Motorway madness!

Pete Mc · July 10, 2013, 05:42:31 AM

A number of years ago,1994 I think,two of my mates were going on holiday abroad.The mate whose car it was had a girlfriend who was absolutely petrified of motorway driving so they asked me to go in order to drive their car home so she could use it for work.I duly agreed because it was a cracking car.

Anyway,my mate has a deep hatred for middle lane hoggers so,on the M62 on the way to Manchester Airport we came across a middle lane hogger.What my mate did was absolutely brilliant.He pulled into lane 3 and overtook the MLH then pulled into lane one and slowed down so MLH cruised past,then he pulled into lane 3 once more and overtook MLH,slowed back down when he returned to lane 1.As the MLH cruised by once more,the driver and his wife were jesturing with their hands what they thought of my mate and us as though we were the ones at fault.These were also a middle aged couple as well.

So my mate did the overtake again and lo and behold,a dark coloured Vauxhall Omega was behind but a fair bit back.Again we returned to lane 1 and Omega men caught up,passed us and guess what,it was full of bacon who duly popped on the little blues in their front grille and pulled over the newly crowned president of the Middle Lane Owners Club.

We of course laughed our heads off as we went by,in lane 1 of course as he was slowing to a stop on the hard shoulder.

It might not be big and clever but the end surely justified the means.

Pete

Newportnobby · July 10, 2013, 09:54:22 AM

......and you've never got your gun with you when you want it

PLD · July 10, 2013, 01:01:11 PM

I'm afraid I have to agree with the majority of comments in this thread...

Undertaking is not (in normal traffic conditions) legal. But if there was room for you to be undertaken it is most likely YOU were in an inappropriate lane for your speed relative to the other traffic on the motorway...

If as you say you had pulled out to overtake, it sounds likely you had pulled out way too prematurely (for your relative speed to the vehicle you intended to pass) otherwise there wouldn't be space for the undertaker to do so without colliding with the rear of the car you were passing...

Tom@Crewe · July 10, 2013, 07:18:28 PM

Quote from: Belated on July 09, 2013, 11:12:41 PM

If someone has room to undertake me as you describe, Peter, I'd have to think if I should have not been in that lane. I was a little uncertain of your statement of accelerating to overtake when already in the overtaking lane. Perhaps I was taught differently to you - it was a long time ago and some things have changed.

Totally agree. I have been on quiet stretches of motorway where I have been in first lane catch a car in second lane, have to move to the third lane to pass and then back to the first lane, And still they stay sit in the second lane with no other cars in sight

The other point is I am sure it says in the highway code that you should drive to the speed limit if safe to do so. so if your doing 60mph on the motorway (70mph)or 40mph on a unrestricted country road (60) and its safe to do the speed limit you are not driving in accordance with the highway code.

petercharlesfagg · July 10, 2013, 07:26:47 PM

Quote from: Only Me on July 10, 2013, 12:05:39 AM
This can be a touchy subject... I wonder Peter what speed you were trying to achieve whilst attempting to overtake? In my opinion you should be doing at least 70 if you enter the fast lane (yes i know 70 is the national speed limit thanks)...

85 at a guess! In the heat of the moment I wasn't actually interested in the speedometer!

Since I was being overtaken by others in the fast lane I think it was nothing unusual!

One person in a huge Black bulbous thing with HUGE exhaust pipes, we hardly saw him just the roar as he/she or perhaps it, too weaved in and out of the traffic at a guesstimate off 100+ ! The car came up the inside from nowhere crossed in front of us and straight out into the outer lane and disappeared.

petercharlesfagg · July 10, 2013, 07:38:56 PM

Since it appears that I am getting the reputation of being a middle lane hogger and travelling too slow or whatever for the conditions and not having the decency to stay in the inside lane I will state that in the 49 years of motoring on English roads and some in foreign countries, that.................

This was the first time that both my wife and I have literally been scared by the actions of others!

I have broken the laws of driving many times, I have driven over Red lights (By mistake), I have speeded because I didn't see the repeater signs, I have been stopped by the Police for not having brake lights, I am not perfect!

I do not consider myself to be dangerous, but I do have my shortcomings!

What are yours?

Replies on a postcard and the first one drawn out of the hat on the 25th. of July will get a surprise gift!

Richard @ N'Tastic Scale Models · July 10, 2013, 08:08:43 PM

The M40 is bad for this I was undertaken, I was in lane two overtaking 2 cars in lane one, lane three was empty. A car came screaming up behind me and unto OK us all by using hard shoulder, all at very high speed.

EtchedPixels · July 10, 2013, 11:38:21 PM

Quote from: BobB on July 10, 2013, 05:21:19 AM
Lots of interesting stuff. I wonder how many drivers used to British habits would fare down here in South Africa. I suspect lots of you would end up rather scared very quickly !

Dunno about Africa but India was pretty scary - especially when you realise nobody has music on in the car because you *need* to hear all the different honks from around you.

Mind you not as scary as some co-workers in Saudi. Their driver was a total nut job and when they asked him to slow down a bit he just assured them "God willing we will get there, otherwise we will not"

Belated · July 11, 2013, 10:16:16 AM

Peter, I did not mean to criticize your driving, certainly when not knowing all the facts. If you weren't there you can not know the whole situation. I, too, for my sins do not always observe the full Highway Code - some of it I don't even agree with. I have been overtaken on the inside. I have also passed cars in their inside when doing so does not mean my changing speed and usually because I can't even get out to pass them on the outside but the lane in front of me is clear almost as far as I can see.

However, EP I can agree with your sentiments about driving in Saudi and India (and China and Iran). Even more frightening is the Indian practice of driving in the dark with no lights on - and there are no street lights - then switching on main beams at the approach of another vehicle! After they pass, they switch the lights OFF again! Never did understand that, even after 2 years there.

There are many things I could tell you about driving abroad that would really make you hair curl. This is still one of the best countries to drive in, IMHO.

John

Maurits71 · July 11, 2013, 08:07:12 PM

Quote from: petercharlesfagg on July 10, 2013, 07:38:56 PM
Since it appears that I am getting the reputation of being a middle lane hogger and travelling too slow or whatever for the conditions and not having the decency to stay in the inside lane I will state that in the 49 years of motoring on English roads and some in foreign countries, that.................

This was the first time that both my wife and I have literally been scared by the actions of others!

I have broken the laws of driving many times, I have driven over Red lights (By mistake), I have speeded because I didn't see the repeater signs, I have been stopped by the Police for not having brake lights, I am not perfect!

I do not consider myself to be dangerous, but I do have my shortcomings!

What are yours?

Replies on a postcard and the first one drawn out of the hat on the 25th. of July will get a surprise gift!

pwhoeuie, I think you're a big danger on the road reading all this, speeding, driving through red, lane hughing. how did you ever get your drivers licence, with Tesco points you're s serious danger on the road.

:claphappy:sorry Peet, just teasing a bit I would never start a treat like this as you can wait for the comments, I wasn't there but I do agree with some comments that if people can undertake you while you overtake you're still in the wrong lane. ( and 85 is also 15 miles too fast, means 3 points an 90 quit. )

like others we were not there, but they way you described the whole story I can see what happened.

Sprintex · July 11, 2013, 08:56:47 PM

Just to put the other side of this some of the idiots out there only need a gap just bigger than their car and they will be in it regardless of laws. It may be that Peter prefers to leave a safe braking distance between himself and the vehicle in front and pulls out in good time also maintaining better visibility ahead

Driving a truck all day you see so many dangerous instances of lane-changing, tailgating and the resultant carnage when it doesn't quite go to plan, all from a high vantage point, that you start to realise just how few safe considerate drivers are out there

Don't take it personally Peter, as John said you're the only one who was actually there and know the situation, everything else is just based on assumptions

Paul

Kipper · July 11, 2013, 09:04:28 PM

One time I will move to the second lane is approaching a junction where I do not want to come off. Keeping to the left lane almost guarantees that one car at least will swerve across at the last moment and turn off, taking the paint off the front of my car with it. The M1 and M3 have some sensible junctions, where the left lane becomes the off slip (and on slip), but most do not, so using the second lane helps those who want to leave get to the slip road, and also helps those joining after the junction as well.

H · July 11, 2013, 09:56:51 PM

Those joining a motorway are supposed to match their speed and merge safely with traffic in lane one - not just pull in to it expecting others to move over or slow down - that's why the on/off slips are often referred to as acceleration/decal lanes. Problem is some slips don't have much of a lead-in these days.

And truck drivers are guilty of infringements of the highway code just as much as car drivers - particularly tailgating, lane wandering (due to dozing or reading or using a 'phone or even cooking food), and 'forcing their way in' when joining the motorway. Or driving two abreast in two lanes for mile after mile.

H.

Sprintex · July 11, 2013, 10:54:36 PM

I totally agree Grahame, some of the truckers are the worst! You'll notice when I mentioned dangerous instances not once did I say car drivers

Oh, and you forgot to mention lane-wandering (into the hard shoulder!) due to using both hands to roll a fag while steering with the knees, as observed on the M11

Paul

kesdrive · July 11, 2013, 11:42:17 PM

As driving instructor I am interested in this post. All of you seem to have the right idea about motorway driving. Let me say that there is no fast or slow lane. The speed limit is 70 mph so think of lanes 1, 2 and 3 (or more). The rules of the road state that you should drive on the left unless overtaking. (When did you last read the Highway Code?). Lane 1 is often congested with lorries and caravans etc. but you should return to lane 1 when possible. (avoid lane hopping). Many drivers hog lane 2 because of this or because they are scared stiff. If you are in lane 1 and want to overtake a lane 2 driver you should overtake one lane at a time, no undertaking, frustrating as it may be. The biggest problem on motorways is keeping a safe following distance. A 2 second gap should be maintained (2 chevrons when marked). This may seem excessive but if you have to brake hard pray that the driver behind does not have worn tyres and he/she is not texting!