Speeding fines and Smart Motorways

[Bibs]

I was stopped for undertaking a year or two back. Just got off a flight at Heathrow and lanes 3 & 4 were busy, 1 & 2 were empty. I was let off but told if I was caught doing it again within a year, 6 points...

[andydclements]

News item: Bibs in trouble for a driving matter.

Oh sorry, easier to state when he's not

 

Those variable speed things have another effect as well, if you can reduce the people getting to a bottleneck/traffic jam it actually stops it getting worse and lets it clear sooner, and by that I don't just mean it's better by the 100-1000 cars held back not getting caught up. The original jam clears, the 100-1000 (or however many) just get slowed by a min or so but then don't get slowed by being held up for 30 mins at a crawl.

It's something to do with our ways we act when in a herd, we seem to move in a different manner, so stop a few of us bunching our cars up and then there's no big herd to join.

[Bibs]

I have spent more than my fair share of time stood on the side of a motorway explaining myself, I must admit. 

[LF1]

Apparently undertaking is not illegal if you are not speeding. I asked in a speed awareness course why bikes were allowed to go down the inside of the fast lane, and at what point it is acceptable in heavy traffic.

Sounds like a very grey area to me.

[andydclements]

You're not allowed to move to the left to overtake, and, you're allowed to pass on the left in "slow moving traffic", so yes it is a grey area because there's no definition of when traffic becomes fast-moving but I'd guess that using that argument for passing traffic that's doing nearly 70mph would fail.

[C8RKH]

I often drive in the 1st lane, sometimes referred to as the slow lane on the Motorway. Main reason is that it is usually empty and so no start:stop traffic or morons tail gating.  If i come across someone hogging Lane 2 I just sail on by in the "slow lane at the speed limit. I haven't changed lanes and my argument would be the guy in the middle lane slowed down, rather than I sped up. Would like to try to prove me wrong of that even with video evidence as I wasn't switching lanes etc.

I hate motorway driving. Take as an opportunity to put the cruise on, chill out, and listen Radio 4, Radio 6, or Absolute 80's (yes, honestly) depending on the DAB area I am in. I find zero enjoyment in motorway driving and no pleasure in speeding on such a boring road.

[Alfa2Evora]

On ‎07‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 16:48, alias23 said:

... People who can't be arsed to use indicators! They should have a temporary ban or fine! 

They suffer a far worse fate than that - they're condemned to drive BMWs for the rest of eternity!  

[Escape]

On 07/11/2016 at 17:42, MesTCS said:

Mrs Mes and I often discuss this. It's the middle lane idiots that cause a lot of the problems here. Standard English scenario, everyone is just too selfish. You're not me, why should I care?

The government could do a hell of a lot for things like this by pushing a "KEEP LEFT" campaign. If these idiots were made to feel some semblance of guilt for their poor / inconsiderate driving they'd do it a hell of a lot less I think. 

In fact, if they put that forward as a policy it might actually get me to vote!

Funny you guys consider it a English scenario/problem! Usually when we visit UK, I am relieved there aren't as many middle lane hoggers as in Belgium (or even worse, France). I must admit it has gotten worse, but overall I find there is a lot more understanding between drivers and less erratic behavior on UK motorways.

We are seeing more and more temporary speed limits in Belgium as well. I do understand their purpose, they can improve traffic flow and prevent accidents. But they often lack consistence, thereby creating jams and increasing the risk of accidents happening. One motorway I often take often has a 50kph limit coming from 120kph without any clear reason or advanced notice. A few morons hit the brakes (preferably in the middle lane) and you have the perfect recipe for chaos and delays.

[MesTCS]

Hi Filip, 

Have to be honest and say I'm amazed you say that! I'm over in Belgium very often and I find it the complete opposite. Admittedly the vast majority of my motorway driving in Belgium is only a short run along the E40 to Veurne plus the occasional run up to Bruges so I'm sure it could be quite different using the roads around Brussels or Antwerp. But I always find driving on the motorway there an absolute dream compared to here. Higher speed limit, roads almost empty in comparison, and yes I find that people move right far better than they move left here. 

Are you guys taught the same as French drivers to leave your indicator on when pulling out? It's a small thing but I think it helps people subconsciously be more considerate and turn their indicator off after passing which in turn helps them to think they should move back in when the pass is completed. 

The grass is always greener on the other side huh?

[MesTCS]

11 hours ago, Alfa2Evora said:

They suffer a far worse fate than that - they're condemned to drive BMWs for the rest of eternity!  

Depends which BMW... It could work out very well for them!

[Escape]

Hehe, I guess the grass is indeed always greener on the other side. :-)

Your experiences are on some of the less crowded motorways. Whereas I do most motorway driving around Antwerp and Brussels, and often during rush hours, so crowded and tense. But it's mainly at night, on an empty motorway that the middle lange hoggers really annoy me. Especially as there sometimes not even going faster than the trucks on the right... When in UK, I'm always in a vacation mood, so that will undoubtedly color my experience. I still feel there is more road awareness over there than over here, with many never using their mirrors at all and just acting like they're alone on the road.

We're not taught to leave indicators on while overtaking. In fact, that could be considered a violation, because you keep indicating without making or intending a lane change. I also find most French leave the wrong indicator on when moving back as well, so don't see it as a plus. Not using indicators really bugs me. For me it's a habit, even when alone on the road. And I regularly comment when in a car with a driver that doesn't use them. One of my exes really hated that.  I kept pointing out that even though she was driving slow and defensive, not indicating what she was planning to do was annoying for other (faster) drivers and potentially dangerous as well. I find when driving the Esprit, I'm always on high alert for unexpected moves from other drivers.

 

[march]

Just to put another perspective on middle lane hoggers - if the motorway is empty then sitting in the middle lane makes complete sense. It is safer to be in the middle lane in case you have a tyre blow as you get a safety margin when the car veers one way or the other. I was told this was something the police would do in the past.

Also I have used the middle lane at times due to the rutting caused by lorries on the inside lane.

Sometimes there is a reason to use the middle lane 

[Chillidoggy]

I'm told they use laybys for rutting around these parts, rather than the middle lane of a motorway.

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, march said:

It is safer to be in the middle lane in case you have a tyre blow as you get a safety margin when the car veers one way or the other

Utter tosh in my experience. sitting in the middle lane in the UK gives you a one lane to the right gap to central reservation and in theory the fastest moving traffic on the other carriageway.

I guess this explains the number of cars I see embedd in the central reservation or have flipped over it.

Sorry, forget the excuses and just return the left.

[march]

Having seen a car have a blow out in front of me once and wipe out the car next to it I wouldn't call it tosh but then again everyone is entitled to an opinion.

[C8RKH]

That can happen in any lane though. that is my point.

You could be in Lane 2 overtaking and blow out and veer into a car on the laft you are overtaking or veer into the path of a car overtaking you on the right.

In lane 1 you veer left into hard shoulder or right into a car approaching to over take.

It just does not stack up to me Lane 2 is safer when there is a hard shoulder. i just think it is just the exvuse lane hoggers use.

We just disagree but that is ok.

[march]

That's OK as you say, I am just repeating what a copper told me once, but then again it was a long time ago when motorways were actually empty in the early hours of the morning and it was never an official police policy just something the traffic cops did.

Perhaps American and UK politics should be resolved via the Lotus Forums - it is seems so much more civilised 

[mayevora]

?

[Bibs]

Criminal! Won't someone think of the babies.

At least it was Margaret driving anyway, surely

[mayevora]

My alaby puts me out of the Country - Honest Guv. ? - Requested the evidence as you do......

[Barrykearley]

Ahh - another airport parking company joyride 

[mayevora]

Terminal 3 - Totnes International ?

[Barrykearley]

Check the ashtray for drugs....

[Iconic Ride]

On 11/7/2016 at 23:44, USAndretti42 said:

Trouble is, "smart" motorway signs so often cry "wolf" with their "aniimals in road" signs

Have you any idea how long it takes a paramecium to cross the road?