Lane Hogging

[iandsm]

The near side lane is that full of potholes, that’s why the majority drive in the middle lane.

I regularly hog the middle lane on the A12 both ways through Suffolk and Essex and particularly westbound M20 in Kent. I would rather do that than have my tyres shredded or suspension damaged ( as has happened) because of bloody great potholes and eroded road surfaces. I am afraid people will just have to put up with it. I don’t do it all the time but in bad stretches I feel there is little choice I think my safety and vehicle integrity are more important than the slight inconvenience I might cause.
Someone earlier made reference to highway code advice to drive on left when able to do so. Problem is on many of our shite roads I don’t think I am able to do do in safety.

 

[Liverpoollass]

Well I use the middle lane when lorries/larger slower vehicles are in the left hand lane as I hate being the ham in the sandwich of larger vehicles and would feel vulnerable in a small car, also as others have said, the potholes ars a nightmare..However, I do check vehicles behind me that are travelling faster than me (despite me keeping to the speed limit) and move over to allow them to pass. When there are no lorries etc in the left lane I drive in that as have a good view of potholes!!

 

[peterc10]

Hardly relevant peter I'm traveling at 74mph speedo reading middle lane, the lorry I have just overtaken was traveling at 68mph speedo reading inside lane the next lorry ahead of me inside lane is also traveling at 68mph indicated. The outside lane is clear. What gap between the two lorries would you allow before I am accused of being a lane hog. Then we have the most important factor of all...........Where are you, what speed are you traveling at and what is your intention....simple question as the highway code doesn't make it clear..

When it is safe to do so.

 

[Enword]

Camoron made it an offence but there's no cops around to enforce it.

To many of em sat at the computer checking someone is not offended

 

[EuroTrotters]

All great replies, thank you.

Just going back to my first lane hogger.

Middle of the smooth motorway, 5 miles +between junctions. Not doing 63, 70 or 77mph. Just me and her in sight.

Should not be hogging the middle lane of a 3 lane motorway.

Simple.

No wonder there are far to many incidents. Most crashes are no accident.

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[tonyidle]

not on one side or the other but the fact remains if someone is cruising in one lane at the maximum speed there must be a hell of a lot of illegal speeding motors to catch up with them, is anyone complaining about them?

How do they know what speed they are doing? The speed limit is not when your speedo says 70 - it's when you're travelling at 70. In most cases up to 10mph error. In a car I travel at a speed I know I can get away with (assuming it's safe to do so) and that will be 80mph. My speedo will be reading at least 85mph. In the mh I travel at 65mph (or as the speedo says 72mph).

 

[tacr2man]

A lot of the problems arise due to the overcrowding on UK motorways , if you are keeping left you are having to almost fight your way back into the overtaking lane, as very few will acknowledge your right indicator and slow a little to make a gap for you to pull out into, and quite a few actually accelerate to close any gap . I try and "cruise" at about 58 mph so that I am getting past the lorries but staying legal speed wise. I find that I vary my left keeping dependent on density of traffic , and length of gap on inside lane.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I just cruise past on the inside. Can't be bothered moving over 2 lanes when I can just go straight on sometimes it wakes them up and they pull in behind, sometimes not.

Also when traffic is heavy you can make more progress in lane 1 or 2, I don't use the outside lane then at all.

 

[johnp10]

Middle lane hogger here , if i,m doing the speed limit what,s the problem . You should try driving in Australia

This isn't Australia.
Isn't failing to return to the left hand lane after overtaking (hogging, in other words) an offence?
It causes frustration and accidents.

 

[iandsm]

I would suggest the state of our roads is probably the cause of much lane hogging, I see little of it in France/Germay.

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[johnp10]

Hardly relevant peter I'm traveling at 74mph speedo reading middle lane, the lorry I have just overtaken was traveling at 68mph speedo reading inside lane the next lorry ahead of me inside lane is also traveling at 68mph indicated. The outside lane is clear. What gap between the two lorries would you allow before I am accused of being a lane hog. Then we have the most important factor of all...........Where are you, what speed are you traveling at and what is your intention....simple question as the highway code doesn't make it clear..

Speed regulated lorries travelling at 68 MPH?
If they were UK registered trucks our speedo needs checking, Buttons.

 

[Lenny HB]

And what about those plonkers doing 55 in the outside lane on a dual carriageway with a 70 limit holding everyone up then the road approaches a town the limit drops to 40 and they just carry on at 55 that really winds me up.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

What I don't understand is when vehicles travelling at less than the speed limit sit in the 2nd lane on a 3 lane road and those that do the same in lane 3 of a 4 lane road when there is nothing in the other lanes. This is especially frustrating when the vehicle in the 2nd lane is doing less than 60mph and I am travelling at 60 with a trailer in tow and can't use the outside lane without risking a ticket. I am sure that a lot of it is down to a lack of confidence in their ability to navigate between the lanes.

 

[johnp10]

I would suggest the state of our roads is probably the cause of much lane hogging, I see little of it in France/Germay.

Simple.
Lower driving standards here.
On the continent there are heavy fines for many offences, which lead to better road discipline.
Folk often say "driving in France/ Germany, etc. is a joy"....nothing to do with discipline and driving standards?

 

[movan]

I think some people would call me a middle lane hogger.

A. I often stay in middle lane if approaching slip road on left as I am sick of people pulling onto motorway right in front of me when they were WAY BACK on the sliproad and so should have come on behind me ..but they put foot down and skid in front of me at last minute .. not wanting to be behind a motorhome.

B. I stay in middle lane in packed lanes because I'm sick of inside lane drivers overtaking me on the inside when I am driving at 80mph and approaching a car I want to overtake but just not as fast as the boy racer wants me to overtake.

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[sdc77]

Can't see what people are defending here. We drive on the left and that's that! It's really dead simple .. other lanes are for overtaking. None are designated as 70mph lanes only or 60mph lanes only or anything else. (Other than the towing restrictions on 3 lanes or more)
Pot holes might be there. .. there's a lorry a mile in front ... I'm doing the speed limit .. I'm turning right in 10 miles..
None of these are acceptable reasons for not driving in the left hand lane and could be considered driving without due care ... certainly without due consideration for others.

 

[pappajohn]

Sticking to the middle lane usually means you have a good chance of making progress in that lane without having to constantly overtake.
Sticking to the left lane means you'll be in and out more than Casanova's wedding tackle.
Unless I'm the only vehicle in sight I shall remain a middle laner.

 

[pappajohn]

I have yet to see an official Highways England patrol vehicle use the left hand lane.
Good enough for a government department, good enough for me.

 

[pappajohn]

I just cruise past on the inside. Can't be bothered moving over 2 lanes when I can just go straight on sometimes it wakes them up and they pull in behind, sometimes not.

Also when traffic is heavy you can make more progress in lane 1 or 2, I don't use the outside lane then at all.

Which in itself is an offence.
You can only overtake on the left if traffic on the right is stationary or you are turning left..

 

[peterc10]

I have yet to see an official Highways England patrol vehicle use the left hand lane.

You are not looking hard enough. I have often overtaken them as they pootle along in the driving lane. Normally everybody is slowing down because they think they are the police.
Different of course when they are on their way to an emergency, as with the police and ambulance they need to get there ASAP and so have a reason to be in middle or outside lane

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[iandsm]

Simple.
Lower driving standards here.
On the continent there are heavy fines for many offences, which lead to better road discipline.
Folk often say "driving in France/ Germany, etc. is a joy"....nothing to do with discipline and driving standards?

You don't think bloody great potholes in the UK are anything to do with it then. I find the major routes in Europe particularly peage roads generally far superior to our cart tracks which avoids staying in the centre lane. having said that some of the minor roads in Belgium obviate the need for a dentist and as for Polish minor roads..................

 

[The Wino]

Sticking to the middle lane usually means you have a good chance of making progress in that lane without having to constantly overtake.
Sticking to the left lane means you'll be in and out more than Casanova's wedding tackle.
Unless I'm the only vehicle in sight I shall remain a middle laner.

The biggest problem that causes me to stay in the middle lane is the boy racer toss*** who cut in and out of lanes all the time overtake on the inside and if I'm in the left lane coming up behind a slow truck and indicate to move out refuse to move into the right lane which is empty to allow me to pull out. I suppose if I were of the same mind as the toss*** I ought to just indicate and pull out so they have to move into the righthand lane

 

[pappajohn]

if I'm in the left lane coming up behind a slow truck and indicate to move out refuse to move into the right lane which is empty to allow me to pull out

Exactly why I use the middle lane, but often that lane is taken by someone with only two gears, 1st and 2nd, or a broken accelerator cable.

 

[Richard n Ann]

The biggest problem that causes me to stay in the middle lane is the boy racer toss*** who cut in and out of lanes all the time overtake on the inside and if I'm in the left lane coming up behind a slow truck and indicate to move out refuse to move into the right lane which is empty to allow me to pull out. I suppose if I were of the same mind as the toss*** I ought to just indicate and pull out so they have to move into the righthand lane

You have to look further ahead and anticipate pulling out before you get blocked in. Hard to do perfectly every time over a long journey I know.

 

[chaser]

Just can't understand why folks are defending one law by breaking others.
Let's have a speeding or undertaking thread supported by middle laners

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[peterc10]

Just can't understand why folks are defending one law by breaking others.
Let's have a speeding or undertaking thread supported by middle laners

I haven't defended any law breaking. They are all dangerous and all are illegal in the UK and should be discouraged and prosecuted. Although I am not sure that they will all be illegal in other countries!

 

[The Wino]

You have to look further ahead and anticipate pulling out before you get blocked in. Hard to do perfectly every time over a long journey I know.

Depends how busy it is if the fast lane switching toss**** had any politeness if the outside lane is empty they would pull out its what I do when in the car. If they were looking ahead and aware of the other road users they would do a lot seem to take pleasure in "trapping" people who want to pull out behind slower vehicles. Thanks for your driving tip don't know how I've managed the past 40 years without any accidents.

 

[The Wino]

All great replies, thank you.

Just going back to my first lane hogger.

Middle of the smooth motorway, 5 miles +between junctions. Not doing 63, 70 or 77mph. Just me and her in sight.

Should not be hogging the middle lane of a 3 lane motorway.

Simple.

No wonder there are far to many incidents. Most crashes are no accident.

If there were just 2 of you why was it a problem do you need 2 lanes to get past?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Depends how busy it is if the fast lane switching toss**** had any politeness if the outside lane is empty they would pull out its what I do when in the car. If they were looking ahead and aware of the other road users they would do a lot seem to take pleasure in "trapping" people who want to pull out behind slower vehicles. Thanks for your driving tip don't know how I've managed the past 40 years without any accidents.

If you want to change lane it's not their problem, it's yours. You need to indicate and pull out when safe to do so (tip of the day No. 2 ) not rely on other people to think you might want to pull out. For all they know you might be turning off and slowing down.

 

[wanderer]

No way am l going to travel on the A14 on the inside lane law or no law , I value my life and my passengers .

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