M-way hogs accused

If lazy middle-lane motorway hogs had a bit of lane-discipline it would do as much for congestion as adding 700 miles of motorway.

That’s what the RAC is revealing today (Sunday, Aug 22) as the result of nationwide research into the activities of 15,000 tailgating and lane-hogging vehicles throughout July.

It found that up to a third of motorway capacity is going to waste because Maurice Metro driver and his Mondeo Man pals can’t be bothered to pull in once they’ve finished an overtake.

In contrast, motorcyclists are among the most likely to pull over once they’ve made an overtake.

An RAC spokesman said: “Motorcyclists are gererally very good at lane discipline. It would be very rare that you found a motorcyclist acting as a middle lane hog.”

Have Your Say

The RAC says police have powers to pull drivers for poor lane discipline – but points out that there has been an 11 per cent reduction in traffic cops since 1997. Speed cameras can’t catch lane hoggers.

Now the RAC Foundation is calling for drivers not to hog the middle and
outside lanes, and to pull over to the left-hand lane when not over-taking.

Spokesman Edmund King said: “Poor lane discipline wastes the scarce resource of road capacity – and encourages road rage.”

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