News & Topical Articles

 

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IMPORTANT: click here to read the DISCLAIMER

 

This is a UK press release but it is important everywhere and applies even in drive-on-the-right countries 

if you simply switch around the "lefts" and the "rights" in the text. 

 

KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVERTAKING

 

AND DON'T HOG THE MIDDLE LANE 

 

11 October, 2004

 

 

Two new safety messages - urging motorway drivers to 'Keep Left Unless Overtaking' and 'Don't Hog the Middle Lane' - will be piloted on selected motorway message signs on the M1, M6, M18 and M62 for one week, starting after 10am on the morning of Monday, 11 October.

 

The Highways Agency is testing driver reaction to the messages as part of its campaign to reduce accidents on England's motorways.

 

Thirty selected motorway message signs will display one of the two messages between October 11 - 17. Motorway signs in Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire will be used in the campaign.

 

David Jamieson, the Minister for Roads, said: "We are committed to tackling congestion and making our roads safer. Poor lane discipline causes frustration to drivers and can disrupt the flow of traffic.

 

"We have all seen people on the motorway sitting in the wrong lane and experienced the inconvenience and congestion it causes. Just sticking to the simple rule of staying left unless overtaking could bring real benefits to all road users."

 

The messages are designed to remind drivers to safely move back into the left lane after overtaking, in accordance with Highway Code rule 238.

Some of the drivers in the vehicles to the left of the central reservation ('median') are showing poor lane discipline. A good rule of thumb is that if you can return to a more appropriate lane for at least ten seconds before you might need to move out again for another overtake ('pass') then do so. 

 

Note the sign on the first lighting pole, warning of speed cameras ahead. Also note that this road is clearly NOT a motorway because (a) a footpath is present (top right) and (b) a motorway would have a hard shoulder, plus additional road markings and cats' eyes ('studs').

 

 

 

Ginny Clarke, the Agency's Chief Highways Engineer, said:  "We have chosen the messages 'Keep Left Unless Overtaking' and 'Don't Hog the Middle Lane' to remind drivers of the safe driving advice in the Highway Code.

 

"We want drivers to think about how they are using motorway lanes. Are they taking care when overtaking, signalling in good time and keeping a safe distance between their vehicle and others?

 

"Or are they spending too long in the middle or outside lanes, and causing frustration to other drivers when they could safely return to an inside lane?"

 

Section 238 of the Highway Code advises motorway drivers to keep in a left-hand lane unless they are overtaking slower-moving vehicles. Drivers are told to return to the left hand lane after completing the overtaking manoeuvre or if they are holding up traffic behind them.

 

The results of the week-long trial will be studied by the Highways Agency. The Agency will then consider how safety messages such as 'Keep Left Unless Overtaking' and 'Don't Hog the Middle Lane' can be used most effectively on its road network.

 

Source: HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (HA 070-04) issued by the Government News Network

Explanatory notes for drivers from the USA 

and other drive-on-the-right countries

 

Divided highways in Britain are known as dual carriageways and the best (i.e. the most tightly controlled) of these are motorways.

 

Relatively few of Britain's motorways have more than three lanes in each direction, and in all cases the rule is 'keep left except when overtaking (i.e. 'passing'). So not only are vehicles using the right-hand lane expected to move back into the lane to their left when it is safe to do so, after passing another vehicle, but vehicles in the central lane(s) are expected to do likewise.

 

Because of the very heavy traffic density on Britain's roads, it has long been recognized that drivers who stay in the middle lane(s) are just as big a hindrance to traffic flow as are those who sit in the right-hand lane (the equivalent of America's left-hand lane).

 

In Britain, returning to the correct lane after passing another vehicle on a divided highway is known as 'lane discipline'.

 

 

 

NOTES

 

1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. It manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State. It works closely with other transport operators and with local authorities to integrate the trunk road network with the rest of England's roads and other forms of travel.

 

2. The Highways Agency has a network of around 2,000 electronic variable message signs (VMS) on its motorways and trunk roads in England. The signs are primarily available to alert drivers to road conditions ahead, and to advise of diversion routes when incidents occur. The Agency also has the ability to use selected signs to remind drivers about key safety issues. These safety messages are carefully targeted to be relevant to drivers at certain times of the year or on certain routes.

 

3. Other safety messages which have been displayed on selected message signs during 2004 include: "Don't Drive Tired"; "Take Extra Care through Roadworks"; and "Keep Your Distance". The safety messages are displayed when the signs are not needed for operational use.

 

4. Information about roadworks across England's motorway and trunk road network is available from the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 504030 or from the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk