Motorway Driving Question

Mercdriver

martinsurrey wrote: »

yes, and driving in the outside lane of a clear motorway at 50mph could get you pulled up under the same offence...

and I didn't say it was a valid manoeuvre, I said that if the OP was in the right, so where they, but I don't think the OP was.

But from the OP, I deduce that the OP was in the leftmost lane next to the divided hatchings for the upcoming junction which means he is not in an overtaking lane. He is in the leftmost lane in the carriageway at that point. I agree that with more confidence he should be driving more quickly in those circumstances, but he is in the correct lane.

AdrianC

Mercdriver wrote: »

But from the OP, I deduce that the OP was in the leftmost lane next to the divided hatchings for the upcoming junction

Except they hadn't started that far from the junction. At that point, they were merely normal lane dividers.

PasturesNew

Noble_Viking wrote: »

Was I wrong to do 50mph on a motorway in rush hour when I can clearly expect queues of traffic ahead.

In short: Yes.

The outside lane is for overtaking only - or at least travelling at the same speed as everybody else. If there's anybody behind you then you must consider pulling to the left so they can overtake.

Thinking ahead isn't really an option. Sitting in the outside lane is an offence - and others might/will become aggressive with you for it - even undertaking and potentially causing an accident if you do suddenly decide to get into the left hand lane without checking properly.

Although it's nigh on impossible, at times, to cross lanes when there's a decision point, you just have to pucker up your bottom and go for it.

Motorway driving when there are lane decisions to be made in the coming 1 mile isn't easy at all....

If you wanted to be in that lane you should at least have "created a clump" with those in front of you, so anybody coming up behind you might think "Ah, even if that a-hole moves out of my way, there are 3 other a-holes in front of him".

Mercdriver

AdrianC wrote: »

Except they hadn't started that far from the junction. At that point, they were merely normal lane dividers.

The way I read the OP, it is ambiguous. This is J32 Eastbound of M4 at half a mile before the junction. As you can see, the hatching is already in place with the left two lanes going to A470 and right two lanes onward towards Newport and ultmately, London:




The OP should be in the second lane from the right next to the dividing line.

If the lanes haven't yet divided like this then it's a different situation and the OP is in the wrong lane. But I read it like the image above

Car_54

PasturesNew wrote: »

Sitting in the outside lane is an offence - and others might/will become aggressive with you for it - even undertaking and potentially causing an accident if you do suddenly decide to get into the left hand lane without checking properly.

Sitting in the outside lane is certainly an offence, although you are unlikely to live long enough to be prosecuted.

"Hogging" the outside lane is not an offence, though it could be seen as careless/inconsiderate driving.

unforeseen

If the OP is coming from the East along the A580 then the signage for the A666/M61 split on the slip road and indication to use the right hand lane is just before the split. If the OP took the right hand lane as she came off the A580 then there is a good mile to mile and a half of standard 2 lane carriageway. No wonder the others were upset if that was the case.

If she came from the west then the signposting and 'laning'starts fairly soon after taking the slip so fair enough

martinsurrey

Mercdriver wrote: »

The way I read the OP, it is ambiguous. This is J32 Eastbound of M4 at half a mile before the junction. As you can see, the hatching is already in place with the left two lanes going to A470 and right two lanes onward towards Newport and ultmately, London:




The OP should be in the second lane from the right next to the dividing line.

If the lanes haven't yet divided like this then it's a different situation and the OP is in the wrong lane. But I read it like the image above

that's not the right junction.

its a 2 lane stretch, the hatchings start 100m from the split, and the op was in the right lane from 800m out.

Mercdriver

martinsurrey wrote: »

that's not the right junction.

its a 2 lane stretch, the hatchings start 100m from the split, and the op was in the right lane from 800m out.

I'm not saying it is. In the OP it doesn't state which one it is. This is an example only as I stated the first time I posted it a few pages ago. The above picture is also at 800m out

Manxman_in_exile

Mercdriver - but if the OP was in the lane you suggest (second from the right, third from the left) then the other drivers would not have needed to undertake. They could have just used the fourth lane on the left and overtaken normally.


I assume (perhaps wrongly) that the OP was in the fourth lane themselves.

Mercdriver

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

Mercdriver - but if the OP was in the lane you suggest (second from the right, third from the left) then the other drivers would not have needed to undertake. They could have just used the fourth lane on the left and overtaken normally.


I assume (perhaps wrongly) that the OP was in the fourth lane themselves.

That would be correct if you assume that the OP is in the wrong lane without knowing the exact layout of the section of motorway they were on.

I'll be clear in saying that the OP may well have been driving too slow for the conditions, and yes, this can be inconsiderate (whether criminally so is another matter and depends on the individual circumstances) in a situation where there are only 2 active lanes.

The OP really should drive for the current conditions and be aware of possible conditions, not drive for possible conditions. If he/she doesn't feel comfortable enough to do this (and motorways are far more safe than most A and B roads) then he/she should take some motorway classes from a motoring school or perhaps get further training with ROSPA or IAM.