Are CLARA's days numbered?

[Michael Browne]

Members of CLARA (Central Lane Residents Association) who insist on their god-given right to hog the middle lane on motorways for their entire journey regardless of traffic conditions are to be targeted by police... and about time too.

 

Motorway middle-lane hoggers to face on-the-spot fines

 

Motorway tailgaters and middle-lane hoggers are to face quick justice with on-the-spot penalties under new measures announced by the government.

 

From July, police will be able to issue £100 fines and three points for careless driving offences that would currently have to go to court.

 

The idea is to target offenders without the need for lengthy court procedures.

 

Current fixed penalties for using a phone while driving or not wearing a seatbelt will also rise by £40 to £100.

 

The move brings careless driving offences into line with the penalties for similar non-motoring fixed penalties. Drivers will still be able to appeal against any decision through the courts.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22770064

[citizenB]

About time too.

 

although I think those people who do get hovered up into this should be given the opportunity of points on their licence or say a short course of lessons on how to drive on the motorways !!

 

The drivers I really, really hate are those who are steaming down the outside lane, only to realise they want the next junction and cut across 2 or 3 lanes.. regardless of others.

[afcwben]

to me one of the most dangerous set of drivers are the one who filter on to motorways at 40mph and it is very problematic if you are behind them

[moggy1968]

agree with both the sentiments above.

 

Even seen people come down the slip road at 50mph to join a 4 lane motorway with light traffic and sail straight out to lane 3!

driving safely and driving slowly are not the same thing!!

[Anubis1275]

Hi all,

 

I was on the M25 the other day and thinking about the new legislation and that some parts of the motorway have four lanes. Is there any guidance on what then will be classed as the central lane?

[renegadeimp]

M56 and M63 are the worst. The slip roads are there for you to match the speed of the traffic already on the motorway. Does this stop people joining at 40 mph? Pfft does it hell.

 

lets also not mention the idiotic truck drivers who, knowing their vehicles are capped to 50 ish MPH, still try and overtake each other. On my way to widnes yesterday, the first 2 lanes were taken up by 4 truck drivers trying to overtake each other. They were barely moving past each other and forced a considerable number of other drivers to stay behind them for at least 5-7 miles.

[Aretnap]

I was on the M25 the other day and thinking about the new legislation and that some parts of the motorway have four lanes. Is there any guidance on what then will be classed as the central lane?

You drive in the left hand lane when the road ahead is clear, and move back into it when you've finished overtaking. Two lanes, three lanes, four lanes, it makes no difference.

 

There isn't really any new legislation BTW. They're just introducing a fixed penalty for careless or inconsiderate driving - nothing which is currently legal is becoming illegal. Bad lane discipline might amount to careless or inconsiderate driving in some circumstances. In other circumstances it might not (for a start, to prove inconsiderate driving you have to prove that someone was actually inconvenienced as a result).

[renegadeimp]

The main problem is people have never been taught how to drive on a motorway. It isnt even a mandatory part of a driving lesson or exam. It is an optional extra, taken after you pass the exam.

 

Aretnap is right by the way. If the road ahead is clear, then you should move across to the left lane when it is safe to do so, providing the traffic in the next left lane is not impeding the flow. So if you are going 70 and are passing the 'crawlers' in the left lane, then even if the road ahead is clear, you may continue to make progress until such a time it is safe to pull back to the left.

[geoff4711]

The main problem is people have never been taught how to drive on a motorway. It isnt even a mandatory part of a driving lesson or exam. It is an optional extra, taken after you pass the exam.

 

Aretnap is right by the way. If the road ahead is clear, then you should move across to the left lane when it is safe to do so, providing the traffic in the next left lane is not impeding the flow. So if you are going 70 and are passing the 'crawlers' in the left lane, then even if the road ahead is clear, you may continue to make progress until such a time it is safe to pull back to the left.

 

Surely It is long past time for HMG to run an advertising campaign to show drivers that they should always be in the leftmost lane that traffic allows. How often do you see the left lane virtually empty? Educate drivers! Its cheaper than building bigger roads. BTW is there a fast lane residents assosciation?

If not why not?

[johnjordan]

There's one big problem here.......one very rarely sees a police car on the motorway these days so nothing will really change.

[crem]

The main problem is people have never been taught how to drive on a motorway. It isnt even a mandatory part of a driving lesson or exam. It is an optional extra, taken after you pass the exam.

 

Aretnap is right by the way. If the road ahead is clear, then you should move across to the left lane when it is safe to do so, providing the traffic in the next left lane is not impeding the flow. So if you are going 70 and are passing the 'crawlers' in the left lane, then even if the road ahead is clear, you may continue to make progress until such a time it is safe to pull back to the left.

 

Whilst it's true that we are not allowed to take learners on motorways as yet, (they were consulting on it last year but it seems to have gone by the wayside), the rules of the road don't suddenly change when driving on a motorway as opposed to a dual carrigeway.

 

As Aretnap states, you should always return to the leftmost lane after completely an overtake, and this is how pupils are taught when travelling on a dual carigeway. The same rule applies to motorways be they 2, 3 or 4 lanes wide. Just because they have not been taken on a motorway whilst learning is no excuse for not understanding that basic rule.

[Jobsworth]

Before we start brow beating those drivers who join at 40 MPH take a look at some of the slip roads.

A notorious one is the northbound J15 on the M6 after a very tight 20 MPH bend the remainder of the slip is barely sufficient for a car to get up to 70 MPH and merge with traffic before it runs out.

Imagine the problems of a HGV with as much acceleration as a brick tied to a lampost.

I think something should be done about the CLARA and FLARA but shouldn't the roads be sorted out first?

The advanced driving test states that the best part of the road should be driven on and with the condition of some nearside lanes it could be fairly argued the centre lane is best for a car.

Don't think I am hunting for excuses as I too have been the victim of a CLARA but with ruts and in some cases potholes certain roads are 'no go'.

[Tony P]

Although for some years I habitually return to the nearside lane as soon as practical, following the last overtake and possibly anticipating the next, I used to drive according to another consideration.

 

As traffic allowed, for potential safety reasons I preferred to drive in the centre of the "available space bubble" so as to have maximum and equal room all round me to react or respond to the unexpected (extreme examples, a blow out or windscreen shatter). I was always further away from other potential sources of danger. It still required almost as many lane changes as returning to the nearside whenever possible/practical.

 

As I said, my habit changed - but I do wonder which is potentially safer?

 

It all comes down to awareness and responding.

[crem]

As traffic allowed, for potential safety reasons I preferred to drive in the centre of the "available space bubble" so as to have maximum and equal room all round me to react or respond to the unexpected (extreme examples, a blow out or windscreen shatter). I was always further away from other potential sources of danger. It still required almost as many lane changes as returning to the nearside whenever possible/practical.

 

It may feel "safer" for you, but it is not safer for other road users to force them to use the 3rd lane of a motorway un-necessarily and create the situation that 2 other vehicles travelling at different speeds are now shoehorned into the same overtaking space because you choose to waste the very expensive available space on the nearside.

[moggy1968]

Although for some years I habitually return to the nearside lane as soon as practical, following the last overtake and possibly anticipating the next, I used to drive according to another consideration.

 

As traffic allowed, for potential safety reasons I preferred to drive in the centre of the "available space bubble" so as to have maximum and equal room all round me to react or respond to the unexpected (extreme examples, a blow out or windscreen shatter). I was always further away from other potential sources of danger. It still required almost as many lane changes as returning to the nearside whenever possible/practical.

 

As I said, my habit changed - but I do wonder which is potentially safer?

 

It all comes down to awareness and responding.

 

 

that argument is utter rubbish. In the middle lane you have, on a three lane road, just one lane spare before you hit the central reservation and 2 before you go up the left hand verge (namely, the hard shoulder, which rarely has a barrier) IN the inside lane, you have 2 lanes before hit the central reservation, and still one (the hard shoulder) before you go up the verge, which also often has a decent run off area and no barrier, and vehicles travelling at speed on the other side of it!

 

You could, of course try maintaining your vehicle properly and don't bang the cerbs, then you reduce your risk of a blow out!

 

The principal cause of accidents on motorways is congestion, and behind every overtaking lane hogging nerk bimbling along is a pile of congestion. Over 70mph my vehicle develops something of a drink problem so I only drive at 65-70mph and I am constantly faced with having to cross 2-3 lanes of motorway to move into the outside line to overtake lane blocking idiots, which then causes congestion behind of faster moving vehicles.

Edited June 28, 2013 by moggy1968
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