Safe Speed Forums

Gixxer,

On a completely empty motorway, travelling at night and at speed, L2 is a comfortable place to be, and does no harm. This is all about driving according to the prevailing conditions and anticipating hazards. Admittedly I didn't anticipate the Bmer, who came up so quickly he must have been speed testing.

Re answering questions, what have I avoided answering?

Re IAM, it was rather a long time ago. I passed the test when I was a police driver back in the 1970s. Although many of the lessons learned are still with me. I naturally drive in the holdback position, with a silent commentary on raod conditions and anticipated hazards. Second nature I guess.

C.

Fallacious, the point is not the lights, and where they may be sited, but the fact that keep left unless overtaking and stopping at red lights are both rules of the road, neither of which are optional based on your fuel consumption concerns.

I'd be tempted to delete the "ahead" from the first part of that comment, because driving is definitely not just about staring out of the windscreen at the road ahead - knowing what's going on behind you is just as important. And perhaps if you paid just a little more attention to what was going on behind you, you wouldn't find yourself being surprised by fast movers?

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Chris

Gixxer,

Yes, good point about the unexpected. I have seen some crazy things on the roads, and they happen very quickly. A measured (but not over cautious) driving style is advisable.

Your comment about 'nutters' on the road was well made. I think that road rage is an increasingly common thing these days, and I am sure you will agree with me that anger behind the wheel is indefensible and should be treated to the full force of the law.

It is one thing for a motorist to eat a chocolate bar while driving, but it is another for them to wave both hands in obscene gesturing at another driver while travelling at 70mph on a busy motorway. Safer to keep your hands on the wheel.

C.

I find it incredibly hard to believe that you were a police driver based on the comments you have made thus far in this thread, but there is an easy way to prove whether you are telling the truth or simply trolling.........

PM me your collar number, surname, and the dates (years will do) you were in active service.....I'll soon find out whether you were really old bill or not.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Robin,

This is not strictly correct. I use a motorway most days and vehicles do not 'keep left unless overtaking'. Vehicles use all the lanes of the motorway, mostly lorries in L1, with faster traffic in L2 and L3.

I just don't see most or even many drivers dodging in and out of L1. This is not an opinion, but an observation of fact.

C.

PS - Admittedly, the motorway I use is pretty busy. Of course it is different when traffic is quieter and L1 is emptier. The pressure of traffic does change the dynamic.

Twister,

That is by far the wisest comment I've read so far. You are quite right that I misspoke with the word 'ahead'. Of course the rear view mirror is the third eye.

To be honest, I can't remember the exact details of the event I described, but I remember being surprised when the Bmer swerved in front of us. I probably had him in the mirror, but nothing untoward.

C.

@ Mods,

The guy (or girl) is a troll....sort it out please.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Folks,

I have posted on this forum in good faith. On this particular thread my views are not in the majority and a lively debate has ensued. However, I have held my ground and expressed my opinion as well as I can.

It is not a bad thing to have a debate over a contentious issue, indeed forums benefit from lively exchanges, provided that there are no ad hominems or other breaches of forum rules.

C.

Sixy,

I know. It was my wife who was most worried. A completely empty motorway and this car slowing right down in front of us! She said it was like being in a film, and not one you would want to be in.

C.

Speaking as a member of the admin team I don't see any evidence that s/he is a troll. Merely expressing an opinion that is at variance with those of many people here doesn't automatically make someone a troll.

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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

Peter,

The guy has contradicted himself several times throughout the course of the thread, makes claims to being an ex police driver as well as being IAM qualified, doesn't seem to comprehend the concept of keep left unless overtaking, ignores questions that he could never have an answer for, etc.

Whatever mate, I certainly can't be bothered with him any more.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Gixxer and folks,

This debate is not about personalities. Maybe I was in error to use examples from my own experience to investigate a general point. I was indeed a police driver as a young man, but that is 40 years ago, so it is hardly relevant here and it was probably unhelpful to mention it. Also, my humorous approach to a serious issue may have misled some people.

However, there have been some very interesting views put forward re this thread. Yes, normally we are expected to return to L1 of a motorway when not overtaking. Of course many drivers do not do this, and there we have the point of contention. I have tried to explore why drivers do not always return promptly to L1 and why I am sometimes reluctant to do so.

I live quite close to a motorway bridge, so I intend to cycle over there next week and carefully observe the traffic flow. My guess is that I will see a good number of drivers travelling in the middle lane, but maybe I'm wrong? I know it's a bit anorakish.

C.

I agree (as a Mod) - not a troll and entitled to his view

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I won't slave for beggar's pay,
likewise gold and jewels,
but I would slave to learn the way
to sink your ship of fools

Actually, it is strictly correct. Many don't, but they have no valid reason not to. Are you as poor a driver as they, "police qualifications" and all?

The majority of people once believed the earth was flat. Does that make them correct, or vindicate the luddite who agrees with them?

cooler, you mentioned your third eye, that is not your mirror but where you are speaking from

Also, speaking as an admin, we could do without abusive comments like that which are in breach of the forum rules.

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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

Robin,

Yes, I agree that rules of the road, as published in the highway code, are not optional. My point is that many people do not follow certain rules to the letter and this includes lingering in the middle lane and it includes motorway speeding.

In my original question I was quite interested to see whether posters saw 'middle lane hogging' or speeding as most condonable and I have used examples to reveal poster's attitudes.

From the answers so far it looks like speeding might be the lesser evil in some people's views. For, logically, we would have to condone speeding in order to expect a driver travelling at 70mph in the middle lane of a motorway to get out of our way.

This has been a most interesting discussion, if a little emotive.

Maybe we should ask the following straight question. Which is the least serious motorway driving offence?

a. Middle lane hogging at the legal speed limit.

b. Speeding.

C.

Cooler,

are you seriously trying to argue that two wrongs make a right? You seem to now accept that driving in lane 2 is a bad thing, and have always implied that you see speeding as a bad thing too.

There is duplicity on the part of the Safespeed chorus who happily refer to the "rules of the road" when it comes to driving in lane 2 but disregarding them when it comes to complying with the speed limit, but this is nothing new here, so if that's the angle you are pitching at, it's not really breaking news.

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.