[Omah]

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

Motorists across Britain who put others at risk through careless driving face on-the-spot fixed penalties under new measures announced by the government.

From July police will be able to issue £100 fines and three points for offences such as tailgating or middle-lane hogging that used to go to court.

The idea is to free up the police from spending time on court cases.

Fixed penalties for using a mobile 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.

I hate gaters'n'hoggers, so this is good news .....

[Nedusa]

To show that you were hogging the middle lane the police would need to follow you for about half a mile, you might spot them and move over to inside lane. Sounds pretty difficult to enforce open to interpretation .

I do not think this has been thought through other than the thought that more money could be stolen from the motorist...!!!

[Cherie]

What is hogging the middle lane, can't the car behind overtake?? Tailgating is annoying though.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

To show that you were hogging the middle lane the police would need to follow you for about half a mile, you might spot them and move over to inside lane.

Unmarked police car .....

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Cherie

What is hogging the middle lane, can't the car behind overtake?? Tailgating is annoying though.

http://www.axainsurance.com/car/advi...ipline-matter/

Lane hogging

A major source of frustration to drivers using the motorway is when people decide to hog the middle lane. As indicated, it should only be used for overtaking, not for travelling at a constant speed.

There are several reasons why people may choose to stay in the middle lane, even if they know they shouldn't. For example, the road ahead might be clear, making it all the more tempting to stay in a straight line rather than trying to move back into the left-hand lane.

Furthermore, those hogging the middle lane and travelling at 70mph may feel they are doing other motorists a favour by ensuring they, too, are sticking to the required speed limit. Other drivers are not likely to see it in this way, so it is best to let them pass.

[Vanessa]

I'm glad, because some people drive too fast.

[Nedusa]

Hogging the middle lane is very subjective and open to interpretation, eg if I were travelling on a Motorway that was moderately busy but had clusters of slower moving lorries on the inside lane, would I drive on the inside lane and constantly overtake pulling out and then moving back in or should I drive in the middle lane constantly overtaking these clusters of slower moving lorries ??

I personally would continue to drive at 70mph in the middle lane overtaking all the slower moving lorries. Am I hogging the middle lane ??

Any traffic wanting to go faster than me >70mph could overtake me on the outside lane, so where's the problem. The only issue here is motorists who deliberately stay in the middle lane when the inside lane is completely clear.

With so few policecars (marked or unmarked) on our motorways this would cost more to enforce than it would raise in fines. So no it will never work...another loony idea from an equally loony Government...!!!

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Hogging the middle lane is very subjective and open to interpretation, eg if I were travelling on a Motorway that was moderately busy but had clusters of slower moving lorries on the inside lane, would I drive on the inside lane and constantly overtake pulling out and then moving back in or should I drive in the middle lane constantly overtaking these clusters of slower moving lorries ??

I personally would continue to drive at 70mph in the middle lane overtaking all the slower moving lorries. Am I hogging the middle lane ??

Any traffic wanting to go faster than me >70mph could overtake me on the outside lane, so where's the problem. The only issue here is motorists who deliberately stay in the middle lane when the inside lane is completely clear.

With so few policecars (marked or unmarked) on our motorways this would cost more to enforce than it would raise in fines. So no it will never work...another loony idea from an equally loony Government...!!!

Exactly

[Livia]

There are cameras along the length of our motorways. Police cars, marked or unmarked, will not need to follow cars.

You should only be in the middle lane if you are overtaking cars in the inside lane. If the inside lane is clear, that's where you should be. I'm amazed that people are struggling with this and can only assume those who don't understand it aren't drivers. It's perfectly simple... and it's about time the Middle Lane Owners Club were brought to book. They are frankly a dangerous pain in the arse.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Hogging the middle lane is very subjective and open to interpretation, eg if I were travelling on a Motorway that was moderately busy but had clusters of slower moving lorries on the inside lane, would I drive on the inside lane and constantly overtake pulling out and then moving back in or should I drive in the middle lane constantly overtaking these clusters of slower moving lorries ??

I personally would continue to drive at 70mph in the middle lane overtaking all the slower moving lorries. Am I hogging the middle lane ??

Any traffic wanting to go faster than me >70mph could overtake me on the outside lane, so where's the problem. The only issue here is motorists who deliberately stay in the middle lane when the inside lane is completely clear.

BiB - Exactly

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

There are cameras along the length of our motorways. Police cars, marked or unmarked, will not need to follow cars.

They will if they want to issue on-the-spot fixed penalties.

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

[Suze]

Athough I agree with some of it, I reckon the idea is more money grabbing from the government. Maybe there should be on the spot fines for some who use up disabled spots (remembers politician or two doing this).

[Marc]

Some people are awful on the roads. They should just have to hand their licence over right there and then and never drive again. Bye

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by Livia

There are cameras along the length of our motorways. Police cars, marked or unmarked, will not need to follow cars.

You should only be in the middle lane if you are overtaking cars in the inside lane. If the inside lane is clear, that's where you should be. I'm amazed that people are struggling with this and can only assume those who don't understand it aren't drivers. It's perfectly simple... and it's about time the Middle Lane Owners Club were brought to book. They are frankly a dangerous pain in the arse.

You try driving on a Motorway and stick to the inside lane when there is a fairly constant cluster of slowing moving lorries,Cars+Caravans, you would be constantly weaving from that lane back to the middle lane and back again. Constantly indicating left then right, left then right. This is NOT good driving on a Motorway at motorway speeds.

This is where the Judgement call comes in.... at what point do you deem the inside lane clear enough to pull back into it ???

thats where the problem in all of this lies, it is subjective and can vary depending on the level of traffic, Motorway and weather conditions, time of day etc....

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Marc

Some people are awful on the roads. They should just have to hand their licence over right there and then and never drive again. Bye

Not quite there yet, but :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-21293328

Driving licences will be removed within hours from those posing a threat to other road users under new rules.

Changes at the DVLA follow a campaign by Jackie McCord, whose daughter was killed in 2011 by an elderly motorist who police had told not to drive.

Police previously had to write or fax a request for licence removal. They can now telephone or email.

Using the new email system, removing a licence could now take minutes.

[Kizzy]

''Police previously had to write or fax a request for licence removal. They can now telephone or email''

So basically nothing has changed?..... whether you write fax or email the concept is the same?

What a waste of police time and resources watching for lane hoggers.....

[Cherie]

if they start to rigorously enforce the middle lane hogging thing, then the inside lane will be just a slow moving line of traffic.. I can understand enforcing this on a dual carriage way where you get stuck behind someone and you can't over take, but on a three lane carriageway I really don't see the problem.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

You try driving on a Motorway and stick to the inside lane when there is a fairly constant cluster of slowing moving lorries,Cars+Caravans, you would be constantly weaving from that lane back to the middle lane and back again. Constantly indicating left then right, left then right. This is NOT good driving on a Motorway at motorway speeds.

This is where the Judgement call comes in.... at what point do you deem the inside lane clear enough to pull back into it ???

thats where the problem in all of this lies, it is subjective and can vary depending on the level of traffic, Motorway and weather conditions, time of day etc....

Erm... I do drive on motorways. Frequently. And if the inside lane is empty, that is where I will be. If it is not, I will be using the middle or outside lane for their purpose: overtaking.

As to the point where you should pull back in. There should be roughtly a two second gap between you and the car in front and the car behind. At least, that's what I was taught when I learned to drive.

Obviously you can't drive dangerously by weaving in and out, no one's asking you to do that. But if someone's sitting in the middle lane doing 60 - and if you drive frequently on motorways you will know this often happens - then they should be prosecuted. And happily, in future, they will be.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

''Police previously had to write or fax a request for licence removal. They can now telephone or email''

So basically nothing has changed?..... whether you write fax or email the concept is the same?:

The time taken is now minutes/hours rather than days weeks - effectively it's instant.

What a waste of police time and resources watching for lane hoggers.....

Not just lane-hoggers .....

Richard Westcott

BBC transport correspondent

The Department of Transport has not yet released official guidance on which types of driving will attract fines.

But police are expected to focus on situations involving slightly aggressive and inconsiderate driving, such as:

• Driving too close to the vehicle in front
• Failing to give way at a junction (not requiring evasive action by another driver)
• Overtaking and pushing into a queue of traffic
• Being in the wrong lane and pushing into a queue on a roundabout
• Lane discipline, eg needlessly hogging the middle or outside lanes
• Inappropriate speed
• Wheel-spins, handbrake turns and other careless manoeuvres

[Cherie]

Can anyone tell me if someone is pulled over and they are over the limit or on drugs are they instantly fined?

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Can anyone tell me if someone is pulled over and they are over the limit or on drugs are they instantly fined?

No. They will be arrested and taken to a police station.

There is a strict procedure which has to be followed to ensure conviction.

[MTVN]

Just a bit of common sense should be enough really, I might stay in the middle lane if I see a slow car or big vehicle in the left lane that I know I'll be overtaking in a few seconds, but if it's obviously clear for a reasonable distance that I won't have to be overtaking anyone for a couple of minutes then I will switch back. I have seen it quite often when people stay in the middle when the left lane is completely clear, when that happens I normally overtake them on the right then go straight back across to the left to try and give a bit of a hint that they should move

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Just a bit of common sense should be enough really, I might stay in the middle lane if I see a slow car or big vehicle in the left lane that I know I'll be overtaking in a few seconds, but if it's obviously clear for a reasonable distance that I won't have to be overtaking anyone for a couple of minutes then I will switch back. I have seen it quite often when people stay in the middle when the left lane is completely clear, when that happens I normally overtake them on the right then go straight back across to the left to try and give a bit of a hint that they should move

Super rolemodelling.

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Suze

Athough I agree with some of it, I reckon the idea is more money grabbing from the government. Maybe there should be on the spot fines for some who use up disabled spots (remembers politician or two doing this).

This.

Now that there is officially no money anywhere its interesting that the government are getting so much tougher with this kind of thing. Ten years ago you could go months, some times years, before paying a speeding fine. Now that we're all skint they have task forces appointed to clamp down on motoring offences. A friend of mine was recently given a 600 pound fine for going 37 mph in a 30 zone. He had to go to court to get it reduced. I wonder how much it cost the state to go to court and get it overturned? I wouldn't be surprised if it was more than 600 pounds.

These offences are minor in the grand scheme of things. I would argue police time would be better spent elsewhere.

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Just a bit of common sense should be enough really, I might stay in the middle lane if I see a slow car or big vehicle in the left lane that I know I'll be overtaking in a few seconds, but if it's obviously clear for a reasonable distance that I won't have to be overtaking anyone for a couple of minutes then I will switch back. I have seen it quite often when people stay in the middle when the left lane is completely clear, when that happens I normally overtake them on the right then go straight back across to the left to try and give a bit of a hint that they should move

Exactly..........said it better than I ever could....!!!!!