Today I Heard My First . . . . .
ChatterBank1 min ago
3 lane Motorways?
Why do people weave in and out of trucks etc in the left hand lane rather than reducing lane changing and therefore increasing safety by staying in the middle lane?
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Because, supposedly, traffic should use the inside lane except for overtaking. It's people who hog the middle and outside lane who create more hazards by infuriating those behind them.
Extract from Highway Code:-
Lane discipline
264
You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police, HA traffic officers in uniform or by signs.
Extract from Highway Code:-
Lane discipline
264
You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police, HA traffic officers in uniform or by signs.
R1Geezer - When do you think that paragraph was written? The Highway Code does occasionally go through a revision consultation, the last revision having taken place in 2007.
Not sure when you were last told that smoking was good for you but if you notice there is reference made to "HA traffic officers" - the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service did not exist before 2004.
Not sure when you were last told that smoking was good for you but if you notice there is reference made to "HA traffic officers" - the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service did not exist before 2004.
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it is accepted that most motorway accidents are caused by lane changing. When the motorway is busy it is safer to stay in the middle rather than dodgeing in and out of the left hand lane. When the motorway is quiet do 80 in the middle lane, no braking no gear changing low revs preserving fuel savng the planet. I have a 6 liter V12 and on a run my MPG is comparable to my mate in his rover, why? because he drives llike most idiots, braking, swerving, changing gear, hoping in between trucks, must get over to the left!
I haven't collated all sections of the Highway Code to establish whether it is mostly advice or mostly law but the proportion of each is immaterial since it is the standard to which all driving in the UK is measured.
That which is law MUST be adhered to.
That which is advice is taken by the courts to be what a competent driver SHOULD adhere to and if they do not, may be used as evidence of below standard driving.
That which is law MUST be adhered to.
That which is advice is taken by the courts to be what a competent driver SHOULD adhere to and if they do not, may be used as evidence of below standard driving.
...and also read the first page. Here is the relevant section...
Many of the rules in the Code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving. In the most serious cases you may be sent to prison. Such rules are identified by the use of the words ‘MUST/MUST NOT’. In addition, the rule includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence. An explanation of the abbreviations can be found in 'The road user and the law'.
Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts (see 'The road user and the law') to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as ‘should/should not’ or ‘do/do not’.
Many of the rules in the Code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving. In the most serious cases you may be sent to prison. Such rules are identified by the use of the words ‘MUST/MUST NOT’. In addition, the rule includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence. An explanation of the abbreviations can be found in 'The road user and the law'.
Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts (see 'The road user and the law') to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as ‘should/should not’ or ‘do/do not’.
If the road is clear I stay in the left lane. If it's busy and I know I will have to move out of the left hand lane after a few minutes then I stay in the middle.
I actually agree with you on this one Geezer. The majority of the time I drive on the motorway the left lane is full of lorries...why weave in and out.
I actually agree with you on this one Geezer. The majority of the time I drive on the motorway the left lane is full of lorries...why weave in and out.
If you are so familiar with it why are you making such an issue on what is LAW and what isn't (since clearly it is immaterial)?
There is no law which says you must drive on the left along the High Street but try driving into oncoming traffic and see how strong a court case for inconsiderate/dangerous driving would be.
There is no law which says you must drive on the left along the High Street but try driving into oncoming traffic and see how strong a court case for inconsiderate/dangerous driving would be.
There's an obvious conclusion here. R1geezer says it's safest to be in the middle lane. Therefore, if it's safest, everyone should drive in the middle lane and no-one should ever use the other lanes. So if there's no need for the other two lanes, lets get rid of them and turn all roads back to one lane. We could have two lanes of flower beds instead, or maybe a viewing platform to watch the traffic jams. Problem solved.
"When that was written" asks R1Geezer, to my reply to his question.
I'm not sure whan it was written but it's an extract from the online Highway Code so I have to assume it's as relevant today as when it was written.
As I said before, there is nothing more infuriating than moronic drivers who believe it's their God given right to hog the outside lanes when the nearside lanes are empty.
I'm not sure whan it was written but it's an extract from the online Highway Code so I have to assume it's as relevant today as when it was written.
As I said before, there is nothing more infuriating than moronic drivers who believe it's their God given right to hog the outside lanes when the nearside lanes are empty.
Since you are clearly not going to be convinced by the 'Highway Code says it' arguments, here's a different angle, R1.
The flow rate of a 3-lane motorway is the number of lanes times the average time between each car passing a given spot.
As the traffic on the motorway increases, the 'average time' factor between successive cars in one lan reduces (it must do).
As it does so, the average distance between successive vehicles reduces up to a point where motorists have to slow down because the distances are now too small. Highway Code will tell you appropriate distances.
So now the rate of vehicles passing per hour goes down.
Result - congestation.
Since middle-lane hoggers reduce the ability of Lane 1 to handle traffic at all, the point at which increasing volumes of traffic create congestion occurs earlier. All the result of these prats.
I wouldn't have a problem if they ONLY delivered their antics on an unbusy road. It since they are incapable of appreciating the logic that causes congestion, they are never to appreciate when their actions are starting to reach the 'tipping point' where real foul-ups are starting to occur. Nor do they probably care.
So they only solution is that these individuals need to be hunted down and exterminated.
The flow rate of a 3-lane motorway is the number of lanes times the average time between each car passing a given spot.
As the traffic on the motorway increases, the 'average time' factor between successive cars in one lan reduces (it must do).
As it does so, the average distance between successive vehicles reduces up to a point where motorists have to slow down because the distances are now too small. Highway Code will tell you appropriate distances.
So now the rate of vehicles passing per hour goes down.
Result - congestation.
Since middle-lane hoggers reduce the ability of Lane 1 to handle traffic at all, the point at which increasing volumes of traffic create congestion occurs earlier. All the result of these prats.
I wouldn't have a problem if they ONLY delivered their antics on an unbusy road. It since they are incapable of appreciating the logic that causes congestion, they are never to appreciate when their actions are starting to reach the 'tipping point' where real foul-ups are starting to occur. Nor do they probably care.
So they only solution is that these individuals need to be hunted down and exterminated.
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