Middle Lane Hogger Fined

[mushroom25]

wigan decorator ian stephens believes he's been picked on because he drives a white van
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/wigan-driver-convicted-middle-lane-9507181

but he didn't go to court to argue his case -
//I can’t afford nearly £1,000. I didn’t go to court because I have to go to work.//

white van man arrogance? or pragmatism borne of police harrassment?

[mikey4444]

He sounds like a right cocky little begger to me ! Hope he has learned his lesson.

[Gromit]

// it looks like a bit of muscle flexing by a magistrate. //

1. He refused an on-the-spot fine and the chance to avoid Court and pay less.
2. The law is clear and magistrates are there to apply it.
3. Police routinely film drivers on a dash-cam. I assume the Courts will not have just taken the Police's word for it, but seen photographic evidence of 'hogging'.

[ToraToraTora]

"white van man arrogance? or pragmatism borne of police harrassment? " - Neither. The HC is wrong, this is an overeaction born out of an illogical bsession with unnecessary lane changes. almost all motorway crashes are caused by lane changing. On an empty motorway, the middle lane is safest. On a busy motorway the inside lane is unusable anyway. Can someone tell me how it is ever a good idea for a normal car to be in the middle lane? I have never understood this dangerous obsession with leap frogging down the road.

I would seriously doubt whether they could prove this anyway, did the plead guilty?

[ToraToraTora]

"Can someone tell me how it is ever a good idea for a normal car to be in the middle lane?" - change "middle" for "left hand", doh!

[mikey4444]

TTT...so its you I see everyday, in the middle lane of an empty Motorway !

I will give you a wave next time !

[TWR]

How often do you see an Empty Motorway T.T.T.?

[ToraToraTora]

no I don't do a lot of milage but if I did, I'll be doing 80 in the middle lane. However show me an empty motorway!

[Old_Geezer]

It's always a good idea to be in the middle lane (well if not inconveniencing others) as if you encounter a vehicle problem, perhaps causing drift or something, you have a lane either side giving you time to take some kind of corrective action before hitting the centre barrier (usually maliciously made of unforgiving cement these days, presumably for a laugh) or ending up into the side.

Also flipping from lane to lane can be a problem because you are very soon behind a slower vehicle and need to get out, but by then others who could have been in the outside lane are hemming you in passing you in the middle lane.

Like most things in life the best solution is to act courteously rather than adhere to strict rules.

[ToraToraTora]

yes OG, this middle lane mob have become the modern day flat earth society. They know the world is flat but can't explain why. No one has ever been able to explain why unnecessary lane changing is encouraged, (now forced by law of dogma) on motorways when we know that it is what causes most of the accidents.

[ichkeria]

If you read the driver's side of the story then plainly it's unfair.
However, in the words of Mandy Rice-Davies ...

I do agree that often too much is made of middle lane hogging.
When the motorway is busy we should all be slowing down anyway.
And when it isn't it is surely less of an issue anyway.
I used to wonder at the mentality of drivers I would see joining an empty motorway and promptly zooming into the outside lane and wonder how much of a hazard they might constitute when they reached a busy section ...

[saintstim]

Serves him right.
Hogs the middle lane and can't be bothered to turn up in Court.

[-Talbot-]

When I come across a middle lane mentalist I make a really over the top maneuver, so they will hopefully see the hassle they are causing. Although I doubt it works that often, they probably just think 'what is that nutter doing'

[ToraToraTora]

what hassle are they causing? do you need more than 2 lanes to pass?

[mikey4444]

TTT...I m a bit puzzled here.

If the Motorway is empty, or more likely, not very busy, why would you travel in the middle lane ? When a car comes up behind you, you are forcing that driver to overtake you, so that he can get back into the left-hand lane.

[-Talbot-]

TTT, what would you do on a virtually empty motorway...undertake?

[TWR]

Check out part 264 of the H/Code TTT

[ToraToraTora]

firstly if he is going faster than me (80) then if he is in the left hand lane or the right hand lane he can go past without any change of lane. If he is also in the middle he can go past me using the overtaking lane. In reality, if he is going faster he will be in the middle or outside lane. I think the point being missed here is that the middle lane thing really is meant to stop dawdling along in the middle lane and I fully agree with that but if you are going at 70+ then why play leap frog?

[ToraToraTora]

"TTT, what would you do on a virtually empty motorway...undertake? " - how does that follow?

[ToraToraTora]

what's your point TWR? I know the HC, anyway it does not say "MUST" so it's not law anyway. This is one of those "rules" that makes no sense but has become almost religious in it's pursuit of heretics. All I ask is someone explain to me how leap frogging down the road is safer than not changing lanes unnecessarily.