100 replies to this topic

[spiguy]

I don't do the middle lane hogging thing. I use all three lanes where available. If i am travelling faster than the inside lane I will stay in the middle lane until there is a sufficient space in the inside lane to make it worth going back in - ie I don't jump back into the inside lane for 2 seconds then try to come back out again etc. The situation I am describing is being in very heavy rain, leaving a decent gap to the car in front in recognition of that, but people behind me still taking the any opportunity to undertake and cut in. Also, just the fact that nobody would allow you to maintain the safe breaking distance that I was trying to leave, everybody wanted to occupy it!

[AVV IT]

Content Removed:

Right c'mon boys, play nicely now. If you can't have a debate without resorting to insults, then please don't have one here.

Thanks

[Carlos W]

I was driving up the M2 yesterday, there was a car in the middle lane with people under and overtaking her. She looked absolutely terrified. 

[spiguy]

Damn, I didn't see what was posted before it was removed !

[spiguy]

I was driving up the M2 yesterday, there was a car in the middle lane with people under and overtaking her. She looked absolutely terrified. 

Was she middle lane hogging?  To be honest though, even if she was (which she should not be) then it doesn't make it OK to undertake. To clarify what I mean by that - changing lane from the middle to the inside lane with the purpose of getting past her. That's just stupid. She is driving inconsiderately, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable for others to turn that into a dangerous situation by undertaking. Next thing you know she moves back into the inside whilst being undertaken, doesn't see the car who is by then in her blind spot, and you have an accident.

[HarrysMini]

 

I was driving up the M2 yesterday, there was a car in the middle lane with people under and overtaking her. She looked absolutely terrified. 

Was she middle lane hogging?  To be honest though, even if she was (which she should not be) then it doesn't make it OK to undertake. To clarify what I mean by that - changing lane from the middle to the inside lane with the purpose of getting past her. That's just stupid. She is driving inconsiderately, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable for others to turn that into a dangerous situation by undertaking. Next thing you know she moves back into the inside whilst being undertaken, doesn't see the car who is by then in her blind spot, and you have an accident.

 

This is why we check our blindspots and indicate before moving lanes. That could happen on the offside or nearside, it makes no difference. 

 

If I have room to move over to the inside lane, get past the person doing 50 in the middle lane, and carry on my journey at a sensible speed, all the time keeping a safe 2 second time gap, then they have room to move over to the inside lane and stop causing a problem for other drivers. 

Edited by HarrysMini, 20 November 2014 - 10:26 AM.

[spiguy]

Yes, that's correct - everybody should check their blind spots indicate correctly, and also people shouldn't hog the middle lane. Understood and agreed. However in the example of the woman on the M2 that Carlos mentioned , it's not really about "well she should be doing xyz, so sod it I'll just undertake her".  The rules of the road are that you don't undertake and that is there for a reason. People are far more likely to move back into a slower lane without checking blind spots than they are when moving into a faster lane. And clearly in this case, the woman was uncomfortable - as described she looked terrified - so every chance that she could do something erratic. Why then when presented with this increased risk, would anyone decide to make things worse by undertaking?

 

There is no logic in the approach that when you come across a driver doing something that you think is dangerous or inconsiderate - eg lane hogging, driving innapropriately slowly, etc that your response to this should be to do something dangerous and inconsiderate - eg impatiently driving up the ar53 of the person, taking a chance just to get past, or indeed undertaking on a motorway.

Edited by carlukemini, 20 November 2014 - 10:56 AM.

[Badboytunes]

I have no patience for middle lane hoggers. If I had met someone such as Carlos did, I will deliberatley go up the inside, blaring my horn and gesticulate to them as I drive past. Its probably not the best thing to do but it makes me feel good

[skinnyminny]

Sometimes I think removing speed limits would result in more sensible driving....and then I go for a drive and realise that probably wouldn't be the case.

 

We need more police on the road catching people who tailgate/speed in my opinion. 

 

I don't do the middle lane hogging thing. I use all three lanes where available. If i am travelling faster than the inside lane I will stay in the middle lane until there is a sufficient space in the inside lane to make it worth going back in - ie I don't jump back into the inside lane for 2 seconds then try to come back out again etc. The situation I am describing is being in very heavy rain, leaving a decent gap to the car in front in recognition of that, but people behind me still taking the any opportunity to undertake and cut in. Also, just the fact that nobody would allow you to maintain the safe breaking distance that I was trying to leave, everybody wanted to occupy it!

 

As stated above - I find this as well, especially in the mini. That gap is for my 30 year old brakes, not for your (inevitably high powered company/executive) car. And yet when they brake hard (because I was leaving that gap in traffic....for the traffic) should I go into the back of them it would be my fault. Drives me mad.

 

More awareness needs to be raised of the limitations of other road users to learner drivers. The braking distances of older cars and the unpredictability of horses/pedestrians/cyclists in particular, from my experience as a cyclist, horse rider, pedestrian and mini-driver! 

 

I also think mandatory license retesting should come into play. 5 years, 10 years, 25 years from your test you should sit another one. You fail, you lose your license. If you can't pretend to drive safely for a 30 minute test you shouldn't be on the road. Would weed out the real numpties, but not of course those who are speeding because they're late for something when it is perfectly acceptable to kill a small child in the name of getting to your meeting on time.

 

However, I am not perfect and I sure as heck don't stick to the above 100% of the time. If I do catch myself acting like an idiot though I'm very aware of my own stupidity and make a very conscious effort to go back to 'test' driving. 

[Carlos W]

I was driving up the M2 yesterday, there was a car in the middle lane with people under and overtaking her. She looked absolutely terrified.

Was she middle lane hogging?  To be honest though, even if she was (which she should not be) then it doesn't make it OK to undertake. To clarify what I mean by that - changing lane from the middle to the inside lane with the purpose of getting past her. That's just stupid. She is driving inconsiderately, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable for others to turn that into a dangerous situation by undertaking. Next thing you know she moves back into the inside whilst being undertaken, doesn't see the car who is by then in her blind spot, and you have an accident.

She was middle lane hogging and the people undertaking her were also undertaking me as I was overtaking her.

It had all the ingredients for a proper multi car pile up.

I didn't want to be doing 90 as I had the family in the car, the road was damp, and it was fairly busy. But other people did want to be doing 90. Ideally she would've been in lane 1, I would've been in lane 2 and everyone driving inappropriately for the level of traffic and the conditions would've been in lane 3

[sixtyeight]

I always drive according to the conditions. no more, no less!

 

I generally find I have to pay a high performance driver tax though approximately once every 2 years. Police officer delivers is right to my car window for me, it's like a drive through service!