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Why do car owners drive in the middle lane?

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    #152
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,121 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Princess Calla wrote: »
    You will be constantly adjusting your speed or else jumping in and out of lanes.

    AKA "Driving".:rolleyes:


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    #153
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    WishUWereHere wrote: »
    Seen something today that stunned me: coach in middle lane on the M7 NB, car behind it, car shifted to inside lane,, undercut the coach, then pulled back into the middle lane in front of the coach & carried on.



    what goes on in people's mind?

    Have to say I admired your innocence here, stunned to witness an undertaking manoeuvre on the motorway?
    Perhaps it's best to sit in the middle lane and stay safe.


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    #154
    Paddigol
    Registered Users Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭Paddigol


    realdanbreen wrote: »
    I cannot understand all the hoo haw about motorway driving where, regardless of the number of lanes, all the traffic is going in the same direction.
    The real drivers in this country are the rural folk who drive on narrow windy roads where very often there isn't room for two cars to pass never mind tractors, gravel trucks etc. You never know when some gob****e is going to come flying around the bend on the wrong side. If you do hit him on an unmarked road it's tough **** as those collisions are regarded as 50/50 regardless of the fact the gob****e was in the middle of the road. As for cyclists! They should be barred from country roads, let them into a park or somewhere to cycle round.

    Good man, replying to yourself. Would explain why your post comes across as the rantings of a lunatic. Just take the likes of yourself off the road and the rest of us can drive around in peace.


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    #155
    realdanbreen
    Registered Users Posts: 8,165 ✭✭✭realdanbreen


    Paddigol wrote: »
    Good man, replying to yourself. Would explain why your post comes across as the rantings of a lunatic. Just take the likes of yourself off the road and the rest of us can drive around in peace.

    Bye:D


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    #156
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Upgrading of the M7 has to have been the biggest waste of time and money, never mind the inconvenience to everyone who had to use it while work was being done. Adding a 3rd lane that nobody seems to use

    Could they not have seen that the bad usage of the N7 would indicate that turning the M7 into a 3 lane motorway was a waste of time.

    Everyone just plodding along in the middle lane, even if there is no traffic.

    Infuriating. To safely pass these idiots you have to change lane 4 times.

    If youre going to turn a road into a 3 lane motorway, at least add a sign or police it.

    The inside lane will still be brand new in 20years.

    Pure ignorance


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    #157
    Princess Calla
    Registered Users Posts: 5,833 ✭✭✭Princess Calla


    GreeBo wrote: »
    AKA "Driving".:rolleyes:

    Yeah and if I want to do that level of " up and down speeds/in and out lanes" I'll drive through the city.

    On the m50 where I have the option to stay in one lane and travel for the most part at the one speed without holding anyone else up, I'll do that and get on with my day, and let others get on with theirs.


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    #158
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Princess Calla wrote: »
    Yeah and if I want to do that level of " up and down speeds/in and out lanes" I'll drive through the city.

    On the m50 where I have the option to stay in one lane and travel for the most part at the one speed without holding anyone else up, I'll do that and get on with my day, and let others get on with theirs.

    But you don’t have the option to sit on the middle lane, as, it’s NOT one of the options.
    The option is to keep left unless overtaking.
    Thats like saying you have the option to speed or use your mobile phone while driving.


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    #159
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Princess Calla wrote: »
    On the m50 where I have the option to stay in one lane and travel for the most part at the one speed without holding anyone else up, I'll do that and get on with my day, and let others get on with theirs.

    Most of the people sitting in the middle lane are holding up other traffic, they've turned a 3 lane road into a 2 lane road. I prefer to maintain a steady speed, in order to this, when I approach a car going slower than me I will move out a lane, once I've finished the overtake I pull back in, the amount of time on the M50 I have to go from lane 1 to lane 3 then immediately back to lane 1 is ridiculous. I do this because is also illegal to overtake on the left


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    #160
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,121 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Princess Calla wrote: »
    Yeah and if I want to do that level of " up and down speeds/in and out lanes" I'll drive through the city.

    On the m50 where I have the option to stay in one lane and travel for the most part at the one speed without holding anyone else up, I'll do that and get on with my day, and let others get on with theirs.

    Can I suggest a merry go round if you want constant speed with no actual driving?

    Your "option" is fecking up the entire road for everyone who wants to drive properly AND efficiently.


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    #161
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Can I suggest a merry go round if you want constant speed with no actual driving?

    Your "option" is fecking up the entire road for everyone who wants to drive properly AND efficiently.

    I don't agree. I think the current system that has evolved through drivers using common sense works as well as any other would.
    The idea that M50 traffic congestion would be fixed if everyone stuck to the left lane is very naive. In actual fact I believe it would make it worse. No point comparing it to Germany or US. The M50 is a very unique breed of motorway.


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    #162
    Princess Calla
    Registered Users Posts: 5,833 ✭✭✭Princess Calla


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Can I suggest a merry go round if you want constant speed with no actual driving?

    Your "option" is fecking up the entire road for everyone who wants to drive properly AND efficiently.

    You can suggest all you like but you'll still find me in the middle lane.

    Sure throw up your reg there and I'll give you a wave as I overtake you.


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    #163
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Princess Calla wrote: »
    You can suggest all you like but you'll still find me in the middle lane.

    A classic sign of the level of selfishness in modern society, so many people have stopped caring about their impact on others. It's all about making yourself comfortable and ignoring the impact on others.

    A random internet person is disappointed in you!


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    #164
    Tombo2001
    Registered Users Posts: 6,523 ✭✭✭Tombo2001


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    Its known as public choice theory (on wiki). People will sometimes choose their own selfish interests over the common good. Its part of human behaviour and is found in pretty much every walk of life and we are all guilty of it somewhere, sometime.

    A cognitive bias thats also seen in people is a tendency to hold other people to higher standards than themselves. So, for example if another driver beeps you for a transgression, you will tend to go on the defensive and say you judgement is not in the wrong. Or another example is people who will give out about cyclists breaking red lights but they themselves will jaywalk all day long.


    Explain though why it is that people obey traffic laws in Germany far more so than here.

    I remember first time visiting Germany - standing at a pedestrian light, traffic clear, no cars at all....and I wander on across. Red man.

    There are 10 or 12 people at the lights and suddenly its like I've been caught by an offside trap. I am out in the middle of the road on my own....

    The colleague shouts out to me - "what are you doing!!"


    I'm just doing what I've always done back home, and what everyone else back home does too....


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    #165
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Tombo2001 wrote: »
    Explain though why it is that people obey traffic laws in Germany far more so than here.

    I know in Poland it's due to likelihood of a fine, I've been on a few trips to Wroclaw, colleagues have pointed out Police watching pedestrian crossings, I've even seen a couple of people being issued fines.


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    #166
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    liamog wrote: »
    I know in Poland it's due to likelihood of a fine, I've been on a few trips to Wroclaw, colleagues have pointed out Police watching pedestrian crossings, I've even seen a couple of people being issued fines.

    That's the city police. We should have municipal police here.


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    #167
    Cilldara_2000
    Registered Users Posts: 1,189 ✭✭✭Cilldara_2000


    This rule where you're supposed to increase your speed on the slip road to match the speed of the traffic in lane 1. Nobody told the designer of the N7 this. So many junctions with ridiculously short slip roads where it's near impossible to do this unless you're in some sort of sports car.


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    #168
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,739 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Cilldara_2000 wrote: »
    This rule where you're supposed to increase your speed on the slip road to match the speed of the traffic in lane 1. Nobody told the designer of the N7 this. So many junctions with ridiculously short slip roads where it's near impossible to do this unless you're in some sort of sports car.

    What I tend to do with one of those slow mergers (of which there are many) is hang back until there's a sufficient gap for me to not only join the motorway at a decent speed, but quickly overtake them as well.

    Admittedly a 3.0 TDI with 245 horsies helps :D


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    #169
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,660 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Tombo2001 wrote: »
    I remember first time visiting Germany - standing at a pedestrian light, traffic clear, no cars at all....and I wander on across. Red man.

    There are 10 or 12 people at the lights and suddenly its like I've been caught by an offside trap. I am out in the middle of the road on my own....

    The colleague shouts out to me - "what are you doing!!"
    a colleague of mine was issued an on the spot €5 fine for doing this. the policeman/traffic warden was carrying a credit card machine. almost certainly was in duesseldorf.


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    #170
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    I much prefer the European style of fines, it's a small annoyance that is regularly enforced. Here they'd try an implement a €200 fine for crossing the road and then never enforce it as its seen as too draconian.


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    #171
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,188 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    Tombo2001 wrote: »
    Explain though why it is that people obey traffic laws in Germany far more so than here.

    I remember first time visiting Germany - standing at a pedestrian light, traffic clear, no cars at all....and I wander on across. Red man.

    There are 10 or 12 people at the lights and suddenly its like I've been caught by an offside trap. I am out in the middle of the road on my own....

    The colleague shouts out to me - "what are you doing!!"


    I'm just doing what I've always done back home, and what everyone else back home does too....

    Not sure. It could be a number of things. But I have seen impatience and bad driving in Germany also. Less stressed people in traffic could be one. Busy, stressed people in Dublin for example usually brings out the worst in driving. Better driving training also could be a factor over there. Alot of old people here who never sat a test.


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    #172
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    Alot of old people here who never sat a test.

    45,000 people 42 years ago, apparently this one set of drivers is responsible for every single bad driving incident.
    They must be driving like Monty Python Hell's Grannies at this stage :D


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    #173
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,121 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Deleted User wrote: »
    I don't agree. I think the current system that has evolved through drivers using common sense works as well as any other would.
    Wouldn't common sense have everyone driving by the same principals?
    What is your common sense approach? Could you define it?
    It seems, from an outsider, to be pretty much "I drive in the lane that means I can pay the least amount of attention to my surroundings"
    Deleted User wrote: »
    The idea that M50 traffic congestion would be fixed if everyone stuck to the left lane is very naive. In actual fact I believe it would make it worse. No point comparing it to Germany or US. The M50 is a very unique breed of motorway.
    I don't think anyone has suggested that it would be "fixed", but it would certainly significantly help. How could it possibly make it worse?:confused:

    Princess Calla wrote: »
    You can suggest all you like but you'll still find me in the middle lane.
    Of that I have no doubt.
    Princess Calla wrote: »
    Sure throw up your reg there and I'll give you a wave as I overtake you.
    But that would require you to actually be aware of other drivers and your surroundings...


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    #174
    Tombo2001
    Registered Users Posts: 6,523 ✭✭✭Tombo2001


    liamog wrote: »
    I know in Poland it's due to likelihood of a fine, I've been on a few trips to Wroclaw, colleagues have pointed out Police watching pedestrian crossings, I've even seen a couple of people being issued fines.

    Could be right.

    The basic view on all fronts here is that if it happens often enough, it becomes impossible to enforce.

    I can step outside the house right now and see 30 or 40 cars parked on the pavement. All doing so illegally.


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    #175
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    It's mad to think that with a little bit of enforcement a number of M50 drivers would be banned from driving within the week. They'd rack up 12 penalty points incredibly quickly for "Failure to drive on the left hand side of the road"


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    #176
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,188 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    liamog wrote: »
    45,000 people 42 years ago, apparently this one set of drivers is responsible for every single bad driving incident.
    They must be driving like Monty Python Hell's Grannies at this stage :D

    I didnt say it was the reason for every bad incident. But its likely to be part of the problem.


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    #177
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 7,843 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    I didnt say it was the reason for every bad incident. But its likely to be part of the problem.

    Well there are 2.5 million registered drivers in Ireland, I'm sure the 1.8% (if they're even still driving) are the ones on here defending middle lane usage and camping there on the road.


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    #178
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,188 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    Tbh, if it was me, I would consider the notion of allowing undertaking to be legal like in the USA. It seems to work fine over there. There is more of a blind spot over your right shoulder than your left.


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    #179
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,188 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    liamog wrote: »
    Well there are 2.5 million registered drivers in Ireland, I'm sure the 1.8% (if they're even still driving) are the ones on here defending middle lane usage and camping there on the road.

    Ok so its probably small but I think its still a factor. As I say, there are likely to be a few reasons. I think the biggest reason why people sit in the middle lane is the frequent lane hoping thats needed due to merging & slow moving traffic in this lane. All to often you end up getting boxed in more than in any other lane.

    What bugs me is people in the middle lane sitting there 20 under the limit. But on busy enough days, I dont mind it if people are in the middle lane doing the speed limit.


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    #180
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,876 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Middle lane eh. That hoary old chestnut.

    The rules versus the practical and indeed the safe.

    On a moderately busy M50 I will stick mostly to the speed limit and will generally keep left, but if the left lane is scattered with slow moving heavy vehicles and there is, as there tends to be, a decent amount of merging traffic from the busier intersections, I have no problem defending my decision to be doing 100/110 in the centre lane and staying there, rather than shifting middle to left to middle frequently.

    That said, if I were for any reason driving at the same speed as the slower moving traffic in the left lane, that is where I will stay.


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    #181
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,121 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    Ok so its probably small but I think its still a factor. As I say, there are likely to be a few reasons. I think the biggest reason why people sit in the middle lane is the frequent lane hoping thats needed due to merging & slow moving traffic in this lane. All to often you end up getting boxed in more than in any other lane.

    What bugs me is people in the middle lane sitting there 20 under the limit. But on busy enough days, I dont mind it if people are in the middle lane doing the speed limit.

    You really only get boxed in by other MLMs though.


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