Are National Express drivers trained to stay in the middle lane?

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  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 6,829
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    So when you are observing these Buses which lane are you occupying in your VW Van or your C class Merc or your other car. :D

    Are you also still worried about your increase in Insurance due to being rear ended? Did you spend the £100 to get your van serviced? Not sure why you were concerned about the cost when it would be an expense to your limited company? ;)

    I take it you don't have to think about starting your pension now and you have managed to find an accountant who can give you proper financial advice. ;)

    As this has been bothering you for a couple of months maybe you could ask this on a Forum for Bus and Coach drivers. :rotfl:
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  • Mercdriver
    Mercdriver Posts: 3,898
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    Deastons wrote: »
    They are. Which is why I'm in search of facts rather than relying on my assumption.
    What makes you think you will find facts on an internet message board? You will find only opinions by and large - in my opinion, of course.
  • Mercdriver
    Mercdriver Posts: 3,898
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    Deastons wrote: »
    You'll notice it now!

    There must be a reason. They're professional, trained drivers (I assume). They should know more than anyone the fact it's illegal to hog the middle lane, so I can only assume they take that chance because they're told by head office to do it because it's safer or something.

    Surely there's a NE driver on this forum...

    Slight pedant hat on here, but can you point me to the actual legislation you are referring to here? By that I don't mean a link to The Sun or the Daily Fail or some other tabloid publication. It is one of the things that the police will look at in regard to DWDCA, but it isn't, despite what the papers say a separate offence. It is an interpretive fault of driving that may put the driver facing an accusation of their driving falling below the standard of a careful driver, but it isn't a slam dunk.

    As 'hogging' is a subjective term, you cannot simply describe it as illegal. It's not as black and white as being above the posted speed limit.
  • AndyMc.....
    AndyMc..... Posts: 3,248
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    sevenhills wrote: »
    Most of the newer limos are required to be fitted with a 62mph speed limiter.

    As I said it doesn't stop them using lane 3.
  • Deastons
    Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
    Merlin139 wrote: »
    So when you are observing these Buses which lane are you occupying in your VW Van or your C class Merc or your other car. :D

    Depends. Usually as I move from lane 1 to 3 to overtake them.
    Merlin139 wrote: »
    Are you also still worried about your increase in Insurance due to being rear ended? Did you spend the £100 to get your van serviced? Not sure why you were concerned about the cost when it would be an expense to your limited company? ;)

    Not sure what any of that has to do with National Express coaches...
    Merlin139 wrote: »
    I take it you don't have to think about starting your pension now and you have managed to find an accountant who can give you proper financial advice. ;)

    Again, not sure what this has to do with my question. I'm kind of confused why you've bothered to go trawling back over my previous threads.
    Merlin139 wrote: »
    As this has been bothering you for a couple of months maybe you could ask this on a Forum for Bus and Coach drivers. :rotfl:

    I'm not a member of a forum for bus and coach drivers, but thanks for the suggestion.
  • Mercdriver
    Mercdriver Posts: 3,898
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    Deastons wrote: »
    I'm not a member of a forum for bus and coach drivers, but thanks for the suggestion.

    So why not join one and ask the question there? Or are you too scared you won't be liked very much?
  • Deastons
    Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
    Mercdriver wrote: »
    So why not join one and ask the question there? Or are you too scared you won't be liked very much?

    Because I'm not a bus or coach driver.
  • reeac
    reeac Posts: 1,430
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    Deastons wrote: »
    I first noticed it a few months ago - every time I see a National Express coach on the motorway, it's in the middle lane. I've now seen it far too much for it to be a coincidence.

    Lane 1 can be completely empty for as far as the eye can see, but the the coach will be sitting in lane 2 at a steady 65mph-ish.

    These are professional drivers, so I can't believe it's just lazy lane hogging. So do National Express train their drivers to stay in lane 2? Is there some sort of safety aspect? A coach is carrying up to 50-odd people after all.

    I'd love to find one of these motorways with an empty lane 1. On the motorways that I use that lane is always nose to tail with big lorries with lane 2 being not much better.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,077
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    HGV's are now allowed to travel at 60mph on motorways

    HGVs have always been allowed to travel at 60MPH on motorways. That was the speed limit for HGVs on motorways when I passed my test in the early 90s. What happened was that speed limiters became mandatory for all HGVs registered after 1/1/1988 and over time the ones without limiters reached end of life so you only see ones with limiters fitted. Thanks to us being in the EU the limit they had to be set to was 90KPH/56MPH. The UK speed limit for HGVs on motorways never changed.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,077
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    As I said it doesn't stop them using lane 3.

    Yeah actually it does. If it is fitted with a speed limiter it isn't allowed in the outside lane of a 3 or more lane wide motorway.
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