Motorway Driving.

Motorway Lane Hogging UK style.

Just what constitutes lane hogging on a 70mph limit 3 lane motorway?

I'm in my car on the motorway, travelling along in the centre lane at the regulation 70-75 mph and keeping the regulation two seconds gap behind the vehicle in front who is also keeping to the speed limit and at a safe distance behind the car in front of him and so on down the line.

The slow inside lane - made up mostly of heavy goods vehicles - is progressing at the regulation 60-65 mph and all is well with the world.

In the third lane, the outside fast lane, traffic is going at a slightly illegal rate of 75+mph but by and large nobody is bothered much.

We are all quite happy with our lot, making speedy, safe progress.

We are all happy souls making our separate ways, going about our separate lives blissfully. And then, in my rearview mirror I spot the fly in the ointment.

He (it's usually a he) is within a yard of my bumper, tailgating at 73mph.

Now if he was so minded he could pull over into the third lane, the fast lane and speed past but no, he insists on riding my rear bumper.

Am I a lane hogger? Is the car in front of me lane hogging?

He then flashes his lights. Do I ignore him and risk compounding the issue?

No. I notice that on my left in the slow inside lane there is a wider gap than the regulation two seconds between the heavy vehicles so I signal and without slowing I pull into the gap.

The guy that was behind me in the centre lane accelerates past and up to the next vehicle, presumably to repeat the process.

I, meanwhile, becos I'm doing the regulation 70mph, am rapidly approaching a lorry in the slow lane which is keeping to its regulation speed of 60mph. I check my mirrors, signal and pull back into the centre lane causing the centre lane to adjust speed slightly to accomodate me.

This slight slowing down effect - transmitted down the line of traffic for some considerable distance - is magnified and in some cases causes traffic "concertinaring" and even the odd braking manouvre.

This is what causes the "yo-yo effect" of traffic often mysteriously encounted on motorways. Our "road hog" is still tailgating the other car down the line.

I have been driving for something like fifty years so I must have learnt a wrinkle or two regarding motorway etiquette.

The first rule is; don't race, keep a steady and reasonable pace and a respectful gap.

The second rule is; don't hog the overtaking (outside lane) and keep a safe distance from the car ahead.

And the third rule is; abide by the two second rule (double it in dicey conditions) and thus keep a safer distance from the vehicle in front.

Mind how you go.