Middle lane driving, why is it bad?

[d9f1c7]

At the risk of starting a motangelist fatwa, can anyone explain to me what is wrong with driving in the middle lane at at least 70mph on a motorway?

[EcclesCake]

Nothing if you are overtaking a slower moving vehicle travelling in lane one.

[joko]

not on motorways...on other carriageways

[doctordb]

If your a competent driver you don't need to sit in the middle lane. Most people tend to hog the middle lane due to laziness as for some drivers using their indicator, mirrors and steering wheel in conjunction can be quite a big ask.

[TWR]

D9, after driving HGVs for 35years + the likes of persons STUCK in the middle with a magnet under their car are inconsiderate, do not know how to use the motorways & should study the highway code even before they use the road.

I will now wait for your backlash regards HGVs & the middle lane now! Ask the Knob heads in Bruzzels that knocked the HGVs down to 56MPH.

[malagabob]

Under taking is a specific maneuver where by the vehicle in the inside lane then moves into the middle lane which is illegal, not to be confused with passing a slower vehicle in the middle lane and continuing in the inside lane which is legal.

[starone]

Sorry to enter this argument, but sooner or later you are going to be caught one way or the other and it will not be a pretty sight. If you have been caught already for speeding, I rest my case.

[sigma]

In answer to your question, there is nothing wrong in driving in the middle lane at 70 mph. In fact, you can drive in any lane at 70 mph.

[FredPuli43]

If the nearside lane is clear, there's no reason not to drive in it. In practice, it's commonly occupied by lines of HGVs, travelling at 56. Now, to follow the nearside lane suggestion, drivers would be constantly going in to it and, seconds later, pulling out to overtake each HGV in turn. In those circumstances, it's easier, and safer, to stay in the middle lane at 70 and leave the outermost lane to those who want to go at 70+. Simple, really.

[d9f1c7]

TWR, truckers ar limited to 55, how can a middle lane driver doing 70 effect them?
Meglagob, that is overtaking on the left. Undertaking is practised mainly on the continent, it is where a slower vehicle makes room for a faster one by pulling into what is often really just half a lane. Ie undertakinmg is performed by the vehicle in front. What we call undertaking is in fact overtakimg on the left, not to be confused with passing on the left.

Starbuckone, caught for what? dribing in the middle lane is not committing an offence.

[Mick-Talbot]

Where do you get your ..ahem ....facts from D9f ?

[ladybirder]

malagabob Under taking is a specific maneuver where by the vehicle in the inside lane then moves into the middle lane which is illegal

How can moving from the inside lane to the middle lane be illegal? I don't understand what you mean. Can you explain please.

[malagabob]

Ladybirder. On a 3 lane motorway we have inside lane, what some call the slow or granny lane, middle lane and outside lane or what some call the fast lane. I have always been under the impression that undertaking, the correct term for it, or overtaking on the inside lane (the slow/granny lane) just to get past a vehicle in the middle lane and possibly vehicles in the outside lane so he/she can then move into the middle lane then maybe into the outside (fast lane) to get ahead of traffic. Traffic which may or may not be traveling at the motorway limit of 70

[TWR]

D9, I was driving the bloody things 35+years, I've knob head flying from the Outside lane across my path due to the fact that the idiots near missed their junctions, Have you ever seen a HGV Driver loose his life because of some clown in a car D9? I've seen a few just because some basd does not know what he / she is doing, cant not read junctions Motorway information regards the Junctions they want, Have you ever seen a load of "Oiled Plate" ( STEEL) shooting forward on a trailer due to some idiot slapping on in front of the HGV? been there, seen the video, & HGVs are limited to 56 to get this correct. I do not know what you do for a living,! maybe you could explain?

[d9f1c7]

TWR good rant, I agree with you 100% on that but you still haven't explained why someone in the middle lane doing 70 is in the way of a truck doing max 56. from your post at 19:41

[TWR]

If you call the truth a RANT, I'll admit to it! If a person is doing as you say 70mph & knowing HGVs do 56MPH does that not tell you the person cannot use the Motorway? If you have not been there ( In the position of getting Cut up by a knob head) I should ask a haulage company can you travel with a driver for a day & see what the driver on a motorway has to contend with.

[d9f1c7]

Yes but we are talking about different things. I have no doubt that motoring kind have 101 things they do that annoy and kill truckers. You have my complete understanding. All I'm talking about is 1 aspect of motorway driving not the myriad of other things. Yes I've been cut up by idiots too but I'm not trying to address the whole spectrum of motoring madness here. I would have thought from a trucking point of view you'd rather have cars doing 70+ in the middle lane that weaving in and out of trucks filling your safety zone and in some cases causing you to have to break or slowing down forcing you into the middle lane etc etc. Personally I treat the left hand lane as trucks/coaches only myself.

[TWR]

D9, when in my car I use the motorway & the lanes to the best of my advantage! I drive well in the fore distance & always( Yes always) make sure there is no cause for me to lane swap every 5 mins, I could not give a sht if the idiot behind me is trying to intimidate by trying to pass me doing 90+, on saying that I travel at a norm 80mph & that is comfortable depending on the traffic, yes this is 10 above the limit but it's also keep with the flow the way traffic is today & depending on the area, I cannot understand for the life of me why the police cannot USE THE OVERHEAD CAMERAS TO PROECUTE THE OFFENDERS ( the idiots that hog lanes, shoot from the outside lane causing every bugger to brake, these basds should have their licence taken off them for at least a month, no of us on here are saints regards Motorways but it only takes one fck idiot to take someones Father / Mother / Sister / Brother/ & family members away with their selfishness because they have not got a clue what the hell they are doing.

[d9f1c7]

I'm confused now, you don't lane swap all the time but you are not a "hogger", So when you are not lane swapping what lane are you in? If not the middle then you are leap frogging down the road trying to stay in the left hand lane. Can you clarify who you think should be prosecuted, yes the outside in sweepers, I agree 100% that's at least dangerous driving but what offence is being committed by not changing lanes? 80 is fine I tend to sit in the middle lane at 85 as a default.


" I could not give a sht if the idiot behind me is trying to intimidate by trying to pass me doing 90+," - sounds like you are in the middle or outside lane to me.

[doctordb]

The middle lane was designed for two reasons:

Firstly it is a place for the less skilled drivers to congregate safely in herds thereby placing smaller demands on their poor driving ability.

Secondly it affords the talented motorists in society the comfort of being able to see these weaker drivers earlier, whilst also relieving the boredom of motorway driving by providing an obstruction to be passed.

[TWR]

Answer me just one Question with your ability to drive D9? I will reply with the Certs I have to question you & your ability, Is that a deal, then hopefully we can end this endless post & start something new.