Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Lane discipline - theoretical question

Steve"s comment , to be calm, is on point. One of the things I try to impart to my wife and soon to drive son on motorways is, look far ahead front and rear and over the shoulder too, when approaching slip roads, and use the accelerator and gearbox intelligently. I say look, appraise, act. which may mean adjusting position and speed because in the end one often has to think for others who sometimes don't appear to be thinking at all.

I had a similar incident a while ago on the M1.
Weekend so not busy.

Slow car in lane 1
I came up behind (at 70 in the Morgan).
Looked in the mirror - in the distance in lane 3 (for no reason) was a GTI Golf doing a loonatic speed.
He was not indicating.
So I indicated and pulled into lane 2.
We were on top of the next junction and what I couldn't know was that he was intending to go off there, so he came past at at least 90, with his horn blaring, then cut sharply across and just made the sliproad.

Hopefully the speed cameras got him on the way.

Isn't it "traffic is moving in queues" rather than lanes Steve?

Define a queue though...

Perfect example. What a git.

Yesterday I was reading a thread in Pistonheads about exactly this lane discipline issue.."inside the mind of a MMM" was the approx thread title.
The comments there more or less match those already pisted here. Plenty examples of situations of lane hogging, lane hopping, slip roads, outer lane speeders, undertaking etc..
Having commuted on the M4 for many years nothing surprises me. In many cases I have sensed that a vehicle was going to do something before it did, simply from the "body language" of the vehicle and surrounding traffic. I am bemused at the aggressive driving by so many, tailgating, late exits to slip roads, bullying others, no signals, you name it.
The long term was to try driving sensibly and don't get angry. Relaxed but watchful driving. Observing as far ahead as possiblle for early decisions/manoevering, using mirrors a lot etc.
Mostly it works but there are occasions when itdoesn't.
As for the lane changing query at the start of the thread, both drivers have a responsibility for a safe manoever. The faster car has the easier option of staying out until clear whereas the lane1-lane2 driver has a tougher decision.....brake or push out into a more congested lane. It gets complex when both are side by side as quicker reactions are needed. It can then be a 50/50 fault allocation. In a split second both drivers need to react correctly. Perhaps a situation that autonomous cars could manage better?
My attitude has been to assume the other driver will make a wrong decision so I need to add in more safety margin, delay moving back to inner lanes etc. also accepting that someone hairing up behind may take exceptio! Flas, tailgate, horn, gesticulate etc.

A while back I, in the Morgan, had a white van man pass on the inside of a bicycle that I was passing, and clearly indicating my intention to enter the on ramp of the Autostrada. A very dangerous manoeuvre as there was not much space between the bicycle (obviously going straight on and not entering the Autostrada) and the guard rail. As we entered the Autostrada I moved to the middle of the three lanes and outaccelerated him up to 130 kph. At that point I was slowly overhauling a slower vehicle in lane one. WVM came up alongside me in lane one and up to the bumper of the car I was about to pass, looked me square in the eye and then pulled across on me. Fortunately I had space to move across a little and brake hard, missing a collision by mere centimetres. WVM then continued to accelerate, I'm guessing to about 160 kph, and disappeared over the horizon. I don't know what drugs he was on but I sure hope he only hurts himself when he finally stuffs it into something.

Trouble with these threads is that they bring out the piety in everyone.
Someday I will be surprised to read a post by the one guy who is doing all the tailgating, loonatic speeds, cutting up, lane hogging, day dreaming. There can only be one of them because I have never yet come across him on the forums. Only his victims.

I agree, howard. The pistonheads one is rife.
I remember some howlers I did over the years, luckily nothing bad happened.
From inattentiveness resulting in hard braking, almost turning into the path on a bike, wrong lane in a strange area etc..
Easy to do.

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
When you're perfect in every way.
I can't wait
To look in the mirror.
Cause I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me.
I must be a hell of a man.
Oh Lord It's hard to be humble,
But I'm doing the best that I can.


Mac Davis........................

Common sense and self preservation is the only answer to survival out there.
It is scant consolation being in the "right" when you're dead due to some hero on the motorway probably in an Audi or 3 series Bavarian Motor Werks product.