Keeping up with the traffic on motorways....

[d9f1c7]

We've all seen them, doing 45 in the left hand lane forcing all the trucks and coaches to overtake them. Far more dangerous than speeding, is it time to enforce a minimum speed of 60mph on motorway traffic so that they do not impeede the trucks etc.

[chakka35]

What is wrong with having to overtake a slower-moving vehicle? That's what the other lanes are for! And the idea that slower vehicles are more dangerous than speeders is absurd - the statistics don't bear you out. A speeder is committing a dangerous offence which causes death and injury.

Why should anyone be forced to drive faster than he wants to, just because others want to drive at a certain speed? Why should the latter have priority? Much better to tackle the speeders and those who don't observe the stopping distance rules. They're the dangerous ones.

[d9f1c7]

Chakka, what planet are you on? Nearly all motorway accidents are caused by lane changes. Trucks especially when they are forced out by some numpty crawling along on the left hand lane. You are either being obtuse or blind, have you really not been on a motorway and seen the chaos that is caused by some duffer doing 30 in the inside lane? really?

[ummmm]

I've never witnessed that...

[FredPuli43]

You'll have to get lorries to speed up a bit. They are restricted, by speed limiters, to less than 60 already!

There is, in a sense, an offence of driving too slowly; it would fall under driving without due consideration for other road users. But drivers at 45 mph in the nearside lane have never bothered me. What does, is lorries overtaking one another in two lane motorways, such as on the M11, because they take an age to do it at 56 mph and I can't see why they bother, since the lorry they are overtaking is going at about 2 mph slower than they are. Meanwhile, they are holding up everyone else.

[Saki]

I have, on many occasions!

[d9f1c7]

As you well know Fred I'm talking about traffic that is not limited by other means at the moment. There is already a minimum speed limit of 30 I believe just use all the law applied to that and raise it to 60.

[EvianBaby]

If someone does not feel comfortable to drive at 60mph then forcing them to is not a particularly safe idea.

[ummmm]

My BIL failed his driving test for driving too slow.

[Sipowicz]

If someone doesn't feel comfortable driving at 60mph, they shouldn't be on a motorway!

[jake-the-peg]

//Nearly all motorway accidents are caused by lane changes.//

How do you know this?

Do you have any statistics - or are we just expected to take an anonymous ABer as an authority

(For the record I think you might be largely right - I'd just like to know where you get your data from - I think a lot though will be caused by people travelling too fast and failing to stop in time when traffic ahead stops I base that on the number or rear end collision damage I've seen on motorways)

[d9f1c7]

if that is the case evianbabay then they should not go on motorways/dual carraigeways

[EvianBaby]

In an ideal world no, but it's not and sometimes there is little else sensible choice. I know the drivers you mean and they are annoying but no more so than the morons that sit in the middle or outside lane for no apparent reason. Or the twonks who sit an inch from your bumper, flashing their lights trying to force you 'out of their way' when you're legitimately overtaking. Those people are a bigger concern to me.

[d9f1c7]

I have no statistics jake, i'm going by what those accident investigator types say on the police/camera/action type programs. However it stands to reason that the main danger of collisions on motorways is lane changing.

[d9f1c7]

See the above, driving in the middle lane is often maligned unfairly, far safer than weaving in and out of trucks playing leap frog down the road.

[Nibble]

Already being trialed in London, using GPS to verify vehicle position & local speed limit, which then adjusts vehicle speed to actual speed limit, i.e 30 on local roads, 40mph on dual carriageway,etc..

http://uktv.co.uk/dave/article/aid/628098

[EvianBaby]

I'll disagree with you on that.

I see a far lot more of people doing the things I mentioned then I do people driving too slowly.

[ummmm]

I actually agree with that d9. I really don't see the point in changing back into the left hand lane when you can see a lorry further up.

[FredPuli43]

There isn't an overall minimum speed limit on motorways, d9. A minimum speed limit may be set for special cases,when it is necessary to keep traffic moving, but there's is not a general minimum speed of 30 mph, or any other speed.

How is someone doing 45 mph in the nearside lane dangerous to anyone? It's hardly something that suddenly comes upon them as a shock, requiring sudden , emergency manoeuvres. If it does, they must be very poor drivers.

[EvianBaby]

I did say sitting in the middle lane for no apparant reason. Approaching a lorry you'll need to overtake is a reason. I do that myself.

[DonLyn]

That's ridiculous, Accidents are caused by speeding, bad judgement, lack of concentration, not checking mirrors and falling asleep. It is not the fault of the cautious driver in the left lane!