Tailgating and lane hogging motorway fines started today.

[Icy Gull]

Lets hope you get a few fines so you adopt better driving skills and a less arrogant and selfish attitude towards other motorists.

I notice you chose to quote just a part of my post completely changing the meaning of it.

As I move over if there is a faster car behind me I doubt I'll ever get fined for lane hogging. Maybe you drive a car that has sponge like suspension, but my car feels every one of the bumps, holes and dips in the inside lane of most well used motorways. I spend quite a bit of time abroad and am quite happy to sit on the inside lane on French motorways because they are properly maintained.

I bet you travel at the speed limit and refuse to move over too however long the snake of cars behind you, from the tone of your post.

 

[Surrey Seagull]

Almost always true.

Can I suggest that everyone buys a Skoda Fabia? Mine has such excellent suspension that I have never once had serious problems with surfaces on motorway inside lanes. The rear view mirrors are very good too, allowing me to move between lanes as appropriate without problem to me or other drivers.

(And for what it's worth the fuel consumption is such that it can often achieve the magic averages of 60mpg/60mph on the 240 mile journey between north Lincs and Mid-Sussex.)

Getting off topic, is your Fabia a petrol or diesel? If it's a petrol, then that's pretty impressive mpg.

 

[beorhthelm]

middle lane hogging is when you arent overtaking of making any progress on the inside lane. if you are going at such a speed that you arent meaningfull catching the next car in the inside lane, why not pull in? anyway, i think the objective of the lane hogging fines is where people are outright slower than the inside lane.

 

[ewe2]

We all think that we are the best driver on the road !!!

 

[Diego Napier]

Well I ride a motorcycle & mostly avoid the inside lane like the plague. Perhaps I'll just ask the copper that will inevitably nick me (for using the middle lane) if he or she fancies a go on my bike - amongst the awful ruts & loose tarmac - & show me how it's done.

Which motorways have those?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

...a less arrogant and selfish attitude towards other motorists.

(Cyclists) should all be shot without trial or drivers should have the right to run over offenders once the lights have changed.

Just motorists and not all road users?

 

[The Rivet]

I like to choose the inside lane, when it's clear and I also have a mid-lane hogging driver in front of me. I match their speed all the while I am able, speed up, slow down, doesn't bother me but, they soon learn when they miss their exit for work!


Ps it's not only the law that can legally get away with rolling road blocks.

 

[timco]

middle lane hogging is when you arent overtaking of making any progress on the inside lane. if you are going at such a speed that you arent meaningfull catching the next car in the inside lane, why not pull in? anyway, i think the objective of the lane hogging fines is where people are outright slower than the inside lane.

They should see the M40 on the way back from Brighton after an evening game, empty motorway and some tit feels it is appropriate to be in the middle lane doing 60 so I have to pull across 3 lanes to pass them then back across 3 lanes to the correct lane just to pass them.

I have also, so far, not seen any police car that will be nicking these fools.

 

[Driver8]

We all think that we are the best driver on the road !!!

Actually, I am.

 

[MaggieT83]

They should see the M40 on the way back from Brighton after an evening game, empty motorway and some tit feels it is appropriate to be in the middle lane doing 60 so I have to pull across 3 lanes to pass them then back across 3 lanes to the correct lane just to pass them.

I have also, so far, not seen any police car that will be nicking these fools.

You dont need to do this. I agree the other driver is a tit, however, if you are already in the left lane and they are sitting in the middle you can go past and it doesnt count as undertaking. It is only if you manoeuvre/lane change to go past them on the left that it is classed as undertaking. Only learnt this myself recently at a defensive driving course i had to attend through work.

Also going with the general topic. I would say lane changing is very situational. You should always look as far ahead and behind you as possible so you are aware of what's around and can avoid making loads of last minute decisions and keep a constant speed.

 

[Spicy]

Tailgating Yes; but middle lane hogging?? Are folk supposed to mix it on the criminally-rutted inside lane with the nose-to-tail trucks & dozy caravan haulers then. Sod that for a lark. All it will lead to is more people in the outside lane pathetically attempting not to get nicked for tailgating (again). Brilliant.

There is middle lane driving and middle lane hogging - surely the two are different? IMO the middle lane hoggers are those who do 60 in the middle lane despite traffic on the inside moving faster than them and people having to go from the inside lane to the outside lane and back again just to overtake. If you are in the middle lane keeping up with the traffic or moving faster than the inside lane, is that still middle lane hogging?

 

[tubaman]

This is just publicity. There are NO new offences. The legislation merely allows a ticket to be issued for the offence of driving without due care and attention.

 

[Notters]

Wankers who brake first and then indicate is one of my pet hates

I refuse to use the inside lane on most motorways, it's almost like driving cross country. I will move over to let two faster cars in the middle and outside lane past but then I'll pop straight back out again into the middle lane.

They used to be bad I admit, but generally they're ok now. I drove to leicester and back the other day for example, raining most of the way and didn't see any rutting. To say it's like driving cross country on most motorways is laughable. There are some slightly dodgy parts of the M20 and M6 at the moment though.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

Getting off topic, is your Fabia a petrol or diesel? If it's a petrol, then that's pretty impressive mpg.

It's a diesel, a 2009 with the last of the VW 1.9 litre engines. I get between 53 and 55mpg locally, and 60-and-a-bit on a run, in part because at 80 she is revving at less than 2,500. It's noisy but I don't mind.

Skoda are replacing the current Fabia early next year but I'm not planning to change it.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Middle lane hogging is when there's no one in the slow lane and the driver is clearly arrogantly 'hogging' the middle lane meaning everyone has to go around them in the fast lane.

Middle lane hogging isn't using the middle lane when there is a load of lorries in the slow lane.

As for tailgaters - absolute f**kers and deserve all they get!

 

[Muzzy]

My guess is that people who drive at 50-60 mph hogging the middle lane are the twats that the police will be dealing with. These idiots need to learn how to use a motorway. Keeping up with the flow of traffic is all twats need to do!

 

[trueblue]

As there are next to no police on the motorway these days, will it really make much difference?

 

[Surrey Seagull]

It's a diesel, a 2009 with the last of the VW 1.9 litre engines. I get between 53 and 55mpg locally, and 60-and-a-bit on a run, in part because at 80 she is revving at less than 2,500. It's noisy but I don't mind.

Skoda are replacing the current Fabia early next year but I'm not planning to change it.

Still pretty impressive for a 1.9 diesel. I get about the same with my 1.6 diesel Golf mk.7...although I only get 50 around town, best so has been 65 mpg on the motorway but I've only done 1,000 miles so far.

 

[tip top]

Just out of interest but if I filmed a lane hogger or someone tailgating and handed that footage to the old bill, could they prosecute?

 

[BLOCK F]

Must say that having driven housands of miles on motorways over the years,I don't regard middle lane hogging as a big problem.Most drivers in the middle lane are usually travelling at about the speed limit and are not holding anyone up except those who wang down regardless in the outside lane exceeding the speed limit.
I cannot really think that constantly pulling out from the inside lane to the middle lane and back is any more conducive to road safety than travelling at the speed limit in the middle lane.I see very few instances of hoggers travelling at inappropriately low sppeeds in the middle lane these days.
Travelled from Chichester to Oxford and back yesterday and in pretty busy conditions with some heavy rain at times,the traffic proceeded pretty well along the M27,M3 and the A34.No problems from middle lane hoggers at all.