Police remind Northern Ireland drivers of the Highway Code rules against hogging outside lanes
Police have issued a Highway Code reminder to drivers who hog the outside lanes of Northern Ireland’s motorways and dual-carriageways when the inside lane is clear.
Officers took to social media to try to get the message across, prompting quite a debate from hundreds of drivers.
"We often come across drivers who drive in the outside lane of the motorway, even when they are not overtaking and the inside lane is clear,” the police post stated.
"You must not drive in the outside lane of a motorway unless you are overtaking.
"You should always use the left-hand lane for normal driving and return to it as soon as it is safe to do so, after overtaking. This rule applies to all multi-lane roads, including dual carriageways.”
Police directed drivers to The Highway Code for Northern Ireland's rules for motorways which states: ‘You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear.
‘If you are overtaking a number of slower moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.
‘Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking.
‘You must not drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police or signs.’
In relation to overtaking, The Highway Code states: ‘Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.
‘In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.
‘Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.’
The PSNI social media post has prompted more than 300 comments, mostly from people fed up with middle and fast lane hoggers.
One man said the problem was particularly noticeable on the M2 northbound hill section.
"People sit in middle lane for three miles knowing that the left lane filters off to Sandyknowes,” he said.
Another added: “Every night for the last eights years when I've been driving at 3-4am there never fails to be some numpty in the middle lane in Belfast.
"Time for an ad campaign ‘When the left lane is clear, you should be here’.
The M2 was also mentioned by several others.
"Travel the M22 / M2 any weekday morning and evening southbound or northbound and the outside lane huggers are on the overtaking lane as if the rules don't matter”.
Another person added: “M2 hill section....R driver today in the middle lane about to be undertaken by a lorry; completely unaware of the chaos they were causing.”
While this driver said: “Tell this to 90% of the drivers on the A2 Belfast - Bangor carriageway. It seems like the outside lane is now the default lane to go into.”