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An awful lot of drivers seem to complain about people "hogging the centre lane" but I think this is far preferable to continually changing lanes. If the inside lane is empty for quarter of a mile or so ahead, fair enough, use it. But if there is slow moving traffic in the inside lane ahead, it makes no sense at all to keep moving out into the middle lane to pass it and then move back in again.

There is nothing more confusing than to have someone overtake you when you are doing 70 in the middle lane, then pull into the inside lane (presumably to show what a smart ---- he is!) and then immediately pull out again to pass a lorry or elderly man in an Allegro.

The outside lane is for overtaking and should be available to anyone wishing to pass someone in the centre lane, although I accept it is often full of Richard Heads pushing their firm's Fords and Vauxhalls to the limit.

Another point is that if the person in the centre lane is doing 70mph you shouldn't be passing him anyway!

 

Couldn't agree less. If you feel this is acceptable, you shouldn't be on the roads.

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Intolerance about the way others drive and getting hot under the collar isn’t good either on the roads or this forum, so let’s leave out the personal stuff please Fats. Everyone has different styles and levels of ability when it comes to motorway driving and the trick is to understand and make allowances for this.

 

To my way of thinking, it’s not just the 70mph limit that needs updating, it’s the advice as well that needs a complete rehash. Mention the fast lane to a copper and he’ll be down on you like a ton of bricks telling you there’s no such thing, it’s an overtaking lane! Total rubbish (IMO) that doesn’t reflect real life and the way the motorway has evolved over the years.

 

These days the motorways can gets so congested that rules for overtaking go out of the window and it’s a case of just pick a lane and try to stick with it as best you can. Now somewhere between this mega congestion and a perfectly clear road the rules need to start being applied and the Highway Code doesn’t tell you exactly where.

 

The "missing rule" should state that when driving at the limit, you still have to move over for anyone else travelling faster. This is the "killer rule" that they wont print because it’s accepting that people go over the limit.

 

We could go on all day with stuff like this. Anyhow it’s shopping now then pond clearing time this afternoon. Need to make some hay while we can.

 

Bill :)

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In fact,lane two is also an overtaking lane and normally these days, the lanes are called one, two, three and possibly four. The highway code advice is to always keep in the left lane (one) if the road ahead is clear. That seems fairly obvious to me, moving into another lane when necessary to make progress. The overtaking rules should never go out of the window, that is just dangerous if some drivers obey them and others do not.

 

Advanced drivers are taught to drive 'to the limit' when conditions and traffic allow, but not over it, whilst always being aware that other drivers are not necessarily going to drive to the same standards.

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There is nothing more confusing than to have someone overtake you when you are doing 70 in the middle lane, then pull into the inside lane (presumably to show what a smart ---- he is!) and then immediately pull out again to pass a lorry or elderly man in an Allegro.

 

If there's room for someone to come round you, come across the front of you into the inside lane, then pull out again before catching up with a slow moving Allegro - then what the HELL were you doing sitting out there in the middle lane!!!

 

The outside lane is for overtaking

 

ALL lanes except the inside one are for overtaking only! Please refresh your knowledge of the highway code as a matter of urgency. (Obs will be able to help you with the bits about box junctions :wink: )

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If you drive in Germany or France on their motorways you will always find the following:

 


  •  
  • The majority of their drivers tend to keep to the right (their nearside) unless overtaking
  • They will flash you and expect you to get out of the way if they are travelling in the same lane as you and faster than you are
  • They don't have police patrols like we do (although I have noticed the increased use of covert cars on French motorways over the past few years)
  • Regardless of how fast you drive and how big your car is, there will always be a Citroen Saxo that will flash you out of the way
    [*}No matter if you are overtaking, the car wanting to overtake you will expertly sit 1.7 inches behind you at all times until you get out of the way

 

No one moans about being flashed and almost everyone complies with the get over to the nearside unless you are overtaking rule

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Tailgateing the car in front, appears to apply to all roads and speeds - it's as if folk are in a queue and just can't allow anyone in before them - hence the blocking of junctions etc. If common sense was common, there would be no need for "rules" at all. :roll:

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Intolerance about the way others drive and getting hot under the collar isn’t good either on the roads or this forum, so let’s leave out the personal stuff please Fats. Everyone has different styles and levels of ability when it comes to motorway driving and the trick is to understand and make allowances for this.

There was no personal stuff there bill. And yes everyone has different styles, that doesn't mean that said different style should involve ignoring the rules of the road, or are you saying that it's ok to drink drive if I felt that would be more my style?

 

Middle lane hogging is the worst general driving error and annoyance on the roads today.

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Can't disagree with Fats on that. There is nothing more annoying than someone sitting in the middle lane, when the slow lane is clear for hundreds of yards.

 

The sad thing is that I don't think they know any better. Perhaps it's time that the Government spent some of our road tax on adverts on TV explaining what the lanes are for.

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Nope just as all the other Richard Heads in the world wont take note of anything else either.

 

Time out for me in general now.... Richard Heads have clearly won and are taking over the world :roll:

 

(I of course exclude all of you in that statement, I think :unsure::wink: )

 

Shame I never did get upto my possible 70 mph <_<

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Fats.

 

Let’s just run through what you don’t like about the way both Horace and myself drive that’s so bad that you think we shouldn’t be on the roads. :angry:

 

We’re both in the middle lane driving right on the legal limit. There are slower moving lorries on the inside lane but the outside lane is clear.

 

Now you come along (exceeding the limit btw) expecting us to get out of your way. You’re not content to overtake though, you want to teach us a lesson by cutting across us and proving we could have fitted in the gap between those lorries. I hit the brakes as Horace does the same and the word pillock can clearly be heard in both cars.

 

I’m just resetting the cruise control back when I brake when Horace brakes to avoid “our teacher” who’s now pulling out to avoid the slow lorry. Now Fats, this is exactly what Horace described as not good and what I agreed with so where exactly are we going wrong (in your opinion)

 

People who stick in the middle lane can be annoying especially when the inside lanes empty but they certainly aren’t the worst drivers, that title’s reserved for the plonkers that think they know better than everyone else and who are prepared to incite road rage to make their point.

 

Bill :)

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But what about the cases where you are driving in the otherwise empty left hand lane at the legal limit and come accross the bloke in the hat (they always wear a hat) in the middle lane doing 68mph? Do you:

 

a. Pull accross to the outside lane, overtake and then pull back into the inside lane?

b. Slow down to match the other car's speed?

c. Overtake on the inside?

 

If you chose a. could this be construed as trying to teach the other driver a lesson or just common sense?

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The law requires you to choose A, but of course without showing any aggression whilst carrying out this manoeuvre! No police car is ever going to stop you on a motorway for safely carrying out an overtake at 72/75 mph. Should you choose option C then you do run the risk of a telling off for undertaking but the other driver would also be in the wrong for not keeping left.

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But what about the cases where you are driving in the otherwise empty left hand lane at the legal limit and come accross the bloke in the hat (they always wear a hat) in the middle lane doing 68mph? Do you:

 

a. Pull accross to the outside lane, overtake and then pull back into the inside lane?

b. Slow down to match the other car's speed?

c. Overtake on the inside?

 

If you chose a. could this be construed as trying to teach the other driver a lesson or just common sense?

 

The correct answer must surely be "a"

 

"b" would apply if you are approaching your exit when it doesn't really matter anyway.

 

Taking option "c" is very risky because if the chap decides to pull into the nearside lane just as you are undertaking, you would be liable. Proving that the other party was travelling at 60 mph or whatever would be difficult. Explaining why you decided to undertake would be an admission of guilt!!

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Seem to remember a term "thinking distance", refering to the distance moved while the driver reacts to a situation - the greater the road speed, the greater the "thinking distance" and in the case of Richard Heads, this can be a even greater - so happy pile ups! :D :grin:

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People who stick in the middle lane can be annoying especially when the inside lanes empty but they certainly aren’t the worst drivers, that title’s reserved for the plonkers that think they know better than everyone else and who are prepared to incite road rage to make their point.

 

Bill :)

So people driving correctly, and pulling into the furthest left lane at the earliest opportunity after overtaking middle lane hoggers, cause you to go into a fit of road rage?

 

You understand how everything you've said here is wrong Bill?

 

 

I note you also patronisingly refer to someone driving correctly in this manner as "your teacher", and yet you also feel that middle lane hogging is perfectly acdeptable, because anyone overtaking you would be "exceeding the limit btw". So you don't feel that you have anything to learn about your own incorrect driving style, yet are happy to preach, and in fact actively police other drivers on the roads?

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No it doesn’t Fats and if you’d taken the trouble to read the posts correctly before jumping to conclusions you’d see that we were talking about when the inside lane contains slow moving traffic.

 

If the inside lane is empty for quarter of a mile or so ahead, fair enough, use it. But if there is slow moving traffic in the inside lane ahead, it makes no sense at all to keep moving out into the middle lane to pass it and then move back in again.

You’ve totally missed the point and if I were you I’d stop now before you show yourself up even more.

 

Bill :)

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No it doesn’t Fats and if you’d taken the trouble to read the posts correctly before jumping to conclusions you’d see that we were talking about when the inside lane contains slow moving traffic.

 

 

You’ve totally missed the point and if I were you I’d stop now before you show yourself up even more.

 

Bill :)

Bill, if the inside lane is full, then who on earth would expect someone to pull into it? No-one is talking about that, we are talking about middle lane hogging.

 

You both seem to be making the incredible argument that it is somehow strenuous and ridiculous to pull over into the inside lane and pull out again when there are gaps in traffic.

 

There is nothing difficult, strenuous, or indeed as Horace tries to intimate, confusing, about moving into the correct and empty inner lane to free up lanes and over-taking space in the middle and outside lanes, and then over-taking again when encountering further slow moving traffic.

 

Would either of you over-take on a normal A road, and stay on the wrong side becasue there was another lorry a quarter mile ahead? That's how ridiculous Horace's point is.

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Got to agree with fatshaft on this one.... get over to the near side at the earliest opportunity. No one is saying you overtake, pull in again and then pull straight out again because another vehicle is in your way; you make a judgement which should be that if the car coming up behind you is likely to get to you befoire you get to the next vehicle on the nearside and he can't pull ou to lane 3, then you move over and let him past. If he can pull out and overtake you then fine, stay in the middle lane as long as you are gaining on the vehicle nearside and not hogging the middle lane!!

 

My dad was a chauffeur; Police trained advanced driver and Class 1 heavy goods and countless driving and safety awards to his name as well as being a Rolls Royce advanced trained chauffeur.... he always used to say to me; "treat everyone else on the road as a complete idiot; capable of doing the most stupid of manouvres at any time ... and you won't go far wrong!!"

 

I always used to nod.... because I knew better....I guess he was right after all :D

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Agreed Fatshaft. Everyone on the motorway should be aware of where they are and who is around them. And on this basis a driver tootling along in the centre lane should be just as aware of traffic overtaking on the nearside as the offside, which should indicate that they are in the wrong lane. I would be the last person to claim that I'm an expert driver (on the road!) but I have done a good amount of motorway driving in my 40 years of holding a licence. :wink: :wink: :wink:

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Bill, if the inside lane is full, then who on earth would expect someone to pull into it?

Only an idiot would and that’s why Horace and myself stay exactly where we are.

 

The idiot might be able to pass and squeeze between the lorries before having to pull out again but just because an idiot can do this, doesn’t mean that we should? Horace finds idiots that do this a bit irritating and I agree with him.

 

In a nutshell that’s what was said, so how the heck do you make out that we should be thrown off the roads?

 

You also say “We’re not talking about when the inside lane is full.” Excuse me, In your mind you might not be but that’s exactly what we were talking about before you joined this conversation. I think you really should try reading the posts properly before you start calling fellow posters especially given we all condem bad lane discipline and lane hogging.

 

Bill :)

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