OT: Speed camera

but you can't prosecute the innocent party can you :) I think I'll try this the next time :)

In message , Tim S Kemp writes

Lane discipline is equally as good in France where the limits are similar to the UK. The lane discipline in these countries has nothing to do with their speed limits but because of their attitude to driving.

I see people every day who pull over to the outside lane as soon as they join a dual carriageway and stay there regardless of whether they are overtaking anyone or not. Its a practice which is on the increase.

Of course Germany has about 5 times the number of motorways as well, al perfectly maintained.. If they get congested they probably build more.. not increase taxes and tru and force people onto public transport..

I like driveing, when I am not stuck it traffic.. I hate public transport, especially in its current state.. I don't want to be forced to leave my car at home by things like congestion charges and toll roads.. I think we pay enough for using the roads already..

If they are doing the speed limit they are perfectly entitled to stay in the outside lane becasue if you want to pass them and they are doing the speed limit then YOU are breaking the law.. :)

Bit of a quandry, you want speed limits as they are but then you get pissed at people (who are probably doing the speed limit) sitting in the outside lane.. Hmm..

Perfectly entitled???

All you are doing is demonstrating your ignorance. From the Highway Code Rule 238:-

"Lane discipline

You should drive in the left-hand lane if the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower moving vehicles it may be safer to remain in the centre or outer lanes until the manoeuvre is completed rather than continually changing lanes. Return to the left-hand lane once you have overtaken all the vehicles or if you are delaying traffic behind you. Slow moving or speed restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking."

Laws MT(E&W)R reg 5 & MT(S)R reg 4

Quite right too. This should be a compulsory question in the test, and, if I had my way, there would be signs reminding drivers on the entry to motorways and duals. This does not include passing busy on slips though, where it is often sensible to move out if conditions permit.

It is my pet hate, along with the buffoons who floor it on the entry slip and shoot across into the outside lane automatically.

I must admit, I am always doing around 70 where the slip meets the main carriageway ( unless I can see a reason not to (* note this bit)) because it is easier to 'integrate' then. The driver I spoke of above is usually so close behind you there is no room to adjust your speed down.

I agree, although it is in there in that you would fail your test for sitting in the outside lane of a dual carriageway at 70 mph. A friend took her test recently, and asked the exact question to her instructor. "It's not your job or your right to enforce the speed limit by obstructing faster traffic"

But this kind of incompetent driving is on the increase, and again since cameras have replaced coppers in many counties, will continue to do so.

Dan

Why would discipline improve?

It would take a spate of accidents or near misses to alter driver behavior, the change in speed limit alone would have no effect.

-- James

It's a practice that is related to the density of traffic on the roads. When the roads are quieter lane discipline seems to be better, although I do see people happy in the middle lane of a quiet motorway very frequently.

-- James

The highway code says that you must return to the left hand lane if you are holding up traffic behind you, so they are not entitled to remain in the right hand lane if the left hand lane is empty or they are holding up a line of traffic. The argument over whether or not they are holding up traffic would be an interesting one, especially if they are driving at exactly

-- James

I can't remember which strecth of motorway it was, but I distinctly seeing on of the electronic gantries displaying "Don't hog the middle lane", which I thought was an excellent message. Don't know why they don't do this more often, rather than just having them switched off all the time.

In message , James writes

I often see people in the outside lane at 06:30 on a Sunday morning with nothing else on the road.

Seen the same thing at a simmilar time on the M61,

was once following such a car near the local hopital when the local paramedic responce car joined the mway i moved left to let him by mr outside lane man didnt noice despitie it being dark and the responce car having grill strobes rooftop strobes, and fog lamp flash, took 10 seconds on the siren for the pleb to move,

now the usual thing is to give them a good 3 flashes on the high beam from away back and then they move over, but the number that move right back and try to dazel me by putting there high beam on once ive passed is quite amazing...

for me that is one of the things unmarked police cars should be pulling people for,

there should be a TV ad campaign for this

can one be punished for such behaviour???

Yes, but as the powers that be are only interesting in catching heinious nasty anti-social terrorist 'speeding drivers', you've got no chance.

Besides, there's no camera that can do that.

I'm going to make one! It'll make me millions.

-- James