Drove back from Scotland* last night and got a bit wound up by all the people driving in the middle lane (in England) when the inside lane was clear.

Since it's been voted the top frustration in driver surveys before, I wondered if anyone would own up to doing it – and if you have a justification for it?

* Where people generally seem to have very good road manners. I was astonished when several people pulled over to allow me to pass on the minor road down from Innerleithen.

Drove back from Scotland* last night and got a bit wound up by all the people driving in the middle lane (in England) when the inside lane was clear.

Ah but if you move back into the inside lane, you'll never get back into the middle lane 🙂

I just hog the outside lane, so I don't find it a problem 🙂

most people do it occasionaly in error – it's the ones eho sit out there obliviously who piss me off.

what annoyed me yesterday returning from Devon was on the hill south of bristol where a fourth lane is created by a road merger, outside rammed, next lane in empty, second lane rammed, inside lane empty….

why?

and what p1sses me of even more lately is more or more drivers arent indicate before they turn left

I just got cheesed off this morning with a van driver who went from the 2nd lane, through the first and off to park in a bus stop, all without indicating, cutting me up, almost forcing me into parked cars. Middle lane hogs get approached from behind and flashed to let them know I'm there. If they dont move I'll undertake cautiously, assuming I can't overtake for some reason.

Middle lane hogs get approached from behind and flashed to let them know I'm there. If they dont move I'll undertake cautiously.

Not overtake in the outside lane?

I did perfect the the three lane swerve around them to overtake with full beam, but got bored and now just cruise past on the inside on an empty motorway.

I'll admit to hogging sometimes.

If there are frequent HGVs etc on the inside lane then I'll just cruise along in the middle lane. Winds the missus up, but I don't really see the point in constantly pulling in and out – especially if there is no one behind me wanting past.

A friend of mine, who's not a confident driver, stays in the middle lane because she's not happy with having to repeatedly overtake, and then pull in front of large lorries, so she stays put, and can do 70mph (mostly). Where there's a good clear space she'll pull in, but during the day on the M1 and M6 where she spends most of her driving time, that's tricky.

not really, if you aren't confident enough in a car to overtake on a motorway then you really shouldn't be driving.

If you're not happy repeatedly overtaking and changing lanes you shouldn't be on the motorway. Stick to the rules of the road, stay left unless overtaking. No need to swerve in and out between each car/wagon and everyone has a different judgement of distance that they wont go into, but some clearly take the P.

GrahamS –

I don't really see the point in constantly pulling in and out

You probably don't see the point of riding offroad on singletrack as well then, as that weaves all over the place on rough terrain. You probably only ever ride on very straight roads.

The middle lane and outside lanes on motorways are for overtaking ONLY. If your not overtaking anything then get the f*ck over to the inside lane. And if you don't like the way the UK road system works then stop using them.

You may be able to tell that I do a lot of motorway miles and I find people who hog the outside lanes incredibly annoying.

would be good if the Police could give points for it, as at 3 points a go it wouldn't take long to get the muppets off the road.

If it's busy, with mostly trucks and coaches in the "slow" lane, then I'll hog the middle. But then on the autobahn, there's often a much bigger speed differential between lanes.

What's annoying is when someone is hogging the middle and there's no other traffic around. Suggest to me they're not paying any attention, except to their mobile, mp3 player, stereo, fags/lighter etc…

What annoys me more are tailgaters. Pretty hefty fine here for doing it, but there's still drivers that'll happily sit 5 nano-microns from your rear while doing 160kph+.

And if you don't like the way the UK road system works then stop using them.

You may be able to tell that I do a lot of motorway miles and I find people who hog the outside lanes incredibly annoying.

The UK road rules say 70mph maximum speed on a motorway, if you find people constantly hogging the outside lane and getting in your way I take it you choose to ignore this rule!

I am 100% with the OP on this – winds me up so much – I can cope with it on a busy road during the day when I put it down to lack of concentration, but when they do it on an almost deserted road I feel like screaming.

In fact, on recent motorway experiences, I have noticed an almost 'inverted' situation, where the outside lane is really busy, the middle lane a little less so and the inside lane almost deserted.

No doubt Trolling Zoo Fighter will be on soon explaining why it is okay to hog the middle lane really.

Yes. All the time.
And especially when I'm towing the caravan… 🙂

[not really. pees me off also]

leggyblonde – my job requires me to have a clean driving licence so I don't speed. I reckon people who lane hog lack confidence in their driving ability and that's why they do it. Their lack of confidence is probably also the reason why they are going at 55-65mph.

JTS, fair enough, I assumed wrong. I find people very rarely do less than 70 in the outside lane but I am aware it does happen.

If you're not happy repeatedly overtaking and changing lanes you shouldn't be on the motorway.

I'm perfectly happy repeatedly overtaking, but I just don't see the point pulling in after overtaking if I can see from the traffic that I'm just going to have to pull out again within a minute.

That is just completely unnecessary manoeuvring, especially when there is an outside lane for anyone who feels like speeding past.

Stick to the rules of the road, stay left unless overtaking.

A strange argument given that if you are "sticking to the rules of the road" then you won't be overtaking me anyway.

leggyblonde – to put things into context I live in N.Wales and the main road across the top of the coast is the A55 which is a dual carriage-way. The A55 is busier than a lot of motorways and when you get somebody doing 50mph in the outside lane and not willing to get back over it can cause slow moving traffic for miles upon miles.

GrahamS is it really that much of a bother to use the lane system properly? It really is pure laziness, I bet you don't bother yer arse indicating either because 'it's too much like hard work'.

'most people do it occasionaly in error'

Not if they're paying attention to their driving. As for people who stay in the middle lane because they are too scared to overtake then they really, really should not be driving a vehicle on the road.

ive given up.

living down south now, everyone seems to have a much more "relaxed" attitude to driving, and are happy enough trundling around in ALL lanes at 45.

i have to admit, ive gone one worse than being a middle lane hog.

i now, drop into the leftest lane, and pull up to 70.

i wouldnt say its undertaking (in MY mind thats, swerving in inside someone to get past them), i figure if im in a lane, and my lane ends up going quicker, then thats thier loss.

usually im on my own in my lane, and therefore free to do 70!

GrahamS – whether you see the point or not is irrelevant, thats how the rules work – while you may only do it when it causes no problems, other people ignore the rules and it does cause problems.

A strange argument given that if you are "sticking to the rules of the road" then you won't be overtaking me anyway.

It's not an argument. Everyones speedo reads slightly different, when you're doing 70 by your car, I might be doing 2-3mph more by my speedo, and you'll be in the way unless you move over, or unless there's another lane to use. It's just poor lane discipling and laziness and there's no excuse for it.

What I find more annoying than people hogging the middle lane is…

… people complaining about people hogging the middle lane.

It's rubbish, people do it and they shouldn't. They're very naughty.

But you'll see it every time you drive on a motorway, so it's predictable and not something that should wind you up so much.

It's discourtious and shows that you're probably not a particularly competant or confident driver, but I get much more annoyed with people on phones no matter which lane they're in, and with tailgaters.

i'm an occasional hogger – to my shame.

it's always because i forget to pull in, and i'm very quick to criticise those i see doing exactly the same.

here's the scene: i'm overtaking in the middle lane, Something distracts me a little – perhaps a discussion on radio 4 about the economic contribution of moss, can lichen be grouped with moss for tax purposes? what is lichen?… and before you know it i've driven a mile or so in the middle lane.

please, make my execution quick. i understand you will be empaling my body on a pole beside the motorway as a warning to others.

bikemonkey – just because its a minor inconvenience rather than a mass murder doesnt mean it should be tolerated or accepted. Slowly but surely chipping away at the rules until people wonder why the roads are full of morons that don't indicate, change lanes when it's dangerous, dont change lanes when they should, dont merge in turn at roadworks and instead clog the one inside lane back for miles.

The longer I drive the more stupid things I see, the more blatant disregard for the rules become apparent. They're there for a reason, because they make 95% of driving safer, more predictable and overall quicker than if you just let everyone get on with their own thought process.

I'll be sure to pass on your comments to my friend, I'm sure she'll welcome them… 😉

There are two separate scenarios here. One, being in the middle lane almost constantly because the inside lane is full of large vehicles going slower than you'd like to travel. and two, being in the middle lane whilst the inside lane is free from traffic. One is caused because some stretches of our motorway network are over-used, and the other is the cause of much frustration.

I do 70 everytime I use the motorway and have to agree with Graham in that I am not pulling in to then pull out 60 seconds later. If I am on at 2 lane motorway and there are lorries on the inside I keep my eye on what is coming up behind me and pull in to let them by

f-m – while you and Graham may be the small minority of driver who do keep a look out behind, the VAST majority of motorway drivers seem to forget anything exists behind their B pillar unless they're about to overtake themselves (and some even then forget theres a world behind them), they just do what they see everyone else doing in general without seeing the detail. You're simply contributing to the morons getting it wrong.

nickc – please do!

With driving esp on the motorway there is obviously some compromise between safety and speed.

We could put the speed limit down to 40 mph and hour and there'd still be accidents or we could put it up to 100 mph and there'd be a whole lot more.

One thing is that people seem to think if they stick to the rules they'll magically be safe. People who want to drive fast get obsessed with the overtaking rule and think if every one stuck to their right lane they'd be no accidents while another group of people seem to think if they drive slowly they'll magically be safe.

Personally I do get annoyed with middle lane drivers but I also get annoying with them nobs who insist on over taking right on the bumper of the car in front with lights blazing and then pulling back in front of the car as soon as possible. These people think they are driving PROPERLY and then suggest other people shouldnt be on the road because there not confident in over taking.

What these people fail to see is if everyone on the motorway drove like this there would be far more accidents as everyone would be CONSTANTLY changing lanes and it would be very difficult to predict where everyone was going and you would often get the situation where the cars in the inside land and outside lane where both trying to move into the middle lane.

Now clearly the middle lane drivers are not driving correctly because there not concentrating on the road. However I can see if would be safe if everyone was constantly changing lanes also what does OVER TAKING mean ?

Presumably it means you are catching on the car on the inside lane of you. However I like to leave large spaces between me and the car in front so I wont pull in if Im still catching on the car in front and I judge the gap to be too small which is probably a lot larger than the OP. However everyones judgment is different.

Clearly I would agree is someone is in the middle lane and not closing on the car in front they need to pull in, but they might be closing just very slowly.

Personally I would prefer a few (very few) middle lane drivers than more idiots tailgating then overtaking and weaving from one lane to the other.

Again there has to be a compromise between safety and speed and every time you change lanes it has to increase the chance of a accident some what.

Middle lane is a no-mansd land where people really don't know what to do. It's worse when it's a 4-lane motorway and there's no "middle" lane!

There is of course an alternative set of rules concerning the outside lane…

The other day I was cruising along as usual coming onto one of my motorways, which was very busy with inferior cars.

First off, I couldn’t believe that the volume of traffic DIDN’T slow down for me AT ALL as I came off the exit ramp! I had to squeeze into a barely big enough gap between two cars in order to get onto my motorway!

The driver of the car behind me did realise his mistake though and honked an apology to me with a long blast of his horn.

Unbelievably, I had to do the same again before I could get to the BMW lane.

Anyway, once I was in the BMW lane and posing along at 110 mph enjoying the adulation that the inferior car drivers were giving me, I noticed an inferior car ahead of me which was not only in the BMW lane of my motorway, but was driving at a ridiculous 70 mph!

Naturally, I got within a foot or so of his rear bumper and flashed my headlights to remind him he shouldn’t be in the BMW lane of my motorway and to get out of my way.

Of course, once he realised it was a BMW behind him, he did just that, but I could hardly believe it when he pulled straight back out behind me!

He also tried to keep up with me and when he realised I would out-run him, he put on some blue lights in his front grill and urged me to get onto the hard shoulder so that he could congratulate me on my excellent car.

Needless to say, I was eager to oblige and when we had stopped, the man gave me a piece of paper confirming what I already knew – that my car goes fast!

Apparently he wants everyone to know what a superior car I have, so I had to take my drivers licence to a police station to be sent away to have some points put on! (They’re not free points either – they’re £20 each and I was only allowed 3.) But the man at the police station said that because I drive a BMW, it won’t be much longer before I earn the full 12 points, and then I won’t even NEED a driving licence, so they will take it off me!

See, now THAT’S the sort of respect you get when you own and drive a BMW!

These people think they are driving PROPERLY and then suggest other people shouldnt be on the road because there not confident in over taking.

That's not driving properly or within the rules of the road. It's dangerous and stupid, and made worse by those hogging lanes when they should pull in.

There is nothing wrong with changing lanes – do it properly and it's perfectly safe.

Clearly I would agree is someone is in the middle lane and not closing on the car in front they need to pull in, but they might be closing just very slowly.

Then they should pull in until they are close enough to overtake. You should overtake swiftly and stay return to your lane when the move is complete.

Changing lanes does not have to increase risks if it is done properly. Of course you can say that it increases the chance of an accident as someone may do it wrong, but so does getting in the car in the morning in the first place. In my personal experience, stopping at red lights increases my risk of being hit from behind by a careless driver, but I'd not suggest allowing some people to go through lights as it reduces the chances of someone else screwing up.

GrahamS is it really that much of a bother to use the lane system properly?

Well, the Highway Code (264: Lane Discipline) states:

"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."

So if I can see that there are further vehicles in the inside lane then the road ahead is NOT clear and I AM following the rules and "doing it properly" by staying out.

It's not an argument. Everyones speedo reads slightly different, when you're doing 70 by your car, I might be doing 2-3mph more by my speedo

I'll be doing a steady 76mph set on my cruise control, as I know that happens to be "true 70" in my car. If you are overtaking me then you're speeding – so any argument about me not following the road rules is pretty incongruous.

But ignoring that: there is an entire other lane. Why should I pull in and be forced to brake when there already exists a third lane for you to pass me?

Isn't it a mark of good driving NOT to cause others drivers to have to brake for you?

I drive (and have always driven) as though the people around me are idiots – that they may do the most stupid thing and the worst possible time. Occasionally, I'm correct and as I was expecting it, I could do something about it.

As I expect everyone else to be stupid, I find driving to be a calm experience, full of patronising 'tutting' as I notice the fools around me making the mistakes I knew they would make as I glide on in a bubble of condescending smugness.

If I expected everyone else to drive to the letter of the law I imagine it must be a frustrating experience.

How common is it that there's a permanent line of traffic in the left hand lane that needs overtaking? In my pretty extensive experience, very rare.

It isn't a minor inconvenience just like adding an extra lane to a motorway isn't a minor inconvenience (M25, M1, M62, M4 drivers + others). It's a major pain in the arse.

When it gets busy one middle lane moron (70mph) can often cause line of equally dumb sheep to sit behind in the middle lane because they don't want to overtake and won't undertake so it's quite plausible to get half a mile of empty road that can only be used by those willing to break the law (or wait for the traffic in the other two lanes to slow slightly in which case undertaking becomes perfectly legal – section 268 of HC.

For more righteous spleen popping – http://www.middlelanemorons.com/index.php (I only just found this website – honest).

Thankyou scuttler, well put.

Ach, middle lane hoggers are no problem on a motorbike. 130mph up the inside lane scares the bejeezus out of 'em.
Even better in the roadworks where eveyone is doing 50mph, because the front facing cameras can't touch you.