Middle-lane hogging rife despite the threat of a fine

A year on from the first driver being prosecuted for middle-lane hogging, almost a third of motorists still admit to hogging the middle lane of a motorway, according to new research by motoring website Confused.com. Meanwhile, new freedom of information police data requested by Confused.com reveals just 135 cases of middle-lane hogging have been recorded since spot fines were introduced by the government in 2013 to tackle careless driving.
September 16, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

A year on from the first driver being prosecuted for middle-lane hogging, almost a third of motorists still admit to hogging the middle lane of a motorway, according to new research by motoring website Confused.com. Meanwhile, new freedom of information police data requested by Confused.com reveals just 135 cases of middle-lane hogging have been recorded since spot fines were introduced by the government in 2013 to tackle careless driving.

A further look at the FOI data reveals the actual number of drivers caught middle-lane hogging could be much higher. Careless driving also includes tailgating, undertaking and driving too slowly - offences which are often a direct result of middle-lane hogging, even if they’re not recorded as such. In total, 1,158 drivers have fallen foul of careless driving spot fines.

Despite the fact that many drivers admit to hogging the middle lane, the practice is deemed selfish by over half (51%) of other road users. An additional 48% believe it is a leading cause of increased traffic congestion. Meanwhile, over one in 10 drivers have experienced a vehicle collision or near miss on account of another road user hogging the middle lane.

Many drivers believe more needs to be done to make motorists aware of the rules of middle-lane hogging, with half of them saying motorway signs should be used to raise awareness of the dangers.

The research also shows that almost one in five drivers say they have never been taught about middle-lane hogging, while almost two-fifths of UK drivers are unaware that the practice is an offence punishable by at least three penalty points and a £100 fine.

Related Content

  • Survey finds one third of parents witness near misses outside schools
    October 8, 2014
    A detailed survey carried out by international tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, road charity Brake and internet-based market research firm YouGov has revealed that a third of primary school parents have witnessed near misses outside the school gates. More than half of parents are also worried about their child’s safety near roads on the school run, as autumn arrives and the nights get darker. The survey also revealed that: Two thirds see 4-11 year olds crossing the road without holding the hand of an a
    Read More
  • One in ten drivers admit to driving on autopilot
    February 20, 2014
    The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging motorists to beware of the perils of driving on autopilot following research which shows that one in ten drivers are often unable to remember their entire car journey. The poll of almost 1,500 drivers, carried out by Vision Critical on behalf of the IAM, also revealed that 54 per cent of drivers admitted to missing a turning because they were distracted. A further 14 per cent of drivers are quite often unable to recall any part of their journey in the
    Read More
  • Sign language reduces human error says Clearview
    September 26, 2019
    Wrong-way warning systems and advanced queue detection can help to reduce human error. They can also cut road accidents – and therefore road deaths, says Clearview Intelligence Where were nearly 1,800 deaths on the UK’s roads in 2018 – an average of five people dying each day. The largest single cause of serious injury is crashes at junctions (accounting for 33% of incidents), while the largest single cause of death was run-off road crashes (30%) “With vehicles increasingly being designed with saf
    Read More
  • Network Rail: campaign to reduce alcohol-related railway incidents
    December 22, 2017
    To combat the 7,419 recorded alcohol-related incidents on or around the railway in 2016/17, 16% of which took place over the festive period; Network Rail, British Transport Police, RSSB and charity Drinkware have launched a campaign called Keep a Clear Head. The scheme is also encouraging the public to keep a clear head on the rail network using local and national communications channels, including across social media.
    Read More

Highlighted Content