Smart (?) Motorway / Dumb Drivers!

davemercedes

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Drove back to the Midlands from Gloucestershire last night. Arriving at the (finally finished - thank heavens) 4-lane section on the M5 which is controlled by ATM's sorry... "speed enforcement" cameras I did as usual and set the cruise control and resigned myself to relative "crawling" on a three-quarters empty motorway. Lanes 1 and 2 were totally empty so I moved over to the left and sat at the legal limit in Lane 1. In lane 3 about 150 yards ahead there was a VW driving at the same "legal" speed... it sat there like a moronic robot for at least/over ten miles at the same speed while the other lanes stayed empty. It's such a nonsense - 120mph would have been quite safe especially if people used the marked grrr! lanes correctly. There was of course, no plod around.

So much for enforcement of lane discipline... but if I had speeded up in a camera section, the postman would be bringing me a present today! I really pity those who were going further north - the elevated section leading up the M6 still has that dreadful section with a 30mph limit and distance cameras (oh, and nobody working - ever as far as I can see)!
 

vtaylor78

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I know this law came in , but as you say never seems to be enforced, I see it all the time on the M1.
 

alexanderfoti

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Lane discipline here is horrednous. I quite frequently will do as you do, in lane 1. Or ill move all the way across and then all the way back whilst overtaking, in a very obvious manner. Sometimes they get the point.

Its very obvious when driving in europe for a whlie then coming back to the UK.
 

LostKiwi

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Its very obvious when driving in europe for a whlie then coming back to the UK.
Isn't it just!
Very rarely do we find someone hogging the overtaking lane in France. Very rare we don't in the UK.
 

alexanderfoti

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Isn't it just!
Very rarely do we find someone hogging the overtaking lane in France. Very rare we don't in the UK.

They have no concept of following distance there, but lane discipline is good.

There also always a diesel van wanting to go faster, when your already doing 90 :)
 

3146bj

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We have the same problem here with people cruising at an indicated 100 or 110km/h in the overtaking lane (actual speed can be as low as 90), but we have the advantage we can overtake on their left. They get quite upset when a semi-trailer truck or a B-double cruising on his legal 100km/h limit by his GPS or limiter wants to overtake.
 
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davemercedes

davemercedes

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Lane discipline here is horrednous. I quite frequently will do as you do, in lane 1. Or ill move all the way across and then all the way back whilst overtaking, in a very obvious manner. Sometimes they get the point.

Its very obvious when driving in europe for a whlie then coming back to the UK.

I agree that Europeans generally use the lanes correctly - all except for Holland. I tense up when I see Dutch plates (the yellow ones)... You can be legally travelling c70 mph in the left hand lane when a "plodder" in the right hand land flashes his indicator ONCE only and instantly moves in front of you - no matter how close you are and regardless of your speed. 90 percent of them only flash once before moving out - and they do it when towing caravans as well!
 

bob 6600

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Lane discipline here is horrednous. I quite frequently will do as you do, in lane 1. Or ill move all the way across and then all the way back whilst overtaking, in a very obvious manner. Sometimes they get the point.

I find undertaking them usually gets the message across :D
 
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davemercedes

davemercedes

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I find undertaking them usually gets the message across :D

- But if you're seen doing that YOU can get a ticket!

I remarked to SWMBO that to legally pass this moron I would have had to cross from lane 1 to 4 then back again. My guess is his brain was miles away and he was mesmerised by the white lines.
 

alexanderfoti

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- But if you're seen doing that YOU can get a ticket!

I remarked to SWMBO that to legally pass this moron I would have had to cross from lane 1 to 4 then back again. My guess is his brain was miles away and he was mesmerised by the white lines.

Not if your passing on the inside. It has to be an undertake to be illegal.
 

ajlsl600

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Isn't it just!
Very rarely do we find someone hogging the overtaking lane in France. Very rare we don't in the UK.

ya, but theres no traffic here. if i go to cherbourg v early in the am i can almost do the 65 miles and hardly see another car if you want to see french driver discipline try driving in around paris /lyon or check out all the women that drive with head in mobile phones,or lipstick, i guarantee to see at least one everytime i am waiting to get onto a roundabout. dont even mention italy!!!!!!
 

LostKiwi

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ya, but theres no traffic here. if i go to cherbourg v early in the am i can almost do the 65 miles and hardly see another car if you want to see french driver discipline try driving in around paris /lyon or check out all the women that drive with head in mobile phones,or lipstick, i guarantee to see at least one everytime i am waiting to get onto a roundabout. dont even mention italy!!!!!!
It's a fair point - we tend to avoid population centres when we go.
 

ajlsl600

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It's a fair point - we tend to avoid population centres when we go.

welly wise. paris is train/metro only for me.. far less now retired .
 

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if you want to see french driver discipline try driving in around paris!

The scooter riders on the Periferique take some beating?
Passing slow traffic inbetween lanes at over 50mph with less than an inch to spare, I got really worried one time when I saw a group of them coming in my direction with a Honda Goldwing at the rear, mental cases, every one of them.
 

Wighty

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Not if your passing on the inside. It has to be an undertake to be illegal.
Yep , if I'm in cruise in lane 1 , and some chump is going slower in 2/3 or 4 and I've been in an empty lane 1 already I just continue
 

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The scooter riders on the Periferique take some beating?
Passing slow traffic inbetween lanes at over 50mph with less than an inch to spare, I got really worried one time when I saw a group of them coming in my direction with a Honda Goldwing at the rear, mental cases, every one of them.
Bit like this:

 
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