Muppets 2........

[Ardesco]

What I want to know is why trucks and 'pantechnicons' always choose to overtake each other, uphill, in the cutting on the M40 near Stokenchurch going SE towards London.

Is it a sort of game?

They overtake, but with differential speeds that could be measured in millimeters per hour, blocking the middle lane, and generally pissing off drivers of smaller vehicles.

What's it all about eh?

Perhaps our resident trucker could enlighten me.

Once they have got their speed up to get up the incline they don't want to brake because they may not be able to build up enough power to carry onwards and upwards.

At least that's the excuse I'm expecting

[shaunbhoy]

I had some muppet flashing me because I was hogging the middle lane yesterday, I wouldn't have minded but the motorway was busy and there were quite a few cars in the slow lane. He seemed to think I should move to the inside lane at every opportunity.....

Technically and legally speaking, if you are doing 70mph in the middle lane then nobody should be attempting to overtake you that is not clearly intent on breaking the law. My view is if they are inconsiderate enough to ignore the speed limit then I am perfectly entitled to ignore their light-flashing. If they want to break the law do it in some other feckers lane, not mine.
Now I am not saying I stay in the middle lane all day, but I am certainly not going to increase the number of lane swaps I do to make it easy for boy racers. I will change lanes at a point I deem suitable to me, and not one that suits them.

[Bagpuss]

What I want to know is why trucks and 'pantechnicons' always choose to overtake each other, uphill, in the cutting on the M40 near Stokenchurch going SE towards London.

Is it a sort of game?

They overtake, but with differential speeds that could be measured in millimeters per hour, blocking the middle lane, and generally pissing off drivers of smaller vehicles.

What's it all about eh?

Perhaps our resident trucker could enlighten me.

wind resistance, they slip stream, build up speed, pull out and hit a wall of air which slows the maximum speed down to that of the fellow limited vehicle

[DimPrawn]

Sort of agree with you

Technically and legally speaking, if you are doing 70mph in the middle lane then nobody should be attempting to overtake you that is not clearly intent on breaking the law. My view is if they are inconsiderate enough to ignore the speed limit then I am perfectly entitled to ignore their light-flashing. If they want to break the law do it in some other flipers lane, not mine.
Now I am not saying I stay in the middle lane all day, but I am certainly not going to increase the number of lane swaps I do to make it easy for boy racers. I will change lanes at a point I deem suitable to me, and not one that suits them.

I would say that changing lane has to be more dangerous than staying in a lane, hence the safest motorway is one where the number of lane changes is minimised.

No?

[oracleslave]

Technically and legally speaking, if you are doing 70mph in the middle lane then nobody should be attempting to overtake you that is not clearly intent on breaking the law. My view is if they are inconsiderate enough to ignore the speed limit then I am perfectly entitled to ignore their light-flashing. If they want to break the law do it in some other flipers lane, not mine.
Now I am not saying I stay in the middle lane all day, but I am certainly not going to increase the number of lane swaps I do to make it easy for boy racers. I will change lanes at a point I deem suitable to me, and not one that suits them.

Roadhog!

[shaunbhoy]

I would say that changing lane has to be more dangerous than staying in a lane, hence the safest motorway is one where the number of lane changes is minimised.

No?

Exactly.

[The Lone Gunman]

so we are left with ridiculous situations for example.. a queue in the outside lane to pass a truck 1/3 mile down the road, inside lane empty, middle half full. If everyone were in the correct lane for their speed, there would be no queue, no near misses from people changing middle to congested outside, no slamming on of brakes and resultant stopping etc.

As the outside lane is for over taking only then all those who are not in the process of passing anything should pull over.
They don't, but they should.
Trucks are another issue.

[shaunbhoy]

Roadhog!

Au contraire, law-abiding citizen I think you'll find.

[Spacecadet]

Technically and legally speaking, if you are doing 70mph in the middle lane then nobody should be attempting to overtake you that is not clearly intent on breaking the law. My view is if they are inconsiderate enough to ignore the speed limit then I am perfectly entitled to ignore their light-flashing. If they want to break the law do it in some other flipers lane, not mine.
Now I am not saying I stay in the middle lane all day, but I am certainly not going to increase the number of lane swaps I do to make it easy for boy racers. I will change lanes at a point I deem suitable to me, and not one that suits them.

legally your speedometer could be over reading
legally their speedometer could be under reading
10% each way makes for a viable difference in speed

[Spacecadet]

I would say that changing lane has to be more dangerous than staying in a lane, hence the safest motorway is one where the number of lane changes is minimised.

No?

so stay in lane 1, or even better catch a train and leave the road free for people who know how to use the over taking lanes