War on middle lane hogs

Signs promoting correct lane discipline will be trialled for a week by the Highways Agency in an attempt to clear congestion on motorways.

Messages such as “Keep left unless overtaking”, and “Don’t hog the middle lane” will be shown on parts of the M1, M6, M18 and M62, and the results of the trail will be studied by the Highways Agency before deciding whether they should become permanent.

Earlier this year the RAC Foundation revealed drivers hogging the middle and outside lanes of motorways were effectively removing up to 700 miles of motorway from use, wasting one-third of the traffic capacity.

The police currently have the powers to pull drivers for poor lane discipline, but the RAC point to an 11 per cent reduction in traffic cops since 1997. Luckily, motorcyclists are among the most likely road users to pull over once they’ve made an overtake.

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