What is the middle lane for on the motorway?

[paulco]

Why Oh Why do so many people stay in the middle lane on motor ways after over taking and nothing else is on the road. They dont stay in the outsde lane on dual carrageways so why not pull over into the inside lane on motorways. They evectivley turn the motorway into a dual carrageway rendering thousands of miles of road unusable!!!

[Monkey Magic]

I agree paulco, they effectively make the motorways even more dangerous than they already are. What I'd like to know is why the police don't pull them over and warn them?

[paulco]

Thanks monkey magic, thought I may have been going out on a limb with this one. I agree on the police comment and I also think it should be compulsary to have a Motorway Lesson after you pass your test.This way people would be taught the correct lane disipline.

Thanks

[koamu05]

Lots of people don't know or care about many of the rules of the road. I was astounded recently when a well known TV presenter admitted on air that he didn't know it was illegal to stop on the hard shoulder for anything other than an emergency! Then they wonder why they are involved in Road Traffic Collisions.

[SaxyJag]

I still see people in little cars pootling along in the middle lane, with a lorry up their a*se waiting to get past. Then they wonder why lorry drivers get so narked!

[198x]

I was just about to come online and ask the exact same quesiton. Every Sunday when I drive home there is always someone hogging the middle lane when the road is completely clear.

Before I come to my sense I always used to undertake these people and maybe make them think "hmmm should I go in the left hand lane?!"

But now I just overtake and go in the left hand lane anyway.

One method to stop people from doing this is to overtake and just stay in front of them and maybe they'll see that whilst you're hogging the middle lane it's harder for them to overtake you.

[markja]

as all the other replies have alluded to but not openly come out and said, middle lane hogs are to**ers!

most people get in their car and put their brain on the roof rack!

[QueenOfSheba]

It's an offence anyway apart from anything else to use the middle or outside lanes for anything other than overtaking.

Monkey Magic,

I have to disagree that motorways are dangerous, it's the fools that use them.

There are quite a few competent drivers out there but it only takes that couple of idiots to **** it all up for the rest!

[jake-the-peg]

True but not as dangerous as the idiots who get fustrated and overtake them on the inside!

[jake-the-peg]

According to the association of chief police officers...

3.3 Careless driving
The joint police/CPS charging standards cites the following examples that may
support an allegation of careless driving.
? Acts of driving caused by more than momentary inattention and where the safety
of road users is affected, such as:
? overtaking on the inside

...

You're right about one thing though, Idiots will always be idiots!

[jake-the-peg]

Here's the link

http://www.acpo.police.uk/asp/policies/Data/rd_death_manual_v2_2004_updated_19x04x04.pdf

[SurreyGuy]

Sometimes I've had to UNDERtake becasue there are outside lane hogging t******s preventing me from OVERtaking the middle lane hogging t****r!

[198x]

I'll admit that I was wrong to undertake, although I knew it was illegal, to which I've stopped (only done it twice, but twice is still too much).

So I don't know what you've heard from the grapevine mdoo98 to otherwise indicate that it's legal??

[LeMarchand]

I've hardly ever noticed this phenomenon recently (apart from one guy who - at 3 a.m. - was driving in the middle lane with no cars in front, pulled into the inside lane when a car came behind him, and then pulled out again).

I know that I often stay in the middle lane longer than is strictly necessary because it is often impossible to pull into the lane again because so many people are exceeeding the speed limit.

Are you guys referring to people who pootle along at less than the speed limit in the lane, or those that are doing the limit and who, therefore, you should not be over/undertaking?

[paulco]

It applies to ALL drivers, doing the speed limit or not. If there is nothing to over take you should pull over to the inside lane at the first safe opportunity. This free's the rest of the road for all the other users.

[jake-the-peg]

THe speed doesn't really come into it, if a lane on your left is free and you're not going to need to pull out again in the next 10 seconds or so you should pull in.

This applies to all lanes not just the middle one.

People who sit in the middle lane are a nuisance, people who overtake them on the inside are a danger

[LeMarchand]

I wholeheartedly agree that the middle lane should only be used for overtaking. I am, however, confused as to how someone doing 70 mph in the middle lane can possibly obstruct the path of any vehicle apart from an on-call emergency services one.

[paulco]

Well LeMarchand, I dont think you could have been on a motorway for a very very long time if you believe that only on call emergency vehicles are the only one's doing more than 70 mph!!!