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[Wittsend]

You say that, but the other day going round the M25 to Gatwick Airport I see that there are plenty of "middle lane" hoggers.
People don't seem that bothered, they just pass round them on the inside or outside (as they do in the States).

Has anyone been done for Middle Lane hogging ? and how do those numbers compare to those for "undertaking"
Won't be long before that's (undertaking) written into the Highway Code.

I did note a few electronic signs - "Keep to the left except when overtaking".
It's all very well adding extra lanes to the motorways, but more lanes just make things more complicated for the average Joe 

[Genem]

One sign people obviously don't understand is "Clearway".  A mile or so of road, the A821, was declared a "Clearway" and signed as such along the base of a local hill-walk, Ben A'An. Further signage saying "No Parking on Verges" was added. The car-park at the start of the walk was extended over the winter, more spaces added......but yesterday, a nice sunny morning, there was literally a mile of parked cars in the verges, people walking down the middle of the road as there is no footpath. The issue is that this narrow road is not only used by a lot of cars, its also used by a lot of coaches and Forestry trucks. In the last couple of years its been closed several times by the Police as it was blocked, impassable.... It is only a matter of time before someone is killed or some-one dies on the hill, with Emergency Services unable to reach them. Its already happened to Mountain Rescue vehicles trying to reach a casualty further up Loch Katrine.

To see this amount of people rock up in mid-Jan is worrying, what conditions will be like in July/August I dread to think.   This photo was taken half a mile from the carpark... 

[Wittsend]

If it's not enforced

One thing - if access is blocked then fire engines and the like should be allowed by law to batter their way through with no come-back.

That will soon sort the lazy and selfish out 

They've just put average speed cameras on the main road through our village - it has a 20 mph limit anyway.

I'm lucky as I can belt through the village at 90 mph and turn off to Wittsend Towers before reaching the other camera - result 
The world's gone mad ... 

[GHOBHW]

if you want insane parking, anywhere in the peak district in summer time, never seen so many cars parked anywhere they like.

[diffwhine]

One thing - if access is blocked then fire engines and the like should be allowed by law to batter their way through with no come-back.

I think is the case. I've seen double parked cars pushed (rammed) out of the way by fire trucks and Met Police vehicles in London many a time. Double parking used to be very common and very irritating. Maybe the perps learned their lesson!

[Matt Reeves]

Without intending to open the proverbial can of worms, but when it comes to ignoring signs how many on here have driven past signs stating a route is "unsuitable for motor vehicles"?

We have just such a route across our land which is signed as unsuitable due to it being a (very) narrow lane with walls either side, yet still they come on, I've had everything from a chap in a lovely little Austin 7 van to 7 ton wagons and everything in between get as far as the boundary gates, including a 52 seat coach!. This is on a single track lane which leads nowhere.

Tomorrow the contractors begin rebuilding 60 meters of our walls at a cost of 3k, all damaged by those who ignore the unsuitable for motors signs. I'm thinking anti-tank mines will be the next step...

[Eve]

You say that, but the other day going round the M25 to Gatwick Airport I see that there are plenty of "middle lane" hoggers.
People don't seem that bothered, they just pass round them on the inside or outside (as they do in the States).

Some parts of the M25 have filter lanes something like a mile ahead of the next junction.

If you're not turning off you move over into the next lane.

The result, if you're in a 55 year old series 2a doing about 50mph, is being passed on both sides by cars doing 90+mph.

Quite terrifying really. Especially if it's pouring down with rain, you cant see anything for spray, rain is coming through the closed dash vents and condensation is running down the windscreen, as it was when I drove to the 2017 club rally held at Hole Park in Kent 

[TimV]

No one has mentioned cyclists on pavements, cyclists that can't read road signs, cyclists that can't see red stop lights ...

What is the speed limit of a cyclist on a pavement (sidewalk for our American readers)? Zero - because it's illegal?

[geoff]

Plenty of the blighters on pavements in Wales, the authorities these days even widen the pavements and paint cycle images on the floors.

Speed limits ... give me a break they need to fit cycle speed cameras on pavements as well !!

Forget about cyclists reading and obeying signs and stop lights many ( most ? ) seem unable to or even refuse to use a " bell " 

[Wittsend]

Don't get me started on cyclists 

In Norwich they have spent millions on purpose built cycle paths 
Does anyone use them ? No, why

Personally I would change the law.
1) I would let cycles on pavements - get them off the road, it's safer. I worry for my grandchildren on the road(s).
2) Make the use of a cycle path/lane compulsory (if present).
3) All cycles to be registered, have insurance and cyclists to wear a helmet.

... and I think there's a lot of people who would agree with me.

 

[Davidss]

Without intending to open the proverbial can of worms, but when it comes to ignoring signs how many on here have driven past signs stating a route is "unsuitable for motor vehicles"?

But you are ... Given the detail circumstances you have explained I'd say the sign is unsuitable for the circumstances, BUT there is very precise detail about what compromises legal signage, it can be considered to be a specialist niche knowledge. There is government published literature about it that tells people what is and isn't allowed. Not every one, including professionally employed Highway Engineers, bothers to read the details. Start with Traffic Signs Manual. Note that there are 8 Chapters, for your purposes you won't need all of them, but the link takes you to an index of what each Chapter covers.

In Derbyshire a sign saying 'Unsuitable for motors' is read as 'It is a legal road, defined on the Definitive Map and Statement, but we would rather you didn't use it because we will have to maintain it'. In other words it's kidology by the Derbyshire District Council Highways department.

Regards.

[TimV]

Actually, I don't want cyclists on the pavements. As a pedestrian (and ultimately everyone is a pedestrian - even BMW drivers) I'm seeing pavement space increasingly given over to cyclists. I have nearly been knocked over more than once, a work colleague who was pregnant was knocked flying by a cyclist - they just scarpered, no come back.

And what happened to Zebra crossings? Replaced by light controlled crossings - so pedestrians are reduced to no right of way over other vehicles.

[Wittsend]

.... and then we have e-scooters 

 

[Genem]

Without intending to open the proverbial can of worms, but when it comes to ignoring signs how many on here have driven past signs stating a route is "unsuitable for motor vehicles"?

Its a while since I lived in England but it certainly used to be the case that routes so signed were legal motor vehicle roads, just not very good ones - so often ideal green-laning country ? You probably need to check with your Council access people what the legal status actually is ?

.....We had three car-loads of young men rock up on our farm track at 10.30 on Friday night, they'd driven up from London for a Party in a nearby holiday home. Could not find it, drove about all over, including coming up here past multiple no entry & locked gate signs, got stuck on wet grass up at my neighbours, trying to turn round.  Given that the owner of the holiday property also lives in London and is a parasitic witch, I hope they trashed that as successfully as they messed up our Friday night :-)  The pile of rubbish left by her New Year guests is still lying on the roadside.

[Matt Reeves]

Its a while since I lived in England but it certainly used to be the case that routes so signed were legal motor vehicle roads, just not very good ones - so often ideal green-laning country ? You probably need to check with your Council access people what the legal status actually is ?

.....We had three car-loads of young men rock up on our farm track at 10.30 on Friday night, they'd driven up from London for a Party in a nearby holiday home. Could not find it, drove about all over, including coming up here past multiple no entry & locked gate signs, got stuck on wet grass up at my neighbours, trying to turn round.  Given that the owner of the holiday property also lives in London and is a parasitic witch, I hope they trashed that as successfully as they messed up our Friday night :-)  The pile of rubbish left by her New Year guests is still lying on the roadside.

Unfortunately it gets more complicated Gene, our deeds have it down as an "unclassified highway not maintained at public expense" and we have letters from the council dating from the 1950's and 1980's confirming it is an unadopted public right of way, yet in recent years it was apparently added to the highways register and definitive map as an adopted class 3 highway, but the council can't explain when or how this happened. My feeling is the local councillor was somehow involved as his cousin from London owned a holiday cottage just down the lane.

Your holiday home owning neighbour sounds as delightful as ours, and they attract a similar calibre of clientele....