Mid Lane Hoggers reaction....

[Nosha123]

On my way home last night.. a woman was driving along in the middle lane.. overtaking nothing...

I drove up behind her in the middle lane.... and flashed at her to 'KINDLY PULL OVER cos you are in the overtaking lane and overtaking nuffin'....

She looked in her mirror at me.. waved her arms about - and stayed put!!!

WHAT ON EARTH did she mean by waving her arms at me eh???

She really obviously thought she was perfectly right to be in that lane!!!

Dont you sometimes wish you were an unmarked cop car!!!!

[Nosha123]

SO you are both saying I can LEGALLY... approach a vehicle which is travelling in the middle lane of a motorway SLOWER than me and stay in my lane when passing them???

In the UK....??

[Nosha123]

To UMmm.. perhaps because when I learnt the highway code it states (and still does)
Highway Code Rule 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

[Nosha123]

It also states
"268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake."

[joko]

yeh because you are just travelling along...you are not performing a deliberate manouvre to get past them...just travelling along

it is wrong to consider these lanes in regard to their speed - there is no fast lane or slow lane...so therefore no speed restictions in lanes other than a general speed limit

[joko]

but if you are already in the left lane you are not 'overtaking' are you...you are just passing

[ummmm]

Nosha...you are not listening.

Staying in your lane and passing a car in a faster lane is legal. You cannot control the speed of cars in other lanes. If everyone started changing lanes because a lane had slowed down there would be mayhem on the motorway. All you are doing is overtaking.

Undertaking is illegal...going into a slower lane to overtake and then moving back.

[Nosha123]

yet if we take the Highway code as the 'road bible' its states that you shouldnt...
(unless of course we are taling about traffic moving slower than you in other lanes.. which I am not.. I'm talking about three lanes of empty motorway ahead other than this woman in the middle lane)

[craft1948]

I've had a full driving licence for 34 years but have never had the need, to drive on a motorway. Having read this thread I'm bloody glad I haven't.

[joko]

neither of thise refences refer to merely travelling along in one lane though...

you need to learn the difference between overtaking and passing - 2 very different things

[Nosha123]

well I am listening Umm.. and thank you for explaining it.. its just contrary to all I have been taught and read elsewhere....
Why do the police pull people over then as per another posters comment.. when peopl drive only in the middle lane??

[ummmm]

If you think about it it also makes perfect sense.

[ummmm]

You're not suppose to stay in the middle lane if the left hand lane is clear.

I've been on many a journey where the motorway is virtually clear and you still come across people in the middle lane. I just happily pass them.

[joko]

the highway code does NOT say that though...those refernces you list make no mention of it

the point it - you should have just continued on your way in the left hand lane and let her get on with it - you had no reason or need to move to the middle lane at all...

everyone is agreed she sould have been in the left lane - but the fact she wasnt was not your business...and it only affected you because you yourself did not know the correct rules and falsley believed her to be blocking you - she wasnt and error was yours

[Nosha123]

OK Umm... to drag this out a bit further...

IF... the middle lane person were to pull into the left hand lane as you were 'passing'.. (lets say you were almost parrallel to them... so its too late to avoid a collision...

Who's liable??

[joko]

i must admit too ummm im amazed so many people think they have to dawdle in the left lane for fear of merely passing traffic on the right..where have they got this idea from that its over or undertaking..??

perhaps the highway code needs a new entry to clarify this

[Nosha123]

I think the Highway code is leaving too much open to interpretation....
Whats the betting I try this one day and get stopped by the police!!!

[Nosha123]

To Joko..

The error was clearly not ALL mine... but hers too...

I am obviosuly not the only one to believe that this is the law of the road either.. so somewhere along the lines the message is not clearly communicated

[joko]

them. as they have performed a manouvre without first checking the way is clear

[joko]

i mean the error of you feeling blocked was yours - as you could have just driven past her

i agree its unclear - hence why so many feel the highway code is not fit to be called the bible of the road...many things are unclear

many also never even look at the thing - and just have these 'rules' passed on from other people - who are also wrong...