Fines for middle lane hoggers

[MrHouston]

Best news, ever.

Drivers who hog the middle lane or tailgate other cars will face on-the-spot fines of £100 and three points on their licence.

Police are also expected to get powers to issue instant fixed penalty notices for not giving way at a junction or using the wrong lane at a roundabout.

http://news.sky.com/story/1099507/middle-lane-hogs-face-100-on-the-spot-fines

[manic]

Middle lane hoggers are so annoying. sitting there at 50-55mph. cos i tow a trailer i cant legally go.in yhe out side lane so i have to undertake. witch in it self is illagal.
i think we should have dash cams like russia. and can use the footage to report bad drivers. then if there is reports from say 3 differernt insidents then they get fined.


manic

[MrHouston]

If I had a cam and could use it to report bad drivers then there would be no taxis left in Liverpool..

[Manu]

Every time I go out, I see people on their phones looking at everything but the road, who's policing that? And if the police are really worried about the old "safety" excuse, maybe they should focus on potholes and fining companies who's business is to charge 10 times 70 quid per bucket of tar for the same hole every year.

[monka]

Its not illegal to undertake, bad practice, and if you fly past when the other lane is still empty a copper will say something, but if you undertake, doing the speed limit or lower because something was hogging the middle and right lanes, or your not allowed there is nothing a copper can do

[Manu]

^^^ I'm guilty of doing that a couple of weeks ago. Some old geezer driving his camping van at 55 in the fast lane for miles and miles and traffic piling up behind including lorries etc. I felt like undertaking was the safest option as soon as I had a chance, didn't even need to reach 70 to get ahead. As soon as I done that almost every other car did the same, and the camper still didn't figure out he shouldn't be there.

[Oli-VTR]

Thank fuck for this. I make such a point about middle lane, end up driving like a dick I know, get right up behind them for ages then when I do overtake I pull across really near. Just as bad a driver but it just makes me so angry!!!

[AXracing]

Just seen the same news on MSN http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/road-hogs-facing-fines-and-points-1

All I can say is its about time. Though there is no need for new laws as most if not all this is already illegal. Its just there was never really a will to enforce it. At least this should make it simpler for the police to act.

[AXracing]

Its not illegal to undertake, bad practice, and if you fly past when the other lane is still empty a copper will say something, but if you undertake, doing the speed limit or lower because something was hogging the middle and right lanes, or your not allowed there is nothing a copper can do

This is not true and you can be and people have been prosecuted for it. Generally if traffic as in cars cued are undertaken by some one turning off the road the police will ignore it. But undertaking even a middle lane hog is illegal.

[willsy]

Long overdue! Also more than pleased with the other proposals

[Carlvtr88]

Personally i'd have been more impressed if they made a new ruling where, if someone uses the right hand lane towards an island to avoid the queue, then cuts in last minute to turn left, Police should have the power to drag them out their cars and shoot them.

There wouldn't be many taxi drivers left around Brum.

[utothek]

Undertaking is illegal. But it shouldn't be anymore with these new rules. Because we shouldn't have to do it now people won't jog the middle lane!

[EwynSaxo]

Sounds like a step in the right direction, what still needs to be done is some sort of revision class of the road rules, yesterday a middle aged woman over took my van whilst dodging a island walkway
sort of hard to explain but I couldn't believe my eyes. . .

[Randyransford91]

It's well over due, but id welcome it with open arms. It infuriates me how people are so ignorant, as said above all i do now is undertake people. It's not illegal because I'm, not gaining an advantage.

[dontpannic]

It's illegal to undertake unless the traffic in your lane is moving faster than the traffic in the right lane.

For example, its illegal to come up behind someone, switch lanes to the left, drive past, then enter the right hand lane again. It's not illegal if you are driving in the left lane and something is driving slower in the right lane and you pass them on the left.

[Dom]

All I've got to say is;

I'm fucked. Terrible for tailgating cunts who won't move over.

[jones91]

Personally i'd have been more impressed if they made a new ruling where, if someone uses the right hand lane towards an island to avoid the queue, then cuts in last minute to turn left, Police should have the power to drag them out their cars and shoot them.

There wouldn't be many taxi drivers left around Brum.
+1 on this :y:

[GolfJay]

Its not illegal to undertake, bad practice, and if you fly past when the other lane is still empty a copper will say something, but if you undertake, doing the speed limit or lower because something was hogging the middle and right lanes, or your not allowed there is nothing a copper can do

Under taking is illegal. :homme:

[Randyransford91]

Under taking is illegal. :homme:

If you gain an advantage ;)

[Prickle]

Undertook myself many of times because of hoggers.

And i do not care what anyone thinks on the matter. ;)

[willsy]

Just a refresher from the Highway Code

Rule 268 (Motorway)

Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

The latter refers to very slow moving traffic only


There isn't currently a specific offence labelled as 'undertaking' this was removed some years ago when the Road Traffic Act was updated.

Now, undertaking fits within;


Section 3, Road Traffic Act 1988 which is Careless, and inconsiderate, driving.

If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence

The penalty therefore can vary significantly, therefore each individual case is judged seperately based on its severity.

The penalty for careless driving is currently 3-9 points. Fine can go upto £2,500 iirc however I've yet to see a fine over £1,000 given out in my career.


Regardless of the above 'norm' Road Traffic Law does still allow an element of officer discretion, a more minor undertaking manoeuvre coupled with your attitude when being dealt with at the roadside may get you a bit of a telling off and reeducation of the Highway Code before being allowed on your way

Similarly if your driving is deemed so dangerous with a series of undertaking manoeuvres weaving in and out of traffic there is every chance that a Section 2 Dangerous Driving charge could be sought.

Again there's so many other factors which contribute that this is likely to be the reason why a basic offence of undertaking is not written with a fixed blanket penalty for all.

[TomT]

Undertook myself

Quite the driving trick that

[PhilloVTR]

About bloody time!

[L33h]

I thought they implemented these a couple of years ago? Either way im really glad cos im sick of getting stuck behind people in the middle lane :@

[Prickle]

Quite the driving trick that

Fs :homme:

[holdawayt]

There's a guy over on edition 38's version of this thread that can't understand the problem lol. Thick fuck.

[12u55]

It'll be an interesting one to enforce.
The only time I can see this being effective is when traffic is relatively busy and copper happens to see this car coming a mile off.
At midnight, when I trundle along the motorways and it's dead does this mean I'll be fined for using the middle lane due to it being smoother? I say this because theres not usually any traffic following me, if there is a faster car, I will pull in. You know.
Thank goodness though for any phone use to be charged though.

I'm sorry officer, i was on my phone ringing the police to report a middle lane hogger... Is that an emergancy?