorry, not quite right, unless the vehicle is towing a trailer, or carrying goods and is fitted with a speed limiter.

HTH,

Jock.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Nigel P]

Any vehicle is not allowed in the 3 lane on a motorway, and my understanding is vehicles over 3.5ton are also not allowed.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1163/data.pdf

Section 12

 

[B+W vanman]

Sorry, not quite right, unless the vehicle is towing a trailer, or carrying goods and is fitted with a speed limiter.

HTH,

Jock.

You two didn’t write the regs, did you?………..

 

[JockandRita]

You two didn’t write the regs, did you?………..

No no, but as a Class 1 HGV & PSV driver, I do try my best to try and remember them correctly, and abide by them.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[PaulC70]

Any vehicle is not allowed in the 3 lane on a motorway, and my understanding is vehicles over 3.5ton are also not allowed.

Sorry you need to actually edit your statement as it stands it makes no sense

 

[sandiesdad]

Sorry towing vehicle are not allowed in the 3rd lane on a motorway, also vehicles over 3.5 ton that is my understanding

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TheMobileWanderer]

Sorry towing vehicle are not allowed in the 3rd lane on a motorway, also vehicles over 3.5 ton that is my understanding

Regarding vehicles over 3.5t; Vehicles over 3.5t are allowed in the extreme right lane, sometimes referred to as 'overtaking lane', provided they are not subject to a speed limiter.

 

[nicholsong]

Regarding vehicles over 3.5t; Vehicles over 3.5t are allowed in the extreme right lane, sometimes referred to as 'overtaking lane', provided they are not subject to a speed limiter.

What happened to that experiment, on some M/way sections, banning speed-limited trucks from the second lane of two-lane M/ways?

 

[PaulyP]

One thing which I find really annoying is in a four lane section and you have three lanes taken up by heavy goods, each one travelling one mph faster than the one they are overtaking !

 

[bigtwin]

One thing which I find really annoying is in a four lane section and you have three lanes taken up by heavy goods, each one travelling one mph faster than the one they are overtaking !

That, and creates two lanes of middle lane hoggers.

Ian

 

[L' Hobo]

One thing which I find really annoying is in a four lane section and you have three lanes taken up by heavy goods, each one travelling one mph faster than the one they are overtaking !

I agree but don't blame the Truckers, blame the people who decided limiters were a good idea.
The trucks have tamper proof tachographs, what more does it need.

Sometimes when one is driving for hours, it's nice to see something more out of ones windscreen than the backdoors of the truck in front.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[JanetandPete]

Good, keep out of it so we can overtake easier
But yes, you can if you wish -its a 7.5t limit unless a goods vehicle over 3.5t with a speed limited
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273 - rule 265


VXman confused me till someone said it was a caravan. Doh. Of course, no towing in outside lane (of 3 or more lane carraigeway)

you can use the outside lane for overtaking on any 2 or 3 lane motorway but over 3.5 you can't use the 4th or more lanes.

 

[Silver-Fox]

So do some police so worry not. You can do 70 on a 1-lane road if there is a splitter (grass or barrier) between you and the other direction traffic;

That’s interesting my understanding was there had to be a barrier not just grass.

Every day is a school day

 

[Lenny HB]

you can use the outside lane for overtaking on any 2 or 3 lane motorway but over 3.5 you can't use the 4th or more lanes.

Only applies to passenger vehicles carrying more than 8 seated passengers.

 

[Conniedriving]

My understanding is any vehicle under 7.5 tonnes can use any lane. Except if towing a trailer or caravan inc tow cars

 

[gilbaro]

But there on the M25, it's a Motorway not a Dual Carriageway and can have as many lanes a necessary.

Interesting that you mentioned that a Dual Carriageway is named after the separated carriageways because I thought, as I don't think have ever seen more than 2 lanes ( except for the occasional sliproad or separately numbered road running beside it) more than 2 lanes on a Dual Carriageway in the UK.

As the saying goes, every day's a school day!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[gilbaro]

A30 an A38 in Devon and Cornwall both ha sections of 3 lane dual carriageway.

 

[enark]

But there on the M25, it's a Motorway not a Dual Carriageway and can have as many lanes a necessary.

Interesting that you mentioned that a Dual Carriageway is named after the separated carriageways because I thought, as I don't think have ever seen more than 2 lanes ( except for the occasional sliproad or separately numbered road running beside it) more than 2 lanes on a Dual Carriageway in the UK.

As the saying goes, every day's a school day!

A motorway is usually a dual carriageway. number of lanes is irrelevant, its a central res or similar delineation that makes it a dual carriageway, clearly not just a white line!

Many dual carriageways with three lanes - A46 by Coventry, A14, A2 etc etc.

Also a motorway may not be a dual carriageway - A38 (M) from M6 into Birmingham for one.

 

[Bramidan]

I have to ask, how much difference does it make when you are trundling along in your motorhome?
When I drive mine I’m on holiday, driving the GT TDI ( the wife’s car) I actually do want to overtake, change lanes and get pi..ed off with people hogging the second lane.
Yes much better lane discipline in the EU but they don’t get drivers blocking them in to prevent you overtaking so automatically you overtake and then move in, contrast that to our country, “I’m staying here, you are not getting in front of me”
No wonder we prefer to go to Europe rather than travelling in the UK.

 

[Lenny HB]

My understanding is any vehicle under 7.5 tonnes can use any lane. Except if towing a trailer or caravan inc tow cars

Or if it has more than 8 passenger seats.

 

[dna]

Try this explanation of a dual carriageway .

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}