"Hogging the middle lane"

Zandoni

Joe_Horner wrote: »

The thing is, tailgating causes far more queues and delays (and therefore frustration and risky behaviour) on motorways than MLMs.

Virtually every time you see traffic slowing suddenly, or even stopping completely, but find nothing to explain it when it gets moving again, it's down to people driving too close and causing cascade braking because of what should have been a minor and completely non-disruptive speed change ahead.

In the absence of accidents, that includes every single time you see "queue after junction" signs as people try to join, people avoid them, and those following behind have to brake too hard.

Even very heavy traffic will continue to flow if you leave enough space to avoid that effect, and it doesn't take much more than the recommended 2 second minimum gap to do so.

I'd guess that a middle lane hogger is the main culprit with people driving too close.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134956/Pictured-Painter-decorator-fined-1000-person-UK-convicted-middle-lane-hogger.html

Joe_Horner

Zandoni wrote: »

I'd guess that a middle lane hogger is the main culprit with people driving too close.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134956/Pictured-Painter-decorator-fined-1000-person-UK-convicted-middle-lane-hogger.html

No, the culprit in every single case is the person who decides, for any reason, to get too close to the car ahead no matter what that car is doing.

They have free will, they (and only they) are in control of their own car, if it's too close to the car ahead for any reason then that's their conscious decision, their responsibility, and - if things go wrong as a result, their fault.

You can't blame others for things you decide to do on the road in any circumstances If you decide to drive too close or, in some cases maybe, don't understand what a proper following distance is, then that's down to you, not the car ahead!

matttye

Joe_Horner wrote: »

No, the culprit in every single case is the person who decides, for any reason, to get too close to the car ahead no matter what that car is doing.

They have free will, they (and only they) are in control of their own car, if it's too close to the car ahead for any reason then that's their conscious decision, their responsibility, and - if things go wrong as a result, their fault.

You can't blame others for things you decide to do on the road in any circumstances If you decide to drive too close or, in some cases maybe, don't understand what a proper following distance is, then that's down to you, not the car ahead!

So in your eyes are middle lane hoggers completely blameless?

I see people doing all sorts of stupid stuff around middle lane hoggers and I think they are just as blameworthy. They are stubborn in their incorrect use of the road, knowing it's wrong and that it irritates people, but proceed regardless.

Zandoni

Joe_Horner wrote: »

No, the culprit in every single case is the person who decides, for any reason, to get too close to the car ahead no matter what that car is doing.

They have free will, they (and only they) are in control of their own car, if it's too close to the car ahead for any reason then that's their conscious decision, their responsibility, and - if things go wrong as a result, their fault.

You can't blame others for things you decide to do on the road in any circumstances If you decide to drive too close or, in some cases maybe, don't understand what a proper following distance is, then that's down to you, not the car ahead!

Although I agree with what you're saying, it's middle lane hoggers that enrage people and make them do silly things.

Strider590

jlfrs wrote: »

I guess the reality is that the rules of the road dictate real-world rules over those in the Highway Code. Talking of which, can someone tell me what the rules are when a two-lane carriageway collapses into a single lane? Do the cars in the inside lane give way to the cars filtering in or as frequently happens to me on the A44 near Oxford, try to ram them out of the way, refuse to let them in and lean on the horn? I'd love to know...then again, I am a BMW driver so I'm probably asking for it....

The "my way code" versus highway code.....

168 Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.

V

When being overtaken, speed up, try to stop the other vehicle getting ahead. If approaching a merge point, try to make it appear as though the overtaking vehicle has cut you up, never mind the increasing gap behind you OR the increased engine noise OR the smoke from your tailpipe, nobody will notice this and will simple assume the other driver was in the wrong. Lean on the horn triumphantly as the other driver gets ahead anyway, tailgate the driver until the next two lane section and then give them abusive hand gestures before slowing down to the speed you were doing before being overtaken.

Out on the road it's 10% highway code and 90% "my way code".

NBLondon

Use both lanes and filter in turn would be the most efficient way if everyone stuck to it. "Merge like a zipper" as some of our colonial cousins call it...


It works on the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel which is pretty busy at rush hour.


Over in the Channel Islands, they have a concept of "Filter in Turn" at many junctions where we would have a Give Way. Again, it works when everyone does it.


Unfortunately - once a few rectal exit sphincters decide to ignore the rule, they encourage/infuriate others to do the same.

almillar

Tailgating is wrong, mmmkay.
Now, with that acknowledgement out of the way - do you all promise to have a look around you, and move to the left if necessary, when you get flashed by the car behind (at a safe distance)?
Or will you stubbornly stay in the way of the 'aggressive speeder' behind you?
I promise I'll move over.

Shaka_Zulu

Hey Strider why don't you pull over after overtaking? :rotfl::rotfl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNj7Ym-bvU8

Strider590

Shaka_Zulu wrote: »

Hey Strider why don't you pull over after overtaking? :rotfl::rotfl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNj7Ym-bvU8

Because:
a) I don't want to cut anyone off, not if they've been nice enough to not speed up and act like a moron.
b) I don't want to do my braking (for the 50 limit and the common speed van location around the corner) in front of the guy i'd just overtaken.

I think i'd be pretty !!!!ed if someone overtook me, pulled in front and then slammed on the brakes.......... Do unto others, etc.

Almost without exception, if I overtake within range of a merge, I wait in the RH out of courtesy, giving people time to see what is about to happen, so that when I merge in, the only reason anyone is going to get upset if they themselves turn it into a race (which happens a lot).

stator

Shaka_Zulu wrote: »

Hey Strider why don't you pull over after overtaking? :rotfl::rotfl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNj7Ym-bvU8

Red car is overtaking a Corsa. Corsa leaves the carriageway, possibly whilst in Red car's blind spot. Red car is waiting to see Corsa emerge from blindspot before moving to left lane. By the time they notice Corsa is gone it's not worth pulling over as another car is coming up.