John & Joan
Free Member
I don't hog the middle lane but if you are travelling at 70 mph then why not as nothing should be passing you?
why not -because of this.
HIGHWAY CODE - Lane discipline
264
You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police, HA traffic officers in uniform or by signs.
[Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5, 9 & 16(1)(a), MT(S)R regs 4, 8 & 14(1)(a), and RTA 1988, sects 35 & 186, as amended by TMA 2004 sect 6]
265
The right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes MUST NOT be used (except in prescribed circumstances) if you are driving
•any vehicle drawing a trailer
•a goods vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, which is required to be fitted with a speed limiter
•a goods vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes
•a passenger vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes constructed or adapted to carry more than eight seated passengers in addition to the driver
•a passenger vehicle with a maximum laden weight not exceeding 7.5 tonnes which is constructed or adapted to carry more than eight seated passengers in addition to the driver, which is required to be fitted with a speed limiter
ivory55 : one that gets me is when i see the cars coming in a line down the slip road so i pull out a lane to let them join easily. they then sit in the inside lane stopping you pull back over, can not speed up as restricted to 54 as the firm likes to be sure we are legal. mean time there is a queue behind you now who will not be pleased that you slow down to pull back in. still all in a days work. ivory55
The worst thing I find is people barging in on motorway access roads in bunches. Abroad they have give way signs on the access road, they are missing here. As a large slow vehicle I use the inside lane at about 50 to 56mph. I am not able to quickly nip into the next lane due to traffic tailgating in the middle and or outer lane.
I find driving abroad relaxing, but as soon as I reach Dover, I find British aggressive drivers make driving hell. No one is prepared to wait for a second.
I was almost wiped out after arriving at Dover in March, by a waggon barging into the A2 road from a slip road from the A265. I was being tailgated and there was traffic in the outside lane also nose to tail, but he couldn't have given a dam and just barged in almost side swiping me, causing me to move over and almost side swipe the car on my outside.
How they can claim we have the safest roads in Europe I do not know.
HIGHWAY CODE - Driving on the motorway
259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should
•give priority to traffic already on the motorway
•check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane.
•not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
•stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
•remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking
Nowhere does it say, swap lanes to allow the traffic from the slip road priority as seems to be the common practice by some drivers.
I was taught the two second rule and still use it, but others will jump into the gap I leave, as they are being forced to pull over by traffic tailgating them at speed.
We need to stamp out aggressive driving in this country. Great to see that it is now being taken on board by the authorities.
John