Lane hogging has become epidemic

Supersonos

I do most of my driving around London and the home counties - M25, M1, M4, M40 etc.

Most drivers simply don't know or don't care how to use lanes correctly and I find myself overtaking on the inside more and more.

Lane 1 of the M25 during the evening/night is essentially empty and the fastest/easiest lane to use. Most vehicles sit in lane 3 when there are 4 lanes, so I can drive along in lane 1 with a lane between myself and them.

I used to drive correctly myself - indicating all the way from lane 1 to lane 4, overtaking and then returning to lane 1... only to have to do it again a minute later when I approach the next lane-hogger.

People on this board must be lane-hoggers, so why do you do it? What's wrong with lane 1? And what's wrong with doing 70mph rather than the 50-60mph you seem to choose to do?

spadoosh

I play a game called orbiting.

Overtake in third lane, go back to first then slow down to be overtaken and repeat. See how many times you can go round them before either you get bored or they move over. My record is 11 (i got bored).

You have my sympathies, last time i went to london i noticed it did seem particularly bad round there with middle lane drivers.

Tom99

With 4 lanes, lane 1 is usually the turn off lane and you will get stuck behind a lorry and have to slow down.

Sea_Shell

What I've noticed happening is that if the gap to the next lorry (or whatever) is perceived to be not worth pulling back into, because they're going to have to TRY and pull back out again into a stream of other cars also not pulling in after the vehicle they've just overtaken, they just don't bother.

It's like chicken v. egg.

How many lorry lengths do you consider a big enough gap to be worthy of pulling back into??

Obviously no one's going to risk a small gap and take away the lorry's stopping distance. Which from a bit of googling is 365ft at 50mph! Or 5 seconds.

Aylesbury_Duck

I agree, it's a common feature of my travels on the M2, M20, M25 and M3 where lane 1 (or 2 where 1 regularly turns into an exit lane) are empty to the point where I can cruise along at 60-70mph unimpeded for ages whilst traffic in the lanes to the right of me is no faster overall, often slower and occasionally bunches.

I love it. I get a lane largely to myself, I can travel at a speed I'm happy with without having to constantly adjust my speed and I have the security of the hard shoulder if I need it.

DoaM

It's not just down there ... the M74 and M8 up here suffer the same issues. I've also taken to staying in my lane and "undertaking" people if they can't be arrissed to use proper lane discipline. Am I committing an offence? Possibly but I'm fed up with lane hopping trying to pass Middle Lane Morons.

Supersonos

Tom99 wrote: »

With 4 lanes, lane 1 is usually the turn off lane and you will get stuck behind a lorry and have to slow down.

Sometimes it is, but not always. You're probably one of the drivers that assumes lane 1 is a turn off lane and/or doesn't want the effort of overtaking a slower vehicle so just sits in the middle lane.

If the lane to your left is clear, move over. The signs and road markings will tell you if lane 1 is exclusively for the next turn off.

harz99

Supersonos wrote: »

I do most of my driving around London and the home counties - M25, M1, M4, M40 etc.

Most drivers simply don't know or don't care how to use lanes correctly and I find myself overtaking on the inside more and more.

Lane 1 of the M25 during the evening/night is essentially empty and the fastest/easiest lane to use. Most vehicles sit in lane 3 when there are 4 lanes, so I can drive along in lane 1 with a lane between myself and them.

I used to drive correctly myself - indicating all the way from lane 1 to lane 4, overtaking and then returning to lane 1... only to have to do it again a minute later when I approach the next lane-hogger.

People on this board must be lane-hoggers, so why do you do it? What's wrong with lane 1? And what's wrong with doing 70mph rather than the 50-60mph you seem to choose to do?

Cruise control...

System

Tom99 wrote: »

With 4 lanes, lane 1 is usually the turn off lane and you will get stuck behind a lorry and have to slow down.

Or maybe see the fast approaching lorry, check your mirrors, stick your indicators on (I know, strange concept for an Audi/BMW driver), check mirrors again and move into L2 when its safe to do so and pass. Its funny how I manage to do that dozens of times every single day without any issue in a vehicle much much larger than a car.

If you're getting stuck behind lorries or even think that you will then that says more about the standards of YOUR driving.

Oh and if you think nothing is being done about it....

https://twitter.com/NWmwaypolice/status/1130573069951676418

Jackmydad

What I find is that people won't stop in their proper place, which is the left hand lane, however many lanes there are, and keep moving out into my lanes, which are all the others.
Sometimes they won't even get back over when I drive right up behind them flashing my headlights!

mchale

Tom99 wrote: »

With 4 lanes, lane 1 is usually the turn off lane and you will get stuck behind a lorry and have to slow down.

Sorry Tom but lane 1 is the driving lane , the other lanes are for overtaking.