Lane discipline.

rca779

Just back from a week's trip to the Alps in France.

What a pleasure it is to drive in France, firstly hte road surfaces are so smooth, even up in the mountains. However the main difference is their lane discipline. No one if France seems to hog the middle/outside lane. It's almost as if they are embarressed to be seen out in these lanes.

The biggest problem was tailgaiting, if you are in an overtaking lane, the French don't seem to think twice about coming right up behind you and sticking their left hand indicator on to get past.

Coming home and getting on the M20/M26/M25 was just embarressing. The state of the roads for a start (I thought I had a puncture at one point the road surface was SO bad). The one thing though was how busy these motorways were at 21:00 at night compared to France.

jase1

Herzlos wrote: »

In reality in a lot of cases, changing left a lane when it's even moderately busy just serves to have you jump back a few places in the queue (if you're lucky) even if you weren't actually going slower than the cars behind you.

Hmmm -- there's a problem with this statement that I can't quite put my finger on... :rotfl:

Guess what -- if you end up behind the cars that you were in front of, you were indeed going slower than the cars behind you wanted to go.

dacouch

thebull wrote: »

The standard of driving in this country is appalling people don't indicate they hog the middle or outside lane they park on footpath's they park facing oncoming traffic they park right on junctions they drive to slow they tail gate .
In short since the government loves to bleed the motorist dry I would mount loads more cameras everywhere to catch lane hoggers and the like £100 fine no points though and lets get those Public Information films back on TV telling us how to Drive and not drop litter and .....................oh why bother Great Britain not any more were all on the way to hell in a handcart .That will be in the wrong lane too

Come to London, it sounds right up your street

wba31

Crabman wrote: »

No, it isn't.

On a congested motorway, if you move into a slower moving lane 1, you will simply get stuck there behind a slower moving vehicle while the line of cars in lane 2 overtake you.

If you're in lane 2 and are gaining on vehicles in lane 1, you should remain in lane 2 until the overtakes are complete.

If anything, it's the opposite of being a "silly sheep who does what everyone else does."

So if you are in lane 2, gaining on the lorry 3 miles ahead you should stay in lane 2? NO!
How do you get stuck in lane 1? do you sit behind a vehicle continuing to look in your mirror for the gap, refusing to move until there is a big enough gap, then indicate as you pull out? try sticking your indicator on (indicating you intend to pull out! Genius!) and trust me, someone will let you out, or just slow down when you pull out... remember to pull back in though!

Crabman

wba31 wrote: »

So if you are in lane 2, gaining on the lorry 3 miles ahead you should stay in lane 2? NO!
How do you get stuck in lane 1? do you sit behind a vehicle continuing to look in your mirror for the gap, refusing to move until there is a big enough gap, then indicate as you pull out? try sticking your indicator on (indicating you intend to pull out! Genius!) and trust me, someone will let you out, or just slow down when you pull out... remember to pull back in though!

I didn't say that at all, so I don't know what you're ranting about nor do I know why dacouch has thanked you for your response to a point that doesn't even exist.

Read my post #30 assuming you're interested in discussion as opposed to petty squabbles. You might just discover that we don't disagree.

dacouch

Crabman wrote: »

I didn't say that at all, so I don't know what you're ranting about nor do I know why dacouch has thanked you for your response to a point that doesn't even exist.

Read my post #30 assuming you're interested in discussion as opposed to petty squabbles. You might just discover that we don't disagree.

I assume he was replying to this post.

Crabman wrote: »

No, it isn't.

On a congested motorway, if you move into a slower moving lane 1, you will simply get stuck there behind a slower moving vehicle while the line of cars in lane 2 overtake you.

If you're in lane 2 and are gaining on vehicles in lane 1, you should remain in lane 2 until the overtakes are complete.

If anything, it's the opposite of being a "silly sheep who does what everyone else does."

I was agreeing with his point about it not being difficult pulling out from lane one into lane two to overtake. I do it dozens of times a day, if you check your mirrors frequently, it's just a case of timing your manoeuvre or as he mentioned sticking your indicators on, nine times out of ten someone will let you out straight away.

jase1

dacouch wrote: »

it's just a case of timing your manoeuvre or as he mentioned sticking your indicators on, nine times out of ten someone will let you out straight away.

Nine times out of ten, if I see someone in the inside lane actually making an effort to keep up with traffic I'll let them in, even if it means slowing down.

Less inclined to if they dawdle up to two-feet-behind-the-lorry.

mkirkby

iolanthe07 wrote: »

At the risk of inuring the wrath of many people, I ride a bike which doesn't even register on the average speed cameras so I tend to move along at about 60 as I'm much less dangerous at that speed than even a car doing 50.

I realise that bikers think the traffic law don't apply to them,.

Not true; we're not all nutters and those that are usually succumb to Darwinism eventually anyway. I have been a biker for 20 years and have never incurred a speeding ticket. Sure I've been zapped by the police a few times going over the limit but never got a ticket because I don't ride like a maniac.

The 50 limit is there to protect people and especially the workforce and the truth is that even when travelling at 60, I've still got a fraction of the kinetic energy of a car travelling at 50.

I'm sorry but I'm sure we all know that speed does not kill; it's * inappropriate* speed that kills and I feel that going at 60 through those roadworks on my bike is perfectly acceptable when it's not too busy and when it's safe to do so.

If you wish to continue to fume at may blatant law breaking go ahead. I'll continue to move safely down the road for the next 20 years.


PS. On my Bikesafe course a couple of years ago we hit 90 on a dual carriageway and at least 70 on a single carriageway while following a police rider. Don't tell anyone will you?

Nearly_Old

mkirkby wrote: »

As the previous poster said, I'm not wondering why people stick to the limit, but why when the inside two lanes are sometimes *totally* clear, they still refuse to move over.

Oddly enough, I've seen many a case like this when the 50 changes back to a 70 & the outside hogger decides it's now OK to move over!

Weird; just very weird.

I've had a few nice drives through the new managed motorway section on the M1 in Nottinghamshire. No variable speed posted but long lines of cars in Lane 3 doing 65/70, Lane 2 as good as empty and me in Lane 1 passing them all!!!!! Although the cameras are active at present the legislation for managed motorways only allows for an offence to be comitted when a speed limit is showing; i.e. 60 / 50 / 40 etc. Beware the day when they a) change the legislation or b) get the signs to show the NSL sign (or 70).

mattyprice4004

roddydogs wrote: »

If im doing 70, why should I move to the inside lane where I will soon need to overtake slower vehicles so will be continually changing lanes, dangerous/extra tyre wear. Theirs an overtaking lane if you want to break the law or overtake me.
Whats the problem?

If you honestly can't see or comprehend what's wrong with sitting in the middle lane, it's probably time to hang up the keys.

Can't believe there are middle lane morons coming out of the woodwork on here.