Opinion: Life In The Slow Lane

[Bob]

My latest Huffington Post column has been published.

This is originally intended as a piece regarding the lack of lane, speed or space discipline in the UK, but I wouldn't mind betting you find similarities in NZ:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/bob-...b_1026350.html

[The Baron]

Yep. That does sound just like NZ.

[Berries]

We have so few dual carriageways, or 'motorways', over here there is not the same legislation to deal with lane discipline as there is in the UK. I am not surprised at your experience with sticking rigidly to the rules over there, you either go with the flow or you become an obstruction.

[Voltaire]

I've been giving this some thought on my daily commute from Mt Roskill to Highbrook.
Coming on to the motorway on either side is interesting as the speeds on the motorway vary from 80 kmph to 120 kmph and over....with cars trying to go from the on ramp to the outside lane in the shortest time possible....
I was in a middle lane coming back from Highbrook entering at Mangere Bridge end, but as I was merging a high speed car swooped in front of me from the outside lane.....the analogy of a WW2 dogfight is spot on.
What is it with Auckland drivers and motorways....just stay in one lane....you won't get there much faster...but you might just get there in one piece.
Car driver risk: dented car.
Motorcyclist risk: serious injury or worse

I do ask myself some days....is it worth using the bike to commute?

[baffa]

Funny, I've experienced something very similair lately.

I normally wont religiously follow the speed limit, but recently, I've been riding with a mate, and letting him set the pace, which is slower than my norm. As a result, you do get tailgated incessently. And the worst part is when the car 1 metre off your back bumper does get an overtaking lane, they either dont bother (so why are you tailgating me?) or they have a crazy Grand Prix in the overtaking lanes, only to get 2 cars ahead 10 minutes later.

I feel a lot safer If I'm acting more dominant on the roads, if that makes any sense. People tend to give you more space.

[imac]

As soon as overtaking on the left is made illegal the better.
Though of course, talking on a cell phone whilst driving, going through red lights not giving way are all illegal to but that doesn’t seem to stop people. Sigh.....

[carbonhed]

As soon as overtaking on the left is made illegal the better.

Who, other than retards and assholes, gets overtaken on the left?

[Gremlin]

Who, other than retards and assholes, gets overtaken on the left?

I've overtaken many on the left. There are a lot of absolute shockers in Auckland that refuse to move left, even though there is nothing there, and they are under the speed limit, while travelling in the fast lane. Drives me nuts.

[Swoop]

As soon as overtaking on the left is made illegal the better.

That would be a seriously bad mistake.
Morons who refuse to obey the "keep left" rule are those in need of a short talk, and a ticket from, the police.
Sadly there is sod all chance of that happening though.

[Indiana_Jones]

Who, other than retards and assholes, gets overtaken on the left?

Happens all the time in Bucklame.

Not hard to see why, some knobs do 80kph in the middle or right lane.

Another dick will do 130 in the left lane, gets to the arse of the guy in from of him who's doing 90 (which is fine if they're in the left lane) jump out 1-2-3-4-544 fucking lanes. cut back in another 2 lanes....tail gate some more.....drink their coffee.....chat to their prick mate Murray for 10mins while rolling a fag and then cut out to the far right lane and then do 80kph.

-Indy

[Latte]

As soon as overtaking on the left is made illegal the better.
Though of course, talking on a cell phone whilst driving, going through red lights not giving way are all illegal to but that doesn’t seem to stop people. Sigh.....

Agree with other responses to this, people who create this situation (not keeping left when practicable) need to be redressed. If someone can overtake you on the left, then you should be occupying that lane instead.

[Voltaire]

I was just coming up the motorway and the courier van in front of me in the centre lane seemed to be weaving more than normal...then he started slowing a bit...... bet to self: he's texting.....gee what a surprise....
I don't think there are " fast lanes" here of that you do have to keep to the left.....only time I see keep left is when you have overtaking lanes.....you know those palces where cops sit at the end of with speed cameras....
.....and while on a rant....Trucks.....limited to 90 kmph???? ( Yeah Right) if so why don't they stay on the left of the motorway..and I've seen them on the phone too....the Motorway gives me the shits on a bike....unless as was pointed out you are going faster than the flow, you seem less of a target.

[carbonhed]

I've overtaken many on the left.

Me too. My point was that only retards and ashholes get overtaken on the left... in the normal scheme of things I'd be fucking ashamed if anybody did it to me.

[Jay GTI]

In one of my jobs in the UK, I used to have to drive all over the country and did in the region of 50,000 kms a year, so spent a LOT of time on motorways. I used to get very frustrated by people driving slowly in the right lane and refusing to move over and often wished for it to be legal to pass on the left (although I often did anyway, usually getting an angry flash of headlights from the slowpoke I just undercut).

However, having spent time back here on Auckland's finest multi-lanes and I have completely changed my opinion. Being able to overtake on the left completely removes the incentive for the fast lane hoggers to move over and while it may technically be the case that you should travel in the farthest left lane unless passing another vehicle, no-one has any reason to obey this rule.

So while UK motorway discipline is lacking compared to some countries in Europe, it is still way, way in advance of what happens here, where people just drive in what ever lane they want, at what ever speed they want. And then for no reason I can ever, ever figure out, just change lanes for the bloody hell of it...

[DR650gary]

Me too. My point was that only retards and ashholes get overtaken on the left... in the normal scheme of things I'd be fucking ashamed if anybody did it to me.

What roads do you frequent?

Seriously, perhaps we need to use our helmet/bike cams a bit then flood the Police with our videos as long as they show number plates. Followup those with a letter to the commissioner. However, we may also have to bear the pay back if drivers start videoing us lane splitting stationary vehicles, overtaking on the yellow and so on.

I think we should record/video more so the really bad stuff can get dealt with but also ride with consideration firstly for ourselves then others. Not trying sound like a missionary here so don't shoot me!