6 Reasons People Give for Hogging the Middle Lane

[@ado543]

The problem with the 'not wanting to change lanes too often' reasoning is you push those lane changes onto other people who need to make multiple lane changes to get around you.

[@Lucas-li6ss]

only if you drive too slowly. If you drive as fast as the other cars in your lane or as fast as the speed limit, I don't see a problem.

[@DMC585]

if your lane (left lane) is moving faster than the middle lane then it is deemed correct to keep with the flow of traffic even if it means performing an undertake of the slower moving middle lane.

[@meeka3486]

If I'm driving up the middle lane [overtaking vehicles in lane 1] and then I catch up to other vehicles in lane 2, and lane 1 is now clear, the cars in lane 2 who choose not to move back to the left are now slowing me down. If you can't see the problem with that I suggest you educate yourself further. BARE IN MIND, large vehicles are not allowed in the outer most lane, and typically, coaches travel much faster than lorries so you are holding them up and causing congestion by lane hogging the middle, simply because you are too scared to change lanes.

[@meeka3486]

​@Lucas-li6ss you may think your doing "the speed limit" but everyone's speedo is different, as stated in the video. If left lane is clear and people in lane 2 are catching you, you need to move to lane 1 so they can pass safely. Hogging lane 2 will only encourage people to undertake, which is far more dangerous.

[@ado543]

@@meeka3486 Yes exactly - I think there is a big issue with people being too lazy to change lanes and they don't see the problem. Everyone else then needs to make a lane change to get around the lazy driver..

[@bobwightman1054]

A friend used to be a traffic cop in the Greater Manchester area. One night on a very quiet M62 she was following a car sticking to the middle lane even though there was virtually nothing else on the road. Eventually she pulled the vehicle over and asked the driver why he wasn't using the left hand lane. His answer was: "I like to be in charge of the highway". She booked him for careless driving but said if there was a law about being a prat she'd have booked him for that as well!

[@hotshot8365]

The M62 between the M60 and Warrington is an absolute haven for lane hoggers. Not sure why, I think it is very flat and straight so people just pick a lane and switch their brains off or something.

[@alkbolk]

I was taught that it's good to stay in the middle lane at night if no other cars are nearby. That way you have more time to react if for example an animal comes running onto the road in front of you.

[@alinutzalin6346]

She didn't have anything else to do huh.

[@davehughes6501]

​@@alkbolk Strange way to justify your poor driving

[@Kingkongkirk1234]

Note they said if no other cars are nearby

[@jamesmacdonald1116]

I personally have no issue with people in lane 2 or 3 going on or over the speed limit. The real problem are the people who think it's ok to sit in the middle lane at 50/60 overtaking nothing, can move over and are forcing people who aren't going 70 into the outer lanes which we all know is the lane for the Range rovers and German cars, and they get aggressive and tailgate and flash people who dare cross their path

[@Karlos-h8z]

100%

[@JWSoul]

😂 😂

[@daviemac9925]

Undertaking isn't actually illegal, where it becomes dangerous is when it's a large Lorry or a Caravan being towed because you can't see in front. There could be a vehicle moving into Lane 1.

[@mikehunter2844]

Hoggers don't force others who want to overtake out to the outer lanes. Lane hoggers can be legally overtaken on either side.

[@spamhead]

You can drive in whatever lane you want(unless signs indicate otherwise), as long as you check your mirrors every few seconds. Unfortunately a lot of people only use their mirrors when reversing. I begrudge people dawdling past when I’ve had the decency to move over, and am then forced to slow down to 60 or less as there is slow moving traffic ahead.

[@ricequackers]

It mostly boils down to "skill issue" then, because it demonstrates they're unable to observe, plan ahead and change lanes safely, and shows a casual disregard for others. As for the M25, I once did this experiment in the late evening after dropping someone off at Heathrow. I set the cruise to 80 and just sat in lane 1, and I covered approximately the distance from Gerrards Cross to Chandlers Cross without once having to change lane to overtake. I passed so much traffic idly sitting in lanes 3 and 4 at 60 mph or less while lanes 1 and 2 went completely unused.

[@Reduletzuu]

Exactly my thoughts, 1/3 of drivers have close to zero awareness/judgement.

[@adamlea6339]

@@Reduletzuu Yes, I wonder if the safety of the modern world has eroded people's spatial awareness. In this day and age you don't have to be constantly on edge in case something is going to leap out and kill you, unless you live in Croydon or Crawley, so many people, used to walking around with their head buried in a smartphone (i.e. the smart phone dumb user) without consequence to themself, get in a car and drive with a similar lack of awareness of their surroundings. I don't get it as it really isn't difficult to periodically check mirrors. I do this frequently when overtaking and will pull left into a gap if a driver is approaching behind at a faster speed so they can overtake unimpeded.

[@DavidJBradshaw]

It should be an offence to be undertaken

[@olatron]

This is basically how i drive, just at 70. I just routinely undertake, they're oblivious.

[@davidlongman2341]

@@olatron I occasionally undertake but before I do I always plan what to do if the offending car suddenly pulls into my lane in front of, or even beside me. On a motorway this escape route would be the hard shoulder. If a car whilst being undertaken pulls in and there is a collision it will be the undertaking car that is blamed. The very fact that a car sits in the middle lane at all implies general poor driving, observation skills could well be lacking too. Don't become the offender by being a cavalier undertaker. You know it makes sense.

[@Katsumoto0456]

I once got a taxi from Southampton to Portsmouth because of rail strikes. As soon as we reached the M27 the taxi driver immediately went into the middle lane and stayed there at 60mph the whole time, cars were passing us right and left. We also straddled the lanes for almost every multilane roundabout, went round one roundabout twice. Some drivers are shockingly bad.

[@KindredBrujah]

Taxi driver, too. I bet he didn't drive like that on his way to a fare.

[@davem9204]

I hate getting taxis mainly for this reason. I'm struggling to remember one who could drive competently.

[@blueninjasix]

Could he have been a follower of the religion of peace?

[@looney7022]

Taxi drivers are quite possibly the worst and most selfish professional drivers on the road.

[@Katsumoto0456]

@@blueninjasix Some people may say that but I couldn't possibly comment.

[@JenniferProwse]

I have been learning to drive since February, I passed today with 2 minors. I watched ALL of your videos. They helped so much and saved so much time and money! Thank you!!!!

[@EvoBeard]

Huge congratulations! The world is your oyster now. 😃 (Hope you don't mind me saying, but the big thing I recommend on retaining as a habit is the quick glance over the shoulder for the blind spot when merging/joining /changing lanes, even cars with Blind Spot Monitoring can get caught out, as you see nothing in the mirror you think it's nothing. Caught me out twice nearly within the first year, never again! Take care out there! 🙂)

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@smash461986]

Nice. And lucky to have a decent examiner. Some fail you or add marks because they need to meet a quota.

[@lw4423]

4:57 Maybe it's just me but I think it would be more conducive to road safety if more attention was paid to taking lunatics like that red car off the road than beginner drivers committing minor errors like "signalling a bit too early"

[@undeniabletruth-HIT]

all mistakes can end up being dangerous

[@FBI_Agent_69420]

‏‏‎

[@KindredBrujah]

@@undeniabletruth-HIT Wasn't a mistake by the red car driver, though. Arguably even more dangerous - when people are deliberately taking these sorts of risks, you know they do it all the time.

[@puzzlaa6616]

Well if some middle lane moron is doing 60mph in lane 3 so that a few minutes later they *might* pass a lorry doing 56mph, you can understand why drivers get frustrated and pass on the left. Which is totally legal when there’s a queue. It’s a shame that a so called driving instructor justifies middle lane hogging in this manner, only to get passed several times on the left because they aren’t making progress and are just in the way

[@OneWayTicketToTheMoon]

​@undeniableluck3260 whilst us humans are driving we all make mistakes on occasions. Even you.

[@unknownfuture.]

I hate it when you go and over take and the car on the left speeds up and wont let you over take. or they over take you and then slow down in front, motorways is not a game of chicken!

[@reubenjackson7829]

Sometimes I find it the other way round . Which is really annoying

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

I had this not long ago on the M62, i happily went to overtake into the right lane and the person in the middle lane sped up to my speed. It would have turned into a race but i just took a deep breath and eased off. Moved back behind them and they did slow down but there wasn't much i could do.

[@mattwoodford1820]

The difference between using cruise control and not. I find that happens a lot too from either side and sometimes I get funny looks from the vehicle with erratic speed as if to say "what are you doing". Makes me giggle to myself

[@skylarius3757]

Yeah, I get that from time to time on dual carriageways when I drive a HGV at work limited to 52mph. It's annoying. People should not be driving in a manor which impedes other motorists.

[@2010SmartFortwo]

It’s even worse when driving my Smart car! People especially in big SUVs get really aggressive when I overtake them!

[@PointNemo9]

Lane-hogging is very selfish driving. Even if any of these reasons are valid from an individual perspective, it collectively makes the motorway much more congested and more dangerous.

[@phr00tpie]

How so? The number of cars on the road is unchanged, right? if you are behind a slower moving vehicle waiting to over take, then anyone in the lane beside you is also going to be overtaking you as well so that doesn't cause an issue. Do you simply mean you might have to wait slightly longer to overtake and thus people are mildly inconveniencing you? this is a genuine question i just want to understand how it makes roads more congested.

[@bencoder]

​@phr00tpie only one person at a time can overtake a slower moving car in the middle lane, if they are in the most left lane then more people can overtake at a time, at varying speeds. With someone in the middle lane everyone who wants to overtake them is forced to slow to the speed of the slowest overtaker. Essentially, it clogs up the right lane by forcing more people into it which slows everyone down, which necessarily causes more congestion

[@PointNemo9]

@@phr00tpie Traffic flow is reduced, which makes journey times longer, so there are actually more cars on the road at any given time. It also effectively reduces road capacity since lane 1 is not fully utilised. Imagine a car is driving in lane 2 of a 3-lane motorway at 66Mph (which would probably show as 70Mph on the speedo), all of the faster moving traffic has to merge into a single file to pass at 70Mph in lane 3. If this car was driving correctly, faster traffic can pass much more efficiently with 2 overtaking lanes available. If many drivers hog the middle-lane, then the cumulative effect on traffic and journey times is massive.

[@reubenjackson7829]

What about dodging massive set of potholes on a bridge? The stretch is about 500 + m long

[@bertlemoi431]

@@reubenjackson7829 Nobody is arguing about you having to drive the risk of breaking your suspension and/or back. But if you just hog a lane because the road could be in bad shape, you're just being lazy.

[@jlpmann]

i passed my test yesterday first try and i just wanted to say thank you for all your help, your videos taught me a lot

[@bri77uk1]

I was on the M25 and M1 last Saturday. It is comical how many times there are no vehicles in lane 1 on a 4 lane stretch for miles. and yet drivers are all lined up in lane 2, usually doing around 60 and driving too close. This forces drivers catching in lane 1 to either drive slower than them, make two lane changes to drive around them (and then two back when possible), or undertake. I saw several drivers take advantage and dangerously move from lanes 3 and 4 to undertake at speed and move back to their slightly busier lanes. Now, I think that moving out to lane 2 at junctions, especially if they have short slip roads (I'm looking at you, M1 J5 Southbound), can be helpful to joining traffic, and I gather in some countries that it's mandatory, but that is the only reason I can see to move out of a clear lane that is continuing ahead.

[@mikehunter2844]

I find that very hard to believe. The hogger is in lane 2 and lanes 3 and 4 are overtaking. Why when it's clear to overtake in lanes 3 and 4 would several motorist slow down to the hoggers speed and move to lane 1, undertake, then go straight back into lanes 3 or 4?

[@bri77uk1]

@mikehunter2844 Have you not driven on the M1 or M25 on a weekend? Lanes 3 and 4 often bunch up a bit, too, usually with hoggers also in lane 3, so you start getting these "weavers" who see that they can go faster in lane 1. They don't slow down to match anyone's speed, just dangerously cut across lanes.

[@realrich338]

Yep, I see this frequently on the M25 when I drive from Essex to Swindon. Shame that I never usually see a patrol car for the entire journey.

[@BenLinford30]

was on the M25 at about 9pm on a friday about a month ago. I was in lane 1 doing ~70 as motorway was basically empty. 2 cars entered from a slip road ahead of me. First one went straight to lane 3 at ~70 second one went staright to lane 2 at ~60. I moved to lane 3, passed the car in lane 2, then moved back to lane 1. Didn't see them again but am pretty sure they stayed there. Car that went to lane 3 however, stayed there for about 15 miles then exited the motorway. I stayed in lane 1 the whole time without seeing another car ahead, let alone overtaking anyone. Bonkers! Both of them couls have easily just gone into lane 1 and stayed trhere.

[@fatbikemontage2931]

If that is on a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, I fully support those choosing not to use lane 1. Though I also believe there are only two speeds vehicles should be travelling. 56mph or 70mph, if this was adhered to congestion would be significantly eased. If you have ever seen a vehicle stranded in a live lane 1 of a smart motorway and the signage hasn’t closed the lane, the danger is very real.

[@flybobbie1449]

I remember seeing elderly couple, 3rd lane doing 60, with long line of cars behind. Me on motorbike, lane 1 and 2 empty, so pulled from 2 to 1 and under took them all. Get away as quick as possible from that potential disaster.

[@stuartscott1679]

That's the problem people are driving into their old age. The worst are elderly women shockingly crap nervous drivers.

[@tomcallow8769]

Having driven a lot on motorways in France, they almost religiously move back to the outside lane over there. Makes driving on the motorways so much more pleasant, efficient and less stressful compared to here in the UK

[@malphadour]

Firstly this is definately true, but secondly they generally have a fraction of the traffic density that we do in the UK. A lot of hogging is people who cant be bothered to keep changing lane because indicating is an effort... When you can travel far further without having to pass a vehicle, the learned behaviours tend to be better.

[@janpeachey1023]

Passed my test today first time with only 5 minors 🎉 must admit I've watched your videos every day for weeks and they have helped me no end so thank you and will most definitely keep watching your amazing videos 👍

[@brianuuuSonicReborn]

I've passed my driving test last week with just 3 minors! Thank you so much for the videos Richard, they really helped a lot, especially the videos with Emily when I just started my lessons few months ago

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@simoncreesuk]

Another good video. Middle or outside lane hogging bugs me a lot. What also bugs me is the lack of general bad driving offence enforcement in this country. People only ever seem to get fined for speeding. While I don't condone speeding I do strongly feel that often other traffic offences are even more dangerous than speeding. That's why in my opinion people constantly ignore basic highway code rules as there is no (apparent) deterrent.

[@ethanrushbrook3314]

You should see what the M1 like is here in Australia (NSW). At night especially when there's barely any cars the trucks just sit in the middle lane doing 40-50 under up the hills 🤣. So dangerous and pointless

[@carlkuss8300]

Absolutely 100% Simon. Traffic enforcement has been traded for speed enforcement.

[@twentyrothmans7308]

@@ethanrushbrook3314 I was hoping that another Aussie would chime in. Bad memories of the M1. Overtaking there is harder than the UK because of the prevalence of cameras.

[@Kaiser-ks3yq]

Speaking of how general traffic offenses compare with speeding, what would you say each offense compares to in terms of speeding (on a duel carriageway). for example: undertaking - 5mph over the limit double lane change when joining - 15 over limit staying in blind spot - 10 over limit following too close 10-20 over limit depending on severity no lights on at night/rainy conditions - 15 over limit accelerating when being overtaken - 5 over limit. middle lane hogging - 10 over limit like if someone's doing a few of these at time (let's say middle lane hogging, following too close, no lights) I think it's perfectly fair to equate that to someone who goes 35 over (105mph) I personally would feel safer from injury (but more at risk of being fined) if I was in a car (driving or otherwise) doing 85mph, than being in a car doing 55 in lane 3, with the other 2 completely clear, seeing cars struggling to all get past.

[@KindredBrujah]

@@Kaiser-ks3yq No lights on is legitimately the most dangerous of these by miles. It should be bannable, and cars should all be required by law to either have sensors to put the lights on automatically or just always have the lights on, like in a Volvo.

[@jerry2357]

I think there's less of an issue with hogging the middle lane on a 3-lane carriageway than there is of hogging the right lane of a 2-lane road like the A1 in Nottinghamshire. If I see a lorry in the left hand lane up ahead, I will stay in the middle lane to avoid getting stuck behind the lorry. If you get stuck behind a lorry doing 55 and traffic in the middle lane is going past at 70, it can often be difficult to pull out to overtake. So you need to be looking at the traffic well ahead and choosing the appropriate lane early. Lorries slowly overtaking is a big issue in my opinion, especially on 2-lane carriageways like the A1, but also because of the traffic bunching it causes on 3-lane motorways.

[@MrGODSVILLA]

Went on a road trip through Germany last year and have to say the way they deal with the elephant races is much better. Most of the time particularly around junctions lorries are not allowed to overtake one another. When the road becomes less complicated they are allowed to overtake this makes much more sense to me as it helps keep the flow.

[@andrearoyd2942]

The biggest problem on our motorways is large lorries overtaking large lorries, taking miles and miles to do it. Thus pushing everyone out to the outside lane to get around them, THERE IS NO MIDDLE LANE - of course depending on the time of day. I think unless a lorry can overtake within a certain distance\or time, THEY SIMPLY SHOULDN'T. This is an issue I've never seen discussed.

[@SmileyEmoji42]

It's not just lorries. Cars doing 70(ish), often on cruise control, are effectively doing exactly the same thing - they just don't have the same excuses as lorries.

[@Peterraawwrr]

@@SmileyEmoji42 if a car on cruise control is doing 70 mph, you cannot go any faster without breaking the law, so what are you suggesting? if one car was doing say 67 mph and the cruise control car on 70, you should not expect that car to slow down and stay in the same lane as the 67 mph car, nor should you expect it to speed up to get past more quickly.

[@DGQ1Q2]

Yes, like 4 lanes and lanes 1,2,3 busy with Lorries like doing a slow motion race. And all the funnel go to lane 4. When I just overtake them all the front lanes 1,2,3 free. .

[@andrearoyd2942]

@@SmileyEmoji42 Good point. The lorries can pose quite a problem when it's busy and there could be about three - one after another, but not directly behind each other but no room to get back in - other than continue in the outside lane. I avoid getting in between lorries, as they often travel very close to each other !

[@raithrover1976]

HGV drivers who are unwilling to dial the cruise control down 0.5 of a mph and take 5 miles to complete the overtake are prats. It's worst on 2 lane carriageways and you'll often see the driver who's just been overtaken pulling out to re-overtake a couple of miles further up the road. Speaking as an HGV driver myself, I should add that it can be easy to get trapped alongside another HGV that was struggling up an incline and has now crested the hill if you are unfamiliar with a road. The right thing to do in that scenario is to accept defeat, ease off and drop back in behind.

[@sbpierce9987]

This is a very timely video for me. I’m a North American visiting the UK for six weeks and though I have driven here extensively in the past, I am amazed at the amount of lane-hogging and lack of return to lane 1 after overtaking that I am seeing these days. Once upon a time, most everyone drove smaller, less powerful cars, and drove more sedately, but now that almost all vehicles can practically drive themselves, everyone has their boot down. Speed is king.

[@froggiewrench1]

Welcome to Britain. The experience shown in this clip on Polish motorways fully demonstrates that road manners are a combination of law and unselfish cooperation.

[@alidavemason4417]

That red car at 4:53 should be reported for careless/Dangerous driving.

[@finalscore2983]

Agreed.

[@Blakesedit]

wonder why the plate was blurred ?

[@rzrx1337]

@@Blakesedit Probably to avoid witch hunting from misguided vigilantes.

[@SamOwenI]

That kind of driving is sadly very common on M25 and other motorways. I see it very often. Multiple times per trip sometimes.

[@jastat]

Go for it, send the police the video

[@JoosySmooyay]

My favourite thing about our roads is unless it's 2am you won't touch the speed limit once during a journey. And even at 2am you'll get caught in roadworks without a single person in them doing any work.

[@ldarm]

For sure! Potholes seem to breed so often!

[@alanhindmarch4483]

The reason some people lane hog is because they are lazy, or can’t forward plan lane changes and in some cases uneducated regarding the correct use of lanes. One of my biggest pet hates, is drivers who charge down the slip road, indicator on go straight into lane 2 or 3 without check first.

[@loonaticsrunningtheassylum]

That and idiots who whilst on the motorway and when approaching a slip road they move out of lane one .. even though your can clearly see there is NOTHING on the slip road.. where they continue doing 55mph until they finally remember they shouldn't be in lane 2..

[@RobertIreland-dk3lr]

Lazy is good and safe! I get onto the M6 at Milton Keynes and take up the middle lane. Contrary to your comment, my exit is planned in advance , for Glasgow.

[@ChrisBrown_1959]

@@RobertIreland-dk3lr You mean the M1, the M6 is nowhere near Milton Keynes.

[@davidkempton5694]

All of these reasons basically boil down to "I don't like changing lane", which probably means you're not confident enough of a driver to use a dual carriageway safely (maybe you did your driving test before dual carriageways were part of it). In this case there are plenty of other roads for you to use without all these difficult lane changes, and you might find it even less stressful to take the train!

[@jimbakes2782]

I don't particularly *like* changing lane! (though I do it all the time as I dislike being stuck behind slow moving traffic even more). One of my worst near misses was dropping back into lane 2 after overtaking just as someone in lane 1 pulled out nearly right into me. Can't pretend it can't be risky, and from my experience it's people who enjoy changing lanes a bit too much that cause problems. Particularly the ones who don't indicate.

[@RobinTFH]

I am probably biased because I have been driving for nearly 50 years, and my father taught me, and followed the same instruction, exactly as you described: the driving lane and the overtaking lanes, and to always return to the driving as soon as you have finished overtaking and it is dafe to do so. Yes, there was less traffic in the 1970's,, and fewer dual-carriageways/motorways, but it is something I do without needing to think about it (noticed recently by a Latvian friend of mine) and have ended up undertaking accidentally when I passed a vehicle three lanes to my right before realising how slow they were driving in the 4th lane! Thanks for an interesting video.

[@mikehunter2844]

What is undertaking accidentally?

[@bigKDL]

Overtaking or undertaking is a manoeuvre if you are in the first lane and pass a slower car in the outside lanes you have not overtaken or undertaken you have just held your speed and position

[@bradilax75]

It’s just LAZY driving when they refuse to return to lane 1

[@kirkclarke7396]

The driver "lane hogging" is probably checking their mirrors every 3 seconds, waiting for the driver behind to respond to their signal and let them move over safely. Even when the driver behind is tailgated themselves they don't leave a bigger gap so the car in front can move over safely. I can keep the car behind me in the blind spot of a lorry and they will remain there. They are morons who pay no attention to their own driving. You see them all the time making educational videos whilst breaking several laws themselves

[@DMC585]

I agree with the keep to the left lane rule simply because it is one rule. Everyone has a different opinion and play by their own rules which is more dangerous. One rule for everyone. Simple and safer.

[@mattwoodford1820]

it's difficult as different situations have different requirements. if you're overtaking at a junction it might be prudent to stay in lane 2 rather than to make a move back to lane 1 as vehicles are trying to merge onto the road. In fact, if nothing is going to overtake you in the time you are by the junction, why not move to lane 3 to give other vehicles the space to move out and assist the merging vehicles. If the answer is "cos the highway code says so" then I would ask do you allow vehicles to merge in turn when 2 lanes become 1 by giving plenty of space in front of you for the zip to happen cleanly? The highway code provide guidelines for driving but it very much seems to negate traffic flow. Good traffic flow reduces jams so in my unprofessional opinion it should be whatever helps the traffic flow best

[@DMC585]

@mattwoodford1820 yeah definitely. Cars on joining slips roads need you to move over as you would treat them as vehicles moving slower so same rules apply.

[@mattwoodford1820]

@@DMC585 yeah it's a balance. So many different but similar situations, if I make sense 🙂 I just try to drive in a safe manner that manages overall flow

[@Seanmcdhuibhne]

It amazes me how so few Brits know that the Law on overtaking on left was removed from the Statute Books over half a century ago.

[@devononair]

This vdeo is great because it actually shows some of the reasons why it LOOKS LIKE people are lane hogging but they are not.

[@lyrimetacurl0]

Yes, I recall times when I felt like it because after overtaking one vehicle I decide to stay in the 2nd lane because I am also overtaking the next vehicle that is significantly further ahead. Which is also planning further, haha.

[@baciate920]

I did asked one of those traffic officer about undertake. I did explained that the middle lane hogger was doing 50-55 miles and i was doing 60 miles, do i have the right to undertake them because I do not wish to go out onto the fast lane as I am not going that fast. His replies was as followed... There is no speed restriction as to how fast anyone have to go on any given lane. If I am undertake a slower car, I can do so under 2 conditions 1, I must not weaving in and out to over take cars 2, I must make sure that the slower outside car not starting to move back to the inside lane. In another words, be prepared to slow down and even brake if needed. I hope that make sense. Lol

[@mryrius]

I have a coworker that sometimes leaves before me (at least 20 min), and we both take the M4 towards Reading. He drives carefully in the left lane, while I don’t mind changing. We usually meet up half way through the journey into Reading. And I think it’s only seconds of improvement by lane switching, and you will only feel a difference in journey times if you make a light that you wouldn’t have otherwise. I drove left when tired because I know my responses may be low and the risk of lane change is higher (not sleepy tired, more like, can’t be bothered switching).

[@dominicr4740]

Half way through and my collected thoughts are that most of the reasons are part of describing a driver who needs to drastically improve their standard of driving, especially observations and planning.

[@KindredBrujah]

You can't plan for being blocked in the inside lane when you don't want to exit. I'd argue the problem wouldn't actually be any better if more people did return to the left lane, as you'd simply be blocked from exiting when you _do_ want to instead, but it's still not something it's possible to plan for. I think his point about his own reason for 'middle lane hogging' was probably the most key one. He was attempting to get out to the outside lane to make the most of the speed limit. There's an assumption that everyone on the road doing something slightly inconvenient for you is just an incompetent moron, but often they're simply attempting to perform their own manoeuvre. That said, there are definitely a lot of incompetent morons on the road so it's very possible to be that, too.

[@ado543]

@@KindredBrujah People make assumptions and are not good at looking at the whole picture. There are definitely situations where it appears people are middle lane or even right lane hogging, but they're not (like in the video), and some drivers get impatient and aggressive, because they feel like they are being held up. On the other hand, I'd say the majority of middle lane hogging I see is blatant incompetence or laziness.

[@jpjukes]

@@ado543 The issue I see with middle lane and right lane hogging is that as you say it causes road rage, aggressive driving and people to take risks. This is all easily prevented by driving with due care and consideration. It's people who are sat in the middle lane at 60 miles per hour that often cause accidents/near misses on motorways. Several times recently I've seen several very near misses all caused by someone presumably half asleep sitting in lane 2 or 3 not overtaking and causing a backlog of people to suddenly slam on brakes or swerve into another lane.

[@CaptainHat]

​@@KindredBrujah you can absolutely plan for that if- and this is the key point- the person blocking you in isn't a complete dipshit. Indicate out to lane 2 and at least 50% of the time a driver paying attention in tge middle lane will let you out, either by pulling into lane 3 themselves or by slowing down. You just have to pay attention to what's going on around you and communicate with other drivers. There are people in those cars too, you know.

[@KindredBrujah]

@@CaptainHat Your 'if' there is pretty critical. In my experience it's probably split into thirds - a third will let you out, a third won't even notice you're indicating and the last third will deliberately speed up to make sure you don't 'take their spot'.

[@electriccoconut]

Changing lanes should be a normal motorway behaviour it keeps you aware of what's going on around you infrount and behind it gives you a focus instead of daydreaming watch the movement of cars ahead look for brake lights lighting in rapid succession indicating a hazard yet hundreds of yards in front gives you a one up to avoid a problem.

[@RobertIreland-dk3lr]

So you only know what's happening around you if you change lanes! The rest of the time you're sleeping?

[@TheWomble82]

My father in law does it because he believes crossing cats eye's too often will damage his tyres. He's managed to pass this wisdom on to my wife as well, and she brings it up constantly when I'm driving on the motorway with her as a passenger and she sees me returning to the left hand lane.

[@stephenhowe568]

I had a passenger who thought the same so I purposely drove on the cats eyes when the lane was quiet. We were on our way home to Hampshire from Lancashire. Tyres were fine until they wore out.

[@adamkgray]

As an American, I was explicitly taught in drivers ed that the "slow" lane (the rightmost lane in the US) is only for entering and exiting, and the safest place to drive on the highway is the middle lane. The "fast" lane (the leftmost lane in the US) is only for passing.

[@JS-yn2kj]

I'm in the UK and that's what I was also taught. The concept of lane 'hogging' only came about because too many people were driving too slowly (significantly less than the speed limit) in the lanes used by faster traffic.

[@PointNemo9]

@@JS-yn2kj Who on earth taught you that? It's completely wrong and against the highway code.

[@JS-yn2kj]

@@PointNemo9 It is now but it didn't used to be.

[@PointNemo9]

@@JS-yn2kj I'm sorry but you are mistaken, it has been the case for many decades. Perhaps you were taught to drive on motorways by an older family member, who also had an incorrect perception of how to use lanes on a motorway? You are partially right that the reason why so many people talk about it recently is because lane discipline has gotten much worse recently, but the highway code has always said you should return to the left after overtaking. It also doesn't matter how fast you are going, whether you are going 65, 75, or 85, it's still against the highway code to not return to the left after overtaking.

[@JS-yn2kj]

@@PointNemo9 you can believe what you like, but I've still got a copy of the highway code that I studied to pass my test, and my position is unchanged. So you can stick your beliefs in your pipe and smoke it.

[@kevparsons1]

I’m. HGV driver and I actually agree with part of this. Most lorry drivers don’t help the other Lorrie’s out and won’t slow down when being passed. I do. Mainly because I don’t trust the lorry driver along side me for so long. Nobody ever slows down for me. The biggest problem is those dawdling in the middle lane. Trucks can’t go in the outer lane (fast lane) so they get stuck dawdling behind the Honda Jazz in the middle lane.

[@julianmorris9951]

As a motorcyclist I stay in lane 3 when it’s busy, too many cars swapping lanes from 1 to 2 , I stay out of their way because one touch and I’m history, no matter what the law says I think people should use 3 lanes just because of the volume of traffic on the roads these days, it’s just chocka block in some areas 🤨

[@ettoredimaria7927]

Rules need to change. On a three lane carriageway, left lane for lorries max 60mph/ merging/exit. Middle lane to be used by 65-70mph vehicles for long trips. Right lane to overtake. Less distractions, more order.

[@LakesGeek]

Same with Germany, I was reading up on the theory tests there (to actually help a friend there), I'm not certain whether it's strictly illegal or their equivalent of our Highway Code "should not" but they teach you that you're not allowed to overtake unless you're going "appreciably faster" than what you're overtaking. So no elephant races.

[@TVTim86]

One thing that drives me potty are cars in lane one going slower than the lorries, going 50 when the lorry is travelling at 60. They unnecessarily force the lorries out into lane 2 to overtake which causes congestion as all the drivers going 70 now have to go into lane 3.

[@netfora]

When three lane motorways were first introduced we were told by the latest Highway Code that the inside lane was the slow lane, the middle lane was the fast lane and the outside lane was for overtaking. With traffic levels relatively low compared with today that worked. If you are driving with those distant memories take heed of this video.

[@rogerstone3068]

Did it really? I don't remember that at all. Drive in the left lane, pull out to overtake. If we all did it, driving would be SO much more efficient and less stressful.

[@b0rgare]

Passed my test today, thank you so much for these videos, I literally could not have passed without them.

[@Dudleymiddleton]

It's the lighter vehicle drivers that do 52.731 mph that cause problems, particularly to us HGV drivers trying to make progress. I see it all the time.

[@malphadour]

I personally dislike the ones ding 52.732 mph.

[@Dogtastick]

Over the last 6 months I have watched many of your videos despite having passed my test before you were born (1986) ! Driving, like life, is a constant learning experience so I have been able to catch up on highway code changes as well as further driving tips, for which I would like to say thank you for your detailed and informative instruction. Over all the quality of drivers on the road seems have gone down over the last couple of decades which, IMO, coincides with the reduction of law enforcement vehicles on the road . Thank you for your continued quality content.

[@kelvingomersall7460]

The motorway for Warrington has 4 lanes. Lanes 2, 3 & 4 are always occupied. I can set my cruise control at 72mph to not activate the plethora of speed cameras and safely undertake dozens upon dozens of cars because no one ever travels in lane 1, and it isn't a major route for lorries. When you observe the drivers, they all look gormless and look to have the inability to be educated in any manner possible, even after the massive hint of being undertaken.

[@Timothycan]

I am 66 now, and 'back in the day', we were taught NEVER to pass on the left in moving traffic. The saying was, "Overtake on the right, Overtaker, overtake on the left, Undertaker". It was considered to be the worst and most dangerous thing you could do. But now, everyone seems to 'Undertake' all the time! My own view on this contentious subject is that there should be flexibility. Drivers should be taught to be more willing to let drivers move into their lane from the left. That would make centre-lane stickers less common if they knew they would be permitted to pull out again from the lefthand lane. I have a LOT of sympathy with the view that a car doing an (indicated) 70 mph is not really 'hogging' the lane, it is only really hogging if they are doing *significantly* less than 70 with nothing in front of them. But the rule is you should return to the left if not overtaking. Like I said, flexibility is the word, IMHO.

[@problemchild1976]

And on a 4 lane motorway, they hog lane 3 :( Observations are very important when driving and many drivers don't look beyond their bonnet unfortunately so don't plan ahead Motorway lessons should be mandated

[@broshmosh]

All I can really add to this is what happened on my first driving lesson on the motorway. I moved out to the mile lane to begin an overtake. My instructor had been telling me how far in the distance the driver should be looking on the motorway in particular, and told me I should plan around what I can see in the distance. I finished my overtake and signalled left, moved back in when it was safe. My instructor asked "Why did you do that?" I responded "I thought the idea was to move back to the left as soon as the overtake is complete and it's safe to do so." He said "But now you're behind a truck which you are still catching. You'll need to move back to the right soon." I promptly did, in fact, need to move out again. I did so, and completed the overtake. This time my instructor said, "Now look far ahead. How many slow vehicles are in lane one?" There were three more trucks, with a gap large enough for the car. I said "Three, and I can move back to the left after the second." He said "No, don't do that, stay out in lane 2 until you're past the last one." "What about the gap? Aren't I lane hogging if I don't move back?" He said "It's only lane hogging if you have no reason to be in lane 2. You're overtaking a vehicle, and even though it's far in the distance, you'll only have to move back out if you move in. Accidents happen at junctions and in lane changes, so minimise changes with good planning." I've continued with this mentality in my own driving and it largely serves me well. I will ocasionally get aggro from drivers behind who want me to break the speed limit (they were doing so either as they approached me, or as I moved into their lane with plenty of space), or just want to bully me out of the way. Some have undertaken, but to be honest I don't really think there's a way to stop people undertaking if they feel they need to. It seems there is no proper agreement between instructors as to what actually constitutes middle lane hogging, and what constitutes a large enough gap that moving to the left should be the decision.

[@anythingpeteives]

Your instructor was right and it's something that is learnt with experience. The more you motorway drive the more attuned you become to when it is better to move back into lane 1 or stay where you are. I wouldn't describe that as lane hogging. Also, tough for any driver behind me as far as I'm concerned. I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. They're just going to have to be patient. I'll be out of their way soon enough.

[@jgogl9791]

I disagree. You indeed return to the nearside lane unless you can predict, having naturally of course constantly monitored the traffic in your mirrors, that you'll definitely be boxed in by traffic you can see coming up behind you and you'll have to brake. I spend almost as much time looking in my rear view mirror as out the front of feels like, most journeys. My pet hate - people who brake on a motorway when it's completely avoidable.

[@anythingpeteives]

@@jgogl9791 sounds like you're changing lanes a whole lot. Otherwise why would you be constantly looking in your mirrors?

[@jgogl9791]

@@anythingpeteives as often as traffic conditions dictate! Otherwise you cause a rolling roadblock, and force all traffic into one lane to overtake you - causing the very elephant race that Richard himself criticises in this video. It is simply not how we drive on British roads. Although that has changed, as I have noticed the standard of driving plummeting in the last 10 years I would say.

[@anythingpeteives]

@@jgogl9791 I doubt very much that my driving style, which you disagreed with, causes rolling roadblocks. I just don't weave in and out of the left lane if I deem it inefficient to do so because I am approaching another vehicle that is in the left lane and, no sooner will I have pulled into the left lane, that I will be having to signal to pull out of the left lane in a few short seconds. That is not lane hogging. That is common sense driving.

[@matthewbowman800]

People overtake a vehicle in lane one see there is another vehicle in lane one further ahead but what they don't see is the big massive gap in lane one in between those vehicle's.

[@broshmosh]

So you want people to zigzag in and out of lanes in front of you? Seems weird that you want to choose to have to keep their space open for them instead of just them keeping the space they were already safely in. Unless you're a space closer?

[@IM-qy7mf]

@@broshmosh People like you need to be off the roads.

[@BolBolBolBolBol]

Entirely dependent on the distance imo. Personally, if I believe the vehicle behind me will overtake me before I have to pull back out for the next vehicle, I pull into lane 1 to give way.

[@cigmorfil4101]

​@@BolBolBolBolBol I often do that, but the following vehicle then fails to overtake before I need to move back out to overtake.

[@BolBolBolBolBol]

@@cigmorfil4101 yeah that can be annoying. Generally I'll try to measure their initial approach speed (partially to assess whether it warrants me moving into lane 1 in the first place) so I can get out of the way before they have to slow down, which often means I can then get out again sooner. Sometimes they slow down next to me for no reason though, and then I get cross lol

[@oliannabishop]

Your videos helped me to pass my driving test yesterday! Thank you Richard!

[@kapu3746]

Whenever I stick to the speed limit (jk I always do) I end up undertaking so many vehicles, because the left lane is free and there's a pile up in the right lane. Sometimes people will even go 5-10 miles under the speed limit in the right (third or fourth) lane and won't change lanes for miles even if it's free...

[@adamb1593]

This, I drive for roughly 5 hours daily at work, and i undertake constantly, not because that's what i'm setting out to do, but because i'm doing 70 in the left lane and everyone to the right is doing 55-60. Why would i move to the rightmost lane to get stuck behind these people rather than just carry on ahead.

[@kapu3746]

Also, even if you're overtaking, if you see someone's tailgating you, it's not hard to go back to the left lane for a brief moment when you can to let them overtake you, instead people just carry on in the right lane, cause they're going slightly faster than the cars on the left. Leading to people getting impatient and undertaking you dangerously.

[@KindredBrujah]

@@kapu3746 Indeed. I tend to stay in the right lane, because I'm going faster than vehicles on my left. Since plenty of people speed and I don't, I also ensure that I'm checking my mirrors regularly (you know, like you're meant to) and move out of the way of estates, Range Rovers and any kind of enormous pick up truck, all of which always speed in my experience. In the latter case, it's also beneficial because I can avoid being blinded by the headlights which are right at rear view mirror height for me in a normal sized car.

[@boabm6522]

​@@KindredBrujahyou can adjust your mirrors in such a way you blind them back when to right of you......

[@jaffabeast]

I'm a lorry driver and I like it when cars spread out across the lanes. It gives me better opportunities to move to lane 2 if I need to overtake. I think it's stupid when lorries go to lane 3 to overtake at 1 mph but if it's slow traffic and they're queueing to overtake, or if lane 1 is becoming a slip road and lane 2 an unofficial slip road then that's fine. It seems these days that even the outside lane is becoming an unofficial slip road though. The only problem with middle lane hoggers is when they're not doing the correct speed and holding everyone up.

[@KindredBrujah]

Or are entirely oblivious to what's going on around them so don't give way to vehicles who are clearly trying to get past. Increasing that frustration level is going to result in accidents. Just get out of their way (when it's safe and convenient to do so).

[@astromec6303]

There’s a simple way to prevent these so-called elephant races. In Abu Dhabi, they have this system where they imposed a speed camera enforced minimum speed of 120 km/h on the left 2 lanes (right hand traffic) on 4 lanes or more highway. Highways with that restriction have a very high speed limit though (140 or 160 km/h). I think that such a restriction would reduce elephant races to only 2 lanes of the motorway. I think this would also maybe have the side effect of reducing the number of people that would lane hog at slow speeds as I noticed most lane hoggers are usually slow.

[@Aaron70235]

This is common on some major 2 lane roads, particularly where there are hills. Lane 2 will have a weight restriction on it, effectively preventing HGVs from overtaking. The M11 leaving London towards Stansted Airport is a good example.

[@mattwoodford1820]

​@@Aaron70235yeah some are daytime restricted

[@kennethabu2856]

Thanks for your videos. I went to a driving instructor who told me I don't know what I am doing and will need months to learn how to drive in the UK and I need so many lessons for me to pass my driving test. I have already booked my driving test which was 10 days after my theory. I decided to dump that instructor and then started watching your videos 24/7 and Went for my driving test and passed for the first time with 2 minors. Thanks for all you do.

[@usr-bin-gcc]

If you are worried about the risk associated with manoeuvres (such as changing lane), just stay in the left lane and get where you are going a little later. All risks need to be balanced against the benefits. Life is short, but not short enough to be worth risking it ending it in a pile of plastic and metal to get to work 2 mins faster.

[@ranger7522]

Or they can get on a bus and leave driving for competent human beings. Since they hate driving so much why do it at all?

[@usr-bin-gcc]

@@ranger7522 yawn. Life is also too short to waste on keyboard warriors.

[@ranger7522]

you completely missed the point. I agreed with, and liked your comment. But if you think I'm a keyboard warrior, that's fine by me. like you said life is too short to argue with people like you. have a nice life

[@usr-bin-gcc]

@@ranger7522 LOL " leave driving for competent human beings" and " Since they hate driving so much " is classic keyboard warrior stuff. Nobody said anything about hating driving and not wanting to overtake unnecessarily does not make someone an "[in]competent human being". Not even honest about the trolling. Need to do better.

[@fatbikemontage2931]

Whilst not a justification for middle lane hogging, the behaviour of some motorists who fail to yield to a vehicle wanting to pull out to overtake, is a significant cause of people basically staying in lane 2, especially in mildly heavy traffic conditions. In my experience these selfish motorists are by far the greater issue. Sometimes when pulling into lane 1 to allow vehicles to overtake, an ignorant driver will “level” you, meaning I either need to accelerate to get out or slow to go behind them, this is especially frustrating with drivers who cannot maintain a constant speed for whatever reason. Many a time at a GPS correct constant 70mph on cruise control, I have overtaken and been overtaken by the same car numerous times. Such behaviour encourages sitting in lane 2 when there are vehicles to overtake spread over the next few miles.

[@javiTests]

Some times it makes a bit of sense, but most of the time, people are just selfish and trying to look for an excuse to do whatever they want.

[@SmileyEmoji42]

I like to think that there are far more thoughtless/careless people than actually selfish. I think I'm right but the proportions may vary 😞

[@plonkster]

Similar in South Africa. Hogging the lane requires two things, you are in the right lane, AND you are going slower than someone who wants to overtake. If you're driving along blocking no one and you're faster than the traffic to the left of you, generally nobody gets upset with you. If you're going at the speed limit and the left lane is full of slow going lorries, the guy behind you needs to accept that traffic is a bit more intense than usual. But failing to move over when there is room to do so (even if the overtaker is speeding) is considered wrong.

[@ramindurrani1295]

You just gave me 6 valid reasons to Hog the middle lane 😂

[@FatSn8ke]

Thanks Richard for the video. Hearing other people debating over middle-lane hogging is really interesting😂

[@PauldeVrieze]

Tramlining can be a valid reason if they are full of rainwater. Of course those roads need to be fixed. On the case of slow lanes, they exist in Germany on particularly steep inclines, and they are added on the outside, are well signed, and stop on the top of the hill.

[@SmileyEmoji42]

Crawler lanes used to be much more common in the UK but modern lorries are MUCH more powerful than back in the day such that they are usualy tacho limited rather than power limited hence you don't find crawler lanes very often anymore (or downhill lorry escape features)

[@philip799]

The excuses of 1) not wanting to change lanes too often, 2) not wanting to get stuck behind slower vehicles in lane 1, 3) being worried about merging traffic, are all just different excuses for lazy driving. If you're observing well, and managing your speed, you shouldn't have too many issues in this regard. Sadly too many drivers seem to want to enter lane 2 and switch their brain off for the rest of their journey. The excuse about "I'm doing the speed limit so no one should be overtaking" is ill informed, as pointed out in this video about speedometer accuracies, but also it's not your job to regulate speed on the motorway, leave it to the motorway Police.

[@Gazzxy]

first excuse is silly.. and not really lane hogging.. if you are quickly catching the vehicle ahead, theres 0 point moving back over (within reason ofc) otherwise youd just be zig-zaging up the motorway. ofcourse if your miles away form the slow vehicle, move back over... but if its gona be seconds I think we all understand staying out. but the road quality cracked me up.. makes me think of the M62. especially between bradford and leeds.. its pot holed like crazy... but in the middle lane.. when it was quiet I have more than once overtaken a truck by going to the outside lane to skip the pot holes, because lets face it no car its shaking off pot holes at 70 mph without doing some sorta dmg.

[@khalidacosta7133]

I drive on the M62 on that stretch almost daily. A few light pot holes, you can see well in advance and just nudge the steering wheel around it. "but in the middle lane.. when it was quiet I have more than once overtaken a truck" < You are a lane hogger then. Trucks are limited to 60 however most do 56mph to save fuel. So get yourself into Lane 1 and stop causing a traffic jam.

[@SmileyEmoji42]

My rule of thumb is "Stay out if you can see that you would want to pull out again in 30 seconds or less"

[@Poodz_]

​@@SmileyEmoji42 This is fairly sensible. If you're passing someone in the next 30 seconds, you are still overtaking. I used to zig-zag like the lane discipline police, but would often end up stuck in lane 1 from not being able to pull back into lane 2 due to all the traffic behind building up. In low traffic this works perfectly, in heavier traffic I find myself often constantly in lanes 2 and 3.

[@cigmorfil4101]

​​@@khalidacosta7133 Lorries are EU legislation speed limited to 90 km/h ~= 56 mph.

[@martinh8784]

There is also a middle-lane hogging version where you are in lane 1/slow lane, and something lane-hogging sits behind you, in your blind spot, using you as an excuse to be there. They also speed up if you want to change lanes to overtake a lorry. Since you can't overtake them now, you slow down to let them pass. They slow down as well. The next time, I usually speed up and aggressively cut in front of them, causing massive offence ... obviously, I am the rubbish and aggressive driver who doesn't know what he is doing.

[@FrecklesAviation]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as lane hogging. I prefer the term "poor situational awareness" The difference I'm trying to highlight is that, if you are in lane 2 and there's a car 10, 20 or even 30 seconds ahead which you anticipate the need to overtake, it depends on the context as to if you should move over: If there is a line of cars behind you and you are doing 65, you should absolutely move over If it is a quiet duel carriageway and there is nothing waiting behind you, then fine, stay in that lane. There's a lot in between and I think lane hogging is only really an issue when other people are affected, but at the end of the day, each case is different. It would be nice if more folks could look in their rear view mirrors every now and again and drive accordingly

[@sarasisandya596]

Hi Richard, I passed my driving test today only with 3 minor faults for the first time. Your videos helped me immensely to prepare for the test. Especially me being a very nervous driver. Probably you don’t know how much difference you make in others lives but you do. You are an amazing person 😊

[@ConquerDriving]

That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Most roads in my city have three lanes and I totally understand why drivers tend to treat the middle lane as a cruising lane, the left lane as the overtaking/turning left lane and the right lane as the slow/turning right lane. To begin with, on most junctions right turn on red is allowed and drivers try to be curteous and leave the right lane free for people to turn on red. However in my opinion it can make it so fewer vehicles make it throught the green phase, but that's besides the point. Then, the right lane is almost always busy with bus stops, buses themselves, parked cars, vehicles entering and exiting and so on. Even if you wanted to, there wouldn't be many chances for you to drive in the right lane for long periods of times. However. People then take these habits to expressways where middle lane hogging can cause issuse and make roads less efficient.

[@treduke-alexander8864]

Your statement doesn't apply to UK roads. It's more a North American thing.

[@goaway9977]

Keeping left (or right in the US) only applies on motorways. On a regular 3 lane road you always want to keep in the middle until you are relatively close to the junction you want to turn left or right at. If you're saying this creates a habit of staying in the centre lane that people then take to the motorway you're probably right but really people ought to know the difference between the two types of roads and drive accordingly.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

@@goaway9977 I was speaking for my country and we don't have a differentiation. You always must keep right, on any road, unless you are overtaking somebody our turning left.

[@treduke-alexander8864]

@goaway9977 I'm not knowledgeable on driving in the US, but in the UK, in general, you're supposed to keep left unless overtaking or you need a different lane. I believe the difference in infrastructure informs our rules, e.g., the US has more multilane carriageways, etc. By the way, I'm not trying to undermine you, I believe we are both learning about driving in each others countries.

[@goaway9977]

@treduke-alexander8864 Interesting I'm actually from Australia and here the keep left unless overtaking rule only applies on roads with a speed limit above 80km/h. We have a lot of three lane roads under this speed limit and you can be in any lane you want on these roads for any length of time you want. People will typically go left lane if they are turning left within one or two intersections, middle lane if they are going straight for a while and right lane if they are turning right at the next intersection. But people will also take the middle lane instead of the left if there are bus stops on the left lane, or if they are unsure if the left lane allows cars to be parked (some but not all three lane roads allow parking in the left lane but only over nights or on weekends).

[@billyoneill7381]

One thing that doesn't help is when the signs say lane one is an exit lane and lane two is a forward lane, but you get to the junction and lane one ends up being both. Only those that drive through those junctions regularly know the correct lane. The M6 near Birmingham is a prime example where lane 3 and 4 become forward lanes and that encourages lane hogging.

[@DH.2016]

One good thing when driving in the inside lane is that, in busy motorway traffic, you have the extra option of an "escape lane" on the left (i.e., the hard shoulder) if something goes drastically wrong blocking the way in front of you and you have misjudged your safe stopping distance - when you are in the outside lane, all you have is the crash barrier or some neat driving skills to skip safely into an inside lane and whizz by the situation. Therefore always best to move into the left hand lane after overtaking. p.s. Mid lane hoggers = mobile road blocks.

[@lidbass]

A woman once told me that she prefers to stay in the middle lane because 'if something happens you can go to the left or the right.' When I pointed out that the hard shoulder exists, she was dumbfounded!

[@mookyzook]

I drive up to 1000 miles a week for work and I always try to keep to the left as this is the legal definition of driving in the UK whatever your speed. Nowadays it's not just tram lines on the inside lane it's really dangerously deep potholes. While the councils and HIghways England fail to maintain these you will find even more people will hog the centre lane.

[@omegand.]

4:53 why'd you blur the psycho's plates? These people aren't worth defending lol

[@Blakesedit]

I wonder too, a few other plates were blurred too tho ?

[@tiffanyk2743]

true they aren't, but there's a chance people might spam report that psycho and then this video might be taken down

[@archiebailey060]

if this video reaches a wide audience i dont think OP would like to be held liable for some dickhead to take physical action

[@davem9204]

@@tiffanyk2743 The number plate only identifies the car on the day of the video. It doesn't identify the driver, which could change any time after the video, as well as the owner. You wouldn't want some innocent person getting blamed for someone else's driving in a particular car. Not to mention cloned number plates these days!

[@amazulu3401]

Simple fix. Make all lanes equal priority. One of the few things the Americans have got right. You MUST indicate when you change lane. Undertaking would be just as safe as overtaking. Weaving in and out of traffic is safe provided you indicate and leave enough space each time you do it. Not a problem at junctions, just make sure you indicate. Too many people think indicating is a reminder to them that they are changing lane. Dont forget ALL lights on you car are there for everyone elses direct benefit, not yours. Except headlights at night.

[@nils7310]

In Germany these people are called "Mittelspurschleicher" (middle lane creeper)

[@rickreid8572]

The American system of using whichever lane you like works much better and requires more skill. British roads are awful, in particular the junctions. The roundabout is cheaper than flyovers of course, but it has failed miserably.

[@SlimHandle]

4:44 20 seconds of Ratville begins

[@johnh9449]

I remember the late John Peel complaining about middle lane hoggers and describing his practice of "sarcastic overtaking" where he would be in the first lane and come across a slower hogger (often wearing a hat he noticed) in the middle lane - so, he would match the speed having come as close as was safe to then indicate, pull behind, indicate again then pull into the third lane, accelerate then slow down to match the speed again, indicate, pull in front, then indicate and return to the first lane then resume normal speed. I once came across such a middle lane hogger wearing a Trilby hat I noticed. The motorway was empty enough for me to employ a modified version of the "sarcastic overtaking" manoeuvre whereby having completed the overtake, instead of resuming normal speed, instead decelerate and let the hogger overtake you, whereupon you can delight in "sarcastically overtaking" all over again. I did this, encircling him three times in all. He didn't take a blind bit of notice and stayed in the middle lane - probably puffing away on his pipe.

[@j.wellens5660]

or these days not puffing on his pipe but gloating on his Tesla driving abilities....

[@as37g10]

Biggest reason is the smart motorways. People are scared of coming up to a stopped vehicle round a corner, so they avoid lane 1. Thanks smart motorways!

[@tom-jj5em]

they should pay more attention then. its not like motorways have blind corners

[@as37g10]

@@tom-jj5em I don't disagree, but when you're going 70mph, if someone is overtaking you, your only options may be to stop behind the vehicle ( incredibly dangerous and little chance of ever rejoining), or quickly merging across (not always easy, especially when there is a hazard ahead and if you aren't a confident driver). In this case these drivers just join straight in lane 2, so that way there shouldn't be stopped vehicles in the lane. Not saying I agree with them (I don't), but I understand why nervous drivers would be scared of broken down vehicles.

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

​@tom-jj5em it's not like motorways should have cars driving in the spare lane and yet here we are

[@paultasker7788]

Never thought of that but yeah from what I've seen on smart motorways and their broken systems, how long it takes to put that red X up on the gantry driving in lane 2 instead of 1 could save someone's life. A. Frightening thought.

[@boabm6522]

I broke down in lane 3 on M6, not a nice 30mins warning traffic before lane got closed, engine suddenly cut when overtaking and nobody slowed to allow me left.

[@EdwardOBrien-o6r]

"Trapped" in lane 1. You'd swear there was a train 1 mile long in lane 2. How come you never get trapped on the slip road?

[@cillianennis9921]

I think the fast lane if they had one should be the farthest out & keep the middle lane as an overtaking lane. As if its between the slow lane & overtaking lane it doesn't really help anyone & is just what we have now change it around & you can fix this with a middle lane.

[@rutukedarbhagwat1746]

This is very logical

[@cillianennis9921]

@@rutukedarbhagwat1746 should also add the part about it making lorries not be able to overtake as they'd have to pass through a faster lane than they can go to overtake another lorry.

[@goaway9977]

The "fast lane" is really just for people who can go at or close to the speed limit. You should never be going faster than the speed limit. The problem with making the fast lane the one furthest to the right is that a car travelling 70mph who wants to overtake a car going 69mph now has to move into the centre lane to overtake i.e. perform an undertake which is dangerous. It makes the most sense to give everyone a lane to their right (or left in the US) to overtake in rather than have a shared overtaking lane in the middle that could have cars at wildly different speeds trying to merge into to overtake at the same time.

[@cillianennis9921]

@@goaway9977 Your arguement makes sense until you apply the same idea to overtaking now from the outermost lane where you have to go through the faster cars lane & then to the end lane to overtake somebody which leads to it being more dangerous for slower vehicles. Anyway if your in the fast lane you likely aren't really going to be overtaking people as often as the regular lane.

[@goaway9977]

@cillianennis9921 Ah I see what you're saying. I think in most people's conception if you are using the slow lane and need to overtake then you are more than welcome to use the fast lane to over take so long as you go back to the slow lane once you are done. No need to move all the way over to the overtake lane. Cars travelling in the in the fast lane can then either slow down and wait for you to finish the overtake or they can move into the overtake lane to get around you. Yes it's a bit annoying for the car in the fast lane to have to go around and also the car in the slow lane might have to wait a bit for a gap in traffic before they can perform their overtake, but ultimately it is much safer than having a shared overtake lane in the middle where slow cars trying to overtake even slower cars and fast cars trying to overtake other fast cars are both entering the lane from different directions.

[@Otacatapetl]

The police used to call them CLOCs. Centre Lane Owners' Club. Haven't heard it used for a long time now though.

[@FBIAGENT95103]

4:53 why are people doing 4 lane changes in one cutting people off, why?

[@contactjd]

Because they're idiots

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

Because people are idiots

[@KindredBrujah]

I quite enjoy marking people for pretend driving tests. Most fail. Tail lights are a dead giveaway. In this case, they made the white car in the fourth lane brake. Fail. Often the more aggressive drivers don't leave enough space between them and the car in front, so they need to be on the brakes constantly for any change in speed of the car ahead. Fail. Unless I'm confronted by someone like that red car driver, I generally don't put my brakes on at all on a dual carriageway in steady traffic. It should be (and is most of the time) easily possible to just engine brake to accommodate speed changes by those ahead.

[@Richard_Turner]

​@KindredBrujah trouble is a lot of modern cars, mine included will apply the brakes automatically to maintain a gap when they do the lights come on, I'm not talking anchors on its so slight you don't feel it but if the car is auto braking it does by law apply the lights. Alternatively just move out of the faster cars way and let them go 🙅

[@paulf3353]

You pretty much summarised all valid points. There is really no reason you should constantly manoeuvre in and out into the lane with significantly slower traffic. Something to learn from Europe.

[@saggioperduto_7566]

Great video😊

[@Pro_Blunder]

It’s funny how passionate people get about following the rules when it comes to lane usage but not when it comes to speed limits 🤔

[@andrearoyd2942]

My husband hates middle lane hogging. So I monitored his driving over about 80 miles on the motorway. 2% inside lane, 3%middle lane, 95% outside lane. Yep - a bloke's logic !

[@Lucas-li6ss]

So he is not very often in the middle lane :D

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

Does he drive a German car by any chance?

[@andrearoyd2942]

@@rufusgreenleaf2466 rofl .... yes, you have obviously met him !!

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

@@andrearoyd2942 Have i? 😳

[@andrearoyd2942]

@@rufusgreenleaf2466 Yep he is the self-appointed road etiquette police - now that really does my head in!

[@PhatSimey]

Lane hogging seems to be down to the misconception that the outer most (right) lane is 'the fast lane', and the left lane is the 'slow lane', so most people will sit in lane 2 of a 3-lane motorway, or lane 3 of a 4-lane motorway. Travelled numerous times on the Heathrow section of the M25 in the driving lane, with lane 2 being empty and lanes 3 and 4 completely stationary! Same kind of stupid that makes people drive around with their prat, sorry fog lights on because they think it's cool or safer. It's illegal unless there is actual thick fog, NOT a bit of mist, or rain, or sun, or because it's dark!

[@realboy24]

I wish you taught me driving

[@SteveN-pw4dj]

I would love to see these bad drivers try this in Germany. A car coming up behind them at 130mph is not good. You need to be super aware in Germany. They are far superior drivers than us in the UK.

[@zitzong]

That wasn't safe! (Car nearly has collision with Tesla)

[@Cyberdyne-kg8ku]

Three lanes confuse many drivers. Four lanes, even more. Stretches of the M25 or A1M must really scare some people. Me? I'm happy to set my cruise at 67 and often have lane 1 all to myself. And yes, I undertake steadily and safely sometimes which is better than constantly changing lanes.

[@ChadKen]

The amount of undertakers & lane hoggers in this video is crazy. I understand an undertaker if someone is lane hogging & going under the limit but otherwise it’s just stupid

[@mikehunter2844]

It's quite legal to undertake.

[@ChadKen]

@@mikehunter2844 I know I’ve done it plenty myself. Mostly on the motorway as I find dual carriageways to have almost no lane hoggers I’m just simply stating that in this video the undertakers seem to be poor drivers as they’re undertaking cars going the speed limit rather

[@D32L14N]

I have another reason that can add to the subject, there are careless drivers who will merge regardless of who's coming, and you can end up collading with them

[@Seanmcdhuibhne]

The same can be said if you were in lane 2 and someone moves from lane 1 regardless of whose in lane 2.

[@MBKill3rCat]

I honestly feel like the rule of always sticking to the left-hand lane on motorways is at best outdated, and at worst was never a good idea. In addition to all the reasons given in the video (which I 100% agree with and are my own sentiments as well), we have so many cars on our roads, that if they all stayed in the left-hand land, you'd be doing 10 mph if you're lucky.

[@benjiviews4300]

Spot the middle lane hogger

[@Logarithm906]

@@benjiviews4300 Yup. So what exactly is bad/dangerous about using the second lane other than it's not how you're meant to do it? Like what is the real life benefit for going all the way to the left after each set of vehicles you overtake? This video was 80% complaining about elephant races (very valid) and then mostly irrefutable reasons for not using the left most lane... And I say that as someone who does stay left as much as I can. If it wasn't for the law I wouldn't do it because there's no benefit to it.

[@IM-qy7mf]

@@Logarithm906 Absolutely clueless and selfish way of thinking. Bravo, you beautifully represent the archetype of the typical lane hogger!

[@benjiviews4300]

@Logarithm906 You're not the only car on the road so you may not think there's any benefit for you. It doesn't matter. There's a safety benefit for everyone else that traffic is following the rules and driving in a safe and predictable manner. Why should the rest of us have to make four lane changes to go round selfish middle lane hoggers?

[@MBKill3rCat]

@@benjiviews4300 I don't stay in the middle lane the whole journey, so no. I move left when appropriate, but if I see a string of lorries and slow moving traffic in the left-hand lane, and I'm moving faster than them while doing the speed limit, yeah I'm just going to stay in the middle lane, keeping up with the speed of traffic in my lane, until I pass them.

[@lcvekty]

I just passed my test in January and drive from London to Southampton often to see my boyfriend. I usually drive around 9-10pm, and although the M25, M3 and M27 are fairly empty at that time, I still see so many middle lane hoggers!! I always stick to the speed limit and try not to undertake, so it can be really annoying, especially when there aren't many cars in the normal driving lane to overtake, so I end up having to overtake all these middle lane drivers, moving all the way to the outside lanes! I've had several people driving at least 50-60mph in the middle lanes too 😕Thank you for this video!! ❤

[@alexwong402012]

Unpopular opinion here: As long as you can maintain a speed of over 75 miles per hour (within the +-7 rule of the speed limit) in the middle lane, you don't have to move back to the left lane because you will continue overtaking everyone on the left and it helps people merging. Just don't hog the rightmost lane, and it should be fine.

[@James_Smith489]

or you could move back to lane 1 in-between so there are 2 lanes free for others to use.

[@Gazzxy]

fine if theres continuous vehicles. but if theres nothing for a considerable distance. like you cant really see it.. then no you should be moving over.

[@CBitsTech]

Nope. There is no +-7 rule. Nor a 10% rule, nor any other type or rule. The (Highway Code) rule is to drive on the left unless overtaking. Anything else could be a 'care and attention' offence. The speed limit is the maximum legal speed. That's the law. Many (of us) might choose to exceed it. Arguably, the people who don't follow the basic rules of the road (the highway code) are more of a hazard than people driving a little over the speed limit.

[@wykoo5507]

+-7 is a trick …. Not rules

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

There isn't a universal 10% rule on speed limit enforcement. Some places use leeway, but if you're clocked doing even 71, you're still at risk of being ticketed.

[@Panda-moan-ium]

I have recently experienced a spate of middle lane hoggers where I have moved from the driving to the overtaking lane and they have sped up to prevent me from overtaking. I have then dropped back to the driving lane as they are now going faster than me, only for them to slow right down again so I need to overtake. I think some narcissists have an instrinctual dislike of being overtaken. I also think there is a growing number of anxious drivers. The anxiety around changing lanes, road surface, being in a more crowded lane, being in a lane that might become an exit, etc. means that these anxious drivers are increasingly lane hogging. They then speed up without really thinking when they see a car approaching on their right, then don't have the ability to maintain speed when the pressure of the approaching car drops. This is awful for emissions, prevents the road from flowing properly and causes significant additional danger.

[@salamander5703]

One group of middle laners I'm curious about. I try to maintain a steady speed on motorways, usually 65/70mph and do try to keep left. But often if I move to the middle lane to overtake a lorry a car will catch me up, slow down to my speed and stay behind, even if lane 3 is empty. Only when I move back to lane 1 do they zoom past and on their way still in lane 2 (or lane 3 if it's a 4 lane road - they never use lane 2 on those). Sometimes for fun I stay in lane 2 to overtake another lorry in the distance, but still they wait patiently until I move back to lane 1 begore passing. I think they move to lane 2 as soon as they join and don't leave it until they come off again!

[@Richard_Turner]

Radar guided cruise.. too lazy to move over

[@chigwife862]

The white car in reason 2 is the cause of so much motorway traffic. Absolutely nothing to his left so every single car trying to overtake on that part of the motorway is compressed into a single lane. So many times when you drive on the motorway and actually stick to the left, you can see the exact cars causing congestion behind and they're just totally oblivious.

[@rayoflight62]

If you drive on the Continent where there is left-hand drive, you'll note that lane hogging is almost non-existing. On the opposite, many drivers don't preposition themselves for the exit in time. But HGVs (called TIRs in Europe) also take 5+ minutes for overtaking (elephant races).

[@froggiewrench1]

Oh so true.

[@ElvisLass35]

Was on the motorway yesterday… the left lane was busy the whole way with trucks… I tried many times to get back in to the left. I did just go back to the middle more regularly, but forever checking that people were not behind me tailgating or getting frustrated, I did top speed all the way. I got out of the way for folks who wanted to get past me. And off they went doing 90 - had to be at the speed compared to me! If it was clear I got back in the left. Middle lane hoggers in my opinion are only a problem if they are going slow and you need to overtake them! If you wanna go slower… get in the left.