Evolving driving standards and habits.,

[gbb]

As I commute on a 14 mile section of the A1M every weekday, as a pedant and someone who tries endlessly to do things correctly, you realise you're in a minority but equally realise...the opposing style has its advantages from a selfish point of view.
Overtake a lorry on a 4 lane motorway, move back to lane 1 if safe and worthwhile (assuming you're not going to repeat the process in a few hundred yards) To me, that correct and what I do.
The flip side is 'lane hogging is now epidemic. Some never use lane 1, sitting endlessly in lane 2, now I see more and more cars and particually vans, in lane 3, never or rarely moving out of them.
What I do see is that they're actually creating a more readable situation, less movement from lane to lane, you could argue less risk to them. Equally what they're doing is selfish, making everyone else make more risky manoevers getting round them. Six and two threes.

So while I get mildly frustrated at lane huggers, there is an acceptance ...well its not harming me and there maybe is an advantage to it.
What I don't like is lane 3 huggers at 65 mph, I will happily undertake them in lane 1, hoping it spikes their shame.
Opinions, do you get annoyed, or just accept it all as what people do now even if its technically wrong ?

 

[steveindenmark]

It wont spike their shame and if they side swipe you while you undertaking it will probably be you being held to account.

I let other drivers do their own thing and try to drive with a big bubble round me as I have no control over what they are doing.

 

[Elybazza61]

Probably doesn't help that there seems to be hardly any proper Traffic Police about now; one's I have spoken to in the past when doing Advanced motorcycle courses were pretty hot on lane hogging and would have pulled peeps over for it.

Also they didn't like outside lanes being called 'overtake lanes' .

Learned a hell of a lot on those two courses some of which still kicks in when riding a bicycle.

 

[Specialeyes]

I encountered a new strain of this virus yesterday - drivers who gravitate to the rightmost lane. Rolling along at 70 in Lane 1 of a dual carriageway, catching a vehicle doing about 65 in Lane 2. (That also brings the “do I need to pull out early so they’ve got plenty of time to realise I’m coming or can I remain in L1 and keep my options open” dilemma!) Thankfully they saw me and pulled over, then immediately pulled back out into L2 as I was pulling back into L1. There wasn’t another vehicle around for miles.

Lane discipline in this country is absolutely shocking and it boils my piss, but I don’t know if it’s borne of selfishness, a lack of awareness of others, fear (lots of people don’t like driving) or a lack of Police enforcement. Probably a combination of all of them. That said, on a recent round trip across Europe I don’t recall seeing a single Police car in 4,500km of autoroute/autostrada and the lane discipline, often on 2-Lane roads, is immaculate.

So maybe it’s not enforcement but culture and driving education. Or lack thereof.

 

[presta]

I don't hog the middle lane, but I don't move left until there's someone approaching from behind either, unless the road's clear ahead. Minimise the amount of lane switching necessary to achieve the objectives, one way or the other.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

As I commute on a 14 mile section of the A1M every weekday, as a pedant and someone who tries endlessly to do things correctly, you realise you're in a minority but equally realise...the opposing style has its advantages from a selfish point of view.
Overtake a lorry on a 4 lane motorway, move back to lane 1 if safe and worthwhile (assuming you're not going to repeat the process in a few hundred yards) To me, that correct and what I do.
The flip side is 'lane hogging is now epidemic. Some never use lane 1, sitting endlessly in lane 2, now I see more and more cars and particually vans, in lane 3, never or rarely moving out of them.
What I do see is that they're actually creating a more readable situation, less movement from lane to lane, you could argue less risk to them. Equally what they're doing is selfish, making everyone else make more risky manoevers getting round them. Six and two threes.

So while I get mildly frustrated at lane huggers, there is an acceptance ...well its not harming me and there maybe is an advantage to it.
What I don't like is lane 3 huggers at 65 mph, I will happily undertake them in lane 1, hoping it spikes their shame.
Opinions, do you get annoyed, or just accept it all as what people do now even if its technically wrong ?

It's only wrong if you specifically move over to do it. If however you are established in L1 and Richard Head is in L3/4 driving more slowly than you, then fill your boots.

The bottom of the M40 is a joy as a result

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I don't hog the middle lane, but I don't move left until there's someone approaching from behind either, unless the road's clear ahead. Minimise the amount of lane switching necessary to achieve the objectives, one way or the other.

You appear to. Keep left, simples. It doesn't matter whether there's anyone else behind or not, unless the overhead gantrys are saying stay in lane.

 

[mustang1]

What about those people who join the motorway from the slip road and want to get into the middle lane as soon as possible. Often this means they have the right indicator on and expect you to give them way! Mind boggling stuff.

Then you have the those who hog the right-hand lane right up to the point that they want to exit. On goes the left indicator and away they go. Right then, folks, now we can speed up to 70mph from the doldrums 50mph the previous dude was going at.

Aha, then you get the immature pillocks who make a really really big fuss about going into the left lane, if only for a second, then go back into the middle lane to overtake, back to the left lane, then middle, then right, back to middle, back to left. Ok, I know that's how you're supposed to drive, but there really is no need to get into the slower lane if you can clearly see that you need to get back into a faster lane only a second of five later. These guys really want to prove a point.

Then you get the boy racers. Oh boy (no pun...)

@gbb 's OP reminds me of The Wisdom of Crowds.

 

[Specialeyes]

Aha, then you get the immature pillocks who make a really really big fuss about going into the left lane, if only for a second, then go back into the middle lane to overtake, back to the left lane, then middle, then right, back to middle, back to left. Ok, I know that's how you're supposed to drive, but there really is no need to get into the slower lane if you can clearly see that you need to get back into a faster lane only a second of five later. These guys really want to prove a point.

I'd suggest that anyone seeing this, and having this point made to them on a regular basis needs to drive how they're supposed to drive.

Maybe the seed of all this was the 1970s 'The Honking of the Weaver Bird' Public Information Film, which seemed to actively discourage people from changing lanes. "The weaver bird has little brain, it weaves about from lane to lane" etc. There's hundreds of the old PIFs available online, but I can't find that one...

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Slip roads wind me up. The times someone is in the slip road and along side me matching my pace on the main road, and somehow expects me to adjust my speed or position to accommodate them.

Vehicles on the slip road should build speed and fit in to main highway, without causing anyone else to change speed or direction.

People moving over to let them in have made too many feel that everyone on the main road should shuffle about to let traffic on the slip road ram in.

You wouldn't expect that at any other give way junction, which is what a slip road effectively is.

 

[the snail]

It wont spike their shame and if they side swipe you while you undertaking it will probably be you being held to account.

I let other drivers do their own thing and try to drive with a big bubble round me as I have no control over what they are doing.

+1
Personally I stay in the LH lane and let the lane hoggers and tailgaters get on with it. It never makes sense to get wound up by idiots, you just end up risking an accident, e.g. by undertaking.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Lane huggers are annoying sure, but there's far more suicidal people than I that will drive up behind someone and hover a few feet from their bumper. I just let both get on with whatever idiotic behaviour they want to.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Lane huggers are annoying sure, but there's far more suicidal people than I that will drive up behind someone and hover a few feet from their bumper. I just let both get on with whatever idiotic behaviour they want to.

This. Journey times are pretty much identical these days however you drive

 

[gbb]

It's only wrong if you specifically move over to do it. If however you are established in L1 and Richard Head is in L3/4 driving more slowly than you, then fill your boots.

The bottom of the M40 is a joy as a result

Quite right, i knew the mention of an undertake will get a reaction from some but in some circumstances, its not an illegal manoever ...as long as you don't then move into the lane of the vehicle you've just undertook. We all do it all the time, in slow moving traffic, lanes jostle and move in relation to each other all the time, the only difference is the speed.
And remember, I stated driver is in lane 3, I'm in lane 1. Do I sweep across 3 lanes to do an overtake then across three to get back ?. Safer to undertake with a full empty lane between us surely?

Is it desirable...no
Is it something you should do with care and full alertness...alsolutely
Can you be held to account if it goes wrong...of course.
I've even been holding the same speed as a car in lane 3, they've decellerated for whatever reason, leaving me looking like I undertook, but I simply held my speed.

No police on the roads ?...I've been doing that commute for maybe 5 years, the times I've seen a traffic car on their elevated stands at the side or driving at the same speed as normal traffic ( ie not headed somewhere on blues and twos) ....is virtually zero. There's no presence at all really.

But anyway, it seems to me standards and habits are changing, lane 3 or 4 driving is almost habitual and normal for many drivers it seems.

 

[StuAff]

Rode to Manchester and back this weekend on the Xmax 400. In today's 247 mile return leg, multiple delights from fellow drivers, including lane changes without indication (never mind that HGV you've just cut right in front of), overtaking a biker (me) in a slow moving queue- same lane- for no reason whatsoever, no lights on despite reduced visibility due to torrential downpours, cutting into exit lane at last possible moment…but hey, 'war on the motorist'. War on your fellow road user, more like…