Which is more illegal? Lane Hogging? Or undertaking somebody lane hogging?

takman

Car_54 wrote: »

There must be dozens (or even hundreds) of cases of careless driving heard every day, but very few are reported in the media. That's not a criticism, they're just not news. If any official figures exist, they will simply show the number of CD cases, not the detail. So there are few "facts" to argue about.

My criticism of the media was over the reporting of the 2013 law change, which in most cases was muddled and sensationalised and centred on non-existent "new offences". Not helped by the DfT, who presented it as a major breakthrough, probably to justify the Minister's existence.

Yes I know they are not reported in the media very much but records do still exist so it would be possible to check the details of every Careless Driving case and find out if what the media reporting is true or not.

I can see your point about the way they reported it in 2013 but the DFT obviously wanted it to be a big story and to make a big deal about what people can be prosecuted for to spread awareness. From the amount of people who didn't know it has always been wrong shows that the reporting was actually quite effective.

Nodding_Donkey

If you read the highway code passing a vehicle on the left is perfectly ok in certain situations. It's not a black/white thing.

Gloomendoom

Biggles wrote: »

Even less excuse for doing it, then.

Exactly, but not to her way of thinking.

Gloomendoom

I used to get a bit miffed if somebody came up behind in the outside lane of a motorway and flashed me. Now I just pull over to the left as soon as it's convenient and let them past. Life's too short.

I had it happen once where I toyed with the idea of just putting my foot down, but instead pulled over. Glad I did because the car was an unmarked police car. The copper in the passenger seat smiled and waved at me as they sped past.

I must admit that do get annoyed by those who hog the outside lane at 65. Presumably, with their self righteous eyes glued to an over-reading speedo showing exactly 70.

Tilt

Motorways used correctly SHOULD be the easiest and safest roads to drive on. It's all down to common sense and good driving technique. Unfortunately it seems there are a lot of (mainly) car drivers who simply do not have the capability of either.

Lane 1 is the normal driving lane. It's not the "slow" or HGV lane. Lanes 2 & 3 are overtaking lanes. Also remember (those of you who hog the middle lane) that neither HGVs or coaches can use the 3rd (or outside lane) so they effectively cannot pass a car doing 55mph in the middle lane.

It's as simple as that really.

MEM62

Jlawson118 wrote: »

So both are classed as illegal now but there's a stretch of motorway that I use pretty much everyday that goes from three lanes, to two and back to three quite a lot, and there's so many drivers who hog the second lane and I have no choice but to undertake them somehow..

So I've been curious, as both of us would be breaking the law, but who is actually more in the wrong?

Please show me where the law states that undertaking is illegal?

Tom2023

I have a theory why people hog the middle lanes. It's because we have so many lanes they think everyone else can go around them.

I drove on some 2 lane Italian roads. The inside lane was fast and the outside lane faster. If you dawdled in the outside lane someone would be right up your asre within seconds and you'd be beeped until you moved over. Quite intimidating for people used to British motorways but by Christ the traffic moved.

Mercdriver

Tom2023 wrote: »

I have a theory why people hog the middle lanes. It's because we have so many lanes they think everyone else can go around them.

I drove on some 2 lane Italian roads. The inside lane was fast and the outside lane faster. If you dawdled in the outside lane someone would be right up your asre within seconds and you'd be beeped until you moved over. Quite intimidating for people used to British motorways but by Christ the traffic moved.

In Germany a quick flash of the lights is enough to make people move across. It's not done aggressively and everything seems to move ok.

Cash-Strapped.T32

mchale wrote: »

No it wouldn't, unlikely but say your driving in lane 2, your car cuts out no power you have to get across lane 1 to reach hard shoulder, If your driving correctly ie in lane 1 you can coast on to the hard shoulder without being a hazard to any one.

This situation has happened to me before - on a motorbike (nice little bike too, not a banger for ragging round the fields).

Congested stretch of the M1, about 5.30pm on a weekday.
Konga-line of HGVs in lane 1, all doing 50 or 55.
Lanes 2 & 3 all have cars in, doing what people are gonna do on the commute home from work.

While in lane-2 as part of our own konga-line passing the HGVs, my engine simply cuts out - I try to restart it on the move, not going to happen.
Not a nice feeling to know that in a second or two I'm going to be moving so slowly that to the cars behind I'm effectively stationary in the middle of the motorway, and while just coasting, I need to find a spot to cut into lane-1 so I can access the hard shoulder, in-between the conga line of lorries.

It can, and does happen from time to time that without warning, the vehicle just dies on you - I'd always been pretty strict with myself as to while lane I use on the motorway but after that experience I'm extra careful.
No way of saying it clearer, in anything other than lane-1, your ar*se is hanging out in a 70mph wind if anything goes wrong; why not minimise the amount of time it's flapping loose?

GabbaGabbaHey

Gloomendoom wrote: »

She was livid as there was hardly another car on the motorway.

Biggles wrote: »

Even less excuse for doing it, then.

There is an (advanced) driving argument that suggests that, on an empty-ish motorway, the safest place to drive is actually in the middle lane, as this gives you the maximum number of options should something unexpected (e.g. mechanical failure, debris on the carriageway, large pothole, animal running across the motorway, etc) occur.

Personally, I support the American rule whereby you can pass on either side. The only problem is when you get 3 cars abreast on a 3-lane highway all doing the exact same speed, so that there's no opportunity to pass.