Menace of the middle-lane hoggers

AS many motorists will know, middle-lane hogging is one of the most frustrating driving habits. And now research has found it can also be extremely dangerous.

Middle-lane drivers are responsible for more than half of all lane ‘drifts’ committed on motorways, according to a report commissioned by insurer Direct Line.

Middle-lane hogging is when vehicles remain in that lane longer than necessary, even when there aren’t any vehicles in the inside lane to overtake.

Analysis of over 70 hours of footage found one in nine vehicles on the road drifted out of their lane, risking collision. Most drifting was caused by loss of attention (48 per cent) followed by lanes being too narrow (34 per cent) and tiredness (29 per cent).

In-car distractions leading to drifting included passengers in the vehicle, changing the music and programming the sat nav.

When driving along a motorway, rule 264 of the Highway Code states you should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. Middle-lane hoggers can receive £100 spot fines and be prosecuted for careless driving – though in reality these powers are very rarely used by police.