unofficial policy regarding speeding

The progress will be impeded if traffic is moving slower in the next inner lane.

The problem is that 'overtaking' is not as clearly defined on a motorway as on a single carriage road. Overtaking on a single carriage road usually involve straying into the opposite or 'wrong' side. On a motorway, you are sometimes adviced to: "Stay in lane". Strictly, any change of motorway lane could be construed as over- or undertaking.

In message , johannes writes

"Get In Lane", yes, but except in roadworks, and maybe also tunnels and bridges, I can't recall ever seeing a "Stay In Lane" sign on a normal open motorway.

Uh? Even if you don't go past anyone?

In which case you'd overtaking it if you where in the next lane.

NO, passing a vehicle's overtaking, changing lane is changing a lane.

Hmmm. So if you are doing it, then you're just continuing overtaking. But if I'm doing the exact same thing, then I'm "hogging the middle lane".

Hogging the middle lane is when you stay in it when you're not overtaking something.

The text signs that are part of the M25 variable speed limit sometimes display "Congestion - stay in lane".

Chris

As do the M42 ones.

Ah, yes, of course. I've seen that too. It makes sense as it stops drivers (or, at least, tries to stop them) making pointless - and possibly dangerous - lane swaps just to get one vehicle ahead for a few seconds*. But it's hardly 'open motorway' conditions, where the traffic is moving freely.

At times when the rules are followed, it does seem to make the M25 flow more freely.

...and many others of course!

Chris

Which in M25-type congestion, unless eg in preparation to leave the motorway, is often a complete waste of everybodies time, and introduces unnecessary factors to the dynamics of the motorway traffic flow that could give an opportunity for an "accident".

L3 sees a gap in L2 and moves into it. Following traffic in L3 can now move a bit faster , and does so. Then slows again. But 50 vehicles behind, ssomeone in L2 now sees a gap in L3 (because they seem to be going faster, and he nips into a gap) So the faster-going traffic behind that gap in L3 now has to slow somewhat, to maintain braking distance. Except someone miscalculates, and there is a rear-end shunt in L3 - often concertinaed with several vehicles. Result " Motorway L3 at a standstill, possibly the whole motorway closed if it is more serious a rear-end shunt.

But that's OK, because the guy who stated it all has "saved" 5 seconds.

I wonder what he is going to do with the 5 seconds he has saved?

Congested traffic is best left in its lanes, without unnecessary lane changes - stops the traffic from "rubber-band" effect, speeding up and slowing down.

Vastly different from "open-road" conditions...... where, as a rule of thumb, if someone is able to overtake you on the left without inconvenience to you or anyone else, then YOU are in the wrong lane.

Just my 2dolllars-worth....

-- Ian

Spotted today on my way home. A car in the Outermost lane (at normal speed for this lane) was followed closely by an Audi. The front driver duly obliged and pulled into next lane, hoping to avoid the aggro. But not so. The Audi followed him close up in the next lane!!! And I thought I had seen everything on M25...

In article , Duncan Wood writes

I think he means 'hog'. But the fact that he confesses to being a middle lane hog just confirms he's an idiot.

In article , john east writes

Not sure, but I have seen the matrix signs displaying "Don't hog the middle lane" more and more often, so someone, somewhere is aware that it's a problem.