World's longest guided busway opens in Cambridge, UK

[Nawdic]

I've just resigned myself to overtaking on the left

Otherwise known as undertaking.

Which is illegal, according to the Met.

[Badger]

Its a big problem anywhere on the A1 I tend to find (except the few 3 lane bits) and particularly on the section north of the M18 near Doncaster, where there are a lot of hills and trucks tend to take ages to overtake....

The bit from the M18 to the M62 is about 12 miles of ups and downs and twists an turns where lorries find great glee in every so slowly overtaking each other, and as I drive up it every day, it drives me insane.

*gibber*

[PikkaBird]

And for what it's worth, neither the US nor Australia limit HGV speeds

Au contraire, Australia requires heavy vehicles to be limited to 100km/h, or 90km/h for road trains. This is especially hilarious in the bus when water gets into the speedo and it starts overreading by 70km/h...

[orudge]

Otherwise known as undertaking.

No, I'm not a funeral director. I wrote "overtaking on the left" for a reason (admittedly a pedantic one).

Au contraire, Australia requires heavy vehicles to be limited to 100km/h

Oh. Well, they certainly *seemed* to be doing 110km/h on the motorway when I was there. But maybe that was partially just my speedo underreading.

[John]

Otherwise known as undertaking.

No, I'm not a funeral director. I wrote "overtaking on the left" for a reason (admittedly a pedantic one).

I overtook 2 cars on the left today. I was in the slow lane - they were out in lane 3 of 4 (twas on the M25). I really couldn't be arsed to slow down, move across 4 lanes just to overtake correctly. I hoped that they would notice and move over. They didn't.


Irritatingly I also had a lorry and a car try and share the middle lane with me today (I was moving into it from the fast lane with indicator going, they ignored me when I was half in the lane and just pulled out).

Also had a girl in a clio who took "not middle lane hogging" to the extreme. Kept swerving back into the slow lane, and waiting until she was in someones boot before she pulled out to overtake. like a yo-yo she was, changing lanes so frequently, and getting angry at other people. weird girl.

I tend to flash my lights only if they could move to a "slower" lane and are just being a numbskull. Otherwise you end up with one person in the "fast" lane slowly overtaking 5 other people in the middle lane, while a queue of cars behind the overtaker can't make any progress:

I move over when possible & sensible, and if someone comes up behind me when i am actually in the fast lane I move over at the next opportunity to let them pass, before continuing to overtake slow cars in the middle lane.

However if some numpty comes up behind me and tries to get into my boot, flashes his light and starts indicating right, then I have been known to become very stubborn and stay put. If people want to overtake me then they can damn well do so safely, and without pointlessly risking crashing into the back of me.

[Kevo00]

I don't mind people being slower than me in front of me, as long as they're doing a reasonable speed and if they're in the fast lane, take an opportunity to move in. Many people will happily let someone pull out in front of them with a cheery flash of the headlights, but won't give the same courtesy to someone travelling faster behind them. I tend to flash my lights only if they could move to a "slower" lane and are just being a numbskull. Otherwise you end up with one person in the "fast" lane slowly overtaking 5 other people in the middle lane, while a queue of cars behind the overtaker can't make any progress: the overtaker could move in between the cars it's overtaking, but choses not to, and instead of flashing him/her or getting out of the way so that someone else can flash them they just sit behind them in the queue so everyone gets irate.

And how fast are you trying to drive in the fast lane? Any faster than 80mph is too fast anyway. On the M1, where before about 6.45pm it doesn't sense for car drivers to drive in the left hand lane for any distance, I often get such behavior when I am doing 80 (yes it is possible in a Micra) and I'm in the right lane quite legitimately because the left and middle lanes are full of traffic. IMO anyone indulging in such behaviour should be given 3 points on their license and have their vehicle, usually a BMW 4x4 or similar crushed to the size of a satsuma and handed back to them, because it is simply little better than bullying.

Also, on dual carriageways its often the case that a driver is moving relatively slowly in the right hand lane because they need to turn right ahead or be in the right hand lane for a roundabout ahead. Of course, those who believe the right hand lane is their domain to drive at 90-100mph no matter how short the stopping distance are oblivious to this.

[PikkaBird]

Otherwise known as undertaking.

No, I'm not a funeral director. I wrote "overtaking on the left" for a reason (admittedly a pedantic one).

Did you see any of the highway trucks here with "passing side" and "suicide" signs on the back? Those are quite common.

Oh. Well, they certainly *seemed* to be doing 110km/h on the motorway when I was there. But maybe that was partially just my speedo underreading.

Apparently 100km/h can mean 115km/h. Sounds about right.

[orudge]

I overtook 2 cars on the left today. I was in the slow lane - they were out in lane 3 of 4 (twas on the M25). I really couldn't be arsed to slow down, move across 4 lanes just to overtake correctly. I hoped that they would notice and move over. They didn't.

I personally don't see anything wrong with that - I'd argue that if there's a spare lane in between you and them, then your lane just happens to be moving faster than their lane and you're not doing anything wrong (as opposed to you being behind then, then ducking into the left lane to overtake.) In this case, they're the numpties by being in the middle of the road, and the Highway Code does make exceptions for overtaking on the left when the left hand lane is travelling faster than the right hand lane. I see it quite a lot on the D4M sections of the M6 when I travel along there.

[John]

Also, on dual carriageways its often the case that a driver is moving relatively slowly in the right hand lane because they need to turn right ahead or be in the right hand lane for a roundabout ahead. Of course, those who believe the right hand lane is their domain to drive at 90-100mph no matter how short the stopping distance are oblivious to this.

Not all the time - dual carriageways like the A14 and A11 are almost like motorways. All junctions are split level with no right turning across the middle. You still get some numpty sat in the right hand lane doing 70mph with an almost empty left lane. Probably the same person that hogs the middle of the motorway.

[Kevo00]

Sure, but I get beeped at and lights flashed at me on non-motorway style dual carriageways like those in Milton Keynes.

[Nawdic]

Sure, but I get beeped at and lights flashed at me on non-motorway style dual carriageways like those in Milton Keynes.

I always think that the people that do that are a bit knobbish, they think they need t be in a rush and also they wan't to break the speed limit, but don't realise it...
Some parts of the A3 are the worst for it, especially around the single-carriageway Devil's Punchbowl Pass...

I've done it on numerous occaisions, but I've still got a point-free license!

[audigex]

Regardless of whether it's bullying, if someone is in anything other than the left hand lane and they could move into a lane further to the left for the next 30 seconds, then they are in the wrong and are holding up traffic. If you're holding up other people just because you're too lazy to change lane then you're just plain rude, discourteous and not someone I care about being bullied out of the way, if I'm honest.

I tend to drive spiritedly, but as courteously as possible. If I find that I've accidentally gotten in somebody's way I feel bad about it, if someone is stuck behind a lorry I let them move out in front of me - anything I can do to make the motorway flow more smoothly: so it does my head in when people are too ignorant to take a simple step to make it work better for everyone... anyone can keep a car on the road, but to actually help the system flow smoothly is the sign of a good driver.

"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. "

[Jacko]

Sure, but I get beeped at and lights flashed at me on non-motorway style dual carriageways like those in Milton Keynes.

I always think that the people that do that are a bit knobbish, they think they need t be in a rush and also they wan't to break the speed limit, but don't realise it...
Some parts of the A3 are the worst for it, especially around the single-carriageway Devil's Punchbowl Pass...

I've done it on numerous occaisions, but I've still got a point-free license!

Thats why they built the tunnel.

When we go to devon, the A31 is pure hell.
because of the time we go, there are queues and qeues of caravans. and its alll single cariageway apart from about 100m of dual that appears around Bridport, and ends again. (i mean 100m)

[Badger]

Regardless of whether it's bullying, if someone is in anything other than the left hand lane and they could move into a lane further to the left for the next 30 seconds, then they are in the wrong and are holding up traffic. If you're holding up other people just because you're too lazy to change lane then you're just plain rude, discourteous and not someone I care about being bullied out of the way, if I'm honest.

I tend to drive spiritedly, but as courteously as possible. If I find that I've accidentally gotten in somebody's way I feel bad about it, if someone is stuck behind a lorry I let them move out in front of me - anything I can do to make the motorway flow more smoothly: so it does my head in when people are too ignorant to take a simple step to make it work better for everyone... anyone can keep a car on the road, but to actually help the system flow smoothly is the sign of a good driver.

"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. "

Indeed, I drive much like you it seems. I fell victim to a couple of drivers yesterday, one who insisted on creeping past a lorry and causing a good 10-15 car queue, and than another who, once the 1st slow-coach had moved over, repeated the same trick again.

[Kevo00]

Regardless of whether it's bullying, if someone is in anything other than the left hand lane and they could move into a lane further to the left for the next 30 seconds, then they are in the wrong and are holding up traffic. If you're holding up other people just because you're too lazy to change lane then you're just plain rude, discourteous and not someone I care about being bullied out of the way, if I'm honest.

I agree, and always drive in the left-most lane possible. However, most of these characters never go back to the left lane themselves. And in any case, if someone is doing 80, there is no reasonable case to suggest they are holding up the traffic.

[jvassie]

That's whats so great about the M40 outside rush hour, you can do 100mph and not have to break every 30 seconds for some twat pulling out in front of you.. The M3 between the M25 and the A308 is also a nice fast stretch of motorway.

Same boat as you Badger, I like driving at a decent clip, but I see no point in impeding the flow of traffic by not being corteous. If I see someone coming up behind me who is quite obviously faster, its much easier to jull pull in a lane, let them whip past, then pull back in and keep overtaking. Much more likely to reduce accidents if you plan for what other drivers are thinking/doing as well as what you are doing.

[Kevo00]

That's whats so great about the M40 outside rush hour, you can do 100mph and not have to break every 30 seconds for some twat pulling out in front of you.. The M3 between the M25 and the A308 is also a nice fast stretch of motorway.

Same boat as you Badger, I like driving at a decent clip, but I see no point in impeding the flow of traffic by not being corteous. If I see someone coming up behind me who is quite obviously faster, its much easier to jull pull in a lane, let them whip past, then pull back in and keep overtaking. Much more likely to reduce accidents if you plan for what other drivers are thinking/doing as well as what you are doing.

You can't pick and choose parts of the highway code as if it were an a la carte menu. Much more likely to reduce accidents if you don't drive at 100mph, where you are covering a mile and a half every 60 seconds, and wouldn't be able to react if something happened in your sight line...

[andysine]

The highway code isn't enforced by law. Driving at 100mph is against the law though...

[JamieLei]

The highway code isn't enforced by law. Driving at 100mph is against the law though...

The bits in red are. And there are plenty of things that are in red, for example, obeying speed limits.

[orudge]

That's whats so great about the M40 outside rush hour, you can do 100mph and not have to break every 30 seconds for some twat pulling out in front of you.. The M3 between the M25 and the A308 is also a nice fast stretch of motorway.

All I will say to that is that, in the event that you happen to get caught, speeds over around 95mph in a 70mph will result in a court appearance, where you will likely receive up to 6 points on your licence and a fine of up to £2500. Below that you will likely get offered a fixed penalty of 3 points and a £60 fine, unless you are otherwise driving in a manner that the police officer thinks is dangerous.

Now, there can be places on the motorway network where doing 100mph is, let's say, "less bad". (For the record, I've never done 100mph on a public motorway!). I personally wouldn't encourage it, though. I hope you're maintaining things like your tyres very well. If they were to blow out at such speeds, I imagine the results would not be pretty.

I will tend to stick to an indicated ~80mph on a clear motorway - indeed, I've come across several speed camera vans parked on bridges at that speed and never had an issue. (According to GPS, I'm actually doing about 75-77mph, and prosecution guidelines suggest one shouldn't prosecute below limit + 10% + 2mph). Occasionally I may end up doing a little faster, but I don't like to do so, and I will always tend to slow down as I come to a corner or a hill as you never know what's lurking around the next corner! Personally, I like having a clean licence, and want to keep it that way!

For what it's worth, in the event I do see somebody obviously zooming up behind me, I will generally let them get out of the way before I pull out... rather that then have them plow into the back of me because they're on their mobile phone and haven't noticed me, or have them otherwise have an accident next to me!