ChatterBank1 min ago
Answers
AH, when I first learnt to drive, about 40 years and half a million miles ago, defensive driving was in vogue so I still try and drive defensively. When driving in multiple traffic lanes I always make sure that there is a space on the inside lane next to me whenever possible. I also leave enough room in front of me for another car to dodge in if need be, OK people take...
20:58 Sat 16th Jun 2012
I'm with Jom....I keep my distance.
A few months ago I was driving back from Luton airport. Joined the M1 and within minutes there was a crash in my lane. I had time to brake, check my mirrors and get round it. My biggest fear at the time was someone hitting me from behind.
How guilty do you feel 'having' to drive away from a crash?
A few months ago I was driving back from Luton airport. Joined the M1 and within minutes there was a crash in my lane. I had time to brake, check my mirrors and get round it. My biggest fear at the time was someone hitting me from behind.
How guilty do you feel 'having' to drive away from a crash?
AH - “My driving was not the issue” – I’m not so sure...
If you move back to lane 1 after overtaking, as you should, then any cars wishing to pass you may do so in lane 2. Any cars wishing to pass them may do so in lane 3. By failing to move back into lane 1 you are forcing all cars to pass you in lane 3 and are creating a bottleneck. If you had done this then the muppet who cut you up would have had no reason to do so and could have passed you both in lane 3. If everyone moved back to lane 1 after overtaking then nobody would need to tailgate or undertake. I’m not condoning it, just explaining why it happens.
If you move back to lane 1 after overtaking, as you should, then any cars wishing to pass you may do so in lane 2. Any cars wishing to pass them may do so in lane 3. By failing to move back into lane 1 you are forcing all cars to pass you in lane 3 and are creating a bottleneck. If you had done this then the muppet who cut you up would have had no reason to do so and could have passed you both in lane 3. If everyone moved back to lane 1 after overtaking then nobody would need to tailgate or undertake. I’m not condoning it, just explaining why it happens.
Hammer, I am fully aware of why it happens, I have been driving on motorways for over forty years.
The situation you outline is ideal - but unrealistic as we both know. There is far too much traffic on any motorway to simply use the inside lane and move in and out. As I explained in my post, to move in and out of the left lane to pass the heavy volume of traffic in that lane, in driving rain, at night, would have presented more dangers than it avoided, so i stand by my decision to remain in the middle lane until a reasonable length of clear road occured in the inside lane, which simply did not ocur.
Regardless of that, the rules on overtaking are clear - you overtake on the right of the car you wish to pass, you do not cut across another driver in order to undertake a vehicle which you decide is not going fast enough in the overtaking lane.
Yes, in an ideal word, we would all drive as we should, but I was driving safely for the conditions, I was cut up by a maniac who did not check his mirrors, and I was forced into avasive action without time to either check or signal as thorougly as I would have liked.
In an ideal world, such drivers would be banned for life, but we have to deal with the motorways as they are, not how we would like them to be, or indeed how they were when I first drove on them.
The situation you outline is ideal - but unrealistic as we both know. There is far too much traffic on any motorway to simply use the inside lane and move in and out. As I explained in my post, to move in and out of the left lane to pass the heavy volume of traffic in that lane, in driving rain, at night, would have presented more dangers than it avoided, so i stand by my decision to remain in the middle lane until a reasonable length of clear road occured in the inside lane, which simply did not ocur.
Regardless of that, the rules on overtaking are clear - you overtake on the right of the car you wish to pass, you do not cut across another driver in order to undertake a vehicle which you decide is not going fast enough in the overtaking lane.
Yes, in an ideal word, we would all drive as we should, but I was driving safely for the conditions, I was cut up by a maniac who did not check his mirrors, and I was forced into avasive action without time to either check or signal as thorougly as I would have liked.
In an ideal world, such drivers would be banned for life, but we have to deal with the motorways as they are, not how we would like them to be, or indeed how they were when I first drove on them.
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