Lane Discipline on Multi-Lane Roads

But so often is the case that you are doing 100 in the outside lane (where the limit is 100) and you have cars, vans etc right up your a*se - you are driving right on the speed limit but feel under huge pressure to move over straight away.
I always move back into the other lane as soon as its safe as its not worth crashing over but I find these types of drivers don't give you much time!

Agreed, there is no excuse for aggressive tailgating like that. A simple flash of the lights should be enough the encourage people to move lanes if there is a need to do so. Never try and slow down a speeder by staying in lane, get out of the way and let them on. You can wave as you pass them after being pulled in further down the road.
 
But so often is the case that you are doing 100 in the outside lane (where the limit is 100) and you have cars, vans etc right up your a*se - you are driving right on the speed limit but feel under huge pressure to move over straight away.
I always move back into the other lane as soon as its safe as its not worth crashing over but I find these types of drivers don't give you much time!

You shouldn't be in that lane unless you are overtaking yourself.
 
On a related note, if a bus lane is inactive - say on a Saturday or Sunday morning - then surely everybody should be driving in it as it is the left-most lane? There seems to be a fear among drivers of using bus lanes even when the sign clearly says they are not in operation.

As previous posts have mentioned, don't get me started on indicator use...or fog lights and faulty bulbs.
 
On a related note, if a bus lane is inactive - say on a Saturday or Sunday morning - then surely everybody should be driving in it as it is the left-most lane? There seems to be a fear among drivers of using bus lanes even when the sign clearly says they are not in operation.

As previous posts have mentioned, don't get me started on indicator use...or fog lights and faulty bulbs.

I was driving in a bus lane. Guard stopped me. I said 'Im allowed drive here after 7pm'. Guard looked at his watch and said 'ah its only 5 to 7'. I turned up the radio for him to clearly hear the END of the 7pm news. Perhaps its this attitude has people afraid to use them - if I hadnt had a radio it would have been a case of my word against his.
 
In fairness everyone uses that lane, in particular when its at peak travel times.
You appear to be missing the whole point behind this thread - that drivers ARE using the outermost lanes as default lanes - with the result that the inner lanes are underused. Because "everyone uses that lane" doesn't mean that "everyone" should act like lemmings.

Its quite like driving on the continent - rightmost lanes are full, with the left hand lanes used for overtaking.

It IS permissable to change lanes. You won't lose any valuable asset by moving back in after overtaking, nor will you lose time, unless you get blocked in and, if you are, what would you have done with the, say, 10 seconds you have lost?
 
I thought it was simply, the outer lane is for overtaking. as soon as I 'm not passing something I move over. lived in UK for many years and have noticed the differance in motorway/duelcarriage driving here. I have seen more than once, people reversing down the hard shoulder of duelcarriage way because they missed an exit, people like that shouldn't be allowed to drive.
 
You appear to be missing the whole point behind this thread - that drivers ARE using the outermost lanes as default lanes - with the result that the inner lanes are underused. Because "everyone uses that lane" doesn't mean that "everyone" should act like lemmings.

Its quite like driving on the continent - rightmost lanes are full, with the left hand lanes used for overtaking.

It IS permissable to change lanes. You won't lose any valuable asset by moving back in after overtaking, nor will you lose time, unless you get blocked in and, if you are, what would you have done with the, say, 10 seconds you have lost?

Marathon Man I agree with you but there is a sad lack of courtesy on our roads that cause people to stay in the overtaking lane in peak traffice. For example there may be 10 cars behind you and after you overtake a car leaving (for example) a few hundred meter on the inner lane free to the next car, if you move in, chances are you will catch up to the next car and still have those same ten cars on the overtaking lane behind you ... and you're then stuck waiting for all 10 cars to pass you as none will let you back out. Hence I can sort of understand when people are reluctant to move back in during peak hours.
Instead of getting annoyed I just relax back and enjoy the radio ... it just ain't worth getting too annoyed!!
 
They should use the Walkinstown Roundabout (or the Walkinstown Wheel of Fortune) to demonstrate the above - if you can manage that you can manage anything!

What annoys the hell out of me is when I'm approaching a roundabout to drive straight through I stay in left lane and indicate left after I've passed the 1st exit....but some use the right lane for this.
There's one particular roundabout just after Orwell, near Perrystown where this happens every morning. The left lane is usually longer with people going straight into town but some inconsiderates fly up the right and straight through and some near misses have happened.

I get myself into a temper approaching it:mad: More fool me...
 
Instead of getting annoyed I just relax back and enjoy the radio ... it just ain't worth getting too annoyed!!

Yup!! ......and watch the lemmings go by, maybe each 10 -20 feet behind the car in front @ 100kph +/- ...and especially if you're in the leftmost lane, with maybe 1/4 mile to the next car ahead.

Though I can't help getting annoyed at the tractors etc, in the outer lanes, let alone being on these roads in the first place.
 
Last week I was in a 60 km area which had two lanes doing 60km. I saw a garda car come up behind me so I pulled into the slower lane to allow it pass and I slowed to about 40 kmh.
The garda car immediately put on its siren and stopped me. The Garda when he came to the window asked why I had pulled across. when I said it was to let him pass he laughed and said he'd stopped me as he thought I might be drunk (far from it - I was going home from work). He then got back in his car and sped off!!
Strange country we live in where when you show a bit of courtesy on the road Gardai think you're drunk!
 
I think we've found our first culprit

Guilty as charged :D

Mostly I drive on the inside lane as I find most cars in the 'overtaking' lane tend to be driving over the speed limit.

However I find it VERY hard to believe that most people on AAM only use the outside lane for overtaking, in particular, during peak times. The fact is it moves faster and if you stay on the inside lane you are subjected to people going well under the speed limit, slow moving trucks etc. It would be great if the outside lane was used just to overtake but the reality is that this is not the case....
 
On the 4-lane sections of the M50, I find that the inside lane is invariably empty and allows one to make great progress.
 
...er... partly because of people like you don't forget! :D ;)

Yes you are right :)

In general I do tend to use the 'slow' lane as I find the those who use the outside line tend to be going over the speed limit. Its only if its really busy or I get 'stuck' in the lane.

Will think of you all the next time I'm about to pull out into the fast lane ;)
 
The rules are plainly explained here:

Ok well this NEVER happens. Take the stillorgan dual carraige way. People use both lanes as using just the one lane (in particular at peak times) would mean the traffic would never flow and you would have an empty lane for most of the time as the speed limit is only 60 for most parts.
 
On the 4-lane sections of the M50, I find that the inside lane is invariably empty and allows one to make great progress.

This inside lane, in the 4 lane section, should not be treated as a normal "slow lane". It is an interchange lane, designed for use only by people who get on at one junction and leave at the next.

Where this 4th lane exists, technically the 2nd lane from the left is the "slow lane".

Though, given our general disregard for lane discipline, if the lane is empty, it'll most likely be used by everyone anyway.

Check out the image - here - for the lane layout.
 
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Was behind someone driving a Ford Ka ( first heinous crime in itself) yesterday evening on the Limerick bypass to N7, no way would she pull over, although the 'slow' lane was not busy at all. Put on my indicator, but did not flash or anything else as consider this to be too aggressive. Doesnt happen too much around Limerick from what I've seen cause its not as busy as Dublin I suppose, but very annoying all the same.
 
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