Lurking Lawyer

From today's Telegraph website:


A campaign has been launched to persuade middle-lane "hoggers" to move over to the inside lane.

Irritating drivers who do not change lanes are accused of delays and of encouraging dangerous driving among other motorists.

Signs on the M1, M6, M18 and M62 have gone up this week, with messages such as "Keep Left Unless Overtaking" and "Don't Hog the Middle Lane".

Motorway signs will feature in Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire.

The Highways Agency is testing driver reaction to the messages as part of its week-long campaign to reduce accidents on England's motorways.

David Jamieson, the roads minister, said: "We are committed to tackling congestion and making our roads safer. Poor lane discipline causes frustration to drivers and can disrupt the flow of traffic.

"We have all seen people on the motorway sitting in the wrong lane and experienced the inconvenience and congestion it causes. Just sticking to the simple rule of staying left unless overtaking could bring real benefits to all road users."

Ginny Clarke, the agency's chief highways engineer, added: "We want drivers to think about how they are using motorway lanes. Are they taking care when overtaking, signalling in good time and keeping a safe distance between their vehicle and others?

"Or are they spending too long in the middle or outside lanes, and causing frustration to other drivers when they could safely return to an inside lane?"

Last month the RAC Foundation said drivers hogging the middle and outside lanes were "stealing" up to 700 miles of motorway space from others in peak periods - equivalent to the distance from Aberdeen to Penzance and a third of the nation's motorway capacity.

Police have the power to pull over motorists for poor lane discipline and can prosecute if they consider a driver's behaviour amounts to inconsiderate driving.

But with an 11 per cent decrease in traffic police in England and Wales since 1997 and a lack of visible police presence on the motorways, many motorists are left to get away with their selfish lane-hogging behaviour, the foundation said

Maybe there will be a campaign against corner hoggers in future too. Watch out, Chris!

zero_to60

I just undertake the ers.....and mouth obcenities

eSeM

Lot of coverage on Radio 5 about this.

Only seems to be targeted at the North though

Lurking Lawyer

I don't think you can really classify Cheshire, Leicestershire and Northants as the "north", Steven!

I can't see it having much effect, anyway. The kind of people who do this don't think they're doing anything wrong in the first place.

I thought the most telling bit of the article I quoted was the final paragraph, talking about the 11% reduction in traffic police since 1997. (I was surprised it was only 11%!)

eSeM

They are North of Watford are they not

They certainly aint in the South.

Shipley

I agree but without mouthing anything.

I much prefer undertaking them and watching them in my mirror as they swear at me for undertaking them.

Its even funnier in my beater because I really don;t care when in that !!

simmo

I am suprised it's 11 % i cant remember the last time i saw a marked traffic car.

I hate lane hoggers but half the time its bleeding lorries that have to get infront of the lorry they are tailing then taking 20 mins to get past it causing the bottle neck.

Lane hoggers in the evening or night when its empty should be targeted 100% as there is no excuse unless moving over as a junctiuon is joining, that really annoys me.

As for leaving a sensible thats just bollox as if you do someone will jump into to try and get a car length infront, how pathetic.

zero_to60

the beater is excellent in many scenarios. I especially like people trying to cut me up at roundabouts by trying to 'straightline' them....when I am on the inside but they are half a car length ahead

UK_S2000

Heard this on the radio this morning and really hope something happens.

Trouble is I've seen loads of police cars going up and down the motorway and I've only ever seen one occassion when someone was pulled for sitting in the middle lane.

If they could crack it I'd be a happy man! So many times I've had to just undertake through sheer frustration.

MarkB

I applaud the idea (even if it is too limited in scope and about 5 years too late) - but fear it will make no difference on the whole.

11% reduction seems way too low an estimate.