Keep left when not overtaking!

[PaulandAngie]

Hi, just back from a New Year tour of the Lake District, with a 5 night stop in Scotland returning via Bristol back to West Sussex. Lots of rain and eventually snow and at times moderate wind gusts! Which were quite scary. Enjoyed the trip and making use of the time available. However, the most frustrating part of the jouney was not the constant rain (really to be expected) but the 2nd and third lane hogging to be found journey wide. We found it so common that we started to question whether the Highway code had been updated to make it an acceptable and legal driving practice. Intrestinghly, before we passed over the borders back to England we came across a bridge with a graffiti slogan highlighting the statement. Two bridges down it moved on to state that if you were still in the middle lane you were now a "moron" which did make me smile!. Further on, the motorway signs were now suggesting the same without the Moron reference. I tend to cruise where possible just slightly faster than the commercial traffic , so will takeover regulary, however, we came across numerous vehicles either travelling at the same speed of the commercial traffic or even slightly slower, at times with several vehicles blocking both 2nd and third lanes. Pulling out in an attempt to overtake was basically adding myself to the compounding issue. Outside lane if possible was now the only option which personally seems a long way out for a vehicle travelling at around 65-70mph which in practice (speedo is always ahead) in reality slower than indicated, although carried if required indicating all the way back to the left inside lane as a watch me! This is what you should be doing. I know this is nothing new, but for this trip away in the motorhome it was particularly annoying and more obvious than previously, and clearly not just limited to the M23 or M25 which are my regular routes.

Seems to me that 50% of the driving public needs a memory jog!

Rant over. Happy motorhome travels for 2022.

 

[Chris]

It winds me up too.

You can’t flash them to pull over either as they don’t use their mirrors

 

[Otter Spotter]

Flash your lights at the sods, if They have space in nearside lane.
I am afraid though that some of the worse offenders are HGVs who appear to take great delight in blocking the first 2 lanes going up hills causing a backlog of traffic. My rant over.

 

[Paulypaul]

You're 100% bang on! It's one of my pet hates and it does clearly state in the Highway Code, keep left except when overtaking. A concept a lot of driver have no idea about.

I'll undertake on the nearside lane if I'm going faster than lane 2 cause its safer for me not to pull out behind them in lane 2 and sit there like them. The lane huggers d'narf get the ump and try to get past you even if it means they're up the jacksie of the car in front of them.

Other trucks might be in lane 2 for a longer period of time while trying to overtake another truck, but they don't tend to just sit in lane 2 for the sake of it? When your truck is limited to 54, 55 or 56mph and you try to overtake a truck who may be doing half a mile an hour less than you, it takes a bit of time

 

[fat haggis]

I was one driving my Porsche on the m6 at 3 am in the slow lane on a near empty motorway. I was just minding my own business when a group of black range rovers with cops escort and tail. They slowly passed me and the tail cop car moved into middle lane and gave me a thumbs up. I did the same and off they went. I looked at my speed and I was doing 93 mph. empty motorway me in slow them in fast. I did slow down a bit after that. A bit.

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[2bob]

never like the m40 it has a lot of middle lang hoggers going north

 

[Wonders]

Agree with frustration with inconsiderate Lane hogging. Been 50 miles along M1 today and was pleased to see several matrix boards saying drive in left lane when not overtaking. Still loads of lane hogging just need to get them to read now. Could get cameras to monitor and fixed penalties to encourage better behaviour they use it for bus lane enforcement.

 

[Otter Spotter]

Agree with frustration with inconsiderate Lane hogging. Been 50 miles along M1 today and was pleased to see several matrix boards saying drive in left lane when not overtaking. Still loads of lane hogging just need to get them to read now. Could get cameras to monitor and fixed penalties to encourage better behaviour they use it for bus lane enforcement.

Most of them will be texting in their phones so will not see the matrix signs

 

[Mixyblob]

When your truck is limited to 54, 55 or 56mph and you try to overtake a truck who may be doing half a mile an hour less than you, it takes a bit of time

If your truck is only half a mile an hour faster than the one in front of you, it begs the question, why bother overtaking?

 

[poppycamper]

I'll undertake on the nearside lane if I'm going faster than lane 2 cause its safer for me not to pull out behind them in lane 2 and sit there like them.

So in effect you are no better than them... states in Highway Code not to do that...
On the subject of the Highway Code... when was the last time most of us have read it... I ain't no saint but I read it every couple of years and it is amazing what you do forget.
A lot of questions Funsters ask are answered in the Highway Code.....NOW don't get me started on roundabouts

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[Lenny HB]

I too get peed of with the idiot lane hoggers. Appears to be a Brit thing even the French have better lane discipline nearly all over Europe they behave much better on motorways than the majority of Brits. Shame they don't behave on normal roads

 

[Otter Spotter]

So in effect you are no better than them... states in Highway Code not to do that...
On the subject of the Highway Code... when was the last time most of us have read it... I ain't no saint but I read it every couple of years and it is amazing what you do forget.
A lot of questions Funsters ask are answered in the Highway Code.....NOW don't get me started on roundabouts

Oh go on, what about roundabouts ?

 

[Otter Spotter]

What about those idiots who when turning left at a junction swan neck into the outer lane, is it how new drivers are trained to turn left. They take no account of any vehicle on their offside.

 

[Paulypaul]

If your truck is only half a mile an hour faster than the one in front of you, it begs the question, why bother overtaking?

Because you'll end up hanging back, probably 6' from the back of the slower truck and even if you hang right back to let them get away from you you'll catch up with the slower truck. Plus, going up a hill, if you start dicking around slowing down to let cars come past you'll only end up causing a huge tailback of other trucks behind you, which tends to create a dangerous situation.

 

[Paulypaul]

So in effect you are no better than them... states in Highway Code not to do that...
On the subject of the Highway Code... when was the last time most of us have read it... I ain't no saint but I read it every couple of years and it is amazing what you do forget.
A lot of questions Funsters ask are answered in the Highway Code.....NOW don't get me started on roundabouts

Why should I slow down, let the lane hoggers past me, then pull out in to lane 2 to sit behind him causing a further tail back when I can just maintain my speed and get away from the situation safely?

I should have made it clear, I don't speed up to undertake. If I'm doing 56mph and a car is in lane 2 doing 50mph, if my lane is clear I'm going to carry on at 56mph and leave him sitting in lane 2 looking like a knob. Keeps me and others safe.

I was under the impression that lane hogging was an offence now?

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[St3v3]

in the slow lane

No such thing as the slow/fast lane

Lack of lane discipline does drive me nuts too.

 

[ctc]

My rant: Why do BMW drivers sit beside me for miles? Couldn't they just join an Internet group if they've got no friends?

 

[Northernraider]

If your truck is only half a mile an hour faster than the one in front of you, it begs the question, why bother overtaking?

Because most are sitting on cruise control while on the phone or doing other activities. Ive passed many a truck with the driver sat with something on the steering wheel paying it more attention. Ive also had many right up my arse when ive been going up an incline in motorhome. They don't like to brake

 

[Littlewheels]

When your truck is limited to 54, 55 or 56mph and you try to overtake a truck who may be doing half a mile an hour less than you, it takes a bit of time

Agreed, but it does beg the question,where does it get them, l would say no where really. l am at 7.5 ton like many others and having to sit there sometimes in excess of a mile does get a bit monotonous.

 

[BillyKontiki]

I like to travel close to the limit when out in the Moho and whenever out I am relaxed and nothing really phase’s me I really enjoy the drive
These lane hogers are a pain in the arse but stay cool enjoy the scenery and you’ll get there in the end.

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[dazandandrea]

See it every day on my ride on the M1 too and from work.
Tossers.

 

[AJM2]

I’m not sure most are even aware of what they’re doing. As you pass many seem generally unaware of anything outside their little box.

 

[63720]

People sit in lane 2 so they haven't got to make a decision until they get to their turn, just sit there and do nothing, If someone slows in front of them then they also slow up, if someone speeds up then so do they. To them it's a no brainer and you can't educate anyone who doesn't have the capacity to understand.

 

[Bailey58]

I was one driving my Porsche on the m6 at 3 am in the slow lane on a near empty motorway. I was just minding my own business when a group of black range rovers with cops escort and tail. They slowly passed me and the tail cop car moved into middle lane and gave me a thumbs up. I did the same and off they went. I looked at my speed and I was doing 93 mph. empty motorway me in slow them in fast. I did slow down a bit after that. A bit.

Sure it was his thumb?

 

[Scotch mist]

I was under the impression that lane hogging was an offence now?

I’m pretty sure it was made an offence in Scotland a few years ago

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[Driventemple]

I too get peed of with the idiot lane hoggers. Appears to be a Brit thing even the French have better lane discipline nearly all over Europe they behave much better on motorways than the majority of Brits. Shame they don't behave on normal roads

In my experience I agree, the French have excellent lane manners when on a 'normal' Autoroute with two lanes, but as soon as you get to three lanes they lane hog in the middle just as bad as we do.

 

[Silver-Fox]

I had to pop Down to Bristol last night.

I have to admit I came across a few middle lane knobs.

I just under took them.
I know I shouldn’t but there ya go

 

[phillipsheila]

I must confess i also undertake but i do beep the horn to show im there

 

[Chris]

I must confess i also undertake but i do beep the horn to show im there

I do too.

And often show “the finger” as I do so.

 

[dazandandrea]

Just out of curiosity, anyone know the legalities of undertaking on a motorway ? For instance, lane 2,3 and 4 ( M1 up here) with cars doing 65 mph.
Im doing 70 , lane one clear .

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