A driving question.

[Dembe]

Middle lane hoggers. Passed about 9 in the left lane Saturday night going to work, as I reached the front of team lane hog the nearest vehicle ahead of me was a lorry some half a mile up the Motorway, there was one more car to my right to pass. I didn't leave the left lane and had the car on cruise control doing the limit 70mph. Absolutely no reason for any of them to be in the middle lane, the one leading them all tried to pull in front of me without indicating, they were just going to swerve in front of me so I give a single beep. If they'd come over I'd have to slow down to 60 and be boxed in by the other 8 cars following the idiot...the second time they moved over they did then use their indicator but I was ridiculously close to them at this point and it was dangerous. They still went for it, for some reason.
At this point I hit the horn hard and long and left my full beams on so they could see me. They swerved back, utterly unaware I was even there (even after the first friendly beep)


I don't generally moan about middle lane hoggers, usually move around them if its safe to do so, or on occasion I'll stay in the left lane and undertake but its usually only the one vehicle plodding along so its never really an issue.

Got thinking to myself once I'd stopped beeping at them for 30 seconds straight and they'd got back into their lane, was I in the right or wrong to be undertaking? I wouldn't have got past the 9 cars in the right doing 70 before someone wanted to pass me doing 80+ and thought the safest way to pass was doing the road limit in the left lane.

This was not too far after the change back to 70 after the 50 averages, so cars in the right were obviously speeding up to make up for the 2 minutes they'd lost doing 50.

Opinions?

[The Bloop]

Re: A driving question.

Why didn't you just overtake them?

[Nobody's Rep]

Re: A driving question.

Stating the obvious but undertaking is dangerous regardless of the frustration of middle lane hoggers which I absolute share with you but undertaking is not the answer is my opinion 👍

[19bluebirds27]

Re: A driving question.

Rule of the motorway is to drive on the left.
You indicate right to overtake and Not indicate to return to the left lane.
You would fail an advanced driving by indicating left. Only indicate left when you are approaching a junction.

[Dembe]

Re: A driving question.

Rule of the motorway is to drive on the left.
You indicate right to overtake and Not indicate to return to the left lane.
You would fail an advanced driving by indicating left. Only indicate left when you are approaching a junction.

I should have been more clear, I was in the left lane already. I was in the left lane from Coryton to the 50, where I then moved to the right lane passing slower traffic. The approach to the National speed limit sign is 2 lanes so I was also in the right lane there to overtake before moving back to the left lane. As you get to Magor it goes back to 2 lanes for a bit so I was again in the right lane overtaking a lorry. After Magor its 3 lanes again, I was in the left lane all the way to the Chepstow turn off where I encountered the convoy of lane hoggers who were going considerably slower with nothing ahead of them but clear road. All I did was stay in my lane, doing 70.
There were a few much faster moving vehicles in the right lane all doing 80+ , are you saying I should slow down enough to their speed, join the convoy, wait for all faster moving vehicles to pass and then attempt to pass them at 70 hoping in the time I pass the 9 cars stretched out over the m4 that nobody wants to pass me? I'd likely cause multiple cars to break while I overtook the convoy? Surely it's safer to stay doing a steady speed?

https://www.reddrivingschool.com/learners/how-do-i-do-it/highway-code/undertaking/#:~:text=Although%20not%20strictly%20illegal%2C%20undertaking,a%20lane%20on%20the%20right%2C

Although not strictly illegal, undertaking is strongly discouraged by The Highway Code, stating “do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” However, there are exceptions that apply when a car undertakes in slow-moving traffic if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right, ...

https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/...less%20driving.
ON MOTORWAYS
Rule 268 of the Highway Code states – do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

OFFENCE
Overtaking on the left is lawful if done in accordance with the above guidance. However, whilst there is no specific offence of overtaking on the left, if a driver undertook another vehicle, other than in the circumstances described above e.g. in the case of someone hogging lane 2 on a motorway, they may be prosecuted for careless driving.

[Dembe]

Re: A driving question.

Why didn't you just overtake them?

If you took time to read my post you'd note that there were faster moving vehicles in the right hand lane.

[tforturton]

Re: A driving question.

Middle lane joggers are annoying, but under-taking is a risky business.

[Dembe]

Re: A driving question.

Stating the obvious but undertaking is dangerous regardless of the frustration of middle lane hoggers which I absolute share with you but undertaking is not the answer is my opinion ��

I was after opinions

There are obvious dangers, like the hogger deciding to move into the left lane spontaneously and not checking their mirrors or taking notice of a beeping car 10ft away, but weighing up the situation I found it a lot safer than trying to overtake such a long stretch of cars, especially with a load of faster moving vehicles in the right hand lane, who would have all had to slam their breaks on had I been plodding at 70 in the right lane. I'll only move into the right lane if theres clear room to pass and move back, my days of doing 80+ are over. Never go above 70 now.

[The Bloop]

Re: A driving question.

If you took time to read my post you'd note that there were faster moving vehicles in the right hand lane.

I did read your post.
You'd have to travel faster to either undertake or overtake them. Another option would be just to travel at the same speed as the hoggers but in the left hand lane. It's the least stressful place to be.
If you feel the need to get past them then travel in the middle lane with your indicator on. Someone will either let you out, or you wait until a space appears for you to pull out.
Hoggers are a PITA but undertaking is not the solution.

[Hilts]

Re: A driving question.

Middle lane hoggers are annoying.

Your driving undertaking , beeping the horn etc sounds dangerous.

[Dembe]

Re: A driving question.

I did read your post.
You'd have to travel faster to either undertake or overtake them. Another option would be just to travel at the same speed as the hoggers but in the left hand lane. It's the least stressful place to be.
If you feel the need to get past them then travel in the middle lane with your indicator on. Someone will either let you out, or you wait until a space appears for you to pull out.
Hoggers are a PITA but undertaking is not the solution.

Ok

You asked why I didn't just overtake, the reasoning was in the OP

I have since read that passing on the left is fine. It is usually a single car so never an issue, but this incident was something ive never come across while driving thats why I've posted about it. It was inevitable I wouldn't like all opinions and suggestions, such is the internet

[Dembe]

Re: A driving question.

Middle lane hoggers are annoying.

Your driving undertaking , beeping the horn etc sounds dangerous.

Car horns should only be used when the car is in motion to warn of imminent danger or avoid potential accidents. Misuse of the car horn such as to express annoyance, startle animals or hurry other road users can lead to fines.

Think it was safe use in this instance

[The Bloop]

Re: A driving question.

Ok

You asked why I didn't just overtake, the reasoning was in the OP

I have since read that passing on the left is fine. It is usually a single car so never an issue, but this incident was something ive never come across while driving thats why I've posted about it. It was inevitable I wouldn't like all opinions and suggestions, such is the internet

There's nothing wrong with overtaking at 70 in the outside lane. Once you've finished overtaking just pull back to the left. Those who want to travel at 80+ would just have to be patient.
Wouldn't it be dull if everyone thought what you did was acceptable.

[PhyllisStant]

Re: A driving question.

There should be penalty points/ re-training for not driving on the left when not overtaking. Far more dangerous than doing 10 miles an hour over the speed limit as it forces other people like yourself to drive inappropriately.

As I biker (motorbike not a lycra clad bellend) I'm always aware that I'll come off worse in a coming together so am always riding defensively and am staggered at the constant ignorance and ineptitude of 90% of motorists.