Why when you are in slowmoving traffic but in the fast lane, the slow and middle lane is going faster than you

Answer 1

Good one......it's called the wave effect....vehs in lane 3 generally travel faster when the road is clear...however when someone touches the brake pedal...regardless of how fast they slow, each vehicle behind brakes slightly harder causing the traffic behind to virtually stop. So if you drive in lane 3 a lot...leave a bigger gap and try to slow using gears before you brake and you dont cause a traffic jam behind you!

Answer 2

Totally agree with Delboys-B answer but need to add...alot of drivers don't leave enough space between them & car in front which means they have to break harder. Also too many drivers use the brake too much. The slightest hint of a car in front's break lights coming on and the hit their brakes when in fact the car in front isn't slowing down at all (just tickling the brake pedal). I wish drivers would realise this and watch to see if the car in front is actually slowing or not and "why not simply ease off the accelerator instead of braking!" This will slow you down too.
As for the other lanes speeding up it's likely that the drivers in these lanes leave bigger gaps and thus have space to slow gradually combined with the fact that some plonkers are determined to get the the "Fast lane" in the false perception that it "always" moves faster. The slow lane often is the one to get moving again first partly because it has alot of lorrry drivers who (a) have a better view of the road ahead & (b) leave bigger gaps.
I think the speed limit should be increased on Motorways and less attention paid to speed traps - INSTEAD have very heavy fines for drivers who do not leave a safe distance. This could be done BUT quatifying a cars speed is easier (and any easy money earner).

Answer 3

Also, in the UK at least, so many vehicles are capable of cruising at speeds above the legal limit that few car drivers use the left-hand lanes. Vehicles in those lanes tend to be further apart so, until the traffic becomes stationary in all 3 lanes (e.g. M3 near here most mornings by 8a.m.), a hold-up will cause outside lane traffic to slow down more quickly.

Answer 4

The exits. When traffic is slow, the amount of people exiting allows for more space in the outer lanes. And since the traffic is slow, people in these lanes don't need to slow down for merging traffic. Plus allot of people have not figured this out and move to the hammer lane thinking it will be faster. But don't tell anyone or these lanes will be clogged to.

Answer 5

Because everyone going slow assumes the fast lane just HAS to be going faster, and they are changing over to it, which slows down the fast lane. Of course there is now a gap in the other lanes where the vehicles that moved over originally were, so they speed up until those in the fast lane notice and attempt to move over to the faster moving lanes, slowing things down again. That cycle repeats until rush hour is over.

Answer 6

Yeah, it is best to drive 2 to 6 inches behind the car in front, that way when he brakes you jut feel a slight bump and can put down your phone and commence braking, especially useful if you are on the internet or composing a text.
The Hard shoulder is the Fast lane when the Motorway is busy, Morons in customised Evo 8s fly down there when traffic is heavy with some demonic whoop whoop screech music blaring from their sound systems with an associated flashing light show.

Answer 7

I think most of it is caused by stupid driving, and people swapping lanes, when in slow traffic i always keep a big gap in front of me, that way when the traffic starts to slow in front of you it might start moving again by the time you get to it therefore keeping it all moving better, if everyone did this then surly it would keep the traffic moving smoother, but you always get some idiot right up your ar**e trying to get you to close the gap why!!, all they can do is move up the 100yards or so in front

Answer 8

it doesn't matter what lane you are in there will always be a Sunday driver in front of you move from one lane to another it will slow down and the other speed up this is worse when your in a hurry or running late

Answer 9

No Kidding! I was in the FAST lane the other day and everyone slams on the brakes! Why cause there idiots! Why are stopping in the fast lane? No reason at all. But the Idiot behind me rear-ended my new car!

Answer 10

Which fast lane? ALL lanes on the motorway are fast (or slow( lanes. I assume you mean the outside lane.