I hate

I mean, what's better?

Congested left lane with people driving at 60, middle lane with people driving at 70 and right hand lane for people speeding

Or

Left lane congested with traffic doing 60, middle lane with people constantly slotting into gaps in left lane, dropping down to 60, accelerating to 70 and overtaking in middle lane before dropping back down to 60 again in next slot in left lane.

Am I really way off the mark in saying that it's better to have steady speed lane use than constantly accelerating and decelerating? Obvs only in busy traffic conditions...if there is space in the left lane then there is no excuse. Quite often, on the driving I do on the M25, M2, A14 and A12 it's just solid 55 - 60mph HGVs in the left lane.

Where do we stand on flashing people who are in the wrong lane?

Never flash anyone for anything. It can easily be misinterpreted. Eg you flash driver A to let them out but driver B thinks you meant it for them and then does something silly without looking. It's even in the highway code.

And yet we have pretty much the safest roads in the world.

Half a dozen a day are killed on the roads, and many others injured. Mostly due to poor driving. Lots of room for improvement.

Fair dos, always room for improvement. Not many places with lower KSI rates than the UK though. None with a population close to ours.

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For me, as long as the traffic in the middle lane is moving faster than the left lane it's fair game.

Yes, this is how motorways work

I've never seen it to the same way anywhere else in Europe.

You can get quite heavily fined in Europe for middle lane driving I think, unless it's one of those wonderful don't change lane sections by slip roads.

Aha, so that's where I'm getting muddled then. Ive noticed a bunch of people griping about middle lane hogging in this scenario. As if nobody has the right to occupy the middle lane for any period of time. I guess the road is full of people who don't understand the rules on both sides of the argument.

Most motorways in France and even Germany don't even have 3 lanes, so you basically have to stay right unless overtaking. Plus the limits are higher/absent, and there is an order of magnitude less traffic and congestion (outside Paris anyway), so lane discipline is very good.

In Germany if you hog the outside lane someone in an Audi will smash into you at 190mph.

Using the overtaking lane to overtake is fine, that's why it's there, sitting in it when the left lane is empty is cuntish. I like the passive aggressive overtake then do two (safe) left lane changes with the indicator on the whole time, which they obviously don't notice as they're obliviously sat in the middle lane.

Was going to say...I've noticed lane discipline on motorways is much better in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium....but could well be due to less traffic.

Until you get in to most french city centres and 200 scooter riders try and hurl themselves under your wheels every minute.

Depends on why you're doing it. Load of people get antsy about middle lane hogging without knowing why the person is driving there (inner lane congested with slow moving traffic).

I can see often with my eyes that the left lane is clear. They do it because they're cunts

Good job they changed the rules to allow learners on M’ways. I’m not sure what the big deal with them was. There are plenty of dual carriageways which are way more difficult and intimidating to drive on. The A3 in Hampshire is a good example. The difference in speed between the two lanes can make changing lanes a bloody nightmare and try joining the road on one of the lesser junctions. The slip roads are about as long as the average driveway and you need F1 acceleration to not get in the way.

Off the eurotunnel and onto the M20 the lane discipline is amazing, with all the Europeans and recently holidaying Brits coming to the UK and continuing their good habits.

Until you get past Maidstone and it all goes to shit again.

Yeah I always thought that would improve motorways and make them safer - allowing learner drivers on them.

I like the passive aggressive overtake then do two (safe) left lane changes with the indicator on the whole time, which they obviously don't notice as they're obliviously sat in the middle lane.

This is the move but its bloody annoying to have to go across two lanes to overtake the dopey fuck in the middle lane on a quiet road

The more aggressive move which I don't condone is when you see someone do the reverse, booting it down the outside lane and then cutting across two to undertake and then swinging all the way back again to make a point, often pulled off by van drivers

Driving in the middle lane for no reason is a very British thing. I've never seen it to the same way anywhere else in Europe

Drove through Italy recently. They LOVE to do it there; made driving quite stressful

Italy's a different world. I've never seen parking like it.

We recently drove to Anglesey, the second we crossed the border to Wales people started changing lane without indicating. It's a free for all over there.

I've noticed that too

This is the move but its bloody annoying to have to go across two lanes to overtake the dopey fuck in the middle lane on a quiet road

Unless it coincides with a right hand bend in which case it's a shortcut.

You're a horrible cunt and I'm going to impede your journey as much as possible

lern 2 drive

Says the person that doesn't follow the Highway Code?

Merely making them aware of my presence behind them

Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there.