So having driven pretty much the entire length of the UK twice last week I spent rather a large amount of time on motorways. I was just interested to hear peoples opinions and attitudes to motorway driving as I saw a number of different ways people seem to drive and how I myself drove...

So in a fast flowing, but still crowded motorway (M6/M1 on weekday etc) what do you do?

Crawl along at 55-60 in the left lane and let all the world go by you - prob driving either a classic, a banger or a MPG hunter

Nice steady pace of 65-70 in the middle lane (returning to left when clear) but being far more interrupted by lorries moving into lane 2 to overtake, just drop back and let them manouvre and then speed back up.

Nice steady pace as above but accelerate up to 75-80 to go round any overtaking traffic in lane 2 then straight back in decelerating back to cruise.

Fast pace in lane 3, 75 or more and dropping back to lanes 1 and 2 when road is totally clear for a good stretch.

To be honest I tended to vary a combination of all of them, depending on my mood. I drive a slow old Transit from time to time and journeys are so stress-free in the crawler lane with even the artics going past! The middle two are actually the most stressful I think as you are constantly adjusting speed, distances etc to either drop back from an overtaking vehicle or match speed to pull out into lane 3 (far easier in the VRS than in any of my previous cars I must add). Lane 3 is actually perhaps the easiest on a long drive but with the added stress of faster awareness and potential hazard planning.

Thoughts? Especially interested to hear any "advanced" drivers input.

I stick it on cruise control at my desired speed and let everyone else do as they please.

I stick it on cruise control at my desired speed and let everyone else do as they please.

Fair nuff on a clearer road, but my point is more that that really isn't possible on congested roads, so what driving style is the best alternative. And by congested I don't necessarily mean slow moving...

I find it is possible to do on all motorways providing the traffic is not very heavy (as in constantly slowing down) the trick is to read the road all around you further than 'normal' you then very rarely need to cancel the cruise control.

I have regularly gone from SE Kent to north of Birmingham with hardly needing to cancel the cruise.

I think I'd probably agree that using lane 3 and adjusting speed is the easiest as you only have to worry about danger from one lane (with an escape in the dead ground near the central reservation) and you can make a fair amount of progress as slower traffic in lane 3 will return to lane 2.

Whether that is an "advanced driver's" stance is up for debate

Chris

I'll normally cruise at 70 mph, but will use as many lanes as slower traffic lets me. Sitting in the middle or outside lane (3lane) when the middle or inside are clear is too MLOC for me.

I hate trucks, so I'll stay in lane 3 all the time and go as fast as the car in front.

If it's a short motorway stretch I use lane 3 more and overtake anything slow until my exit. If a long protracted motorway drive then I try to use cruise control where possible and keep the mpg high by looking ahead and being in the correct lane to avoid having to accelerate too much to overtake lorries.

I tend to do a steady 80-85mph, but move to left when clear.

I'm with Gizmo. If you read the road and other motoroists well in advance you should be able to keep the cruise control on.

I don't have cruise. So I get to rock back and forth on the throttle as much as I like!

I commute on busy but quick mobing motorways every single day, with a couple of 150-plus mile journeys per month.

I don't believe that going quick on the motorway and lane discipline are mutually exclusive (take note BMW/Merc drivers!) and think that so long as you keep your eyes ahead and anticipate what others are going to do then you can pick a smooth and unobtrusive course around most obstacles, moving or not.

For the record, I'm not averse to a bit of undertaking either. If you drive a lot at night (I do) then I think it's less dangerous to stay left and sweep swiftly and smoothly under a 65mph middle-lane hogger at 85 than it is to pull out over 3 lanes, pass on the right and then come all the way back to the left. It gives them far too much chance to be startled by you or pull into your path when you're pulling out/back.

With swift motorway driving forward planning and self-preservation are key. 10 years experience of fizzing up and down the country on motobikes certainly helps get you in the right frame of mind...

I think we probably all use all 3 techniques from time to time. While using all lanes probably gives the most progressive drive, it also demands the most concentration and there's no doubt you can have a more stress-free existence by sticking to lanes 1 and 2, with some sensible observation and planning.

For the record, I'm not averse to a bit of undertaking either. If you drive a lot at night (I do) then I think it's less dangerous to stay left and sweep swiftly and smoothly under a 65mph middle-lane hogger at 85 than it is to pull out over 3 lanes, pass on the right and then come all the way back to the left. It gives them far too much chance to be startled by you or pull into your path when you're pulling out/back.

At night, I'd wonder if the chances of a middle-lane hogger detecting a pair of headlights approaching and moving into lane 1 as a result was greater than during the day when there would be fewer signs of your presence? It's always harder at night to tell which lane approaching vehicles are in so I'd always favour being as predictable as possible and overtaking them on the right - if you move out early you're unlikely to be in their field of view or startle them into a conflicting path

Chris

At night, I'd wonder if the chances of a middle-lane hogger detecting a pair of headlights approaching and moving into lane 1 as a result was greater than during the day when there would be fewer signs of your presence? It's always harder at night to tell which lane approaching vehicles are in so I'd always favour being as predictable as possible and overtaking them on the right - if you move out early you're unlikely to be in their field of view or startle them into a conflicting path

Chris

I've seen these late night middle lane hoggers and they bug me...! What bugs me even more is that when I've gone all the way over to lane 3 from lane 1, and then all the way back to lane 1, they see the error of their ways and pull in behind me! I find this highly frustrating!! I'd never chance undertaking a middle lane hogger to be honest, if you get caught out then you're almost at fault for undertaking, which is unfair!

As for which driving style I prefere it depends on the time of day etc. I tend to use whichever lane is flowing most freely at a decent speed, unless I'm in a rush!

While using all lanes probably gives the most progressive drive, it also demands the most concentration and there's no doubt you can have a more stress-free existence by sticking to lanes 1 and 2, with some sensible observation and planning.

Which is a good reason for doing it right in itself. Keeping your concentration up means you're less likely to drop off.

Day or night, if I'm overtaking an MLOCer and have space to do so, I give an exaggerated RH signal going out, and LH signal all the way back in.

Nice steady pace as above but accelerate up to 75-80 to go round any overtaking traffic in lane 2 then straight back in decelerating back to cruise.

Fast pace in lane 3, 75 or more and dropping back to lanes 1 and 2 when road is totally clear for a good stretch.

I tend to do a steady 80-85mph, but move to left when clear.

Well on the anal side... shouldn't really be doing over 70 should you...?

However I am a MPG junkie on the m-way. Usually sit at 65mph on cruise, and as others have said, read other motorists and you should never have to break, accelerate or interrupt any other reasonable road users (with exception of the 90mph road reps...). Plus not changing speeds greatly increases your MPG

here are a couple of questions for you all, when do you return to lane one? yes i know, i was taught to move back to lane one when possible and if i was going to stay there for more than 10 seconds before a manoeuvre to lane 2 was needed. Second question how many of you sit in lane 2 at 50mph p---ing off lorry drivers who cant use lane 3 and are forced either to stay behind you or undertake in lane one..

Plus not changing speeds greatly increases your MPG

Is this strictly true? Imho, maintaining a constant speed is not ideal for economy especially where the road is not 100% level. It's more economical to take advantage of downhill gradients and allow the speed to build and carry momentum when it goes uphill, allowing the speed to fall gradually. As a result, it's fairly easy to "beat" cruise control mpg's by planning and being flexible.

Not that I'd recommend anyone doing that as driving for economy is pretty dull

Chris

The more driving i do on the motorway-every day at the moment, the more it seems its in reverse, ie the 3rd lane is the one everyone returns to and the left lane is the one that is used least. The middle lane just gets used by k*n*o*b*h*e*a*d*s to sit and overtake/undertake. the amount of people i see totaly oblivious to whats coming up behind but refusing to move to lane 1. I do what has already been suggested (if its safe) and do the exagerated indicate move to right lane then move back over. Does anyone take any notice.....do they fffffff fluff.Mostlt too busy on the phone or doing hair/make up:mad:

here are a couple of questions for you all, when do you return to lane one? yes i know, i was taught to move back to lane one when possible and if i was going to stay there for more than 10 seconds before a manoeuvre to lane 2 was needed.

I'm not sure there's a black and white answer to that but I'll try I'll look to return after an overtake a) if lane 1 is clear and I won't need to get back out to lane 2 again soon, if there are cars behind wanting to travel faster who I will inconvenience by not moving across and who will be clear by the time I want to return to lane 2, and/or c) if the car I'm following in lane 2 is travelling faster than I want to...

Second question how many of you sit in lane 2 at 50mph p---ing off lorry drivers who cant use lane 3 and are forced either to stay behind you or undertake in lane one..

Only time I've found myself doing this is in 50mph roadworks where lane 1 is chugging along at 40ish. Saying that, I've yet to see an HGV driver who has slowed down to 50mph through roadworks so maybe they should be allowed to use lane 3 in this instance

Chris

Is this strictly true? Imho, maintaining a constant speed is not ideal for economy especially where the road is not 100% level. It's more economical to take advantage of downhill gradients and allow the speed to build and carry momentum when it goes uphill, allowing the speed to fall gradually. As a result, it's fairly easy to "beat" cruise control mpg's by planning and being flexible.

Not that I'd recommend anyone doing that as driving for economy is pretty dull

Chris

I accept where you are coming from going up hill as i was taught not to change throttle position but, using cruise going down hill uses next to no fuel where coasting wastes energy. Yes by not using cruise it is possible to achieve even higher figures I used to get 50mpg out my old megane - 10 more then most on the OC. On my daily 100 mile round trip on a m-way which contains few changes in gradient. I think the main reason I see a high MPG on cruise is the temptation to floor it is reduced.

I would have a constant 60+ MPG is there were no B-roads :P

I'm not sure there's a black and white answer to that but I'll try I'll look to return after an overtake a) if lane 1 is clear and I won't need to get back out to lane 2 again soon, if there are cars behind wanting to travel faster who I will inconvenience by not moving across and who will be clear by the time I want to return to lane 2, and/or c) if the car I'm following in lane 2 is travelling faster than I want to...

Only time I've found myself doing this is in 50mph roadworks where lane 1 is chugging along at 40ish. Saying that, I've yet to see an HGV driver who has slowed down to 50mph through roadworks so maybe they should be allowed to use lane 3 in this instance

Chris

:iagree: with the note that these are generalisations, and rules were made for the guidance of wise men (and yes I think Chris and I just about qualify in this case).

here are a couple of questions for you all, when do you return to lane one? yes i know, i was taught to move back to lane one when possible and if i was going to stay there for more than 10 seconds before a manoeuvre to lane 2 was needed. Second question how many of you sit in lane 2 at 50mph p---ing off lorry drivers who cant use lane 3 and are forced either to stay behind you or undertake in lane one..

2) If I'm sitting in L2 at 50 it's because L1 is full of wagons doing speeds in the 40s and I can't use L3 to go faster.

I generally stick to lane 3 going as fast as the car infront, and faster when they get the hell out of the way! Normally cruising at 90-100 when safe.

As most people have said, it's all about reading the road and predicting situations.

I'm a stickler for moving to the left as soon as you overtake, so tend to abuse people that sit in lane 3 doing 70mph not overtaking anything on an empty motorway. People that have no awareness on the motorway shouldn't be driving. You need to be constantly focused and have a mental map of where all the cars are around you.

Driving shouldn't be relaxing! It should be intense to keep you awake for the next 250miles!

I also undertake the whole time. Taken from the highway code:

"268

Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake."