Drunken Bungle Whore

Just curious - I drive a stretch of the M25 every day (M40 - M3 - lucky me!) and most days the gantry signs read "Congestion, Stay in Lane". Very often the lane to my left becomes clear enough for me to pull into. So - should I obey the gantry and stay in my lane, or should I pull into the lane to my left?


(Note - has anyone else noticed that when the "Stay in Lane" signs appear, it has rather the same effect on the traffic as hearing Mike Reid bellow "Runnarrraaannnddd Naaaaahhhhh!")

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

when i get into situations like that (specially a 4 lane stretch like that one) i go in to chill out mode and just sit where I am knowing I'll get to where I'm going eventually

It always seems that the people who duck and dive and jump lanes never really get any further forward

OllyK

As soon as I am in a position where I'm not overtaking I head for the left most lane. If traffic is getting very busy I tend to head in that direction too, I usually find I make better progress in that lane as nobody else seems to want to be in it.

Drunken Bungle Whore

I agree - and that's usually the approach I take as well - but I'm just curious as to what is technically 'correct'.

SteveScooby

iTrader: (2)

The signs are advisory only unless they've got a red circle around them

Drunken Bungle Whore

Ta everso!

scarey

especially if you are coming up to a junction because alot of the cars in front of you will leave the motorway

Drunken Bungle Whore

OK - now I have a supplementary question. Why do all speed limit signs have red borders - apart from the national speed limit sign? (The white one with the diagonal black line).

Shark Man

That's what I do, I find mainly beacuse the trucks stick at a more constant and slower speed and thus no start/stop.

Whilst everyone in lane 2 and 3 (mainly cars) Puts their foot down as soon as they see some space, they then have to slam their brakes on because they are bunched up 200yards further on Dangerous, waste of fuel, waste of brake pads. Whilst in Lane 1 you just potter past everyone

vindaloo

The "national speed limit applies" sign cancells the previous restriction (30, 40, 50) etc. Many years ago before Barbarra Castle, there wasn't an "Open road speed limit". Until people started testing supercars on the "new" M1 at the time.

BTW: I head for the nearside lane in two situations...
1) The average speed is less than or close to 55mph which is what the lorries can do.
2) Traffic on the motorway slows and stops.

Frequently, the nearside lane continues to potter along with the stress of zero braking distance and mass panic braking that goes with the "fast" lane.

If I can't blast along, then I'll potter along, depending on which car I'm driving.

J.

speedking

But after you've gone past the off slip an equal number of cars join lane 1 from the on slip, so you are no better off

vindaloo

Yes.... but a lot of people move to the middle lane to "prepare" for junctions and the on-slip. At very busy times, this means the outside two lanes clog up, whilst it's possible to move to the inside and potter along at 40 and then merge into the middle lane at or just before the on-slip.

J.

Drunken Bungle Whore

Thanks for that - just having an inquisitive afternoon!