Straight down the middle

[Gob]

Drivers who needlessly hog the middle lane on motorways face fines of £100 as well as three penalty points under new government measures designed to crack down on careless motoring.

Fines for a number of other offences on the road – including using a handheld mobile phone while driving, or jumping traffic lights – are also expected to be increased from £60 to £100 after the unveiling of the package on Wednesday.

Traffic police will decide when motorists are considered to have been hogging the middle lane and issue on-the-spot fines to offenders.

Although some commentators have argued that fines are not necessarily the right approach for careless driving because cases are often not clear-cut, motoring organisations have long called for better lane discipline by drivers, which they say could dramatically solve congestion problems.

The Highway Code states: "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."

Unveiling the plans, transport minister Stephen Hammond is expected to describe careless drivers as "a menace" whose negligence puts innocent people's lives at risk.

"That is why we are making it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers by allowing them to immediately issue a fixed penalty notice rather than needing to take every offender to court," he will add.

Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, warned last month that sending a text message or making a phone call while at the wheel would land drivers with harsher penalties.

McLoughlin, who admitted that he had in the past used a mobile phone to make calls while driving, but would not do so now, told a conference in London last month: "We want to send a clear message to dangerous drivers: if you continue to show complete disregard for the safety of other road users, we will catch you – and we will punish you."

More than a million drivers have been convicted of using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel since 2003, when using one other than for making an emergency call was made illegal.

Careless, reckless or hurried driving has been recorded as being a contributory factor in 16% of accidents, according to statistics from the Department for Transport.

A failure to look properly was the most-reported contributory factor in accidents of any severity and was mentioned in 42% of incidents.

[MajGenl.Meade]

If travelling at the legal speed limit, one should be able to use any damn lane one pleases. No one should be overtaking because THAT is careless, reckless and illegal driving.

(Mind you, I do always drive in the leftmost lane except when overtaking and then I signal back to the left - that is, in the UK and South Africa. Right hand lane in the US of A naturally)

Meade

[Crackpot]

You people seem to be using "middle lane" in some bizzare fashion since you are obviously taking about passing lane or the "inside lane". The logical use for "middle lane" would be where it is in the well middle. like a left turn lane or at the minimum the second of three 3rd of five etc lanes going in one direction.

[Daisy]

Most of our motorways are three lanes in each direction.

The middle lane we're talking about is the next lane from the inside.

The Highway Code has this to say on Lane Discipline

Rule 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.

Middle lane hogs don't return to the left and carry on in the passing lane even if the left-hand lane is completely clear.

[Crackpot]

So who uses the inside lane?

[Daisy]

Oh, the inside lane for us is the left hand lane (remember we drive on the correct side of the road ). The third lane is also used for overtaking. When two lorries are taking 15 minutes to overtake each other because one is governed at 54.5mph and the other is governed at 55mph we use the third lane for overtaking them. And again moving back in to the leftmost clear lane once you have passed the rolling roadblock.

[Crackpot]

So on a limited access road you merge into the passing lane?

[dales]

Slower traffic keep right (or left in the Commonwealth).

In the US there is no lane discipline, people are too busy diddling themselves to concentrate on DRIVING!

[oldr_n_wsr]

Here on LI and beyond, there are too many cars on the road to keep in the right lanes(s). There used to be signs that said "Keep Right Except to Pass" but they are gone.

ETA
I would be happy if people would signal when they change lanes.

[Rick]

They can and sometimes do pass out citations for the same thing down here...

[dales]

WOW, if they handed out traffic citatitions for failure to signal a turn, California debt would be erased.

My biggest pisser are TAILGATERS in the right lane.

If I'm doing ~60mph in the far right lane, WTF is their hurry?

I motion them to pass and they flip me the bird.

[Joe Guy]

Over here in California where we all drive while sipping a latte, texting, talking on the phone, smoking and taking videos of other drivers, the right lane is mostly for large trucks and cars that are about to exit the highway.

The rest of us zip in and out of the other two or three lanes to get to where we're going as fast as possible.

Tailgating is a sport and and the one finger salute is frequently required and knowing how and when that gesture is to be initiated it is part of our driver's license test.

Other parts of the world aren't as fun on the road it is here in California.

[oldr_n_wsr]

My niece bought a new car (SUV) a month or so ago. She brought it over and I was checking it out. I noticed that when you turn on the signal directors, there is indicators that also flash on the outside mirrors (the driver can see them). I pointed them out to her and she was amazed. She had never seen them before. I took it as she doesn't signal often.

[Joe Guy]

My niece bought a new car (SUV) a month or so ago. She brought it over and I was checking it out. I noticed that when you turn on the signal directors, there is indicators that also flash on the outside mirrors (the driver can see them). I pointed them out to her and she was amazed. She had never seen them before. I took it as she doesn't signal often.

Sounds like she would fit right in over here in California.

Most people here don't use signal lights for turning. They just turn them on during the Christmas season.

[Econoline]

Here in Chicago if you see someone with their turn signal on, they probably bought the car that way...

[Econoline]

[Joe Guy]