"Middle laners" on motorways. Why do you do it?

Question

It's irritating and it's dangerous as it results in other drivers being caught in a 'bottleneck' or having to take dangerous evasive action. So I'd like to hear from the perpetrator as to why they do it.

Perhaps I should clarify: I am talking about UK motorways (different laws to the USA) and I am talking about when there is no traffic in the inside lane. I had always thought the road rules were: Inside lane (left lane) is the "driving lane", and the middle lane and outside lanes were "overtaking lanes". Am I wrong?

Answer 1

Cause there's usually either a truck or a slow car just ahead and it's too annoying to change back to the inside only to change back to the middle to overtake.

If a middle laner drives at 70 and is faster than those on the inside then what's the problem? If you want to overtake a middle laner then do so on the outside.

If you insist on doing 100 and drive like a maniac, and think people who drive at 70 in the middle lane are dangerous then there's something wrong.

Answer 2

First of all, you Americans have different rules of the road than us in England, which makes your answers completely irrelevant. Also, to some others who have used the terminology of there being a slow lane and a fast lane, this is incorrect. Nowhere does it say that one lane ought to be a designated fast lane, that's just how it works out.

With regards to your question: It annoys me too. When I did a pass plus course on the motorway, the first thing they said is that if the lane to the left of you is clear and you are not approaching a junction where you can see cars coming onto the motorway, then get in it. The speed limit is 70mph in every lane. If everyone kept left, then there would be fewer accidents. Every time someone hogs the middle lane and does under the 70mph limit then this only leaves one lane for the cars behind them to overtake legally. Everyone piles towards this single lane and car spacing reduces dramatically.

We have multiple lanes on motorways because certain vehicles are only allowed to do 60mph on them. The remainder then need some method of passing them if they want to do the limit of 70mph. That's all. So in essence, yes, they should really be used for overtaking only, after which the car should return as far left as is appropriate.

Answer 3

There are a lot of silly answers here from Americans who know nothing about British roads.

Lets be clear that the middle and outside lane are overtaking lanes. I drive down the motorways quite a bit and the typical middle lane hogger is normally some foreign looking person or some loser in a wrecked car.

The police should have a zero tolerance policy against people in overtaking lanes when there is nothing in the left lane.

Answer 4

Ok while we are on the subject of so called "middle laners" why don't I complain about those people that come up behind you in the middle lane whilst you are trying to overtake slower moving traffic and refuse to use the outside lane even though it is clear. I myself use all three lanes of the motorway depending on traffic conditions and have safely used the outside lane at speeds of 75-80 MPH without holding up other road users and then move back across when safe to do so. For example if a caravan is in the middle lane on an overtaking manouvre and the outside lane is clear then I use it to save the problem of traffic in the middle lane being held up. If everybody used all three lanes of the motorway and got over the stigma of the outside lane being the "fast lane" there wouldn't be middle laners.

Answer 5

You people defending the "middle laners" are wrong, you do not know how to use the motorway correctly, here's one simple rule for you to remember : stay left unless you are overtaking. Middle sitters cause uneccesary congestion and sometimes accidents because of your lazy and inconsiderate driving I was travelling down the M1 just after Christmas and was moving faster in the left hand lane then the middle sitters. Either get a move on or get out of the way.

EDIT: The original poster clearly said UK motorways, the rules of the road are different here than in the US, if you tried to exit using the right hand lane you would get yourself into a spot of bother so please dont flame when you have never driven in the UK.

Answer 6

I've been a heavy goods driver for 43 years and use the motorways every day. Most of the so called drivers who straddle the middle lane do so because they are either ignorant or just plain selfish(or both) I can understand their actions when the motorway is congested and full of heavy good vehicles in the slow lane. What I don't understand is..Why do motorist stay in the middle lane when the motorway is pretty clear of traffic ???All vehicles are lethal weapons and when in the wrong hands they are killers but I'm afraid that for most their attitude is "It will never happen to me!"

Answer 7

It's a simple answer really. I drive the middle lane at the posted speed limit. The right lane is for traffic that is either getting onto or off the throughway. The left lane is for emergency vehicles - vehicles going over the posted speed limit and for passing those in the middle lane doing less than the posted speed limit.

Don't want to "bottleneck"? Maintain the legal speed limit, don't follow too closely (maintain at minimum 2 seconds travel time between your vehicle and the vehicle directly in front of you - more if you're in a large vehicle and more if it's raining or foggy).

Another measure of proper following distance is: for every 10 miles per hour there should be a space the length of YOUR vehicle between the vehicle you're driving and the vehicle directly in front of you.

Many rear-end collisions occur because the rear-ender attempts to avoid running into the vehicle ahead. This is WRONG. In an emergency stop you should attempt to stop at minimum your vehicle length behind the vehicle ahead of you.

male, 45, Louisiana - an ex-commercial/professional driver

Answer 8

1.if you are on the inside lane and middle laners are overtaking thats there right
2. if you are in the middle lane and come up to a car then go around it you are allowed.But not on the inside thats undertaking and seriously dangerous.
3. sounds to me like you could be a candidate for road rage.chill out and just dont worry as long as you are driving within the law what does it matter keep the distence of 2 seconds and there you are! it all will be ok really

Answer 9

This is from the drivers handbook in the state in which I learned to drive. It makes the rules very clear what each lane is for...
Right lane, is for entering and exiting the highway, left lane, is for passing, middle lane is for through traffic.
Staying in the middle lane is not dangerous, unless you are being a fool and criss-crossing the interstate like a speed demon, and it is definitely not illegal.
I know already that I won't have a best answer for this one even though I am telling the facts, because you are looking for sympathy to your offensive habit and statement.

Answer 10

Defensive driving 101:

Give yourself as many options as possible.

The fast lane should be kept as clear as possible to allow for passing of slower vehicles and to give a lane to the people who cannot control themselves within the restraints of the law.

The slow lane is where the traffic goes to exit.

All three lanes exist for the steady flow of traffic and many states ban the use of the fast lane for anything but passing, i.e. Texas. Drivng in the middle lane gives me the most options to steer clear of stupid people.

You must observe this quite often for you to take time to write such a question... I think it's time to reflect on your own driving habits before you make up a whole new category of people to put down... middle laners.... how lame is that?