Safe Speed Forums

I have returned from my annual pilgrimage north which involves going through the new improved 4 lane stretch of M1. They might as well not have widened the road because the lack of lane disapline means that lanes 1 and 2 are empty save for the odd truck in lane 1 and most of the traffic is bunched up in lanes 3 and 4. I saw cars in lane 3 with 2 empty lanes to their left.

It works well in crowded times....
Traffic intending to turn off tends to stay in the two inside lanes and overtake the traffic in the outer lanes that are carrying-on...
Believe me, driving on that stretch is not like normal m/way driving.....never mind the highway code.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

well that leaves you a good whole lane's gap for undertaking

quite, I thought I'd keep quiet about that though I considered a whole lane buffer enough

Yes, I've noticed this as well. It's a pest. Lanes 3 and 4 are where the "overtaking action" is. Lanes 1 and 2 are where "being overtaken" is the primary sensation. As most blokes prefer to be "overtaking" rather than "being passed", it is psychologically natural to have contention for the fast lanes. With the current system, there will always be contention/poor discipline (delete as necessary). If we are frustrated by it, we may be contributing to the contention ourselves, as one way around it is to drive a low-powered car, get used to being passed, and stick in the inside lane, but that's not very manly, I'm afraid.

PS: I know the natural name for the outside lane (the fast lane) has been deemed politically incorrect.

There are several sections where the inside two lanes are filter lanes for other roads...the A5, A414 and the M10. Many drivers will be in the lane they need before the overhead signs arrive....they know the shit that is coming their way from numbnuts.....and truckers...and taxis....at peak times if you are NOT in the lane you need WELL before it arrives you will NOT get into it....believe me, the FOUR lanes are packed to capacity at peaks.......this is your warning....if you wait for the overheads you are going to get a long drive around... !

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Indeed, and that is the point - to provide more capacity in the peaks.


Driving on any motorway that is sufficiently busy that all lanes are pretty much full of traffic is not like normal motorway driving as described in the Highway Code and driving manuals. In such situations it makes sense to stay in lane, minimise the amount of lane changing, and if you need a particular lane at a junction, to get in it as early as possible. Keeping to the left unless overtaking is irrelevant in such circumstances.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Coming south, the design doesn't help because lane 1 sprouts an extra lane to the left which becomes the new lane 1. Most HGV's correctly pull over into this lane, however most car drivers probably don't even notice that a 4th lane has appeared and won't use it.

A better design would be lane 3 sprouting an extra lane to the right, and a big sign saying "4 continuous lanes for 10 miles, KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVERTAKING".

What for ?
Trucks in 1 and 2, and exits for the a5/414 coming-up. I should move into a left-lane for what ?
So that when I need to move into 3/4 I find I cannot because of traffic ?
3 lanes of fast traffic is bad enough, but at least you have your mirrors to use to see behind...but 4 lanes make it hard work with mirrors.
I said before, most of the drivers on that stretch use it several times a day....the amount of delivery traffic is quite large in days.....and they KNOW that if they wait until the 'boards say move over , they will never have the room to do so.
Just look at the dickheads driving....they use the m/way once or twice a week....and doesn't it show.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Now isn't a good time of year to judge whether the extra lane has made a difference.

Yesterday it took me 5 hours to get to my dads (a 200 mile trip to the Wirral) it normally only takes 3 1/2 if I do that run during the day, however the amount of traffic on the roads was significantly less than when I normally do the run. Terrible lane discipline, random traffic jams most likely caused by a single tailgater jumping on the brakes every time the speed of the car in front reduces by 1mph and all around piss-poor driving was the order of the day, pretty much what I suspected it would be like given that at this time of year the roads fill with large numbers cretins who never normally drive more than 10-15 miles a day, if that.

And as far as I'm concerned, if you undertake someone with a whole lane as a buffer, that's a pretty good defence against any "due care and attention" charge they might try to bring on you for doing that.

For the record, I was using this stretch of road at about 8pm on Boxing Day night (Boxing Night??), I haven't used this at peak hours, so don't really know the laws of that particular jungle and I guess that most of my fellow road users would be the same, so it's keep left isn't it? There was loads of room for all.

I really hope that people don't look at my driving and think "what's that idiot doing?"