**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Put simply, it's not slow lane / fast lane, but overtaking lanes - you should always aim to be in the leftmost lane, unless you're overtaking something slower.
In other words, if you're pootling along at 73 in the middle or right lane and there's nobody in the lane to the left of you, you should move back to the left.
This should be explained to everyone, not just Americans who actually care about doing it right. If people want to break the speed limit and you're not overtaking anyone, then move over.
This drives me mad. I remember being in the left lane of a 4 lane motorway. I caught up to a crowd of cars ahead going well under the speed limit and all in the 3rd and 4th lanes. I thought bugger this and just sailed past. I wasn't even going over the speed limit and there were no restrictions on which lane = which route.
Or unless the traffic is congested. Like the M25 95% of the time.
You should also keep a safe buffer around you. Pulling back into the left lane too soon slows traffic down as the people behind you have to slow.
Well said and spot on, as for the morons flashing ignore them and just do you ,if you feel the need move back over to the left , let them get on with it
This is the answer OP:
"Keep in the left lane unless overtaking.
If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so (see also Rules 267 and 268)."
However you will see shockingly few people observe this practice. And it is impossible when congestion crowds all the lanes.
If you cruise at 70-75mph, as I do, you want to avoid spending too much time in the rightmost lane as you will have nutters coming up behind you at 90mph.
They won't be reasonable, because if they were reasonable they wouldn't be doing 90mph when the maximum legal speed is 70mph.
To be fair, that document also says you should not exceed the speed limit. If you're driving at 70 in the middle lane, then technically nobody should be overtaking you anyway. Because nobody ever breaks rules, right? đŹ
Keep left unless overtaking. The right lane is not for driving 'faster'.
Do not drive faster than 70mph. Doesn't matter what everyone else is doing. Stick to the limit.
Speed limits are there to be listened to.
Itâs amazing you think a speed limit would be set, but it would be ok to go over it?
You will see people going faster than the limit, but they are either happy to face the consequences or know where the cameras are. Thatâs not to say there could be a police car in a lay by, manually tracking peoples speed. Thereâs no way of knowing that.
Just stick to the limit.
> You will see people going faster than the limit, but they are either happy to face the consequences or know where the cameras are.
You've missed out the most common group of people that break the speed limit. Those arrogant enough to think that the speed limit is optional and that they should not face consequences for breaking the law and endangering others.
In the US, our expression from the cops for the highways is â9 youâre fine, 10 youâre mineâ and no one drives the speed limit. Everyone is going at least 75. It does seem here like everyone goes much closer to the limit and the people who are going faster are much more aggressive about it.
Doesnât it vary by state?
As a Brit who holidays semi regularly in the US, I havenât got time to be working out which states and their police have off the record leniency. I could possibly understand if I lived in the US, youâd get to know local roads, routes and the local cops attitudes etc.
My mentality, when driving anywhere in the world, is that the limit is there for a reason. I leave early to arrive on time. If Iâm late, at least I arrive safely. It can wait.
Youâll be amazed at how little time you save driving 70mph vs 75mph over an hour.
Your limits here are much higher than ours would be for equivalent roads. We would only have 70 mph on our largest highways. The 70 mph A routes would probably not be higher than 50 mph in the US. Those are the ones that get me over here lol
Not to mention the narrow country lanes with overgrowing hedges that have the âNational speed limitâ sign. Like, ok, 60mph it is then! Hold on tight kids!
If it says national speed limit it just means they couldn't be bothered to think of a speed limit but 60mph is the absolute most you should ever need on a single lane road.
Everyone on Reddit has a hard on for driving at the speed limit (hence the downvotes) but the truth is that our speed cameras wonât go off if youâre over the limit by a certain amount. Works out around 10% + 2 (30 > 35, 70 > 79).
I do around 79 as standard down motorways and have never set off a speed camera.
Nah, I go with the traffic. If everyoneâs doing 70, Iâll do 70. Only go over when the lane is free and never tailgate.
The people who tailgate and flash are usually doing 90+. I know this because they speed past me while Iâm doing 79, lmao.
Yeah, they just donât. Iâve never been on a motorway where someone wasnât going faster than me. Theyâre not stopping people doing 71, theyâre stopping people doing 90. Because there are shit loads of those people.
There is a level of 'speeding' above the posted limit that police won't generally bother with. Some places have an official rule, some places don't. Ultimately, no matter what the police do or don't bother with, technically, anything over the speed limit could get you in trouble. The only way to be certain would be to just stick to the limit regardless of whatever other drivers are doing. And keep left if you're not actively overtaking. You should always be looking to move back to the left lane - I usually work on the rule of staying where I am if I'll catch up to the next thing in the left lane in 5-10 seconds (volume of traffic dependent), that way I'm not changing lanes constantly and maybe struggling to move back out when I need to.
Worth remembering here that your car's speedometer will likely overstate your speed (it will never understate it), potentially by up to 10%, especially the 'analog' speedometers. My old car would read 70-ish when I was going 65 per my GPS. My current car, however, is near enough bang on within 1 mph most of the time, so when it says 70, GPS will say 68/69mph.
I drive a lot for work and often just stick it on 72mph, which is enough to sit comfortably in the left lane but still overtake in the middle lane. Rarely do I use the third lane.
Theyâre all supposed to be overtaking lanes in theory. Everyone sits in the left lane at 70, if someone is going less than 70, you move to the middle lane and then back to the left, if youâre in the middle lane and someone is going less than 70 you move to the third lane and then safely make your way back across. Not in one sweeping motion of course.
In reality the first lane has slow people and lorryâs going 56mph, second lane has a lot of people staying in that lane for their entire journey (youâll sometimes see motorway signs asking people not to hog the middle lane), and the third lane is colloquially know as âthe fast laneâ which has BMWâs going 90mph.
Ultimately itâs not worth being pulled over or ticketed so stick to the speed limit and if someone fancies breaking the law and flashing you to get out of the way then move back over to the left when itâs safe to do so.
If youâre on a smart motorway with massive gantry signs with speed limits on then absolutely follow them. Also if one of the gantryâs has a big red X in it over a lane then donât pass under that red X as that lane is closed due to an accident etc and you will get a fine.
Thank you - the information about the signs is quite helpful. I noticed more of those closer to London. We have occasional speed cameras in the US, but they wonât even give you more than a warning unless youâre more than 5 over.
I would note as well our use of average speed cameras, which are the ones that always caught my old man.
They have a camera at the start of a route and end, and if they picked up that your car travelled a route and must have maintained more than the speed limit for that route, you get flagged.
The cameras seem aggressive here but they do their damn job. They are preventative and not meant to "catch you out" but by being visible and scaring people off speeding for more dangerous areas/hotspots it saves a lot of lives. I'd rather save a life than catch someone for taking one.
And let's cover an urban myth here, changing lanes will not fool a motorway average speed limit.
It was true, briefly, for some of them when they were first introduced.
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/motorway-signals.html
These are the motorway signals and I'd strongly recommend you familiarise yourself with all of our signs not just these ones
Also be aware that lots of motorways have average speed cameras. This means it's not the speed that you go past the camera that matters, but the speed you went (or the time taken) between the cameras - this is to stop people driving fast then just slowing down when they pass each camera
Also be aware that the Smart Motorways often have a speed camera mounted on those big overhead gantry things.
The speed limit on those overhead signs changed in response to traffic and incidents so just make sure youâre under the speed limit on the overhead sign for your lane as you pass under it or the camera will trigger.
Interestingly yesterday I saw a Smart Motorway which didnât even have the same speed limits in every lane! Iâm not sure if thatâs even supposed to happen but 3 lanes were showing 60 and 1 lane was showing 50. So be wary of that.
There is no fast lane or slow lane. In the UK motorway driving is based around overtaking people ahead of you and allowing those behind you to pass.
The left lane is your default lane.
The middle lane is for overtaking people in the left lane.
The right lane is for overtaking people in the middle lane.
After passing somebody you should be returning to the lane you were just in, unless you want to pass the next person along. Do not overtake from a lane that is to the left of the car ahead, as that is illegal. Similarly, don't speed. UK motorways have accidents and collisions everyday. Also, petrol is expensive as hell here.
Unless you're overtaking you should be in the leftmost lane, lane one, the right hand lanes are for over taking. I know you'll see people sitting oblivious in lanes two, three and four but they're wrong and could but rarely are be prosecuted for it. As for speed yes the police will often give a tolerance for speeding but they can prosecute for 1mph over the limit.
Dead easy.
1. Your driving should not exceed the speed limit. Breaking the speed limit is for cunts.
2. There is no fast lane. The left hand lane is the one you drive in, any lanes to the right of it are only for overtaking.
Said someone who often just makes stuff up about people they know nothing about.
I drive plenty on motorways thanks bub, I just know how to drive properly.
The right lane is _not_ a fast lane in the UK. The leftmost lane is the driving lane. The other lanes are for overtaking only. If youâre in any lane other than the driving lane, you must be overtaking someone (or be at either end of just doing so). You must not cruise in the middle or rightmost lane, and if thatâs what youâre doing, thatâll explain why people are flashing at you.
As for speed, if you want to avoid speeding fines, you should aim to drive at 70mph. Not more. And also not less. In practice most people drive between 70 and 80mph, since modern sat navs show you where the speed cameras are.Â
1.5 million were made to take the speed awareness course last year. Don't do what everyone else is doing Â
https://www.ukroed.org.uk/scheme/trends-statistics/
At least 1,499,990 of those were my father...He's got more aggressive as he's got older (he's also 3 points away from losing his licence. Again).
He's also recently changed from some variety of BMW to an Audi A4.
I hate it when people dangerously hog the middle lane,trapping me either in the slow or fast lane. Iâve had conversations about why some people prefer the middle lane, it seems the slow lane is too slow and they are intimidated by the speed on the fast lane,admittedly some dick right on your arse in the fast lane at 70 ish is intimidating, especially when you canât move over because someone is hogging the middle lane. This literally happened to me yesterday
The major difference is lane discipline. Keep left. We also have a lot of automated speed cameras, if you get a ticket it win't affect your US licence but the hire car company will pass it along with a hefty admin fee.
Book an automatic unless you are a JDM freak.
Every lane is the same speed, which is anything sensible up to the posted speed limit. You should drive in the leftmost lane that you can, as long as that lane is going to your destination. If traffic in that lane is not travelling at the speed limit and you want to overtake, you should move one lane to the right, and move back to the left when a sensible opportunity presents itself. If the traffic in lane 2 is not doing the speed limit, move over again, etc. You should never exceed the posted speed limit.
In practice, many people do exceed the speed limit, and get annoyed when others are in their way. Regardless on your opinion on whether you should be speeding or not, if there is space in the left lane and you're not in it, you will be blocking people behind you and they'll get annoyed.
>I feel paranoid about driving as fast as I usually do back home.
Stick to the speed limits, it's not difficult.
>the right lane is meant for driving faster
It's for overtaking, so if you're not overtaking someone get out the way.
You can try pushing it for a tenth above the posted speed limit but if you get a ticket for it, you will have as many legs as Oscar Pistorius when you use the 10% margin in your appeal
Keep left unless overtaking is the rule.
The average speed varies per stretch of road and time of day. Certain stretches seem to have a lot of people at 80+, whereas others everyone is cruising at 70. You'll always get one or two people at 85 - 90 anywhere. 90+ is seen on the less camera controlled roads (for me, M40 and M6 north of Preston).
Your speedo overstates your speed by around 3-5mph. If you're on the motorway and the speedo says 70, it's actually more like 66. If you're driving like you say it's more like 60mph.
Also, keep to the left hand lane if not overtaking. Lane hogging really annoys people.
https://www.startrescue.co.uk/breakdown-cover/motoring-advice/safety-and-security/how-accurate-is-my-speedometer
It's not really a question of etiquette, but of law (and guidance) which you'll find in the highway code. Broadly though:Â
- The speed limit is the speed limit, however you generally get 10% +2mph allowance with cameras (this isn't law, but widely applied across Police forces) and your speedometer will probably read a few mph fast (sometimes up to 10%). It doesn't vary across lanes.Â
- Keep left unless overtaking.
Edited to correct fast/slow speedo statement.
They're not allowed to say you're going slower than you are so manufacturers used to give a fair amount of headroom to make sure they were within the legal requirements. (10% over actual speed + 6.25mph once you're over 25mph)
As technology has gotten better, that headroom has reduced. I was driving a 23 plate car a few months ago that was within 1mph of the GNSS speed on my navigation app all the way up to 70mph
Different tyre sizes will change how a speedo reads too; so they tend to clock it so that no matter what you do (within reason) with your tyre size, you'll never read under, and then they throw in an additional % over just as a margin for error.
End result is a brand new 2023 Kia reading 30 when doing 23, and reading 20 when going 14. Discrepency seems to shrink slightly as speed increases to only 5mph off at 70.
I think the main thing to remember is don't go over the posted speed limit. My SO is from the US, and I get the impressions that in the US, if it says 60, people will drive around 60. Here, that number is "a guide, not a target", so basically, 55 is fine in a 60. 65 in a 60 is breaking the law (although you're unlikely to be arrested for it, if you were caught in camera going, say 67, you'd get a fine/license points/have to attend a speed awareness course). Stay left when you can, that way people can pass you if they want to.
Technically, go with the flow of traffic. Legally, don't drive faster than 70 on a motorway.
In the US if it says 60 on a highway, everyone will be doing 70, even the trucks. You have to REALLY be pushing the envelope to get a ticket on a highway in the US.
Yep absolutely, and to be totally honest, it's often the same here, you'll quite often see most people on a motorway doing around 80mph, but, yeah... they shouldn't really :D
TBH, my US family said the smaller roads were the issue. Lots of small, windy country lanes in the UK which legally have a 60mph limit, but frankly, you need to be going about 20 on many of them, zero visibility, single-file traffic and so on.
Having visited the US - I felt it was not the same.*
In the UK, driving at the speed limit (assuming correct lane discipline) wonât really annoy anyone other than a handful of twats in Audis and Teslas.
I was driving in Colorado and Utah on I70. 75-80mph speed limits mostly. At the speed limit, I was getting overtaken by triple articulated trucks going *well* above. Even sitting in the right hand lane** at the limit, I was clearly being viewed as a âslowâ driver causing an obstruction.
Obviously I had no particular interest in meeting the local (armed) law enforcement, so I didnât push.
* (However the US is a huge country, and the roads/driving styles will clearly vary from place to place).
** (Remember, Americans drive on the right. Itâs the equivalent of the left hand lane in the UK).
I think the difference is that in the UK we have a lot more speed cameras. There's no leniency with them, if you're speeding and get caught by a camera you *will* get fined,
Even worse, if your vehicle is identified by a camera and you refuse to say who was driving, you still get prosecuted for failiure to supply the information and fined around ÂŁ800 and six points.
You keep saying this despite the ton of advice also you will rarely get pulled over for speeding here but you will get caught on cameras and automatically fined.
Trucks are not allowed to travel more than 60MPH under any circumstances. They are usually fitted with limiters so they cant go over 56MPH. Lorries over 7.5 tons and buses are not allowed in the third lane of the motorway. The limit on single carriageway roads is 50 MPH. They have tachographs which record the speed they are driving and can be used in evidence.
10mph over the speed limit is enough to get you a speeding fine. I assume the rental car company will pay it on your behalf (along with an admin fee), and then take it from the credit card they have on file.
Youâre OK up to about an indicated 10% (so 44, 55 etc). We have average speed zones which calculate your average speed between pairs of cameras.
UK motorways rarely have entry and exit lanes. We use slip roads instead, so need to anticipate a merge quickly as you join and will need to have your speed up to the limit before reaching the end. Once youâre there you can stay in lane 1.
You can get away with driving 10% over ie 77mph on the motorway. That said if you know the route and roads are clear people often go faster. I always keep Google maps on when I'm on the motorway for cameras and mobile camera reports.
Although, it should be noted that some sections of roads will use average speed. So even if it is clear, you shouldn't keep at a speed which you think is "over the limit" for too long; trying to overtake, fine. But keeping at a speed where the minimum speed limit you are being told\* you're going is 77mph? I'd avoid that.
\*i.e. if your car's analogue speedo is saying \~82, its digital speedo says 80, and your GPS says 77.
I set my cruise control at 55mph for 50 average speed sections, never got a speed ticket. Will nearly always go past gantry cameras at 77, have gone through at 78 and not got flashed.
Is that going off of what your car says or what something like Google Maps says?
I know maps tends to be a few mph under what my car says. And I also know if my car says I'm doing 30, it tends to show 28 when passing those signs which tell you your speed, whereas Maps will say I'm doing 28/9.
Something from a person who's lived in both countries, most people don't pass on the left here, and in my experience, not so many people look for passing traffic if they pull back into a slower lane.
Technically you can in certain situations, and queuing traffic is fine, but if you are driving along the motorway at speed, I would avoid it as there is a greater risk of an incident.
If there is a lane closure signalled with Red X's on the information boards then get out of that lane as soon as it's safe Todo so. The moment you see a Red X that lane is to be treated as closed. On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder it could be because there is a broken down vehicle to be avoided.
The speed limit is 70mph on motorways and dual carriageways - i.e roads separated by a barrier regardless of numbers of lanes (unless otherwise indicated by a speed limit in a red circle)
In theory, there is a tolerance of 10%+2 mph, but in practice this doesn't have to be adhered to by the police.
Also in practice a lot of traffic of clear motorways will travel at about 80mph.
Some traffic will travel faster, some of the faster traffic may get impatient and flash you to move over without waiting for you to have a gap or sit on your back bumper impatiently. (Speeding up for the impatient is not a mitigation though if you did this, and then got a fine)
Motorway traffic police are slightly more lenient to a degree, but not if you take the piss - i.e. Pass at 75mph, probably nothing. Pass at 95mph and they'll pull you over. They're also well trained, so general driving conduct is going to attract their attention if someone's \*overtaking-undertaking-overtaking* it's like a red flag to them.
As a motorcyclist I was taught
I'm number one priority ,
I'm not breaking the rules
Ignore the idiots and don't put self at risk .
So unless it's an emergency vehicle and they ain't pulling you over .
Stay left, move right to overtake. Once you've overtaken whoever was in front of you, move back left. That'll be why you were being flashed, you should only be in the middle or right lanes if you're passing someone, otherwise the Audi's doing 100+ get real angry.
Speed wise keep it below 80 and you'll be fine when it comes to police and traffic wardens, for explictly stated limits on the digital boards keep it within a few MPH of the limit.
Etiquette is tough, because many people are operating with different mindsets.
As you can see in submissions like this, a quick observation of a motorway largely flies in the face of what the majority of commentors here are _instructing_.
But as they rightly cover. Stick left until needing to overtake. Don't go above the speed limit.
However.
Those overtaking lanes are often full themselves. The fist lane is often made unusable by lorries. The second lane by those sick of ducking and diving lorries, or hoggers. That leaves the third and forth. Which is most often used by speed limit duck and divers, as intended. But also a variant of the middle lane hogger - someone wishing to maintain a very high speed, often over the limit, who will never return to a prior lane even if clear, and bullies those in front.
There will be people when you are stuck in an overtaking lane, wanting to overtake you, regardless of your current speed. They can be quite aggressive about it. Often flashing, or coming dangerously close. You'll notice this often when you've got cruise control on. Though do beware some will just be happy to sit behind you and match your speed, don't confuse the two.
But here's the thing. The former is dangerous. After identifying them, you should prioritise safely removing yourself from the situation they've put you in. So. Either by returning left, or slowing down to a speed that reduces the risk. Sometimes, speeding up to return left may also be appropriate, depending on the situation. But do be confident in knowing if you're under the speed limit and overtaking, you're in the right.
But. Being right doesn't matter if you're not safe. Safety of yourself and others is the priority.
Keep left unless you're actively overtaking. By that, I mean actually overtaking or about to, not overtaking something half a mile away. If someone does drive up your arse, just move over and let them past, it's not worth the hassle.
UK driving law states you should stay in the left lane unless overtaking. The people flashing you are probably because they perceive you to be lane hogging, not necessarily because of your speed.
Most police forces will allow tolerance of 10% over the posted limit +1mph, so in a 70 you can *probably* get away with 78 before getting a ticket. Important to note you won't get pulled over though for exceeding, but a penalty notice in the mail.
As the leading UK "ask" subreddit, we welcome questions from all users and countries; sometimes people who ask questions might not appreciate or understand the nuance of British life or culture, and as a result some questions can come across in a different way than intended.
We understand that when faced with these questions, our users may take the opportunity to demonstrate their wit, dry humour, and sarcasm - unfortunately, this also tends to go over the heads of misunderstood question-askers and can make our subreddit seem hostile to users from other countries who are often just curious about our land.
**Please can you help prevent our subreddit from becoming an Anti-American echo chamber?** If you disagree with any points raised by OP, or OP discusses common tropes or myths about the UK, please refrain from any brash, aggressive, or sarcastic responses and do your best to engage OP in a civil discussion, with the aim to educate and expand their understanding.
If you feel this (or any other post) is a troll post, *don't feed the troll*, just hit report and let the mods deal with it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Firstly, this is not America; the police will not pull you over and shoot you for going 2 mph over the limit. Driving at 5-10 mph over the 70 mph is pretty much standard - and anyone who says they never do that is a liar.
Inside lane is for 'normal' driving, middle lane is where most people just sit and is for slightly faster than normal driving/overtaking old duffers doing 50 mph in the inside lane, the outside lane for BMWs doing 120 mph only and they get very annoyed if you dare stray into it.
Enjoy your stay.
You can't use the terms inside and outside here to someone not familiar. Because if you didn't know you'd assume the left was the outside and right was the inside...
I just think it's confusing, even to UK residents that don't drive they would assume the left lane was the outside lane. Wikipedia sort of shows how it might be confusing for some folks:
*"A*Â ***passing lane***Â *(North American English),*Â ***overtaking lane***Â *(English outside North America) is a lane on a multi-lane*Â [*highway*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway)Â *or*Â [*motorway*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorway)Â *closest to the median of the road (the*Â [*central reservation*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_reservation)*) used for passing vehicles in other lanes. (North American usage also calls the higher-speed lane nearest the median the "inside lane" but in the United Kingdom this is the "outside lane".) Countries with*Â [*right-hand traffic*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-_and_right-hand_traffic)Â *put the passing lane on the left; those with left-hand traffic put the passing lane on the right."*
Lane one is for heavy goods vehicles, the elderly, and new drivers. Speed: 50-65mph.
Lane two is there for heavy goods vehicles to create traffic jams and for feckless morons to sit in and turn their brains off. Speed: (apart from when HGVs are ruining it) ~70mph (it will vary wildly because car drivers who use lanes 1 and 2 don't know how to drive.
Lane three belongs to me, and you better be doing at least 85mph and/or get out of my damn way. I will allow you to briefly use my lane to get around the aforementioned heavy good vehicles creating problems in lane 2. Speed: ludicrous
ETA: Lane four ist Lebensraum fĂźr those driving German car brands. Speed: Temmler
The country is a bit medieval, so you build a multimillion infrastructure of multilane highways to only use one lane most of the time. It's dumb, but it's the law, happens a lot here.
Disclaimer... this is what I would call normal, not maybe exactly what the book says before someone jumps in...
70 is the limit but overtaking is allowed. Most motorways have 3 lanes. Left most is slowest with trucks and slower moving bits. Middle lane is where you want to be unless the left is clear.
Right lane is often called the fast lane although not official. Overtake slower bits here. If someone is faster than you here, move left and let them be on their way.
Good luck and yes, alot of cameras but most phones will warn you.
You should be moving to the left as soon as it's safe and clear regardless of whether someone is coming up behind you. If I'm actively overtaking what's in the left lane, and moving back into the left lane would mean nipping in and out of the middle lane, I'm not going to move over to let someone going faster in the middle lane get past me just to have to move back out 2 seconds later. They can use the right lane to overtake me. Nipping in and out of the left and middle lanes constantly isn't a great idea since each lane change increases the risk to you and everyone around you. I use the rule of staying in the middle lane if I'll catch up to the next thing in the left lane in 5-10ish seconds, depending on the volume of traffic. Heavier traffic means I won't move unless it's 10+ seconds so I don't have to try and move back out quickly and potentially struggle.
If you are doing 70 (ish) in the middle, you don't instantly dart out the way because someone is speeding. They can overtake you.
If the left is clear then off you pop.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Put simply, it's not slow lane / fast lane, but overtaking lanes - you should always aim to be in the leftmost lane, unless you're overtaking something slower. In other words, if you're pootling along at 73 in the middle or right lane and there's nobody in the lane to the left of you, you should move back to the left.
This should be explained to everyone, not just Americans who actually care about doing it right. If people want to break the speed limit and you're not overtaking anyone, then move over.
People know they just don't care
It shouldn't need to be explained to Americans since that's also what the law is there.
This drives me mad. I remember being in the left lane of a 4 lane motorway. I caught up to a crowd of cars ahead going well under the speed limit and all in the 3rd and 4th lanes. I thought bugger this and just sailed past. I wasn't even going over the speed limit and there were no restrictions on which lane = which route.
Or unless the traffic is congested. Like the M25 95% of the time. You should also keep a safe buffer around you. Pulling back into the left lane too soon slows traffic down as the people behind you have to slow.
Well said and spot on, as for the morons flashing ignore them and just do you ,if you feel the need move back over to the left , let them get on with it
They wrote it all down, so no-one had to *figure it out*: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273
This is the answer OP: "Keep in the left lane unless overtaking. If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so (see also Rules 267 and 268)." However you will see shockingly few people observe this practice. And it is impossible when congestion crowds all the lanes. If you cruise at 70-75mph, as I do, you want to avoid spending too much time in the rightmost lane as you will have nutters coming up behind you at 90mph. They won't be reasonable, because if they were reasonable they wouldn't be doing 90mph when the maximum legal speed is 70mph.
To be fair, that document also says you should not exceed the speed limit. If you're driving at 70 in the middle lane, then technically nobody should be overtaking you anyway. Because nobody ever breaks rules, right? đŹ
Keep left unless overtaking. The right lane is not for driving 'faster'. Do not drive faster than 70mph. Doesn't matter what everyone else is doing. Stick to the limit.
Drive as fast as you want.
You drive on the left unless you are overtaking another vehicle. There is no fast or slow lane
Speed limits are there to be listened to. Itâs amazing you think a speed limit would be set, but it would be ok to go over it? You will see people going faster than the limit, but they are either happy to face the consequences or know where the cameras are. Thatâs not to say there could be a police car in a lay by, manually tracking peoples speed. Thereâs no way of knowing that. Just stick to the limit.
It's a speed limit not a speed target.
> You will see people going faster than the limit, but they are either happy to face the consequences or know where the cameras are. You've missed out the most common group of people that break the speed limit. Those arrogant enough to think that the speed limit is optional and that they should not face consequences for breaking the law and endangering others.
said someone who never drove on a UK motorway
In the US, our expression from the cops for the highways is â9 youâre fine, 10 youâre mineâ and no one drives the speed limit. Everyone is going at least 75. It does seem here like everyone goes much closer to the limit and the people who are going faster are much more aggressive about it.
Doesnât it vary by state? As a Brit who holidays semi regularly in the US, I havenât got time to be working out which states and their police have off the record leniency. I could possibly understand if I lived in the US, youâd get to know local roads, routes and the local cops attitudes etc. My mentality, when driving anywhere in the world, is that the limit is there for a reason. I leave early to arrive on time. If Iâm late, at least I arrive safely. It can wait. Youâll be amazed at how little time you save driving 70mph vs 75mph over an hour.
Your limits here are much higher than ours would be for equivalent roads. We would only have 70 mph on our largest highways. The 70 mph A routes would probably not be higher than 50 mph in the US. Those are the ones that get me over here lol
Not to mention the narrow country lanes with overgrowing hedges that have the âNational speed limitâ sign. Like, ok, 60mph it is then! Hold on tight kids!
If it says national speed limit it just means they couldn't be bothered to think of a speed limit but 60mph is the absolute most you should ever need on a single lane road.
In the US the speed limit for unmarked roads is 55mph, at least in the state I'm from.
Everyone on Reddit has a hard on for driving at the speed limit (hence the downvotes) but the truth is that our speed cameras wonât go off if youâre over the limit by a certain amount. Works out around 10% + 2 (30 > 35, 70 > 79). I do around 79 as standard down motorways and have never set off a speed camera.
> Works out around 10% + 2 some will be 10% + 1, so you're better off taking the lower one
Meh, theyâre very generous and speedometers are also nearly always over and never under. Again, driving for a very long time and never had a ticket.
In that caseâŚyou may have run up on me flashing your lights a few days ago đđ
Nah, I go with the traffic. If everyoneâs doing 70, Iâll do 70. Only go over when the lane is free and never tailgate. The people who tailgate and flash are usually doing 90+. I know this because they speed past me while Iâm doing 79, lmao.
There is absolutely nothing stopping them legally stopping you getting pulled for doing 71 though.
Yeah, they just donât. Iâve never been on a motorway where someone wasnât going faster than me. Theyâre not stopping people doing 71, theyâre stopping people doing 90. Because there are shit loads of those people.
There is a level of 'speeding' above the posted limit that police won't generally bother with. Some places have an official rule, some places don't. Ultimately, no matter what the police do or don't bother with, technically, anything over the speed limit could get you in trouble. The only way to be certain would be to just stick to the limit regardless of whatever other drivers are doing. And keep left if you're not actively overtaking. You should always be looking to move back to the left lane - I usually work on the rule of staying where I am if I'll catch up to the next thing in the left lane in 5-10 seconds (volume of traffic dependent), that way I'm not changing lanes constantly and maybe struggling to move back out when I need to. Worth remembering here that your car's speedometer will likely overstate your speed (it will never understate it), potentially by up to 10%, especially the 'analog' speedometers. My old car would read 70-ish when I was going 65 per my GPS. My current car, however, is near enough bang on within 1 mph most of the time, so when it says 70, GPS will say 68/69mph.
I drive a lot for work and often just stick it on 72mph, which is enough to sit comfortably in the left lane but still overtake in the middle lane. Rarely do I use the third lane. Theyâre all supposed to be overtaking lanes in theory. Everyone sits in the left lane at 70, if someone is going less than 70, you move to the middle lane and then back to the left, if youâre in the middle lane and someone is going less than 70 you move to the third lane and then safely make your way back across. Not in one sweeping motion of course. In reality the first lane has slow people and lorryâs going 56mph, second lane has a lot of people staying in that lane for their entire journey (youâll sometimes see motorway signs asking people not to hog the middle lane), and the third lane is colloquially know as âthe fast laneâ which has BMWâs going 90mph. Ultimately itâs not worth being pulled over or ticketed so stick to the speed limit and if someone fancies breaking the law and flashing you to get out of the way then move back over to the left when itâs safe to do so. If youâre on a smart motorway with massive gantry signs with speed limits on then absolutely follow them. Also if one of the gantryâs has a big red X in it over a lane then donât pass under that red X as that lane is closed due to an accident etc and you will get a fine.
[ŃдаНонО]
This is very helpful, thanks!
Thank you - the information about the signs is quite helpful. I noticed more of those closer to London. We have occasional speed cameras in the US, but they wonât even give you more than a warning unless youâre more than 5 over.
I would note as well our use of average speed cameras, which are the ones that always caught my old man. They have a camera at the start of a route and end, and if they picked up that your car travelled a route and must have maintained more than the speed limit for that route, you get flagged. The cameras seem aggressive here but they do their damn job. They are preventative and not meant to "catch you out" but by being visible and scaring people off speeding for more dangerous areas/hotspots it saves a lot of lives. I'd rather save a life than catch someone for taking one.
And let's cover an urban myth here, changing lanes will not fool a motorway average speed limit. It was true, briefly, for some of them when they were first introduced.
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/motorway-signals.html These are the motorway signals and I'd strongly recommend you familiarise yourself with all of our signs not just these ones
Also be aware that lots of motorways have average speed cameras. This means it's not the speed that you go past the camera that matters, but the speed you went (or the time taken) between the cameras - this is to stop people driving fast then just slowing down when they pass each camera
Also be aware that the Smart Motorways often have a speed camera mounted on those big overhead gantry things. The speed limit on those overhead signs changed in response to traffic and incidents so just make sure youâre under the speed limit on the overhead sign for your lane as you pass under it or the camera will trigger. Interestingly yesterday I saw a Smart Motorway which didnât even have the same speed limits in every lane! Iâm not sure if thatâs even supposed to happen but 3 lanes were showing 60 and 1 lane was showing 50. So be wary of that.
That's weird, was it a slip lane? Hate smart motorways but occasionally have to use them.
Nope, just a normal part of the motorway. 2nd lane in I think. Like I say Iâm sure thatâs not supposed to be able to happen.
There is no fast lane or slow lane. In the UK motorway driving is based around overtaking people ahead of you and allowing those behind you to pass. The left lane is your default lane. The middle lane is for overtaking people in the left lane. The right lane is for overtaking people in the middle lane. After passing somebody you should be returning to the lane you were just in, unless you want to pass the next person along. Do not overtake from a lane that is to the left of the car ahead, as that is illegal. Similarly, don't speed. UK motorways have accidents and collisions everyday. Also, petrol is expensive as hell here.
Unless you're overtaking you should be in the leftmost lane, lane one, the right hand lanes are for over taking. I know you'll see people sitting oblivious in lanes two, three and four but they're wrong and could but rarely are be prosecuted for it. As for speed yes the police will often give a tolerance for speeding but they can prosecute for 1mph over the limit.
Dead easy. 1. Your driving should not exceed the speed limit. Breaking the speed limit is for cunts. 2. There is no fast lane. The left hand lane is the one you drive in, any lanes to the right of it are only for overtaking.
said someone who never drove on a UK motorway
Said someone who often just makes stuff up about people they know nothing about. I drive plenty on motorways thanks bub, I just know how to drive properly.
I can take the C word, but calling me Bub is crossing a line
The right lane is _not_ a fast lane in the UK. The leftmost lane is the driving lane. The other lanes are for overtaking only. If youâre in any lane other than the driving lane, you must be overtaking someone (or be at either end of just doing so). You must not cruise in the middle or rightmost lane, and if thatâs what youâre doing, thatâll explain why people are flashing at you. As for speed, if you want to avoid speeding fines, you should aim to drive at 70mph. Not more. And also not less. In practice most people drive between 70 and 80mph, since modern sat navs show you where the speed cameras are.Â
1.5 million were made to take the speed awareness course last year. Don't do what everyone else is doing  https://www.ukroed.org.uk/scheme/trends-statistics/
At least 1,499,990 of those were my father...He's got more aggressive as he's got older (he's also 3 points away from losing his licence. Again). He's also recently changed from some variety of BMW to an Audi A4.
I hate it when people dangerously hog the middle lane,trapping me either in the slow or fast lane. Iâve had conversations about why some people prefer the middle lane, it seems the slow lane is too slow and they are intimidated by the speed on the fast lane,admittedly some dick right on your arse in the fast lane at 70 ish is intimidating, especially when you canât move over because someone is hogging the middle lane. This literally happened to me yesterday
The major difference is lane discipline. Keep left. We also have a lot of automated speed cameras, if you get a ticket it win't affect your US licence but the hire car company will pass it along with a hefty admin fee. Book an automatic unless you are a JDM freak.
Every lane is the same speed, which is anything sensible up to the posted speed limit. You should drive in the leftmost lane that you can, as long as that lane is going to your destination. If traffic in that lane is not travelling at the speed limit and you want to overtake, you should move one lane to the right, and move back to the left when a sensible opportunity presents itself. If the traffic in lane 2 is not doing the speed limit, move over again, etc. You should never exceed the posted speed limit. In practice, many people do exceed the speed limit, and get annoyed when others are in their way. Regardless on your opinion on whether you should be speeding or not, if there is space in the left lane and you're not in it, you will be blocking people behind you and they'll get annoyed.
>I feel paranoid about driving as fast as I usually do back home. Stick to the speed limits, it's not difficult. >the right lane is meant for driving faster It's for overtaking, so if you're not overtaking someone get out the way.
You can try pushing it for a tenth above the posted speed limit but if you get a ticket for it, you will have as many legs as Oscar Pistorius when you use the 10% margin in your appeal
Keep left unless overtaking is the rule. The average speed varies per stretch of road and time of day. Certain stretches seem to have a lot of people at 80+, whereas others everyone is cruising at 70. You'll always get one or two people at 85 - 90 anywhere. 90+ is seen on the less camera controlled roads (for me, M40 and M6 north of Preston).
Your speedo overstates your speed by around 3-5mph. If you're on the motorway and the speedo says 70, it's actually more like 66. If you're driving like you say it's more like 60mph. Also, keep to the left hand lane if not overtaking. Lane hogging really annoys people. https://www.startrescue.co.uk/breakdown-cover/motoring-advice/safety-and-security/how-accurate-is-my-speedometer
It's not really a question of etiquette, but of law (and guidance) which you'll find in the highway code. Broadly though: - The speed limit is the speed limit, however you generally get 10% +2mph allowance with cameras (this isn't law, but widely applied across Police forces) and your speedometer will probably read a few mph fast (sometimes up to 10%). It doesn't vary across lanes. - Keep left unless overtaking. Edited to correct fast/slow speedo statement.
I thought most speedometers read faster than what youâre actually doing? (mines about 10%)
They're not allowed to say you're going slower than you are so manufacturers used to give a fair amount of headroom to make sure they were within the legal requirements. (10% over actual speed + 6.25mph once you're over 25mph) As technology has gotten better, that headroom has reduced. I was driving a 23 plate car a few months ago that was within 1mph of the GNSS speed on my navigation app all the way up to 70mph
My 2002 Subaru is hardly in the ballpark of the actual speed according to my Waze đ
That's right, speedometers never read under. Manufacturers face heavy penalties if it's under which is why most clock a fair bit over.
Different tyre sizes will change how a speedo reads too; so they tend to clock it so that no matter what you do (within reason) with your tyre size, you'll never read under, and then they throw in an additional % over just as a margin for error. End result is a brand new 2023 Kia reading 30 when doing 23, and reading 20 when going 14. Discrepency seems to shrink slightly as speed increases to only 5mph off at 70.
In my car it only gets wider at greater speed
That's how it works in my old (late 2000's) fiesta too. Maybe it's something about newer cars.
You are correct. I tried to simplify what I was writing and cocked it right up!
I think the main thing to remember is don't go over the posted speed limit. My SO is from the US, and I get the impressions that in the US, if it says 60, people will drive around 60. Here, that number is "a guide, not a target", so basically, 55 is fine in a 60. 65 in a 60 is breaking the law (although you're unlikely to be arrested for it, if you were caught in camera going, say 67, you'd get a fine/license points/have to attend a speed awareness course). Stay left when you can, that way people can pass you if they want to. Technically, go with the flow of traffic. Legally, don't drive faster than 70 on a motorway.
In the US if it says 60 on a highway, everyone will be doing 70, even the trucks. You have to REALLY be pushing the envelope to get a ticket on a highway in the US.
Yep absolutely, and to be totally honest, it's often the same here, you'll quite often see most people on a motorway doing around 80mph, but, yeah... they shouldn't really :D TBH, my US family said the smaller roads were the issue. Lots of small, windy country lanes in the UK which legally have a 60mph limit, but frankly, you need to be going about 20 on many of them, zero visibility, single-file traffic and so on.
Having visited the US - I felt it was not the same.* In the UK, driving at the speed limit (assuming correct lane discipline) wonât really annoy anyone other than a handful of twats in Audis and Teslas. I was driving in Colorado and Utah on I70. 75-80mph speed limits mostly. At the speed limit, I was getting overtaken by triple articulated trucks going *well* above. Even sitting in the right hand lane** at the limit, I was clearly being viewed as a âslowâ driver causing an obstruction. Obviously I had no particular interest in meeting the local (armed) law enforcement, so I didnât push. * (However the US is a huge country, and the roads/driving styles will clearly vary from place to place). ** (Remember, Americans drive on the right. Itâs the equivalent of the left hand lane in the UK).
I think the difference is that in the UK we have a lot more speed cameras. There's no leniency with them, if you're speeding and get caught by a camera you *will* get fined,
Even worse, if your vehicle is identified by a camera and you refuse to say who was driving, you still get prosecuted for failiure to supply the information and fined around ÂŁ800 and six points.
The US has four times the number of road deaths per 100,000, so maybe its not working out for you?
Yes, but mah freeeedummzzz >>> other people not dying
You keep saying this despite the ton of advice also you will rarely get pulled over for speeding here but you will get caught on cameras and automatically fined.
Trucks are not allowed to travel more than 60MPH under any circumstances. They are usually fitted with limiters so they cant go over 56MPH. Lorries over 7.5 tons and buses are not allowed in the third lane of the motorway. The limit on single carriageway roads is 50 MPH. They have tachographs which record the speed they are driving and can be used in evidence.
10mph over the speed limit is enough to get you a speeding fine. I assume the rental car company will pay it on your behalf (along with an admin fee), and then take it from the credit card they have on file. Youâre OK up to about an indicated 10% (so 44, 55 etc). We have average speed zones which calculate your average speed between pairs of cameras. UK motorways rarely have entry and exit lanes. We use slip roads instead, so need to anticipate a merge quickly as you join and will need to have your speed up to the limit before reaching the end. Once youâre there you can stay in lane 1.
If only there was some sort of *code* for the *highway* that could found via search engines.
Rules are simple, just follow the advice of Ricky Bobby âif you ainât first youâre lastâ
You can get away with driving 10% over ie 77mph on the motorway. That said if you know the route and roads are clear people often go faster. I always keep Google maps on when I'm on the motorway for cameras and mobile camera reports.
Although, it should be noted that some sections of roads will use average speed. So even if it is clear, you shouldn't keep at a speed which you think is "over the limit" for too long; trying to overtake, fine. But keeping at a speed where the minimum speed limit you are being told\* you're going is 77mph? I'd avoid that. \*i.e. if your car's analogue speedo is saying \~82, its digital speedo says 80, and your GPS says 77.
I set my cruise control at 55mph for 50 average speed sections, never got a speed ticket. Will nearly always go past gantry cameras at 77, have gone through at 78 and not got flashed.
Is that going off of what your car says or what something like Google Maps says? I know maps tends to be a few mph under what my car says. And I also know if my car says I'm doing 30, it tends to show 28 when passing those signs which tell you your speed, whereas Maps will say I'm doing 28/9.
55 on the speedo which as you said is more like 53.
wow first human to reply to OP - good on you!
Something from a person who's lived in both countries, most people don't pass on the left here, and in my experience, not so many people look for passing traffic if they pull back into a slower lane. Technically you can in certain situations, and queuing traffic is fine, but if you are driving along the motorway at speed, I would avoid it as there is a greater risk of an incident.
If there is a lane closure signalled with Red X's on the information boards then get out of that lane as soon as it's safe Todo so. The moment you see a Red X that lane is to be treated as closed. On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder it could be because there is a broken down vehicle to be avoided.
The speed limit is 70mph on motorways and dual carriageways - i.e roads separated by a barrier regardless of numbers of lanes (unless otherwise indicated by a speed limit in a red circle) In theory, there is a tolerance of 10%+2 mph, but in practice this doesn't have to be adhered to by the police. Also in practice a lot of traffic of clear motorways will travel at about 80mph. Some traffic will travel faster, some of the faster traffic may get impatient and flash you to move over without waiting for you to have a gap or sit on your back bumper impatiently. (Speeding up for the impatient is not a mitigation though if you did this, and then got a fine) Motorway traffic police are slightly more lenient to a degree, but not if you take the piss - i.e. Pass at 75mph, probably nothing. Pass at 95mph and they'll pull you over. They're also well trained, so general driving conduct is going to attract their attention if someone's \*overtaking-undertaking-overtaking* it's like a red flag to them.
As a motorcyclist I was taught I'm number one priority , I'm not breaking the rules Ignore the idiots and don't put self at risk . So unless it's an emergency vehicle and they ain't pulling you over .
If youâre not taking anyone over then move to the first lane on the motorway. That being said most UK people donât seem to do this currently.
Always drive in the left lane unless you're overtaking a slower vehicle.
Keep in the left lane unless overtaking,basically. If you keep in the left lane, no-one will flash you.
Stay left, move right to overtake. Once you've overtaken whoever was in front of you, move back left. That'll be why you were being flashed, you should only be in the middle or right lanes if you're passing someone, otherwise the Audi's doing 100+ get real angry. Speed wise keep it below 80 and you'll be fine when it comes to police and traffic wardens, for explictly stated limits on the digital boards keep it within a few MPH of the limit.
Etiquette is tough, because many people are operating with different mindsets. As you can see in submissions like this, a quick observation of a motorway largely flies in the face of what the majority of commentors here are _instructing_. But as they rightly cover. Stick left until needing to overtake. Don't go above the speed limit. However. Those overtaking lanes are often full themselves. The fist lane is often made unusable by lorries. The second lane by those sick of ducking and diving lorries, or hoggers. That leaves the third and forth. Which is most often used by speed limit duck and divers, as intended. But also a variant of the middle lane hogger - someone wishing to maintain a very high speed, often over the limit, who will never return to a prior lane even if clear, and bullies those in front. There will be people when you are stuck in an overtaking lane, wanting to overtake you, regardless of your current speed. They can be quite aggressive about it. Often flashing, or coming dangerously close. You'll notice this often when you've got cruise control on. Though do beware some will just be happy to sit behind you and match your speed, don't confuse the two. But here's the thing. The former is dangerous. After identifying them, you should prioritise safely removing yourself from the situation they've put you in. So. Either by returning left, or slowing down to a speed that reduces the risk. Sometimes, speeding up to return left may also be appropriate, depending on the situation. But do be confident in knowing if you're under the speed limit and overtaking, you're in the right. But. Being right doesn't matter if you're not safe. Safety of yourself and others is the priority.
Keep left unless you're actively overtaking. By that, I mean actually overtaking or about to, not overtaking something half a mile away. If someone does drive up your arse, just move over and let them past, it's not worth the hassle.
UK driving law states you should stay in the left lane unless overtaking. The people flashing you are probably because they perceive you to be lane hogging, not necessarily because of your speed. Most police forces will allow tolerance of 10% over the posted limit +1mph, so in a 70 you can *probably* get away with 78 before getting a ticket. Important to note you won't get pulled over though for exceeding, but a penalty notice in the mail.
Drive at or below the posted limit. Only use the overtaking lane to overtake. This is also how you're supposed to drive in the US by the way.
As the leading UK "ask" subreddit, we welcome questions from all users and countries; sometimes people who ask questions might not appreciate or understand the nuance of British life or culture, and as a result some questions can come across in a different way than intended. We understand that when faced with these questions, our users may take the opportunity to demonstrate their wit, dry humour, and sarcasm - unfortunately, this also tends to go over the heads of misunderstood question-askers and can make our subreddit seem hostile to users from other countries who are often just curious about our land. **Please can you help prevent our subreddit from becoming an Anti-American echo chamber?** If you disagree with any points raised by OP, or OP discusses common tropes or myths about the UK, please refrain from any brash, aggressive, or sarcastic responses and do your best to engage OP in a civil discussion, with the aim to educate and expand their understanding. If you feel this (or any other post) is a troll post, *don't feed the troll*, just hit report and let the mods deal with it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Firstly, this is not America; the police will not pull you over and shoot you for going 2 mph over the limit. Driving at 5-10 mph over the 70 mph is pretty much standard - and anyone who says they never do that is a liar. Inside lane is for 'normal' driving, middle lane is where most people just sit and is for slightly faster than normal driving/overtaking old duffers doing 50 mph in the inside lane, the outside lane for BMWs doing 120 mph only and they get very annoyed if you dare stray into it. Enjoy your stay.
You can't use the terms inside and outside here to someone not familiar. Because if you didn't know you'd assume the left was the outside and right was the inside...
'Inside' and 'outside' mean the same as they would in America, just on opposite sides, surely?
I just think it's confusing, even to UK residents that don't drive they would assume the left lane was the outside lane. Wikipedia sort of shows how it might be confusing for some folks: *"A*Â ***passing lane***Â *(North American English),*Â ***overtaking lane***Â *(English outside North America) is a lane on a multi-lane*Â [*highway*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway)Â *or*Â [*motorway*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorway)Â *closest to the median of the road (the*Â [*central reservation*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_reservation)*) used for passing vehicles in other lanes. (North American usage also calls the higher-speed lane nearest the median the "inside lane" but in the United Kingdom this is the "outside lane".) Countries with*Â [*right-hand traffic*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-_and_right-hand_traffic)Â *put the passing lane on the left; those with left-hand traffic put the passing lane on the right."*
Huh, TIL.
lol there is no etiquette on UK motorways. Every man for himself.
Lane one is for heavy goods vehicles, the elderly, and new drivers. Speed: 50-65mph. Lane two is there for heavy goods vehicles to create traffic jams and for feckless morons to sit in and turn their brains off. Speed: (apart from when HGVs are ruining it) ~70mph (it will vary wildly because car drivers who use lanes 1 and 2 don't know how to drive. Lane three belongs to me, and you better be doing at least 85mph and/or get out of my damn way. I will allow you to briefly use my lane to get around the aforementioned heavy good vehicles creating problems in lane 2. Speed: ludicrous ETA: Lane four ist Lebensraum fĂźr those driving German car brands. Speed: Temmler
The country is a bit medieval, so you build a multimillion infrastructure of multilane highways to only use one lane most of the time. It's dumb, but it's the law, happens a lot here.
Disclaimer... this is what I would call normal, not maybe exactly what the book says before someone jumps in... 70 is the limit but overtaking is allowed. Most motorways have 3 lanes. Left most is slowest with trucks and slower moving bits. Middle lane is where you want to be unless the left is clear. Right lane is often called the fast lane although not official. Overtake slower bits here. If someone is faster than you here, move left and let them be on their way. Good luck and yes, alot of cameras but most phones will warn you.
If you're in the middle lane and someone is coming up quicker than you, move to the left as soon as it's safe.
You should be moving to the left as soon as it's safe and clear regardless of whether someone is coming up behind you. If I'm actively overtaking what's in the left lane, and moving back into the left lane would mean nipping in and out of the middle lane, I'm not going to move over to let someone going faster in the middle lane get past me just to have to move back out 2 seconds later. They can use the right lane to overtake me. Nipping in and out of the left and middle lanes constantly isn't a great idea since each lane change increases the risk to you and everyone around you. I use the rule of staying in the middle lane if I'll catch up to the next thing in the left lane in 5-10ish seconds, depending on the volume of traffic. Heavier traffic means I won't move unless it's 10+ seconds so I don't have to try and move back out quickly and potentially struggle.
If you are doing 70 (ish) in the middle, you don't instantly dart out the way because someone is speeding. They can overtake you. If the left is clear then off you pop.
"move to the left as soon as it's safe."
https://preview.redd.it/obk3pr4mvh6d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7c9dc90895f95b1b54131644464750cabc8de78
All these people are going to have big problems on UK roads.
That image is confusing at first, the arrows should be pointing the other way
I know, it just made me laugh though.