Why do people drive in the middle lane on a motorway when they are overtaking nothing but fresh air?

Question

Why do people drive in the middle lane on a motorway when they are overtaking nothing but fresh air?

Answer 1

either they do not know how to drive or are very selfish or their minds are not on their driving

Answer 2

Because they are not car drivers, they are car sitters.

Driving involves, reading the road and anticipation.

The people in the middle lane lack the confidence and ability so they sit there because they can just maintain a steady speed without having to manoeuvre, overtake etc.

Like I say they are car sitters not car drivers

Answer 3

because they don't know how to drive properly and should be made to retake there driving test that would stop them from doing it

Answer 4

The major driver errors on the motorways that statistics show  cause most accidents are driving too close AND people habitually changing lanes unnecessarily and so causing confusion. Are you one of the latter?

Answer 5

There is a small group of people that do it in the outside lane too.  Or who pull out suddenly in front of you whilst you are about to overtake them, without indicating.  Or who undertake and dodge in and out of the lanes like a moron.  Makes me mad as a table.

Why do they do it?  Because they are not very good at driving.

Answer 6

they just don't have a clew, they need to go and learn to drive properly

Answer 7

Because their to$$ers basically.

Answer 8

They are Middle Earthers who lack spatial awareness. Other types you may come across are ;

        Mother Ducks. They drive around 5 mph below the speed in order to collect as many "ducklings" behind as possible.

        Energy Conservationists.. They never put their lights on until the world outside disappears completely.

         Secret Agents.   These people think they work for M.I.5 and never signal a manouevre as no one must know they are there or where they are going.

          Golden Eagles.  These drivers are only ever seen  in the outside lane and at their exit junction will swoop across the inside lanes at the last possible moment.

Answer 9

They are fully paid up members of the CLOCK, the Central Lane Owners Club. Hertfordshire Police had a go at disbanding that organisation about 10 years ago with their programme "How to survive on the M25", Didn't work.

Answer 10

It annoys the h**l out of me.

When the motorway is busy it causes congestion and drivers who do it (CLODS, centre lane only drivers) run the risk of being booked for an endorseable offence contrary to Section 3(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, driving without due consideration for other roads users.

Answer 11

Some people never leave the middle lane.

Answer 12

Because they have forgotten how to drive properly --- if they ever knew.

I used to work with a man who was proud of never exceeding 55 MPH on any road (for non-Brits, our motorway speed limit is 70 MPH) and who used to always drive in the middle lane where one existed.  He was adamant that the middle lane was the 'cruising' lane and that 55 MPH was the 'cruising speed'.  He also used to wear cardigans to work and regularly polished the outside of his car's engine, but at least those activities are not illegal.

Answer 13

I have often wondered the same.

I personally pull into the left lane if there is nothing to overtake.

I can only guess that it is down to shoddy driving.

"Oh, if I drive down the middle, I can wander left or right without hitting something"

Sad, but true !

Answer 14

Because they know that before long they'll catch up with someone in the nearside lane who thinks forty is quite fast enough so it saves them keep pulling in and out.

Answer 15

One reason for this in the UK, is that we do not teach learners driving skills for the motorway. After they have passed their test, it should be compulsory for a lesson on motorway driving.

There is nothing to stop them reading the highway code and discovering the rules for themselves, but most are too lazy or stupid to do it. The 2 outside lanes of a motorway are for overtaking only. Once you have completed the manoeuvre, return to the left hand lane.

A professional driver will have no problem with this. He/she will be using their mirrors every 8 seconds, anticipating traffic pulling out and reading the road a mile ahead. If they see brake lights on in front, they cover theirs and expect to slowdown/stop.

They do not drive down the middle lane, oblivious of the traffic around them and up the back of the car in front. Sorry ladies, but nervous women and men in cardigans are the worst offenders for this.

Answer 16

As a professional Truck driver for over 20 years I pride myself on my abilities on the road, either at work or in my car. I use the lanes according to the prevailing traffic conditions, but when the roads are clear, nearside, and overtaking lanes as necessary.

My biggest gripes are car drivers who sit in the inside lane at just under the European speed limit for HGV's (56 mph / 80 Km/h) and cause congestion by speeding up slightly as trucks pull out to overtake them. Those who join the main carriageway & sit part of the way along my trailer for mile after mile, before deciding to either drop back or accelerate past on the inside & let me back into the nearside lane!! Or those who sit in the middle lane at about 57 mph & slowly drive past, ignoring the truck indicating to pull out! This is happening more and more as the cost of road fuel increases and driver awareness decreases. There is no particular group of drivers to blame, BUT, it appears to be the females with sprogs in the back, retired drivers with flat caps, caravanners, "non indigenous" drivers and members of the "Highways Agency" (UK) Motorway "Wombles".  Moan over!!

Answer 17

because a lot of slower vehicles have to stay in lane one and who wnats to be stuck behind a lorry or a coach doing 56mph?? if its a problem then the highways need to put signs up saying " do not sit in lane two for duration of your journey"..... why do audi / bmw / merc owners feel the need to drive in the fast lane at 100mph constantly? same difference dont you think

Answer 18

They are lane hoggers. With their windows wound up closed they forget that they are driving on a road and think they are in their lounge, listening to their favourite music.

It's because of that, that there are so many multiple pile ups on motorways.