Curse those centre lane hogs!

[Dimi_Ghia]

I just got back from a European holiday last week and was surprised to see just how disiplined most of the drivers are over there on their Highways.
They drive much faster there than what we do here on large multi-laned roads which I believe makes them better drivers and more disiplined.

I rarely saw anyone driving on the overtaking lane at the speed limit or under and if there was then every driver behind them either flashed their lights at them to move over or the driver saw the faster cars coming and moved over to allow them to overtake.
I also couldn't believe the speeds they get up to! In Athens, my wifes auntie was constantly driving at about 140-160 KMH on the freeway but when police are around everyone quickly drops down to the limit which is either 100 or 120KMH).

The same thing happens in Italy and England but you always get the odd driver in his Ferrari flying past you at 200.....boy does that sound good. :

My point is that if you stick to the proper lanes then the freeways will flow and there will be less accidents and road rage.

[new2ford]

I wondered when Keepleft would finally join in! This has been covered in an earlier thread/s but I repeat my suggestion then that under a dictatorship all the right lane hoggers will be rounded up, put on a plane and dumped on a German autobahn for a week.

What worries me more than the thickos is the ones who deliberately and aggressively keep to the right lane and brake suddenly to keep you clear. A real case for psychological testing for driving licences.

[NEG]

I just stay in the far left lane on the M1, it moves faster than the right lanes. :P Though the M1 isnt as bad as Victora, keep left there seems to be unheard of.

[NA XR6]

i hate lane hogs as much as anyone
It does not give everyone the excuse to tailgate and speed over the limit which is just as dangerous

[Silver Ghia]

I'm in the right lane just having passed traffic, doing over the limit but within tolerance so I dont get a photo taken. I drive at a speed to pass the traffic, rather than stay unnecessarily too long next to them which leaves me vulnerable to one of them pulling out without looking.

Someone comes up behind me, so I move over.

The stupid ****wit passes me ever so slowly, so I then have to slow down because I've come up to traffic in front of me.

I cant go back into the right lane, because by now there's a stream of traffic behind that ****wit, and I cant get back into the right lane.

The question is: "Why should I become trapped in slow traffic just because of someone wanting to drive well over the speed limit?"

This scenario makes driving so unpleasurable. The root cause? Speed cameras.

[Mechan1k]

I know how you feel ... I have been caught in a similar situation myself.
What I find now though is .... I just push it for a short period just to get around so i don't get stuck (not long just a few seconds) ... then back off to the speed I want to be at then get across.

If I am overtaking someone ... or a stream of cars ... and I am at or over the speed limit ... the impatient driver behind can wait just 5 seconds longer for me to safely overtake ... then I will let him roar off (you never know ... the amount of time I have slowed him down ... I might have saved his life further down the road due to his impatience).

[Bucknaked]

It's a shame that with the technology available, we can't user our GPS, or ECU's to call in a missle strike on those staying right.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

It's a shame that with the technology available, we can't user our GPS, or ECU's to call in a missle strike on those staying right.

Wouldn't like to be tailgating them when that happens Bucknaked! Collateral damage.

When living in inner Melbourne with its huge wide streets many years ago I formed a theory that some people have an umbilical attachment to the centre of the road. Melbourne drivers used to hug the centre line (I don't know if they still do) leaving the vast acreage to the left to undertakers. Likewise in Sydney lately. I wonder if they realise they have a greater chance of getting wiped out when something coming in the opposite direction loses control and crosses the centre?

A suggestion for the road authorities Keepleft. Look at all those parks where councils lay paths and everybody makes their own direct track across the grass and the paths eventually get moved to where everybody goes. Its time for the same approach on the roads. Change the road rules to "Keep right unless overtaking - caravans to use centre lane" and we make the left lane the fast lane. How about it?

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Wouldn't like to be tailgating them when that happens Bucknaked! Collateral damage.

: Imagine the stone chips

[punkin]

queensland may not have a huge fine for not driving in the left hand lane but it is a 3 point offence, even worse during school holidays during "double demerit" time

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by punkin

queensland may not have a huge fine for not driving in the left hand lane but it is a 3 point offence, even worse during school holidays during "double demerit" time

OUCH!

Still, it could be a good deterrent... I dont think I know of anyone who has been pinged ANYTHING in SA for not keeping left.

[FLYXR6]

A few years ago a mate and myself used to drive from Sydney to Albury and back every weekend. We eventually got sick of having to overtake people on the inside on the hwy so we installed 4 x 150 watt spoties across the front of his Magna (yes i know you all laughing) and went to kmart and purchased a airhorn kit.

Suffice to say people travelling in the right lane would get a few flashes if they didn't move then a blast from the horn.... It was very effective as it stoppped us having to overtake on the inside (which is quite dangerous).

These spoties killed his alternator in six months (upgraded to a better bosch one). although they were very effective at night by:

1. Turning night to day.

2. Bring peoples attention to what was happening behind them (is if they don't care or don't they know any better?)

3. Frying a possum at 100 yards. :eclipsee_

I have spent the last 10 years driving all around Australia( personally and with the Army) and i would have to say that Victorians are the worst for sitting in the far right lane. Some days i can go nearly the whole length of the monash fwy overtaking cars but staying in the left hand lanes (not by choice either) Its funny how each state has there thing which everyone seems to do but you never notice till you drive interstate.

Sorry if this sound like a :

[thefargo]

Originally Posted by Bluefreak

These 2 items will get you a fine for road rage down here while pussnuts continues at 80 in the right hand lane... I was notified of this after flashing and beeping at(unbeknown to me) an unmarked police car doing 75, right hand lane in 110 zone...

A couple of years ago, here in sunny south oz, one of the police inspectors publicly said to flash the driver to remind them to move. I will have to do a search back through the local paper (Advertiser) to find it. I am not disagreeing with your post, but it's always interesting how the laws change, and sometimes we don't find out until it's too late...

[goldfire]

forgive my ignorance, but if you got flashed with other cars in the pic. you shouldn't have copped the fine?.

I know here in perth i got pinged once right next to another car and they couldn't touch me. and yes i was speeding however i had my reasons.

the letter they sent out said pretty much that they couldn't determine which of us triggered the camera therefore they couldn't fine either one of us.

Not sure what it's like over east but pretty nasty if they do do it.

Have a nice day.

[beaky41]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

I enforce the keep left rule.
<<<<<<<<<< It's called bright driving lights

which is also an offence even in daylight

[FLYXR6]

Actually you will be suprised to learn that the law states that when overtaking you can hit your highbeams before yes before you pull out. This means that high beaming the car in front is not illegal, it is the legal way to tell the car in front of your intention to pass.

I saw this happen about 2 months ago on the western ring road: Said Camry was travelling in right hand lane at identical speed to car next to it( about 85 - 90km/h)speed limit is 100km/h, I am travelling behind truck (semi) travelling behind said camry. The semi tailgates camry for ages as camry refuses to move over. Truck driver then proceedes out onto the middle strip of ring road the bitumen part and proceeds to overtake camry that refuses to move, also covering my car in stones and debrie. I pull into left lane and slow down to about 70 now. Spitting profanities at the semi : .Then the semi indicates and moves over on the camry : forcing the camry to hit the skids and veer into the left lane in turn the car next to camry heads for the emergency lane and i swerve into the right lane so i don't slam into said camry that is hard on the brakes and lane changing to avoid the semi moving over on top of him. Semi then procceds to accelrate away while the camry pulls into the left emergency lane and stops. I follow the semi till he pulls back in i overtake pull in front and give the driver the biggest up yours i have ever done. Wish i had taken the rego but i was still in shock from what happened and just wanted to get away.

Yeah lane hoggers are a pain in the *** but that was suicidal that truck could have wipped out 4 cars. I still don't believe it happened.

If the lane hoggers won't move just wait yeah its frustrating but its better than being injured or worse dead!!!!!

[beaky41]

yes I agree you can flash high beam but
the law also says this

219 Lights not to be used to dazzle other road users
A driver must not use, or allow to be used, any light fitted to or
in the driver’s vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to
dazzle, another road user.
Offence provision.
Note 1 Driver’s vehicle is defined in the dictionary, and road user is
defined in rule 14.
Note 2 Driver includes a person in control of a vehicle — see the definition

[FLYXR6]

Yeah that sound right. I had a mate (cop) explain it to me a while ago.

[NC 5ltr]

A hate of mine is when people who are driving on single lane roads hog the center line insted of staying as left as possible.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by FLYXR6

I saw this happen about 2 months ago on the western ring road: Said Camry was travelling in right hand lane at identical speed to car next to it( about 85 - 90km/h)speed limit is 100km/h, I am travelling behind truck (semi) travelling behind said camry. The semi tailgates camry for ages as camry refuses to move over. Truck driver then proceedes out onto the middle strip of ring road the bitumen part and proceeds to overtake camry that refuses to move, also covering my car in stones and debrie. I pull into left lane and slow down to about 70 now. Spitting profanities at the semi : .Then the semi indicates and moves over on the camry : forcing the camry to hit the skids and veer into the left lane in turn the car next to camry heads for the emergency lane and i swerve into the right lane so i don't slam into said camry that is hard on the brakes and lane changing to avoid the semi moving over on top of him. Semi then procceds to accelrate away while the camry pulls into the left emergency lane and stops.

There are quite a few cowboys I found on the ring road, even when I'm on the limit, plus correction factor, passing others. They still want to overtake, along with their trailers weaving from side to side. That is one of the reasons I now try and avoid it. Also one of the reasons I believe truckies should be regulated a lot better.

However there are truckies on that road that also drive immaculately. For example the C triple trucks from Ford. They stay on the left keeping a good speed and don't weave from lane to lane. These are the real professional drivers that other truckies should emulate.

[new2ford]

Truckies are one body of drivers I'm happy to share the road with. Sure there's the occasional act of idiocy but on the whole they know the rules, drive professionally and keep left unless overtaking. When I used to do the Hume to Melbourne I felt better and safer sharing it with the truckies at night than the married sheep (thanks Keepleft for that wonderful term!) and Sunday drivers during the day.

FLYXR6 I agree what that truck driver did was very dangerous, but if there was one thing out of it, perhaps the Camry driver will think in future about sitting in the right hand lane (though somehow I doubt it, otherwise they wouldn't own a Camry).

One thing that I find has some effect is, when all else fails, pass the driver on the left then pull back to the right in front of them (at a safe distance). I find a lot of them suddenly wake up and move left. In Germany drivers also signal with their fingers to move over after passing the slow car - that is they point their finger to their right (this would be to the left in Australia). Aussies would have to retrain their fingers from just pointing straight up of course!

But the only thing that's going to be really effective is police attention. The police should get away from booking people for things that aren't dangerous (like drifting down open roads slightly over the speed limit) and get themselves onto right-lane huggers and people who drive through school pedestrian crossings, etc. In other words focus on real road safety issues.

[HOON69]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Driving along a 4 lane arterial road the other day and came across 3 of those selfish pigs that insist on driving in the overtaking lane instead of keeping to the left as prescribed in the motor traffic act.

Seeing that they had no intention of moving, I accelerated and undertook them. Unfortunately, as I did so my view of the centre divide was obscured by them and a (life saving) camera in a landcruiser managed to take my photo between 2 of the pigs.

The end result is:
Me ... minus 3 points and $150 donation to state revenue
Them ... merrily on their way oblivious to the road rules.

Why isn't the keep left rule enforced???????

tuff luck aka hard done by,or a simple case of arrogance?

last time i looked
4lanes is 4 lanes could you not find a safer way to get past then to over take,and if you got caught speeding then even worst,they must of been at the speed limit,am i correct?

either way i always look at the 4 lane M1 like this
1st lane 80k's usually the lane small trucks old ladies etc use
2nd lane 100k's usually for those whom like to keep it 10k's under the limit
3rd lane 110k's and usually the lane most cruise in at 120kmh etc
4th lane the imbosciles whom think travelling at break neck speed is the safest option in traffic,usually driving this lane are your typical idiot drivers looking to make up 10minutes of their boring lives.

so which lane were you in?
btw keep left can be interpreted in many ways on a dual 4 way mwy and was it safe for them to move left at that particular time when you were trying the move etc?

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by new2ford

But the only thing that's going to be really effective is police attention. The police should get away from booking people for things that aren't dangerous (like drifting down open roads slightly over the speed limit) and get themselves onto right-lane huggers and people who drive through school pedestrian crossings, etc. In other words focus on real road safety issues.

But drifting can be dangerous ... if someone doesn't know how to do it properly.

But I think you were meaning to use it as a different term.

:evil3:

[HOON69]

ever been on the M1 the only time the police target ppl is
4th lane which usually holds the speedsters
and the 3rd lane

the speed vans do em all so your never gunna beat the police if your speeding
i drive the M1 daily 4 lanes 110kmh most the way why speed your still gunna get there(destination).(eventually)

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

But drifting can be dangerous ... if someone doesn't know how to do it properly.

But I think you were meaning to use it as a different term.

:evil3:

You are right Mechan1k. I didn't mean drifting as in out of gear but I meant the revenue raising camera mounted at the bottom of any long country hill in dry weather with about 1000km visibility all round and drivers coming down letting the car run over a bit rather than stabbing the brakes all the way down. Very productive road safety exercise that one.

PS I haven't been caught that way yet because I know that's where the cameras will be. But I know I can sit in the RH lane at 20kph for 100s of kilometres or mow down kiddies at a school crossing because I know the law will be nowhere near!

[Miss_XR6]

Originally Posted by XRchic

The thing that gets me is that all you hear is people rave on about road rage and tailgaters... especially tailgaters. But do any of these people consider for a second that someone is tailgating someone else (perhaps not rightly so) for a reason? Perhaps they are frustrated by someone in the right lane who wont move, and who is doing well under the speed limit?

Perhaps we need to look at the root of the problem with tailgaters... they do it for a reason most of the time. I know I tailgate, but only when Im extremely p****d off, if a driver is in the right lane, doing well under the speed limit and just will not move. Often its the only way to make them move.

im the same if im in the right lane and the person is doing at least 10km or more slower i will tailgate then until they move over

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by NEG

I just stay in the far left lane on the M1, it moves faster than the right lanes. :P Though the M1 isnt as bad as Victora, keep left there seems to be unheard of.

MUST get this TERMINOLOGY right - your reference to the 'far left lane' is in fact THE LEFT LANE.

What I teach here in NSW in our Road Users Handbook is that IF that lane is clear, then use it FIRST, REGARDLESS of your speed. Just like in Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, Belgium. (mirror reverse).

The l.a.w of keep left multi-lane applies only to the rightmost lane legally used by all traffic, this is fine.

It will take QLD another TWO years before they adopt the NSW motorway keep left handbook text. Things/behaviour will improve, slowly.

NA XR6 wrote: i hate lane hogs as much as anyone
It does not give everyone the excuse to tailgate and speed over the limit which is just as dangerous

THAT is NOT necessarily so, but can be, I particularly reference your 'going over the speed limit' portion of sentence, and of course when one is taillgating someone else whilst doing so.

The speed-limit always represents the maximum legal speed you may go, after which you stand a chance of coming under notice in some manner.

And yes, the faster you go - the greater the impact. That does not mean you will have an impact, particularly applicable to our intercity motorway network where we spend often over 18 million dollars per kilometre to build such, these are the safest roads government etc build.

I suggest you scan the road well ahead to pre-empt any trouble, approach bends and corners at a speed that'll enbable a safe, full-stop if so required. You see, 'speed' in Europe is used between lengths of vehicles, where one then lifts the foot off the accelerator to cruise on pass, here you might have flashed leading traffic on approach (to give effective alert) and then signalled your intention full-out>>>>>, pass>>>>, then back in<<<<< - all done smoothly - one then uses speed again between the lengths, something comfortable and reasonable.

When one passes middle lane hogs when using the clear left lane, here too, one reduced speed,- less one of the middle laners decides to move to the left lane.

Inattention is a major road crash issue. Much more to 'safe speed' than the defaults and numerals appearing on a speed-limit sign. Do your best to obey the law, but DO think for yourself. Don't drive 'at speed' in residential streets or industrial estates during work times in particular.

[ED Classic]

Originally Posted by XRchic

The thing that gets me is that all you hear is people rave on about road rage and tailgaters... especially tailgaters. But do any of these people consider for a second that someone is tailgating someone else (perhaps not rightly so) for a reason? Perhaps they are frustrated by someone in the right lane who wont move, and who is doing well under the speed limit?

Perhaps we need to look at the root of the problem with tailgaters... they do it for a reason most of the time. I know I tailgate, but only when Im extremely p****d off, if a driver is in the right lane, doing well under the speed limit and just will not move. Often its the only way to make them move.

Well Said!...I hate syncronised driving.

[deesun]

Of the last 6 times I have encountered drivers not moving over to the left 5 have been women, of these 1 driving with hubby and family I had to pass on left even after flashing lights and blasting horn, 1 ( in QLD) older woman ignorant of all around her Benz. I just moved and passed on left (freeway). 1 Mid twenties in front of another woman, possibly traveling together, stayed right in overtaking lane till I knew it was getting close to end I moved left passed car in front of me and as I did so front car moved over on me without looking. I had to brake and luckily car beside slowed to let me into right lane again so I could pass. Front offender flapping gums again oblivious to surrounds. 1 green P plater again female stayed right after passing slower car, me third in line behind second green P plater ( traveling together) eventually after flashing with no effect I moved left moved up to front car horn blasting and when back in front of front car aggresivley pointed to the left lane. I got a bit of a gap on this car as we were going uphill but soon I could see her doing around 130 catching up to me on downhill run. I was expecting her to tailgate or some agro but it never happened thankfully.

[gozza]

If im in the right lane on the M1 i won't do any less than 110...if someones comming up behind i'll move...if noone is behind me then i'll stay untill i have a reason to move...i know that techinically speaking the righ tlane is for overtaking...but if noones using the lane or im not holding people up(i am very concious of cars wanting me to move) i don't see a problem