Speed Limit Law

[Rharris9585]

If you are driving in the fast lane on the motorway at the national speed limit and the driver behind is tail-gating you, are you obliged to give way and move into the middle lane? Or are you entitled to stay in the fast lane, preventing the driver behind from breaking the limit?

[dzug]

If the middle lane is free - or even the left lane - you should be driving in it.

[samuel23]

If you are travelling at the National speed limit, then the berk behind you is going to be breaking the law by going faster. If the lane next to you is free, just pull over and let the idiot go.
If you are in a line of traffic, moving at a speed that is suitable to ensure the traffic in your lane is keeping pace and there are 2/3 lanes to your left and they are all full, you have no obligation to move. So if this is the case, even if you did move over, where would the idiot go? He'd only be able to take your space and then he'd be tailgating the person that was in front of you.

[Loosehead]

You should move over, it is not your responsibility to prevent someone breaking the limit. The general rule still applies, drive in the left lane if possible.

[ali_alic]

As dzug said if an inside lane is empty you should be in that anyway. Also years ago it was excusable to exceed the speed limit if it was proved you were overtaking, hence one of the questions on the speeding summons was whether you were passing anyone or not. Not sure if that is still so.....

[Whickerman]

you are breaking the rules of the road by driving in the overtaking lane. You could cause an accident, you berk. You have no idea of the circumstances in the car behind - what if they're heading to hospital? But I suppose that wouldn't occur to you.
So, to answer your question - you are never entitled to stay in the fast lane, you are not a guardian of the road.

[Rharris9585]

I should say that this is purely hypothetical and is not something I do for kicks. I do hate tailgaters though!

[Whickerman]

Firstly, I'm sorry my earlier mail was ott - really bad day, my apologies.

Secondly, I agree on tailgaters, they're hazards.

Thirdly, I have to refer to Loosehead's mail, it's exactly the answer you are loking for.

[joko]

there is no such thing as a 'fast lane' - it is the overtaking lane - and the fact that you are driving in it and apparently deliberately preventing someone from passing, then it is you that is doing wrong.

[Rharris9585]

Joko, I understand what you are saying, but if you are driving at the legal limit then why should you feel pressured into moving into the middle lane in order to let someone else race past and break the law? Aside from being an impatient git, isn't the car behind 'doing wrong' in this case if you are moving out the way in order to let them drive over the limit?

Is it right to move aside for someone in this case if you know they are going to break the law?

[bednobs]

its nt really your problem if they are breaking the law or not, if there is space to move over it would make sense to to prevent silly idiots like that overtaking you on the inside!
having said that, i always like to give people the benefit of the doubt, after having to tell someones son their father was dying and them trying to get there in time before their dad died ... i bet the people on the road that day were tutting and rolling their eyes

[joko]

you obviously don't understand the point - you should not be in the overtake lane any longer than to overtake!!
you were the one breaking the law!

did it ever occur to you that this person was tailgaiting you because they have moved into that lane to overtake you and you stubbornly refused to allow them to overtake?

how the hell do you know they intended to speed anyway?
people do tend to speed up momentarily in order to overtake quickly, bringing their speed back down once the manouvre is complete.

i suspect this person was doing this to try to get you to move, not because they wanted to speed.

[TylerTots]

joko is spot on here. there is no such thing as a fast lane or a slow lane. You must drive in the lane furtherst to the left (normal uk roads, unless signed to do otherwise.) so if this option is, should i move from the 3rd to the 2nd r 1st lane to let the chap past.? then the answer is legally yes. cos you should not be in the third lane if the 2nd is clear. regardless of who is up ur ass.
Unless you hold an upto date police badge and number. you are causing the offence be not letting him past.

Same rule for undertaking. Ask ur self this. if there is room for some one to undertake you, are u in the right lane? NO ur not so move over and stop being a selfrichous pratt.

I could go on all day with this subject. its one of my pet hates.

Ow btw rharrris9585 if you are askig the question hyperthetically, please done take offence at my answer, they are not personal. but if you are asking cos u do this regularly. take lots of offence. I hate you people.

[Rharris9585]

Well, I can happily say this is not something I actively practice. I saw the question asked by someone, asking if it was 'morally' right to move over, etc and was interested to know the general consensus, as it's a pet hate for most people!

Thank you all!

[bunji]

where oh Where does the law state that the third lane is only for overtaking and that you must be in the furthest left lane if possible, is this not just an assumption by millions of motorists, I have never heard or seen it anywhere than in peoples opinions. I usually drive in the middle lane NOT exceeding the limit and not driving slower I do this so as to repeat dangerous lane changes on long journeys as little as possible and because it allows people to pull out from slip roads without danger and because if im doing 70 as i should be then where is the problem? On my regular long distance journeys of an hour or more it is exceedingly rare to see more than two drivers sticking to the limit. I do not try to agravate other drivers this is not my wish i merely try to drive as SAFELY as i can!