£100 fine for middle lane hogs and tailgaters

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22770064


As far as I'm concerned, this is great news. Nothing gets me going more than these two sets of drivers.

The general impatience of tailgaters and sence of arrogance and superiority gets my blood boiling. The fine should be more like £200 in my opinion.

Finally, the tyranny of middle lane drivers is coming to an end.

Definitely good news - we need better lane discipline on the motorways. Although I doubt it will be enforced too much round Newport, where the nearside lane has a habit of disappearing and then reappearing on a regular basis.

The Revenue Collection Service (The Police) will love this. Absolutely stupid idea in my opinion. What a police officer may interpret as someone hogging the middle lane may be completely different from a driver. As motorway driving isn't part of the test this is beyond absurd.

Also what stops a police officer just being an arse and claiming you were tailgating?

This is a political move to boost funding for the police on the back of the cuts. Of that there is no doubt and once again us, the motorists have to fund it due to the police not doing their job properly elsewhere.

Im so happy at 18 I decided against joining the RCS and decided to work for 2 years and go to uni instead.

Just because motorway driving isn't part of the test doesn't mean you can do what you like on the motorway. The basic rules are set out in the Highway Code. Yes, it's all down to interpretation, but that's the same with any careless driving offence. There's nothing to stop a police officer being an arse now and claiming you were driving erratically or not wearing your seat belt etc.

The Tonker wrote:Just because motorway driving isn't part of the test doesn't mean you can do what you like on the motorway. The basic rules are set out in the Highway Code. Yes, it's all down to interpretation, but that's the same with any careless driving offence. There's nothing to stop a police officer being an arse now and claiming you were driving erratically or not wearing your seat belt etc.

Just going to be a waste of money imo. Take it to court wasting time and then it'll get thrown out 9/10 for lack of evidence. Maybe the police should do their real job you know and stop extremists hacking people to death with machetes in the street.

Well, I don't think the proposals involve diverting resources away from the anti-terrorist units into the motorway traffic police.

Have to agree with Tonker I'm afraid....tailgating is extremely reckless and dangerous....it's about time something was done for those who arrogantly bully others on the road.

As Tonks says, the highway code is very clear about recommended distances between cars on motorways (the 2 second rule for example) and about proper lane use (Basically, the nearside lane is where everyone should be unless they are over-taking)

It's pretty hard to tailgate by accident - also regarding wasting police's time etc - the police already have powers to pull people over for this but it has to result in going to court - a large waste of time for everyone involved - this cuts out a lot of wasted time and money for the state.

Middle. Lane. Hogs.

Rhys wrote:Have to agree with Tonker I'm afraid....tailgating is extremely reckless and dangerous....it's about time something was done for those who arrogantly bully others on the road.

Just get out of the car and smack them. I've done it twice to two idiots both of whom were chavs. Thats the best education in driving they could ever get.

As Tonks says, the highway code is very clear about recommended distances between cars on motorways (the 2 second rule for example) and about proper lane use (Basically, the nearside lane is where everyone should be unless they are over-taking)

It's pretty hard to tailgate by accident - also regarding wasting police's time etc - the police already have powers to pull people over for this but it has to result in going to court - a large waste of time for everyone involved - this cuts out a lot of wasted time and money for the state.

I agree middle lane drivers are annoying as are tailgaters but I dont see this as anything more than a revenue collection exercise. Why is it they want money instead of imposing stricter bans on these idiots? Thats my gripe.

Rhys wrote:Have to agree with Tonker I'm afraid....tailgating is extremely reckless and dangerous....it's about time something was done for those who arrogantly bully others on the road.

Jon Snow wrote:Just get out of the car and smack them. I've done it twice to two idiots both of whom were chavs. Thats the best education in driving they could ever get.

Outstanding advice. I'm sure the police would have considered an application 2 years ago from someone with morals like yours.

Jon Snow wrote:Just get out of the car and smack them. I've done it twice to two idiots both of whom were chavs. Thats the best education in driving they could ever get.

Did you read out the Highway Code to them while you were assaulting them?

The Tonker wrote:

Jon Snow wrote:Just get out of the car and smack them. I've done it twice to two idiots both of whom were chavs. Thats the best education in driving they could ever get.

Did you read out the Highway Code to them while you were assaulting them?

Nah, he just battered them to death with his hardback copy.

Colin's Reversible Hat wrote:
Outstanding advice. I'm sure the police would have considered an application 2 years ago from someone with morals like yours.

The Tonker wrote:

Jon Snow wrote:Just get out of the car and smack them. I've done it twice to two idiots both of whom were chavs. Thats the best education in driving they could ever get.

Did you read out the Highway Code to them while you were assaulting them?

i'm just glad i never decided to learn to drive at all, seems a huge waste of money, a major cash cow for the police and just another tax for the government.

maybe if some money was used to repair a heavily broken transport system there wouldn't be TOO MANY cars on the road and these problems wouldn't arise

They're going to find it very difficult to enforce, simply because if you dispute the fine they have to then prove you guilty in court. Primary evidence is the camera built into the car looking out in front, so the only way to film someone tailgating is to be behind them and that therefore makes it impossible to accurately portray how close he is.

This already happens with people wearing seatbelts, most fines are thrown out on the basis there is no visual evidence of a lack of seatbelt, and the courts won't pass judgment based on word of mouth.