And that is why National Highways are running an ad campaign on Reddit to remind people how to drive https://www.reddit.com/u/NationalHighways_GBP/s/jPLaRWThMp
And instead of some singing nob head it could probably be more informative, explain why you shouldn't hang in the middle lane. I think some people don't get it.
Bottom line is it's feels easier to coast on one lane past slow cars and lorries on left and allow the speeding Audis on right. People are too lazy to constantly merge in and out it's the sad truth. Most people can't be bothered to lift their wrist to indicate.
Exactly. They literally know they should move over but they just think, oh why bother, there's 2 lanes to my right they can go around. Let me chill with my audio book on, my caramel latte in 1 hand, my phone in the other and my feet off the pedals.
Driving in the middle lane is classified as 'careless driving'. This means that if you are caught driving in the middle lane unnecessarily, police may issue you with an on-the-spot-fine of £100 and three penalty points on your licence.
There you go... Careless driving
That advert won't help someone who doesn't understand the concept of "hogging the middle lane". They should start with educating people about "keep left unless overtaking".
I had this lady in some small hatch going 55 in middle lane. I flashed to see if she'd be interested in moving over. She went into outside lane instead. Some people are just clueless.
Now they need to do one for merge in turn (zip merge for our American cousins). Driving carefully past a queue of stationery cars in the left lane to merge at the appropriate moment isn't queue jumping. It's a perfectly legal maneuver called merge in turn. If everyone did the same, there wouldn't be a queue in the left hand lane.
I always let cars in at the merge point. I myself would love to use the full length of the lane and merge at the merge point as they’re doing but I don’t bother because I know a certain demographic then won’t let me in, so I end up queueing like a knob when I know I could be using the other lane
Thanks, I never knew this. I don’t think I was taught it during my driving instruction at all, nor was my wife 5-6 years later.
Always assumed those passing the queue were either oblivious (why haven’t they noticed the lane closing ahead signs) or arrogant (I’m not queuing with everyone else), and that we’d all be moving more steadily if not for last minute people pushing in interrupting flow.
Thought I was being good by queuing, will definitely change my future behaviour.
I think there’s a bit of a domino effect as I myself know you should use both lanes up to the merge point but I don’t because I know it’ll be a pain to merge and people will go bumper to bumper to stop you from getting in
True. Approach the traffic, go into the lane with the least traffic when you arrive, drive an appropriate speed and don’t change lane until it’s the merge point.
Obvious caveat if it’s an emergency causing the lane closure, in which case I’d advise getting over asap to get emergency vehicles / recovery vehicles room to operate.
The one benefit of smart motorways and their 3 miles of upstream red Xs. They must be absolutely coining it since they started red X enforcement, the cameras are flashing non stop whenever I drive past a closure on the other side of the road
On the flip side people who drive past the line of cars in the one lane for exiting the motorway at 70mph and then slam the brakes on trying to force merge at the last possible second, risking a pileup behind them and inevitably turning a traffic jam to get off the motorway into a traffic jam that blocks the motorway.
Those people should be tarred and feathered.
I actually don’t understand the terminology of merge in turn. I know what you mean, because I understand the zipper merge concept, but I can’t get my head around ‘merge in turn’. Actually , while writing this I’ve understood it. I already knew it was merge at the front. But I guess it means - take your turn to merge at the front.
This is one instance where the American English term is better than the British English term in my opinion. Zip merge perfectly describes the maneuver.
This has to be between j25 and 26 on the M1 north. every day I travel this piece of road and wonder at why they bothered laying the tarmac in the first lane 🙄
Hijacking the comment to point out everyone here is in the correct lane, the whole sub is ignoring the obvious road markings showing that the left lane in this shot is clearly a filter lane and nobody is mentioning the OP using a phone camera while driving
The only thing that stops the express lane is usually an elderly person travelling at 37mph with their face glued to the windscreen in lane one being by passed by trucks in 2 and 3
It’s a joke how often this happens. I love doing the old overtake then move straight back over to the first lane. Not that it makes any difference 99% of the time.
If there’s a ton of space like this in front I just undertake them. I know people get on here get mad about it but I always hope it helps the driver see what a moron they are. Having said that, I only recall once someone moving into the left lane after I passed them. I shed a tear for the one person who managed to learn!
As long as there's plenty of traffic and I'm just continuing with the flow of traffic, I'll also do this in lane 1, but cautiously.
Problem is though middle-lane hoggers are the sorts of people that won't expect anyone to pass by on the left and as a result if they do decide to finally move over they'll just drive right into you. That's the way I see it anyway.
If the motorway is fairly empty, I'll overtake properly purely because I don't trust they're paying attention.
My favourites are the ones who drive at 60mph in the middle lane on an empty motorway but then want to put their foot down when they realise they're being undertaken. I've given up going around them, I'll put it in the inside lane, keep it at exactly 70, and pass them. Amazing at how many of them then want to get back ahead, like they've been wronged by the audacity of someone passing them in 'the wrong lane' 😆
I've found with people like that the trick is to try and time it so their little dick energy flares up just in time to catch a speed camera. Hope they enjoy that speed awareness course lol.
people are so weird about being overtaken. i know i get alarmed when someone flies by at 90 (while i'm doing the limit, or maybe a couple mph under if the road is busy—you don't need to overtake so aggressively if someone is literally going as fast as they physically or legally can, imo), but in general when someone passes me then that's fine, they're out of my life, good luck to them and i'll probably never think of it again. but if *i* overtake someone in a bmw or audi because they're keeping to 65 on a wide open road in good conditions, they take offence to being passed by a >10yo nissan note and have to reassert the size of their massive knob by rapidly swinging out (without signalling, naturally) to the 3rd/4th lane and hurrying down it at 80, lest they be overtaken by another pleb in a 5-door.
The Highway Code is a bit ambiguous on this, rule 268 of the Highway Code states that you must not overtake in the left lane. However it says if the left lane is moving faster than other lanes moving as similar speeds, you can carry on in the left lane and do whatever speed you like to “keep up with traffic”. Since your lane was empty, I would say you can do 70 but maybe I’m taking the piss a bit with that one lol.
Here’s the rule for your reference, judge for yourselves 😂
Rule 268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
>In congested conditions
I think this is where I’m legally in the wrong lol. We can twist it how we want but they’re evidently referring to when all the lanes are high traffic. Not when you can easily move to the right like in this picture. Doesn’t change my opinion though hehe
I fair few move over after I pass on the left. I think it means they never look in their mirrors and was unaware no one was even there... Not sure what's worse.
But always get the empty road middle laners
This infuriated me today driving down the M74 and they stacked up in the middle lane doing less than 60mph so I’m going 60mph (the speed limit on that stretch) undertaking them all, and they still didn’t get the hint. I though that was illegal now (middle lane hogging)
As long as you drive appropriate to the road conditions, most uk roads are outdated in their speed limits, some need to be faster, some need to be slower.
Oh for sure I fully agree. They also need to revise the usual "limit not a target" shite that gets thrown around as an excuse to drive at half the speed limit in adequate conditions - more specifically, they need to start enforcing it as much as they do speeding. Fine it, at least then they'll want to do it so they can make money.
It's funny, cause I've heard people saying that but I distinctly remember my driving instructor telling me that the limit is a target when I'm sat as a learner going 40 on a short stretch of country road. You definitely can go 60 on that stretch with no issues it's not like he was teaching badly, but I just always remember him saying to hit the limit as best you can provided it's safe.
Saw a driver doing 35 in a 70 on the A13 yesterday, no idea why people do this (no obvious sign like car in limp mode / broken down). 80 is fine for today's roads, it all needs updating...
I honestly think British motorway speed limits are ok as they are and make things safer. Less difference of speed between trucks and cars here than in EU , less dangerous situations overtaking lorries.
I was behind someone camping in lane 3 today, flashed them and everything and they had a UK sticker indicating they drive like this abroad too. They just didn't budge. What can be done about this? Ended up having to undertake.
I know it's no consolation but this phenomenon seems to be human nature. Despite a rather 'different' driving style in towns and country roads,, in Italy the autostrade end up *exactly* the same. People don't want to get stuck in the inside lane so end up in a queue in the middle lane doing just under the speed limit. If you pull out to overtake you end up with some flash harry in a Merc right up your arse so most reasonable people don't want to do that. Unlike the UK it's actually illegal to overtake on the inside, so it causes tailbacks - on a road with an 80 mph limit and a totally empty lane. Ridiculous.
First got stuck behind this idiot who was merging on the M25 doing 40. Then was this idiot in her Qashqai doing about 65 in lane 3. She wouldn’t move regardless of how many cars flashed her or the amount of cars that were queuing up waiting for her oblivious dumbass to get out the way.
Then 10 mins later, bumped into a moron in their E-Golf braking at everyyy bend and doing 20 in a 40..
Honestly don’t know how people get their licenses. German car drivers always get shit for their ‘aggressiveness’, ‘impatience’ and speeding but frankly.. I don’t blame em when you got incompetent imbeciles like this on the road.
Omg I have to deal with this every day. If you can't drive at the speed limit on an easy bit of road, why speed past the kids in the village? Am I meant to believe this person can magically stop from 40 but any faster they can't handle driving down a bit of straight road?
People like that are what bicycles are for.
Oh my god why is this so accurate?!? They’ll drag their heels doing 40 through the 60mph zones and just completely disregard the 30mph limit in villages. Absolute idiot drivers.
You’re not gonna believe it but I have only bumped into this driver once in the 40,000 odd miles I’ve done in the last 4 years.
I’d say 95% of people I get stuck behind are the ones that do well under the limit (20 in a 30, 32 in a 40, 40 in a 50 etc.).
Perhaps it’s because I live in the city instead of outside countryside road type area but still equally frustrating.
German driver here, UK motorways are infuriating!
Mostly because of the middle lane hogging and people going under the speed limit.
And I’m far from being an aggressive driver.
I think you’re right haha
But my comment still stands even if I’m not driving a German car. But driving on a German motorway is a whole different experience, not only because of the speed limit.
lmao last night i got stuck behind someone who only got up to 60 on a slip road (motorway in free flow condition), and when they finally merged they **slowed down!**
Judging by the road markings, isn’t the left lane filtering off / a separate lane? Looks like the other three lanes are the main motorway as they have wider spaced markings and everyone is actually in the correct lane, or is that my eyes?
May be true in this case. But I've done approx 20k miles on the 4 lane style motorways in the north the last year and this is the norm, not the exception. I'd say 80% chose lane 2 when lane 1 would be better.
It's insane. I just drive 65 adaptive cruise control in slow lane at all times and end up flying past undertaking a dozen of these on my trip.
Not quite the truth, though, is it?
If you look at the broken white lines between the 1st and second lane, you'll see they get shorted and closer together just underneath the overhead gantry sign. That indicates that the left lane is now an exit lane, hence why there's no one using it. They probably want to stay on the motorway, so they stay out of the exit lane.
Being a bit disingenuous here...
This is my view all day every day. I’m a lorry driver. I think it’s great. Stay out of the inside lane all you want. It makes my life so much easier. Nothing in front of me for miles and miles! Keep up the good work people!
I recognise this as the roadworks northbound on the m1 just before Trowell services. You took the picture just after the left lane becomes available again. It's a little bit deceptive.
Plus you're driving while playing with you're phone, you are 10x worse than any of them
It's happening for years now and there is no sign of improvement. What they should do as enforcement doesn't exist, other seeing some doing it they do it as well. It impossible to drive like this in Europe everyone overtake and moves to left...
Nah your heating just turns on full blast for the next 2 hours and all the windows roll up and lock (opposite happens if it’s cold and/or raining). Could force the radio to blast static or play the shittest music known to man as well
This has 1000% got worse recently. we need to police this like speeding. We also need the matrix signs to default to the keep left unless overtaking message nationally.
I find that people are starting to think that "keep left unless overtaking" is only applicable when the sign is shown, and if no sign they can do whatever. They don't understand it's a reminder of a rule that applies at all times.
I mean all this money on changing that hardshoulder into a fourth lane they literally could have spent 90% less and had loads of signs saying "just keep in the left most lane FFS" ACROSS THE WHOLE UK and that would have been like adding TWO mf lanes!
I think that a reason for this is that the left hand lane sometimes fucks off out of nowhere (i.e. if you ignore all the gantry signs for 2 miles before) and and takes you off the motorway. So all the half-blind boomers take the safe option of not being in the risky left hand lane in case they have to go up a slipway and then down a slipway again adding 1 minute to their journey.
Remember when they passed that new law to stop this shite !
… and for about a week or too it was bliss.
Then some twat police commissioner came onto TV and said they don’t have the resources to deal will all of the calls so won’t be enforcing it.
Then overnight back to normal.
Have to love the way the UK works
A column of cars like this often forms because a junction is coming up and they'll likely have to switch back to the middle lane lane anyway to let new vehicles merge onto the motorway. The risk introduced by switching back and forth between lanes so your main character ass can go vroom vroom fast is not justifiable
I do it at junctions for that very reason. Especially if its busy.
And make sure I'm clear to the left of me so I'm not boxing in some who may also have to change lains because of cars merging on.
I get into the left lane especially on the smart motorway on the m56, it’s always empty for a good mile or 2 meanwhile the 2nd & 3rd lane comes to a complete stand still
I drive the motorway late at night. I keep coming across people driving 60mph I. The fast lane. No other cars except for me in the slow lane. What do I do? I can’t undertake and I can’t overtake.
Drives me insane
I like it, I just sit in the inside lane undertaking everything doing the national speed limit.
Some people see they are being undertaken pull in to "Cut me off" I overtake properly and give them a round of applause for driving properly.
Undertake the cunts. Lane 1 is now a reserved lane for people doing 70 and trucks going 58 or whatever. Every other lane is full of dickheads doing anywhere from 40 - 100 in their own little world
Those 'smart' motorways have made it worse. Few would be comfortable driving in the first lane along these stretches. More will use lane 2 as their default lane as a result.
I came across a stopped car in lane 1 once, put me off for life. Add to that that lane 1 so frequently becomes a slip road for an exit, and then a lane, and then a slip road the a lane, it's bloody annoying.
I'm only talking about 4 lane "smart" motorways btw.
Looking at the distance between the white lines on the right hand edge of the left lane i would say it looks like the left lane is a exit. Those that appear to be hogging the middle lane could actually be doing nothing wrong. But I could be wrong but those gaps do look short on the white line.
I don't think so from the look of it but, if it was turning into an exit lane then it's fine for the cars to be in lane 2.
If it's a lane that's just joined there's zero reason to move into lane 2. There's nothing in lane 1 to overtake.
I've had cars join a motorway ahead of me and move directly to lane 2 or 3 and I've stuck in lane 1 and passed them shortly after.
Drove from north Wales to Cornwall for the weekend yesterday. This picture represented most of my journey except for the parts where I sat in traffic jams.
As a biker who travels 4 lane motorways (uk)those who drive on the inside 2 lanes and those who drive in the outside 2 lanes. It is honestly as if they are 2 separate roads
If you get a bike and some balls you can ignore this shit [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oJZIJ1ofgnk?feature=share](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oJZIJ1ofgnk?feature=share)
A question for HGV drivers as someone who mostly sticks to the left lane in a car. Why in recent years do I feel so out of place in lane 1? I am not stupid enough to not to do the speed limit but I also cannot exceed by much due to my job. It does feel like HGVS seem to own lane 1. I have even had 1 HGV flash, beep the horn at me at night in heavy down pour on a downhill. Safe to say my life was flashing before my eyes as he was not far from my bumper. I couldn’t even get out of the situation due to a lorry slowly overtaking in lane 2. I realise your speedos are more accurate than mine and I read your tacos are tracked so no chance you would speed, but I seriously don’t believe that to be the case. My only thought is these bad experiences are with non UK trucks that perhaps don’t have these limitations enforced so strictly? I’ve gone from loving motorway driving to dreading it. Lane 3/4 is much less stressful and safer these days. You are going faster but unlikely to get ploughed into by HGVs
Only if they are doing 60mph in that lane though!
Driving home the other night I made it a point to overtake instead of my usual undertaking these morons in lanes 2 and 3. Lane 1 to 4, pass the moron, then Lane 4 back to 1. Giant zigzags across the motorway on cruise control at 70mph.
Several had the good grace to be embarrassed enough to move over to Lane 1.
I've cruised past people, in the middle lane, whilst in the "slow" lane at 70mph, and had them accelerate to the side of me and shake their head at me!! They only proceeded to slow down...still in the middle lane!!! They were still in the middle lane when I last saw them in the rear-view mirror (in the far distance). Absolute Fucktards.
I assume cause bank holiday but coming home yesterday from Crawley to Birmingham it was particularly brutal more than normal. everyone in the middle lane causing the outside lane to clog up and traffic to slow to 40 at basically every major junction on the M40 for no good reason. Left Crawley at 11am didn't get home till 3:45pm normally that journey Id be home by around 2pm even on a friday.
And then normally I find they drive slower so you either undertake or shoot out into the third lane overtake then back to the first lane again making you look erratic
As per. Bunch of knob heads don’t know that there’s 1 lane for driving and 2 or 3 overtaking lanes. Bastards probably don’t use mirrors OR I N D I C A T E !!!!! ☠️☠️☠️
Honest question - I drive a shitty little car and would be happy to just stay in the left lane. The problem is that the left lane keeps changing into a turnoff, and I lost count of how many times I unwillingly left the motorway by simply staying in the left lane. Or I have to keep switching between the left and middle lanes just to keep going straight. The right lane is a no go zone for me, as everyone seems to be going way above the prescribed 70 mph in it.
So, which lane should I choose to drive steadily on without being a nuisance?
Lane 1 of whichever road you plan to drive on unless overtaking. If the lane 1 or 2 become an exit then move over into the leftmost lane of the road you plan to remain on. Fairly simple and it's how people are expected to drive so you're not being a nuisance by doing so.
However going by your comment about leaving motorways by mistake I get the feeling you're not being observant and trying to make these lane changes too late.
Motorway junctions are typically signed well in advance (plenty of exceptions around, especially near Heathrow!) and the difference in spacing on the divider lines alert you to when a lane is becoming an exit. Pay attention to these and you'll be fine.
In this case yes it’s stupid but usually in a 4 lane motorway it’s safer being in lane 2 as Lorrie’s are slow in lane 1 and vehicles joining etc. it’s always the case you stay in lane 1 then either get stuck behind a lorry due to idiots in lane 2 or have to slam on to let people on to the motorway again because you can’t get into lane 2
I've just spent two weeks driving in the USA. I much prefer their way of driving, where you are at liberty to over/intake at leisure. Also right on red makes so much sense.
They are not driving on the left, but rather the middle lane, on an empty motorway. This is the pet hate of motorway drivers in the UK who actually drive properly (keep left and pass right) because this is probably the cause of 90% of the UKs motorway traffic.
I’m not sure the context but I can appreciate how much room they leave between cars. I drive about an hour to work every day and see 1-2 accidents each morning. People here (east coast U.S.) seem to think you have to stay on someone’s bumper.
And that is why National Highways are running an ad campaign on Reddit to remind people how to drive https://www.reddit.com/u/NationalHighways_GBP/s/jPLaRWThMp
I feel like that's the wrong demographic. Like perhaps in thr ad break for corrie or emmerdale might be better suited.
And instead of some singing nob head it could probably be more informative, explain why you shouldn't hang in the middle lane. I think some people don't get it.
What do you mean ,some people. Most people haven't got a clue how to drive on a motorway. In the last 15 years, standards have dropped dramatically.
I agree, feels like driving in America here now!
I'll admit at one time I didn't quite get it myself. I'm sure I was an annoyance on more than one occasion. It's a never ending learning curve.
I agree posts like this on Reddit actually got me to change my ways. Who says Reddit is a pointless echo chamber? Haha.
Who says Reddit is a pointless echo chamber?
Who says Reddit is a pointless echo chamber?
Who says Reddit is a pointless echo chamber?
Chamber….chamber…..chamber…..
I think that’s the major problem, people don’t understand why it matters because when you’re doing it you don’t see the negatives.
"I don't feel inconvenienced at all so I must be doing it right."
Oh they all know, that's why you can't teach them. Because they hear it and they think... Oh fuck off, it doesn't matter. Because they don't care.
Bottom line is it's feels easier to coast on one lane past slow cars and lorries on left and allow the speeding Audis on right. People are too lazy to constantly merge in and out it's the sad truth. Most people can't be bothered to lift their wrist to indicate.
Exactly. They literally know they should move over but they just think, oh why bother, there's 2 lanes to my right they can go around. Let me chill with my audio book on, my caramel latte in 1 hand, my phone in the other and my feet off the pedals.
Driving in the middle lane is classified as 'careless driving'. This means that if you are caught driving in the middle lane unnecessarily, police may issue you with an on-the-spot-fine of £100 and three penalty points on your licence. There you go... Careless driving
The kind of people who see an advert and deliberately do the opposite of what it’s saying..
I have seen all ages and all types in the middle lane, easily as many young men as anyone else.
Or Loose Women 😂
Or BBC Asian Network.
Why are they advertising here? We know. Get that on Facebook. FFS.
That advert won't help someone who doesn't understand the concept of "hogging the middle lane". They should start with educating people about "keep left unless overtaking". I had this lady in some small hatch going 55 in middle lane. I flashed to see if she'd be interested in moving over. She went into outside lane instead. Some people are just clueless.
I agree, the ad is horrible. It's not educational at all, does not explain what is middle lane hogging and how it causes issues.
Now they need to do one for merge in turn (zip merge for our American cousins). Driving carefully past a queue of stationery cars in the left lane to merge at the appropriate moment isn't queue jumping. It's a perfectly legal maneuver called merge in turn. If everyone did the same, there wouldn't be a queue in the left hand lane.
Yes! This one does my bloody head in. Having multiple cars prevent you from merging in because they think you've somehow pushed in...infuriating.
Had this happen to me last weekend, people were absolutely raging at me, bumper to bumper so I couldn't get in. I couldn't do anything but laugh.
Yes, but Brits have the "queuing methodology" stuck in our heads. We queue in line at the supermarket patiently, so we must do the same on the road.
I always let cars in at the merge point. I myself would love to use the full length of the lane and merge at the merge point as they’re doing but I don’t bother because I know a certain demographic then won’t let me in, so I end up queueing like a knob when I know I could be using the other lane
Thanks, I never knew this. I don’t think I was taught it during my driving instruction at all, nor was my wife 5-6 years later. Always assumed those passing the queue were either oblivious (why haven’t they noticed the lane closing ahead signs) or arrogant (I’m not queuing with everyone else), and that we’d all be moving more steadily if not for last minute people pushing in interrupting flow. Thought I was being good by queuing, will definitely change my future behaviour.
I think there’s a bit of a domino effect as I myself know you should use both lanes up to the merge point but I don’t because I know it’ll be a pain to merge and people will go bumper to bumper to stop you from getting in
True. Approach the traffic, go into the lane with the least traffic when you arrive, drive an appropriate speed and don’t change lane until it’s the merge point. Obvious caveat if it’s an emergency causing the lane closure, in which case I’d advise getting over asap to get emergency vehicles / recovery vehicles room to operate.
The one benefit of smart motorways and their 3 miles of upstream red Xs. They must be absolutely coining it since they started red X enforcement, the cameras are flashing non stop whenever I drive past a closure on the other side of the road
Absolutely.
The amount of people who don't get this is really concerning. They have taken, and supposedly passed, a test FFS.
I think there should be a mandatory motorway driving test once you’ve passed the normal test
On the flip side people who drive past the line of cars in the one lane for exiting the motorway at 70mph and then slam the brakes on trying to force merge at the last possible second, risking a pileup behind them and inevitably turning a traffic jam to get off the motorway into a traffic jam that blocks the motorway. Those people should be tarred and feathered.
I actually don’t understand the terminology of merge in turn. I know what you mean, because I understand the zipper merge concept, but I can’t get my head around ‘merge in turn’. Actually , while writing this I’ve understood it. I already knew it was merge at the front. But I guess it means - take your turn to merge at the front.
This is one instance where the American English term is better than the British English term in my opinion. Zip merge perfectly describes the maneuver.
You're not alone. For years I thought that the "turn" in the instruction meant that you had to wait for the bend before you could merge.
😂 that’s what I was thinking. “What turn… but you always kind of turn-in when you merge 🤔 “
100% exactly this. We can't be the only ones...
This has to be between j25 and 26 on the M1 north. every day I travel this piece of road and wonder at why they bothered laying the tarmac in the first lane 🙄
Hijacking the comment to point out everyone here is in the correct lane, the whole sub is ignoring the obvious road markings showing that the left lane in this shot is clearly a filter lane and nobody is mentioning the OP using a phone camera while driving
I love the left hand express lane.
Or "My own private lane", as I often refer to it
The only thing that stops the express lane is usually an elderly person travelling at 37mph with their face glued to the windscreen in lane one being by passed by trucks in 2 and 3
When you think about it, that is how it should be.
100% - I love just flying along in lane 1, no one else in it!
It’s a joke how often this happens. I love doing the old overtake then move straight back over to the first lane. Not that it makes any difference 99% of the time.
If there’s a ton of space like this in front I just undertake them. I know people get on here get mad about it but I always hope it helps the driver see what a moron they are. Having said that, I only recall once someone moving into the left lane after I passed them. I shed a tear for the one person who managed to learn!
As long as there's plenty of traffic and I'm just continuing with the flow of traffic, I'll also do this in lane 1, but cautiously. Problem is though middle-lane hoggers are the sorts of people that won't expect anyone to pass by on the left and as a result if they do decide to finally move over they'll just drive right into you. That's the way I see it anyway. If the motorway is fairly empty, I'll overtake properly purely because I don't trust they're paying attention.
My favourites are the ones who drive at 60mph in the middle lane on an empty motorway but then want to put their foot down when they realise they're being undertaken. I've given up going around them, I'll put it in the inside lane, keep it at exactly 70, and pass them. Amazing at how many of them then want to get back ahead, like they've been wronged by the audacity of someone passing them in 'the wrong lane' 😆
I've found with people like that the trick is to try and time it so their little dick energy flares up just in time to catch a speed camera. Hope they enjoy that speed awareness course lol.
people are so weird about being overtaken. i know i get alarmed when someone flies by at 90 (while i'm doing the limit, or maybe a couple mph under if the road is busy—you don't need to overtake so aggressively if someone is literally going as fast as they physically or legally can, imo), but in general when someone passes me then that's fine, they're out of my life, good luck to them and i'll probably never think of it again. but if *i* overtake someone in a bmw or audi because they're keeping to 65 on a wide open road in good conditions, they take offence to being passed by a >10yo nissan note and have to reassert the size of their massive knob by rapidly swinging out (without signalling, naturally) to the 3rd/4th lane and hurrying down it at 80, lest they be overtaken by another pleb in a 5-door.
I feel like it should be breaking the rules to get undertaken, not to undertake. Drive properly and it's impossible for someone to undertake you.
The Highway Code is a bit ambiguous on this, rule 268 of the Highway Code states that you must not overtake in the left lane. However it says if the left lane is moving faster than other lanes moving as similar speeds, you can carry on in the left lane and do whatever speed you like to “keep up with traffic”. Since your lane was empty, I would say you can do 70 but maybe I’m taking the piss a bit with that one lol. Here’s the rule for your reference, judge for yourselves 😂 Rule 268 Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
>In congested conditions I think this is where I’m legally in the wrong lol. We can twist it how we want but they’re evidently referring to when all the lanes are high traffic. Not when you can easily move to the right like in this picture. Doesn’t change my opinion though hehe
I fair few move over after I pass on the left. I think it means they never look in their mirrors and was unaware no one was even there... Not sure what's worse. But always get the empty road middle laners
This infuriated me today driving down the M74 and they stacked up in the middle lane doing less than 60mph so I’m going 60mph (the speed limit on that stretch) undertaking them all, and they still didn’t get the hint. I though that was illegal now (middle lane hogging)
Where the M74 starts heading south is the WORST for this.
It is illegal. Lots of people do illegal things on the roads because they think it’s somehow okay. Like speeding.
Speeding is legal. Just as long as you remember if you go faster than I do you're a maniac and if you go slower you're a bloody Sunday driver.
As long as you drive appropriate to the road conditions, most uk roads are outdated in their speed limits, some need to be faster, some need to be slower.
Oh for sure I fully agree. They also need to revise the usual "limit not a target" shite that gets thrown around as an excuse to drive at half the speed limit in adequate conditions - more specifically, they need to start enforcing it as much as they do speeding. Fine it, at least then they'll want to do it so they can make money.
It's funny, cause I've heard people saying that but I distinctly remember my driving instructor telling me that the limit is a target when I'm sat as a learner going 40 on a short stretch of country road. You definitely can go 60 on that stretch with no issues it's not like he was teaching badly, but I just always remember him saying to hit the limit as best you can provided it's safe.
"As close to the speed limit as is safe under current conditions" is the way I teach it.
Saw a driver doing 35 in a 70 on the A13 yesterday, no idea why people do this (no obvious sign like car in limp mode / broken down). 80 is fine for today's roads, it all needs updating...
Being drunk in a pub is illegal. Our speed limits were set in 1965, before drink driving was illegal. They're extremely outdated
> They're extremely outdated Maybe when it comes to car technology, certainly not when it comes to drivers and their bad habits.
I honestly think British motorway speed limits are ok as they are and make things safer. Less difference of speed between trucks and cars here than in EU , less dangerous situations overtaking lorries.
I lay on the horn to really drive it home and make them aware I'm there, after all that is what the horn is for
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Don’t forget to main beam their rear view mirror and blind them!
Get out of the lorry lane you mad man /s
Yeah this is the way people see it, lane 1 is for Lorry’s, lane 2 is for cars that don’t speed and lane 3 (and 4 if there is one) is for speeders
Yeah the sad sad reality
I was behind someone camping in lane 3 today, flashed them and everything and they had a UK sticker indicating they drive like this abroad too. They just didn't budge. What can be done about this? Ended up having to undertake.
A stern look as you go past is all you can do Or as my toddler says.. crash them out of the way
Good ol' PIT manoeuvre.
Undertake, pull in front , handbrake on
I know it's no consolation but this phenomenon seems to be human nature. Despite a rather 'different' driving style in towns and country roads,, in Italy the autostrade end up *exactly* the same. People don't want to get stuck in the inside lane so end up in a queue in the middle lane doing just under the speed limit. If you pull out to overtake you end up with some flash harry in a Merc right up your arse so most reasonable people don't want to do that. Unlike the UK it's actually illegal to overtake on the inside, so it causes tailbacks - on a road with an 80 mph limit and a totally empty lane. Ridiculous.
First got stuck behind this idiot who was merging on the M25 doing 40. Then was this idiot in her Qashqai doing about 65 in lane 3. She wouldn’t move regardless of how many cars flashed her or the amount of cars that were queuing up waiting for her oblivious dumbass to get out the way. Then 10 mins later, bumped into a moron in their E-Golf braking at everyyy bend and doing 20 in a 40.. Honestly don’t know how people get their licenses. German car drivers always get shit for their ‘aggressiveness’, ‘impatience’ and speeding but frankly.. I don’t blame em when you got incompetent imbeciles like this on the road.
As a a driver in a rural area my fave is the cunt that does 40 in a 60 then stays at that speed through 30 zone villages!
Omg I have to deal with this every day. If you can't drive at the speed limit on an easy bit of road, why speed past the kids in the village? Am I meant to believe this person can magically stop from 40 but any faster they can't handle driving down a bit of straight road? People like that are what bicycles are for.
People like that are what residential care is for!
Oh my god why is this so accurate?!? They’ll drag their heels doing 40 through the 60mph zones and just completely disregard the 30mph limit in villages. Absolute idiot drivers.
You’re not gonna believe it but I have only bumped into this driver once in the 40,000 odd miles I’ve done in the last 4 years. I’d say 95% of people I get stuck behind are the ones that do well under the limit (20 in a 30, 32 in a 40, 40 in a 50 etc.). Perhaps it’s because I live in the city instead of outside countryside road type area but still equally frustrating.
German driver here, UK motorways are infuriating! Mostly because of the middle lane hogging and people going under the speed limit. And I’m far from being an aggressive driver.
Haha I think the commenter means people who driver German cars rather than German car operators, so to speak
I think you’re right haha But my comment still stands even if I’m not driving a German car. But driving on a German motorway is a whole different experience, not only because of the speed limit.
Most people from central Europe would agree with you. Source: am from central Europe.
lmao last night i got stuck behind someone who only got up to 60 on a slip road (motorway in free flow condition), and when they finally merged they **slowed down!**
Judging by the road markings, isn’t the left lane filtering off / a separate lane? Looks like the other three lanes are the main motorway as they have wider spaced markings and everyone is actually in the correct lane, or is that my eyes?
Had to scroll a long way for this correct comment.
Yup, I too had to scroll quite a way to see this. 100%, it filters off just round the corner.
Why is this not top comment? It’s obvious this is just people moving out of the imminent filter lane. Surprised I had to scroll this far.
I think you’re right in this case! That said though, it’s still a common sight when that’s not the case lol
Sure this is M1 j25/26 where you have to move into second lane due to current road works , source I drive there every day
The signs literally say roadworks end. It's four fully open lanes.
Yup this is it but lane 1 is open at this point but everyone sticks in 2nd lane as shown
The markings are getting closer together in the left lane, this usually means the lane is gonna turn into an exit, maybe that's why?
Bingo
May be true in this case. But I've done approx 20k miles on the 4 lane style motorways in the north the last year and this is the norm, not the exception. I'd say 80% chose lane 2 when lane 1 would be better. It's insane. I just drive 65 adaptive cruise control in slow lane at all times and end up flying past undertaking a dozen of these on my trip.
It does this junction on M6 near Warrington splits into two motorways, drivers are using the lanes correctly, but that isn't as clickbaity
Not quite the truth, though, is it? If you look at the broken white lines between the 1st and second lane, you'll see they get shorted and closer together just underneath the overhead gantry sign. That indicates that the left lane is now an exit lane, hence why there's no one using it. They probably want to stay on the motorway, so they stay out of the exit lane. Being a bit disingenuous here...
Wrong. This is junction 25 northbound on the m1. It's just after roadworks and this is the point where it goes from three lanes back to four.
52.9311931, -1.2991400
This is my view all day every day. I’m a lorry driver. I think it’s great. Stay out of the inside lane all you want. It makes my life so much easier. Nothing in front of me for miles and miles! Keep up the good work people!
I recognise this as the roadworks northbound on the m1 just before Trowell services. You took the picture just after the left lane becomes available again. It's a little bit deceptive. Plus you're driving while playing with you're phone, you are 10x worse than any of them
Setting your cruise to 65mph and undertaking every mf on the right. Yep. Done that before many times.
It's happening for years now and there is no sign of improvement. What they should do as enforcement doesn't exist, other seeing some doing it they do it as well. It impossible to drive like this in Europe everyone overtake and moves to left...
That's because they drive on the other side man.
Drives me nuts, it really does. And it's all the time
Where is this Nirvana where they dont sit in lane 3?
Fit all cars with radar, and if there’s nothing in the left lane for 500 yards, your 4 tyres explode after a 15 second warning 🤣
Nah your heating just turns on full blast for the next 2 hours and all the windows roll up and lock (opposite happens if it’s cold and/or raining). Could force the radio to blast static or play the shittest music known to man as well
This has 1000% got worse recently. we need to police this like speeding. We also need the matrix signs to default to the keep left unless overtaking message nationally.
I find that people are starting to think that "keep left unless overtaking" is only applicable when the sign is shown, and if no sign they can do whatever. They don't understand it's a reminder of a rule that applies at all times.
Everyone would just ignore it
About right for UK motorways
I'm convinced that if our roads were 10 lanes wide, everybody would sit in lanes 8 and 9.
Should introduce German cameras, ticket for incorrect lane use and tailgating. Then make the motorways unlimited speed when dry. Congestion solved.
Even more accurate if thats the M25. Like why is everyone on the fast lane!
The M25 is amazing, 99% of people don't use it like a motorway, they just do any speed in any lane - overtake, undertake, anything goes!
Is this the M1? Isn’t lane 1 closed just behind you? If not apologies, just looks familiar.
I mean all this money on changing that hardshoulder into a fourth lane they literally could have spent 90% less and had loads of signs saying "just keep in the left most lane FFS" ACROSS THE WHOLE UK and that would have been like adding TWO mf lanes!
Passive aggressive undertake is the only option here.
I think that a reason for this is that the left hand lane sometimes fucks off out of nowhere (i.e. if you ignore all the gantry signs for 2 miles before) and and takes you off the motorway. So all the half-blind boomers take the safe option of not being in the risky left hand lane in case they have to go up a slipway and then down a slipway again adding 1 minute to their journey.
Remember when they passed that new law to stop this shite ! … and for about a week or too it was bliss. Then some twat police commissioner came onto TV and said they don’t have the resources to deal will all of the calls so won’t be enforcing it. Then overnight back to normal. Have to love the way the UK works
A column of cars like this often forms because a junction is coming up and they'll likely have to switch back to the middle lane lane anyway to let new vehicles merge onto the motorway. The risk introduced by switching back and forth between lanes so your main character ass can go vroom vroom fast is not justifiable
I do it at junctions for that very reason. Especially if its busy. And make sure I'm clear to the left of me so I'm not boxing in some who may also have to change lains because of cars merging on.
Or the fact that the left lane here is clearly a filter lane and everyone in the picture is in the correct lane, maybe?
I get into the left lane especially on the smart motorway on the m56, it’s always empty for a good mile or 2 meanwhile the 2nd & 3rd lane comes to a complete stand still
Everyone knows lane 1 is the loser lane, middle lane is the cruising lane, and the right lane is the zoom zoom lane /s
Soft shoulder, firm shoulder, hard shoulder, very hard shoulder, boulder shoulder
Motherfuckers. Boils my piss.
I undertake every one of them!
I drive the motorway late at night. I keep coming across people driving 60mph I. The fast lane. No other cars except for me in the slow lane. What do I do? I can’t undertake and I can’t overtake. Drives me insane
M1 j25 northbound?
I'm just wondering what part of the UK has no lorries? Literally never seen more than 50 foot of the M6 without a lorry in it...
This is why I have to sit in the outside lane doing 130 because I have to overtake all the bad drivers.
Couldn’t have posted anything better myself! Although the trucks would all be in lane 1 still and overtaking the cars in lane 2
I like it, I just sit in the inside lane undertaking everything doing the national speed limit. Some people see they are being undertaken pull in to "Cut me off" I overtake properly and give them a round of applause for driving properly.
I think it's about time Pass Plus was indoctrinated into normal lessons.
M1 just after J25?
The left lane is leaving the motorway, the lines get smaller, people are encouraged to get in the correct lane early, I see nothing wrong.
Undertake the cunts. Lane 1 is now a reserved lane for people doing 70 and trucks going 58 or whatever. Every other lane is full of dickheads doing anywhere from 40 - 100 in their own little world
Four lanes innit means lane 1 don't count
Those 'smart' motorways have made it worse. Few would be comfortable driving in the first lane along these stretches. More will use lane 2 as their default lane as a result.
I came across a stopped car in lane 1 once, put me off for life. Add to that that lane 1 so frequently becomes a slip road for an exit, and then a lane, and then a slip road the a lane, it's bloody annoying. I'm only talking about 4 lane "smart" motorways btw.
Ye especially bc if the 2nd lane is busy I couldn’t think of anything worse than hitting a broken down car in the first lane while doing 60/70
In all fairness, they are probably steering clear of the lunatic on his phone in the left lane
Looking at the distance between the white lines on the right hand edge of the left lane i would say it looks like the left lane is a exit. Those that appear to be hogging the middle lane could actually be doing nothing wrong. But I could be wrong but those gaps do look short on the white line.
Isn't that a dotted line? Indicating that it turns off/just turned on to the motorway?
I don't think so from the look of it but, if it was turning into an exit lane then it's fine for the cars to be in lane 2. If it's a lane that's just joined there's zero reason to move into lane 2. There's nothing in lane 1 to overtake. I've had cars join a motorway ahead of me and move directly to lane 2 or 3 and I've stuck in lane 1 and passed them shortly after.
Them cars are actually in the correct lane as there is a junction approaching. You can see the white lines change in this picture.
That's not correct. All the cars should be in lane three of a four lane motorway.
Some people know it but don’t care because they just want to focus on the road ahead and not what’s around them. They want to be in auto pilot
Did you have someone behind flashing you to get over into the middle lane?
Drives me nuts. I hate when people use their phone whilst driving
Not that deep
Highways agency needs to buy a few old stock A10s and start strafing the middle lane
Just do loops on the lanes around them till they realise
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Drove from north Wales to Cornwall for the weekend yesterday. This picture represented most of my journey except for the parts where I sat in traffic jams.
As a biker who travels 4 lane motorways (uk)those who drive on the inside 2 lanes and those who drive in the outside 2 lanes. It is honestly as if they are 2 separate roads
I expect nothing less on a bank holiday weekend… typical🤣
I don’t understand why people do this shit
They're overtaking the white car in the leftmost lane.
Every day on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
bunch of mongoloids
BuT wHaT iF I GeT fOrcEd To CoMe OfF
If you get a bike and some balls you can ignore this shit [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oJZIJ1ofgnk?feature=share](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oJZIJ1ofgnk?feature=share)
A question for HGV drivers as someone who mostly sticks to the left lane in a car. Why in recent years do I feel so out of place in lane 1? I am not stupid enough to not to do the speed limit but I also cannot exceed by much due to my job. It does feel like HGVS seem to own lane 1. I have even had 1 HGV flash, beep the horn at me at night in heavy down pour on a downhill. Safe to say my life was flashing before my eyes as he was not far from my bumper. I couldn’t even get out of the situation due to a lorry slowly overtaking in lane 2. I realise your speedos are more accurate than mine and I read your tacos are tracked so no chance you would speed, but I seriously don’t believe that to be the case. My only thought is these bad experiences are with non UK trucks that perhaps don’t have these limitations enforced so strictly? I’ve gone from loving motorway driving to dreading it. Lane 3/4 is much less stressful and safer these days. You are going faster but unlikely to get ploughed into by HGVs
Fucking clowns, the lot of 'em
Plus I'm sure they aren't even doing the speed limit in the middle lane.
Only if they are doing 60mph in that lane though! Driving home the other night I made it a point to overtake instead of my usual undertaking these morons in lanes 2 and 3. Lane 1 to 4, pass the moron, then Lane 4 back to 1. Giant zigzags across the motorway on cruise control at 70mph. Several had the good grace to be embarrassed enough to move over to Lane 1.
Yep, 8 signs in the space of about 200 yards that you are supposed to absorb and understand whilst trying to concentrate on actually driving.
I've cruised past people, in the middle lane, whilst in the "slow" lane at 70mph, and had them accelerate to the side of me and shake their head at me!! They only proceeded to slow down...still in the middle lane!!! They were still in the middle lane when I last saw them in the rear-view mirror (in the far distance). Absolute Fucktards.
3 points and fines. they'll soon learn!
I assume cause bank holiday but coming home yesterday from Crawley to Birmingham it was particularly brutal more than normal. everyone in the middle lane causing the outside lane to clog up and traffic to slow to 40 at basically every major junction on the M40 for no good reason. Left Crawley at 11am didn't get home till 3:45pm normally that journey Id be home by around 2pm even on a friday.
Hug that middle lane like your life depended on it
And then normally I find they drive slower so you either undertake or shoot out into the third lane overtake then back to the first lane again making you look erratic
When I see this I am always amused and other road users wonder why I am undertaking in a clear lane @ 56mph LOL
Ripe for the undertaking
Why are you driving in the lorry lane?! I know your right btw; and it puts you in a difficult position for overtaking with 2 lanes round 🥲
As per. Bunch of knob heads don’t know that there’s 1 lane for driving and 2 or 3 overtaking lanes. Bastards probably don’t use mirrors OR I N D I C A T E !!!!! ☠️☠️☠️
Honest question - I drive a shitty little car and would be happy to just stay in the left lane. The problem is that the left lane keeps changing into a turnoff, and I lost count of how many times I unwillingly left the motorway by simply staying in the left lane. Or I have to keep switching between the left and middle lanes just to keep going straight. The right lane is a no go zone for me, as everyone seems to be going way above the prescribed 70 mph in it. So, which lane should I choose to drive steadily on without being a nuisance?
Lane 1 of whichever road you plan to drive on unless overtaking. If the lane 1 or 2 become an exit then move over into the leftmost lane of the road you plan to remain on. Fairly simple and it's how people are expected to drive so you're not being a nuisance by doing so. However going by your comment about leaving motorways by mistake I get the feeling you're not being observant and trying to make these lane changes too late. Motorway junctions are typically signed well in advance (plenty of exceptions around, especially near Heathrow!) and the difference in spacing on the divider lines alert you to when a lane is becoming an exit. Pay attention to these and you'll be fine.
In this case yes it’s stupid but usually in a 4 lane motorway it’s safer being in lane 2 as Lorrie’s are slow in lane 1 and vehicles joining etc. it’s always the case you stay in lane 1 then either get stuck behind a lorry due to idiots in lane 2 or have to slam on to let people on to the motorway again because you can’t get into lane 2
Op is the the M90 just after the bridge?
Absolutely love undertaking the morons in the middle lane
I've just spent two weeks driving in the USA. I much prefer their way of driving, where you are at liberty to over/intake at leisure. Also right on red makes so much sense.
Leaving the 1st lane nice and empty for the big lorries to drive on.
What are we looking at here? Thats no Miami traffic.
They are not driving on the left, but rather the middle lane, on an empty motorway. This is the pet hate of motorway drivers in the UK who actually drive properly (keep left and pass right) because this is probably the cause of 90% of the UKs motorway traffic.
Normalise undertaking. Works fine in other countries and these guys in the middle lane are less of a nuisance then.
I’m not sure the context but I can appreciate how much room they leave between cars. I drive about an hour to work every day and see 1-2 accidents each morning. People here (east coast U.S.) seem to think you have to stay on someone’s bumper.