Safe Speed Forums

mm,

Of course we haven't even got onto the subject of L3 hoggers yet. It is quite possible to find yourself behind four or five vehicles all in L3 and unnervingly close together, given stopping distances. That practice is harder to defend.

In my observation experiment, there were quite a few drivers who seemed to
regard L3 as their personal property.

C.

I'd like a CHANCE to be a MLH.
More to the point, what's the POINT of moving to the inside lane when the chance of geting back into the middle lane is next to zero ?
No, I drive in the inside lane at night...there are less trucks about then so there is some ROOM in the inside lane.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

People have trouble and collide mostly when changing lanes. There's far to much of it going on. The middle lane is for me to cruise (or try to!), and the slow lane is for trucks, and for when you need a rest. If only we could get those trucks and vans to stick in their lane, we'd be landed. Most of all, I hate changing lanes because it's so easy to screw up and get killed.

so changing lanes can be dangerous, yet the way to counter that danger is to get worse at it?

By not changing lanes your lane change skills are drying up.

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

You're right, especially if there's room in lane 3 to overtake. Those guys are boneheads, ignore them. On the other hand, if it's free for miles ahead in lane 1, throw the other guys in lane 2 a bone, and move over for bit. Too many lane changes are lethal, though, so use your judgment.

What utter tosh.

Next you'll be saying that all overtaking is wrong too.

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

I'm using the old "prevention is better than a cure" thingie. I only need lane change skills if I change lane. I have to change lane sometimes, but I try to minimise it to avoid the "lunging and lurching" that goes on - it's bad for petrol consumption, wear and tear, the nerves etc. The roads aren't racetracks.

I drove to see my friend in Swindon last night.

J18 to J15 of the M4, I was sat in L1 all the way (around 7pm on a Sunday night). I was travelling at... let's just say somewhat above the 70mph limit.

Lanes 2 and 3 were jammed with cars travelling at 65mph.

Not once did I have to pull out into L2, I simply sat in L1 all the way to J15 undertaking all the "league of chimpions".

Similar story on the way back, although the traffic had thinned a little by then.

So in some ways, yes, all you middle-lane morons can stay out in L2, all you BMW drivers can sit in L3. And all us Audi drivers can pass you in L1. (Kudos to the guy in the blue 54-plate A3 3.2 Quattro last night as well for clearing a path through L1 for me!)

The most amazing thing? You come up behind someone in L1, get ready to pull out to overtake... their right indicator comes on and they join the muppets. With nothing... NOTHING in front of them for miles!

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Magistrates rule #1: "Never let justice get in the way of a conviction."

You poor, poor man!

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

What a pile of twaddle. Next you'll be saying that obsessive
overtaking is always the safest thing to do.

Yes, although Renault drivers also like to do that. It's a great way to cut down on lanes changes as well. We call them the slow, middle and fast lanes, but if everybody wants to be in the fast lane, then there is no fast lane! Best to just forget about it and look for the easiest and most relaxing way through it, like you say.

I can understand where she is coming from on this, how many times have you pulled over to let a faster car through only to find they then sit alongside until you have to slow for the car in front?

It does not bother me much as I have a few techniques for dealing with it, however I can see how it promotes lane hogging in less experienced drivers.

Perhaps solving lane hogging is also about being aware of and courteous to drivers needing to move from L1 to L2 etc.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

One idea is to give all the lanes equal priorities and put a line of bone-rattling humps down the lane separation lines to penalize the switchers. Then everyone can stick in lane and chill out ... you'll get there in the end. Equal priority is what we actually have once the road is busy. This cockamayme "slow, middle and fast lane" malarkey doesn't work in real life, just on empty m-ways after midnight.

Have you seen that "Two Ronnies" sketch ... the one where the little guy says he "knows his place"? It's about the English class system; people there are so riddled by class it's beyond belief. They even take it on the roads. It goes like this:



And so it goes on. Fantastic. But people take it seriously, and the fast lane hoggers are trying to play the role of John Cleese! It could only happen in Britain.

That's because (again), we don't have 'slow, middle and fast' lanes in the UK. We have a driving lane and then 1 or more overtaking lanes. Otherwise known as L1, L2 and L3.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Interesting.

How exactly would you be supposed to reach L2/L3 from the on ramp without being 'penalised'? Perhaps the idea is Lanes 2+ are only for use by large vehicles with big tyres and long travel suspension like trucks and 4x4s.

Was this idea brought to us by the same people that think speed humps and chicanes make a road safer?



Just the kind of attitude that got the human race out of the trees in the first place - not.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

To avoid confusing people, I’m making an effort to use the common terms. In your terms, our slow lane is your "L1", the middle lane corresponds with your "L2" and the fast lane is the same thing as your "L3". That’s what they are called in Liverpool. Perhaps coppers use L1, L2, L3, but nobody in the pub ever does!

Yes. It’s not my idea, unfortunately. It’s used in California quite a lot.



Give 'em a mile to sort themselves out.



That was more to do with genetic mutation than lane management.

Aaah, I see where I'm going wrong then.... clearly every f*ckwit with the ability to drink MUST know everything there is to know about driving!

IMO it is the common MISuse of the terms 'slow, fast and middle' lanes that adds to the misconception that L1 is soley there for HGVs and L2 is for everyone else.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

What you are saying is not so easy when applied to the real world. It's hardly possible to keep left unless overtaking when the differential speed between the lanes is slight or even negative, and gaps are practically non-existent. Lane switching has a large risk overhead, and it is not worth the candle on packed roads. Undertaking is so commonplace, it is the norm now. The slow/middle/fast lane scheme is broken, basically, and no amount of re-badging it as L1,L2,L3 will fix that.