I think this is the best news I've heard in years - literally. Middle lane hogging is one of my biggest moans about motorway driving, and to a certain extent driving on dual-carriageways when someone is in the second lane because they intend to turn right in the next 20 miles.
Middle lane hoggers are clearly not feeling comfortable with driving if they use the excuse that they would otherwise have to keep overtaking lorries and other slow moving vehicles. In peak times, middle lane hoggers are less of an issue anyway (they probably are passing enough vehicles to just about get away with arguing that they're overtaking) but at other times, they're driving for MILES without passing anything.
Now a study has claimed that middle lane hoggers don't really take up much road capacity, and don't reduce capacity by a third. What it doesn't seem to have taken into account is that when you have middle lane hoggers, you end up with more and more people going into lane 3 to pass - and not ever going back in, because they'll end up going back to lane 1 then catch up with a middle lane hogger, have to go to lane 2, then try and get into lane 3 to overtake and go back. So they stick in lane 3.
End result; you have middle lane hoggers spaced out and lane 3 is full. It looks more like you're on a road in mainland Europe. How can that not be massively taking up capacity?
What it also does is encourage road rage, and for people to see that lane 1 is mostly empty and rather than pull over, then out again to overtake, just stick in lane 1 and undertake everyone - usually at speed, out of anger, which makes them more dangerous. Yes, that motorist is the one one that is a danger BUT it only occurred because of someone who was being inconsiderate.
I was always taught that if you can't complete an overtake within 10 seconds, you pull back in. What's more, motorway driving can become very boring so it keeps your attention levels up by driving properly, and that will likely make you more aware of what's going on around you. Middle lane hoggers rarely seem to look in their mirrors (why would they? They just sit there and drive) so are also the ones that seem to panic when they need to turn off or might actually need to overtake themselves, having crept up onto the bumper of another vehicle because they were virtually asleep. Chances are, rather than slow down, they'll just pull out to overtake without properly judging the speed of vehicles in lane 3.
I was glad to see that it was pointed out that people don't hog lanes so much elsewhere, such as Germany. I have seen this countless times when driving there. People only pull out to lane 2 or 3 (rare on many autobahns) to overtake. They pull back in. And when there's no speed limit in operation, those people who are going faster in lane two have no issue with slowing down, waiting, then flooring it after. It all works - with vehicles that have a significant variance in speed.
If we want to have higher speed limits in the UK, even just 80mph, then we need to get motorists to drive properly and be more courteous to others. Middle lane hoggers are rude, arrogant and timid drivers who either abide by the rules or stop driving, IMO.
Once people can be taught that you keep left unless overtaking, you will suddenly find that motorways will move much smoother as a result.
But, and this is a big but, there are so few traffic police officers out now that there will likely be little enforcement. That said, while many police officers aren't too worried about motorists speeding a bit - I bet many of them are equally frustrated by middle lane hoggers. I can see that, potentially, they'll mostly go for these people (as well as people who sit in lane 3 all the time with cruise control on).
but if someone doing their 70 wants to pass i will let them. What's other peoples opinions on this?
