Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22770064
I know the Highway Code says to 'stay left' but still, weaving in and out of lorries, which this will cause, is going to cause more accidents IMO.
Not sure how hogging the middle lane is 'a menace' either, it's not exactly a dangerous thing to do.
What will happen if there's a gap big enough to move over but you stay out to overtake the next lorry, you'll potentially get fined, even if it made more sense to stay out.
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Nath
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Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: MK
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Sometimes there is no excuse to be in the middle lane. Winds me up. They don't even get the hint if you're behind them. More dangerous forcing people into the 'fast' lane to overtake IMO.
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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This will encourage people to move in and out, in and out, all the way from London to Manchester.
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Jay
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Registered: 26th Sep 04
Location: Liverpool
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It should be for not keeping up with the flow of traffic, not just for being in the middle lane, very often you end up behind someone doing roughly 60, why not drop 3-4mph and sit behind a lorry? I agree to it to a point but it does seem daft.
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Graeme
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Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
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quote:
Originally posted by Robin
This will encourage people to move in and out, in and out, all the way from London to Manchester.
The way it should be. The amount of congestion it caused by people sitting in the middle lane when there is clearly enough room to move in is annoying.
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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I wholeheartedly agree with fining middle lane hoggers-absolute pain in the arse. We're not talking about staying out when there's a line of trucks, it's people who insist on sitting out when there's no reason to; when there's a country mile to the next obstacle in lane 1. Done properly, it should help to alleviate congestion-how many times do you sit in lane 2 or 3 barely overtaking those inside you to find that it was all caused by someone sat blinds to their surroundings in lane 2 and once past them, the motorway opens up again.
I still think people should be retested every 10 years up to the age of 70 and then every 5 years thereon which should include driver training incorporating the latest rules and regulations. Motorway use should also be restricted until you've done some kind of pass plus
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FlaFFy_91
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Registered: 30th Sep 08
Location: Formby, Merseyside
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to be honest I don't see the problem with people sat in the middle lane?
the slow lane is full of lorrys, the roats are pot holed to fuck and sank in where the lorrys wheels run over them
and to be honest its not like theres not lanes left to overtake, I will agree with the speed of things though, if your going to do 70 then sit in the middle lane all you want
if your going to pootle along at 50-60 get in the slow lane
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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We should also change motorway speed limits to imitate the French; 80mph (ish) in dry conditions and 65mph(ish) in wet conditions. 80mph is a comfortable motorway speed and one that I guess 90% of regular motorway users stick to
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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I agree that people who sit in the middle lane when there is no traffic anywhere should be penalised.
The problem is the law is so vague, as always, that if you find yourself in a situation when you could move over but would have to pull straight back out, but you choose to stay in the middle, you can be fined. That's not right really, but you wouldn't be able to dispute it.
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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Potholes are good point, hadn't thought about that. I avoid the inside lane on the A14 and M6 as much as I can as I don't want to end up like Nic Barnes did in his BMW.
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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Surely it'll come down to safety; if moving in to move straight out again is likely to cause endangerment to yourself or anyone else then it'll be deemed appropriate to stay out but staying out unnecessarily and causing other road users to perform unnecessary overtakes or even risk undertakes is creating a hazard
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nibnob21
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Registered: 16th May 10
Location: South Derbyshire
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The problem is people think it is America with slow lane fast lane etc.
That's not the rule here. We have the lane you're meant to be in and two overtaking lanes. Middle lane hoggers piss me off no end. The amount of times I've had to go from left lane right outside to the right lane and come back in again just because of some plum thinking they own the road.
And as said they cause traffic flow problems just like bottlenecking. It's right to fine them in my opinion.
MX5 Project Thread
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mwg
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Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
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Can't see it making any difference. There's so many people that hog the middle lane and so few traffic police that it'll only be a tiny percentage that get stopped for it.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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The law isn't vague, stay left unless overtaking, don't weave in and out.
If you'll have a bunch of lorries or slow moving vehicles on the left, stay out. It's the same way it's always been.
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Steve
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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Brilliant news
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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quote:
Originally posted by John
The law isn't vague, stay left unless overtaking, don't weave in and out.
If you'll have a bunch of lorries or slow moving vehicles on the left, stay out. It's the same way it's always been.
It is vague. What defines a gap large enough? I might feel a gap isn't big enough, someone else might. That's evident from the amount of tailgaters.
If I don't feel the gap is big enough to move over but the police car near me does, I'll get fined.
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A2H GO
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Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
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I don't think the problem is middle lane hoggers, the motorways these days are always so full there is rarely an opportunity where it's sensible to move to lane 1 without having to pull out again immediately. Especially as when you do you can't get out again for ages due to congestion in the middle lane.
There are so many cars trying to use the motorways these days certain parts need to be 4 lanes.
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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Robin, define a tailgater.....
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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Ash, the problem with motorways is that very few people actually know how to use them correctly
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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quote:
Originally posted by LiVe LeE
Robin, define a tailgater.....
Really?
Someone who sits too close to the vehicle in front, not leaving a safe distance.
My point is, 'safe distance' is vague.
I might class someone as tailgating when you might not...
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Tom
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Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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No idea how they police this, but I agree in theory.
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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Precisely my point; it's all down to perception as to we're something is safe or not. However, a middle lane hogger is not someone who is sitting out but still making headway passing vehicles in lane 1.
A middle lane hogger is the type who have no reason to be in lane 2 at all. See example above where people have to move out of lane 1 to lane 3 to overtake someone sat in lane 2 before moving back to lane 1; that is the purpose of this fine
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Robin
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Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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That may be the purpose of the fine by design but because it's open to interpretation to a degree, you run the risk of being penalised by an officer with a pet hate, even if you didn't feel you were wrong.
I agree, anyone driving purely in the middle lane should be fined but I don't think they'll be the only people affected.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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It's open to the interpretation of applying common sense.
Which I agree the police probably won't have btw, but as a normal driver, nothing else is required.
[Edited on 05-06-2013 by John]
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smcGSI16V
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Registered: 26th May 03
Location: Farnborough Drives: Thurlby 888 CDTi No.98
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About time they done this for middle lane hogging. Doing in the region of 800 miles a week on the motorway, I get fed up of going lane 1-3-1 to over take or cruising down lane 1 undertaking people.
[Edited on 05-06-2013 by smcGSI16V]
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