[bazzachazza]

Originally Posted by LeftBase

I think you are missing the point here.

Quoting my entire post doesn't really narrow it down to the point where you "think" I've missed the point.

Is your point not what you originally started this topic on ? You getting pulled over and lectured for sitting in the middle lane.

I don't think it's stated anywhere that EVERYONE must drive in the left lane in heavy traffic. I think its a fantastical of you to take it to that extreme to validate your point in your mind, not every car is driving at the same speed (hence the laws being written the way they are to facilitate overtaking)if car B approaches car A in lane 1 and overtakes in lane 2 car C in lane 1 may be driving faster than car's A and B and needs to use lane 3 to overtake both ,if there is no room in lane 1 for car B and C to safely return to lane 1 then using lane 2 to drive in is legal BUT when there is enough room for cars B and C to return to lane 1 they should do so.

Unfortunetly that's never going to happen in this country as the sheer number of middle laners will clog up the three lane roads to the end of time.

[Tea drinker]

Originally Posted by LeftBase

I was doing 65-70 in lane 1 when stuck behind the slower cars(there were maybe 8 or them)...I overtook and sped up to 100 in lane 2 and was cruising past the main pack in lane 1...I looked up lane 1 and saw maybe 50-100m ahead of this main pack another car who was doing a similar speed to them so I kept going in lane 2 and passed him out. As I checked my mirror to move in I saw the blue lights....I moved in anyway as that was what I was going to do and assumed he was just wanting to pass me, but he pulled in behind me so I pulled over. He stated that I should have moved into lane 1 after the main pack and then out into lane 2 to overtake the other car head of that pack. However as I was at 100 and he was at 70 I would have no sooner been in the lane that I would have been back out again and changing lanes always carries a risk, so why take that risk when you don't really need to.
May be worth noting I was doing 100 and people were hammering past me dipping in and out of lanes without indicating(the normal idiots) and disappearing out of sight in lane 3 all throughout my maneuvers so I don't think I was the most high value target on the road that day.....he didn't seem interested in them however.....

It was just before the old toll bridge(now eflow) beep scanner thing.

100% agree with you, changing lanes is a danger EVERY time as you must check mirrors and blindspots, taking your attention away from the forward view, and even with check there's always the possibility you will miss something in front or behind. On a busy road if everyone starts ducking weaving manically between lanes it would be a freakin nightmare.

I rarely drive in the inside lane there as I rarely get the chance to - am usually overtaking someone as I drive bang on the 100K mark when possible. Swerving in and out of that lane is dangerous and often you get boxed in and have to brake then drop gears to get back out of it. All occupying driver time and making him/her less concentrated.

When it's quieter of course it's easy to drive there. I think a common sense approach to the left, middle lane overtaking would see them all adequately used, with smooth, gentle well planned and indicated overtaking manouevers.

[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by bazzachazza

Quoting my entire post doesn't really narrow it down to the point where you "think" I've missed the point.

Is your point not what you originally started this topic on ? You getting pulled over and lectured for sitting in the middle lane.

I don't think it's stated anywhere that EVERYONE must drive in the left lane in heavy traffic. I think its a fantastical of you to take it to that extreme to validate your point in your mind, not every car is driving at the same speed (hence the laws being written the way they are to facilitate overtaking)if car B approaches car A in lane 1 and overtakes in lane 2 car C in lane 1 may be driving faster than car's A and B and needs to use lane 3 to overtake both ,if there is no room in lane 1 for car B and C to safely return to lane 1 then using lane 2 to drive in is legal BUT when there is enough room for cars B and C to return to lane 1 they should do so.

Well what this guard told me was that once I had overtaken the 2 slow cars I must move in even though there was another slow car only a small bit ahead and who I passed within 5 seconds of passing the others. So he was effectively telling me to slot in and lay on the brakes so as not to rear-end the car ahead in lane 1 and then almost immediately duck out into lane 2 again to overtake him before moving back into lane one and out again within a couple of seconds to allow traffic to merge from blanch. To my mind what he was asking me to do was dangerous driving and I feel I used my common sense to keep myself and others on the road safe.

I do drive on the left lane when practical to do so, however I wont put myself in a position where I have to lane hop every few seconds. If there is a row of people all doing 70 stretching from Finglas to Blanch I will cruise down the middle lane to overtake them all. According to our finest I am in fact wrong and must barge my way in if there is a gap of more than 5 seconds between overtaken cars before zipping out again!

[RustyNut]

Just as a mater of interest OP how many years experience on the road do you have ?

[K.Flyer]

Originally Posted by RustyNut

Just as a mater of interest OP how many years experience on the road do you have ?

Now thats an interesting question for everyone to answer !!

[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by RustyNut

Just as a mater of interest OP how many years experience on the road do you have ?

10 years in August

[dudara]

What matters here is collective behaviour. When 90% of the road users drive like idiots (as they do on the M50 and N7) then that causes the capacity of a three lane carriageway/motorway to be severely reduced.

If the collective standard of driving improved, the benefits would be there for all to see. I beg to differ with your Garda friend's opinion. If people used the three-lane system correctly, then there would probably be increased efficiency of the road use, not less. (I think the book "The Wisdom of Crowds" covered a similar topic).

OP - it's all subjective as none of us were there with you when you got pulled, but I doubt the Garda pulled you over for no reason.

[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by dudara

OP - it's all subjective as none of us were there with you when you got pulled, but I doubt the Garda pulled you over for no reason.

Well there was nothing I could do to get back in and he when he asked why I was in the lane and I explained he made off pretty sharpish after explaining the rules to be briefly. I think he got the point of what I was saying.

[Colonel Sanders]

Particularly special day today. Was north bound around 5.45 or 6pm. Very heavy from before the red cow. Not sure if there had been an accident.

Lost count of the number of cars I saw leave an almost empty lane 1 to get into almost stationary lanes 2 & 3.

Just the "normal" levels of mid lane stupidity before & after that. And lots of lane 3 stupidity (I normally spend the time between the toll bridge & where traffic north bound from the Blanch exit merges sitting in lane 1 under taking cars in lane 3)

The last 2 mornings when I've come on at Finglas (heading south bound) there's been an idiot in lane 3 doing no more than 80 refusing to move in despite any number of drivers flashing them & then blowing them off the road when they had to change lanes to under take

[RustyNut]

Originally Posted by Colonel Sanders

Particularly special day today. Was north bound around 5.45 or 6pm. Very heavy from before the red cow. Not sure if there had been an accident.

Lost count of the number of cars I saw leave an almost empty lane 1 to get into almost stationary lanes 2 & 3.

Just the "normal" levels of mid lane stupidity before & after that. And lots of lane 3 stupidity (I normally spend the time between the toll bridge & where traffic north bound from the Blanch exit merges sitting in lane 1 under taking cars in lane 3)

The last 2 mornings when I've come on at Finglas (heading south bound) there's been an idiot in lane 3 doing no more than 80 refusing to move in despite any number of drivers flashing them & then blowing them off the road when they had to change lanes to under take

Which just goes to show that it's a good idea for the guards to be pulling a few people to educate them in the misterious ways of lane discipline, but some people will just never get it.

[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by RustyNut

Which just goes to show that it's a good idea for the guards to be pulling a few people to educate them in the misterious ways of lane discipline, but some people will just never get it.

I drive in the left when possible...I just made the mistake of overtaking more than one slow car at once which is illegal apparently....

[RustyNut]

Originally Posted by K.Flyer

Now thats an interesting question for everyone to answer !!

28 years driving trucks for me.

[K.Flyer]

Originally Posted by RustyNut

28 years driving trucks for me.

Over 30 years driving, most of it for a living as well

[RustyNut]

Originally Posted by K.Flyer

Over 30 years driving, most of it for a living as well.

And still lovin it.


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