[Closed] Middle lane Hogging on M8 motorway.

What causes that then?

where did you find a middle lane on the M8?
🙂

anywhere between Renfrew and Govan

ahh the 40mph, no 50mph, no 60, no its 50mph again, no its 70 bit

I avoid the inside lane on most of the Glasgow urban section of the M8.

What causes that then?

It means they can join the motorway and not have to worry themselves with lane changes until they have to leave again. Trucks on the left, reps in a hurry on the right.

The idea of keeping left unless overtaking seems lost on these people, even when flashed up on the signs.

So it's finally spread that far north, it started on the M25 and yes it is usually SWFs

druidh - Member
I avoid the inside lane on most of the Glasgow urban section of the M8.

Edit: as per thegreatape, this was before the M74 extension, obviously!

Pre the new bit of motorway that (relatively) skips the congestion, if you stayed left until the signs showed your route, you could get stuck there lane with no one letting you in to the correct lane. Fine if you knew in advance of the signs which lane you would eventually need to be in, not fine if you didn't.

Scottish road network (OK, more Glaswegian, but it does stretch elsewhere) seems to have an inbuilt error. IT's something I noticed as soon as I moved here, they so frequently use the inside lane on all major roads for bus lanes/parking areas (and then make them variously timed so you have to watch the signs like a hawk to see if you're allowed in them or not) that most people just don't bother ever using the inside lane on *any* road. Add to the fact that, as said, most of the M8 through the city and out west has the most bizarre signage that ends up with you constantly moving in and out of the left hand lane if you want to continue straight on that really it's basically just teaching folk to use roads incorrectly.

And that's ignoring the mind-**** that is leaving and joining a motorway in the outside lane, which is (AFAIK) the only place in the country/union that does?!

Leeds inner ring road has right hand exits, but if you're driving in Leeds city for the first time then it's the least of your worries. "The Loop" sounds like such an innocent term to the uninitiated...

And that's ignoring the mind-**** that is leaving and joining a motorway in the outside lane, which is (AFAIK) the only place in the country/union that does?!

Plus am I the only person to obey the 40mph limit on the Paisley section just before the airport turn off?

Yup!

Well I didn't know wrong-site entry/exits were so common! The number of people you see coming on/off them looking utterly bewildered and having to panic and get across from right to left is beyond funny.

I'm a middle lane person and love it.
The left constantly has hassles with the entering lanes and I can't be bothered.
The right usually has hazzards like ice or snow and speeding cars are usually right on your butt hassling you constantly.
The middle is for cruizing and relaxing at or slightly above the speed limit.
Thats how I like to drive.

I'm a middle lane person and love it.

But everyone else hates you!

>I'm a middle lane person and love it.<

Yeah and Truckers love guys like you.

Far far worse than the middle lane hogging on what little 3 lane motorway we actually have is the outside lane hogging on the dual section between Ballieston and Hermiston Gate.

I'm a middle lane person and love it.

Must admit to doing the same on certain stretches. Given the volume of traffic and the amount of times the left lane goes off it's easier.

I know we've covered this a trillion times but the poor lane discipline in this country gets my goat. I reckon the M8's the worst, but the M6 south of the Thelwall Viaduct in the morning is a close second.

I once saw a Police Range Rover undertake a load of folk slowly with the rear electronic sign in the window saying "move left, use correct lane discipline" but that was about 5 years ago.

To be honest, if I'm heading north up towards the Erskine Bridge / A82 etc. (or back south the same way) I usually do the same!

Heard about a motorway cop stopped a middle lane driver on the M8 east around Govan for speeding. Mentioned in passing that was she aware she should use the LH lane when it was clear. This was 3am.

She looked at him like he was daft and said "But this is the lane that goes to Edinburgh!!"

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But everyone knows that the 1st lane is restricted to people in trade.

Slaves?

I know we've covered this a trillion times but the poor lane discipline in this country gets my goat. I reckon the M8's the worst, but the M6 south of the Thelwall Viaduct in the morning is a close second

Unless by "this country" you mean Scotland, I'm going to have to take issue with this and invite you to come and visit the M25.

And if you do mean Scotland, you don't know how good youy've got it.

The lane discipline gets noticeably better the further north I go when driving M1 - M6 - A74(M).

I mean uk.

I think merging lanes are way too short in this country and create undue danger with left lane driving.
There are a few sections round my way where accidents occur every week without fail.
Merging cars need to be given time to match the motorway speed and find a safe gap.
Left lane drivers need enough time to see the merging cars and find a gap in the middle lane.
Merging lanes in Australia have a good half a kilometer before joining the main highway.
Here its a few hundred yards at best.

I've been to Australia too, we are way better drivers than them so don't need such long merge lanes.

The M8 is a bit odd through Glasgow but most urban motorways are

if you think we're bad drivers, you should give Naples a try
my missus is from Naples and it used to scare me shitless when we went there, now I just join in
I've seen cars literally pushing others along if they don't get a move on 😀

Bad driving? I was in Northern Ireland and was over/under taken by a coach on the hard shoulder once. Quite common apparently. Made worse by the fact it was an a road with an unsurfaced shoulder..Bonkers!

hugor - Member
I'm a middle lane person and love it.
The left constantly has hassles with the entering lanes and I can't be bothered.
The right usually has hazzards like ice or snow and speeding cars are usually right on your butt hassling you constantly.
The middle is for cruizing and relaxing at or slightly above the speed limit.
Thats how I like to drive.

ha ha ha ha ha ha.....

constant hassles!!?? what about, in between junctions when there definitely isn't anything entering the motorway do you pull in then or just stay where you are?

the middle lane is not for 'cruizing'

This problem is nation wide... I see hundreds of cars sat in the middle lane at midnight not another car in sight and they're still ****ing sitting there!!!??? retards.

Russia has (or had many years ago) 3 lane motorways - not three lanes each way, three lanes total. One lane going each direction, and a shared overtaking lane in the middle. You can imagine the fun when two people going opposite directions both try to overtake.

On the other hand, British roads terrify my American relatives. A long time ago, my uncle got so flustered about whether to go left or right at a roundabout that he took the third choice, went straight ahead, and ripped the chassis off the bottom of the car...

ha ha, my grandad, gave some americans directions once upon a time.... he said blah blah blah, go staight over the island... only to keep walking up the road to see them stranded in the middle of an island.

On dual carridgewaysnive adopted the african technique - if your hogging and i come upbehind you get a minute or so t then 2 flashes if you dont move you get the horn ....if you dont move i lean on the horn nd if you still dont move ill undertake you.

Not my fault you cant drive.

Ben cooper im just back from ukraine - same thing there i spent a large ammount of my time there in cars with eyes closed ! But crazy thing isthe drivers paynso much more attention and knowmexactly where folk are !

Pass the rizla - if im traveling at night ill drive middle lane too as the left lane is tramlinned to **** and regularly potholled and rough as due to trucks

But i am alert and if i see other cars i will pull left to let them past - if it is a busy road i hang a left

I've never really noticed the difference between the condition of the lanes...

This problem is nation wide... I see hundreds of cars sat in the middle lane at midnight not another car in sight and they're still * sitting there!!!??? retards.

On dual carridgewaysnive adopted the african technique - if your hogging and i come upbehind you get a minute or so t then 2 flashes if you dont move you get the horn ....if you dont move i lean on the horn nd if you still dont move ill undertake you.

Sounds like road rage to me. You're a very responsible driver. 😀

if im traveling at night ill drive middle lane too as the left lane is tramlinned to * and regularly potholled and rough as due to trucks

But you were saying its not ok a second ago

I was hammering along the M8 in the outside lane years ago, and it turned into a slip road and put me into easterhouse without me realising it.

FFS

Madness

It doesnt happen very often - i drive at speedlimit so if your in the outside lane and im behind you at the nsl then wtf are you doing ?

leaving and joining a motorway in the outside lane, which is (AFAIK) the only place in the country/union that does?!

There's a bit of the A58(M) in Leeds that does that too. Technically it's a proper motorway, but really it's more like a dual carriageway with ideas above its station.

Cor, I know some fascinating stuff, me. 🙄

I've been to Australia too, we are way better drivers than them so don't need such long merge lanes.

This +1000. The chaos you see in Adelaide after a bit of rain is akin to that in the UK when it starts snowing in the rush hour. Appalling driving is quite often the least-worst you'll see. And as for lane discipline....

Middle lane hoggers should be castrated... Err prosecuted. Out side lane hoggers should just be shot.. Err I mean castrated, no I mean prosecuted. In recent times I've taken to giving them 30 / 60 seconds to move left and then just under take if they don't. Most haven't even looked in their mirror and seem to think they are over taking a car two miles ahead.

It doesnt happen very often - i drive at speedlimit so if your in the outside lane and im behind you at the nsl then wtf are you doing ?

I will take middle lane hogging any day before pulling across lanes wildly without indicating, or those real stars of the road who overtake at the on-ramp, when a car is trying to come on, so you can't move across, and it's raining.

Which is exactly what happened to me last time I had the joy to drive on the M8, coming into Glasgow. Luckily blind asleep man on my left who doesn't know how to use indicators, mirrors, or eyes for that matter work up when I sounded the horn and flashed full beams at him.

If you get frustrated by middle lane hoggers on the M8 you should try driving south on the M77 between Darnley and the top of Newton Mearns. I swear that the majority of drivers on that section of road think the inside lane is a slip road all the way up.

I find that middle lane hogging is kinda self flagulating.

When I'm managing to reign in my efforts and actually drive at economical 60 mph. I'd ideally like to go right up behind the truck, nip out, then crawl past (usually only 4-5 mph difference) then nip back, but because there's so much pouring up the middle lane I find that to maintain speed I have to overtake a truck (i.e. spot a gap and pull out) so far in advance that I then probably get branded with the same title.

I could creep up right behind the truck and wait for a gap, but then my theory is that I'm modifying my speed all the time, and then having to accelerate more when the gap does come, so I'm loosing the economics of the situation and may as well just do 75 like everyone else.

I guess I could do 56 like the truck but that 4mph less just feels like an eternity and when you get to a hill it gets worse. 😆

Gary M, Too right about the climb up the M77 from B&Q. Also, the logic of it reducing to two lanes at the top of the hill eludes me. It just leads to poor reps in BMW's having to barge in past the slow traffic !!

Worse though is J1 at Dumbreck. Southbound, the slip road is way too short (even though it was extended) after the loop down to the motorway. Have seen a few close ones there and one heavy shunt as the traffic always slows drastically at the end of the slip road in rush hour conditions.

I just take the train now. Much less stressful.

Gary M, Too right about the climb up the M77 from B&Q. Also, the logic of it reducing to two lanes at the top of the hill eludes me. It just leads to poor reps in BMW's having to barge in past the slow traffic !!

It's three lanes there because trucks will struggle on it and effectively need a crawler lane

I was thinking about all this today as I was driving in the middle lane on the M4 from Cardiff to Afan - about 40 miles.
I was cruizing between 70 - 80 mph. The trucks and elderly were to my left and doing about 40 - 50. The audi's and BMW's flew past me on my right probably doing almost twice the speed limit.
One car was carrying a very nice white ibis bike on the roof and it was only bettered by the very attractive girlfriend in the passenger seat. They waved as they went past me, and we later had a chat at the trail centre.
It was a pleasant drive and nobody got angry.
I don't see the problem really. 🙂

I find the M1 the worst. Where it's been widened to 4 or even 5 lanes, there are plenty of people who refuse to use the left hand lane. People are bad enough on 3 lanes, when it gets that wide they lose whatever vestiges of driving capability they ever had.

I use that slip-road entry into the outside lane section of the M60 quite regularly. It's mostly OK, except when trucks come on; no-one wants to let the truck pull into the middle lane and it hasn't got the speed to be sitting in the outside.

Obviously I'm a perfect driver myself... 😉

Yes! M1 southbound coming up to m25 is shocking. Everyone drives in lanes 3 or 4. Utter madness

I've tried flashing lights (invokes hard braking), tried undertaking (cops don't like this) but I've found that weaving slowly from side to side behind the offender has the best effect

Hugor I take it you're trolling?

I drive in the middle lane at (a maximum of) 70mph. If you're coming up fast behind me then you're a law breaking cock and I don't give a damn. I'll stay in my lane at my speed until my junction approaches, when I will make a timely and well indicated move left.

Hugor I take it you're trolling?

No I'm not. As long as you're driving at an appropriate speed as Markie above eloquently puts it then I don't see the problem.
If your driving 40 in a 70 in the middle lane then that's another matter.

Markie - Member

I drive in the middle lane at (a maximum of) 70mph. If you're coming up fast behind me then you're a law breaking cock and I don't give a damn. I'll stay in my lane at my speed until my junction approaches, when I will make a timely and well indicated move left.

Sounds like you are the cock.

WTF is wrong with the inside lane, you middle lane moron.

EDIT: From the highway code:

Lane discipline

264

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.

Take heed 😉

middle lane moron

Seconded Gary_C

Markie, why not hold this righteous position in the inside lane; unless of course you are deliberately trying to antagonise other drivers?

Perhaps you might like to have a read of the highway code Hugor / Markie and others who think this is acceptable.

Lane discipline
264

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.

The problem is it creates a knock-on effect that results in a 40-80-40-80-40-80 tailgaiting outside lane, a spread out middle lane of oblivious drivers like yourself, and a deserted inside lane occupied by trucks and the odd idiot doing 90mph undertakes. Not a great situation.

Why can't you and Markie just follow the rules of the road and let everyone else get on with it?

Markie, why not hold this righteous position in the inside lane; unless of course you are deliberately trying to antagonise other drivers?

You're right, to a point. Firstly, cock was too harsh in my first post, secondly, if the left lane is clear I will drive in it, but will pull out into the middle lane to overtake trucks (well, slower vehicles, mostly trucks) or avoid on ramps and will stay in the middle lane in as much as the left lane ahead looks like it would lead to me needing to pull in and out too much (defined?)...

Reference TJ (edit, and Brycey), I'm sure the highway code / rules of the road also have something to say about obeying speed limits...

two wrongs do not make a right.

TJ. Yes I abide by that when the road is clear like very late at night but I rarely drive then anyway. During the day the M4 is never clear and I find myself constantly changing between the left and middle lanes.
There are frequent rapid braking episodes as the merging cars enter without looking, and lots of stress trying to merge with the middle lane quickly to get out of their way.
Thats not how I like to drive.
I think its much safer to stay in the middle given your travelling at the speed limit.
The law breakers can use the lane to my right.

As TJ says, whether or not myself or any other driver chooses to speed is irrelevant. As I say, anyone that is using that argument and is holding the middle lane to pi55 off said speeders, has to have their temperament questioned.

That said, fair dos on your further explanation.

There are stretches of the M4 with miles between junctions, it's a rubbish excuse.

course it is - as is

There are frequent rapid braking episodes as the merging cars enter without looking, and lots of stress trying to merge with the middle lane quickly to get out of their way.

Look ahead and anticipate. Thats the key

Yes but there aren't miles between slow moving vehicles. There will be one every few hundred yards.

Get in between them then, think about what's about to happen a bit as TJ says. If you're really struggling with the concept, watch what the LGVs do. You'll not see many linger after they've finished their overtake.

I know I'm wasting my breath though.

Look ahead and anticipate. Thats the key

As always, it's a rather grey area. Hugor is correct that it is safer to stay in one lane as opposed to changing lanes constantly. A "queue" of cars travelling at the same speed is safer than one where slower moving vehicles are trying to manoeuvre into it every time they need to pull out of the left hand lane.

It is up to the judgement of the individual driver to determine whether it is worth pulling into the left hand lane every time and, as TJ suggests, this will be based on anticipating the relative speeds and position of the traffic ahead and behind.

Russia has (or had many years ago) 3 lane motorways - not three lanes each way, three lanes total. One lane going each direction, and a shared overtaking lane in the middle. You can imagine the fun when two people going opposite directions both try to overtake.

Congestion was never a problem in the Soviet Union because there was never a significant density of vehicles and so multilane roads were rare.

I believe that Belgium did, however, have exactly the system you describe at one point i.e. a shared overtaking lane in the middle.

Merging lanes in Australia have a good half a kilometer before joining the main highway.

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Also, when lanes do end, it's usually the left hand lane that ends. Usually this means that the vehicle has to try to speed up to fit into the right hand lane - madness!

What should happen is merge lanes are replaced by lanes that just end and the onus is on the driver in the right hand lane to merge safely into the left hand lane.

I think merging lanes are way too short in this country and create undue danger with left lane driving.

you need to come and drive in germnay....

very tight bend on the slip road that is about 500m long and it throws you out onto the autobahn with an avaerage speed of 150kmh.

italians one are just bad if not worse - esp. when on the brenner.

UK motorways are generally miles better than those in europe..

Meh - all you kids don't remember...

Before the M8, was the A8. That was 3-lane and you can still see parts of it (Newbridge - Broxburn). It was [i]one lane for going, one lane for coming, and one lane for dying[/i]. Then there was the "I Hate the A8 campaign", then the M8 (still not complete).

Merging lanes in Australia give equal priority to the car coming from the left and the one from the right. It is a craaaaaap arrangement.

You're completely incorrect there.
The merging lane has to give way to the freeway. They just have more time to get to the correct speed and make the merge. Its common sense if you're going straight then you have right of way. I have 22 years driving history in Australia. When I came here 18 months ago and found cars on the left just jumping out in front of me it was a real shock. The other rule of thumb in Aus is when in doubt give way to the right.

Not trolling anyway saying that Aus has everything so sorted but it was one of the most striking things that I encountered when I started driving here.

You're completely incorrect there.
The merging lane has to give way to the freeway.

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Crap arrangement because "slow lane" car has to speed up to keep up with "fast lane" traffic.

[img] [/img]

Crap arrangement because it relies on both drivers judging their own and the other's speed and then coming to the same conclusion about who's in front. Doubly difficult when the lanes are not parallel but at an angle (e.g. when two different roads combine).

Meh - all you kids don't remember...
Before the M8, was the A8. That was 3-lane and you can still see parts of it (Newbridge - Broxburn). It was one lane for going, one lane for coming, and one lane for dying. Then there was the "I Hate the A8 campaign", then the M8 (still not complete).

Used to be known as my side, your side and suicide...

i find myself constantly changing between left and middle lanes

it's called driving, lazy git.

the worst aspect of middle lane hogging is the blank look on the idiots faces where they are not concentrating.
dangerous.

Whats all this I have to move out for merging traffic cra*? In this country the traffic merging has to give way to traffic already within the inside lane.
Using skills to match other road users speed they can filter in, or is that just too much for the idiotic classes to understand.
Strikes me that most middle lane hoggers lack confidence and/or are just bloody lazy.

Now dont get me started on numpties that want to drive around everywhere with their front fog lamps on 365 days of the year!

druidh -
No grey areas within The Highway Code perhaps you'd like to refresh yourself with its contents.

hugor - Member
Hey its not a race its a commute. I'm driving the speed limit.
I don't wanna change lanes every 2 minutes cause I'm lazy.
There's loads of room on my right to get round me if you want to speed.

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