MOST UK motorways have three lanes, but not every British driver knows how to use them.
Known as the slow, middle and fast lane – more properly referred to as lanes one, two and three – these are channels down which motorway traffic must move.
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Traffic should stick to the left-hand lane, or lane one, at all times unless overtaking.
Yet some motorists struggle with this rule and spend too long dawdling in the middle and fast lanes, lanes two and three.
Since 2013, police have been able to hand out fines and penalty points to drivers who flout this regulation.
What is fast lane hogging?
The fast lane should only be used by motorists who are overtaking traffic in the slow and middle lanes.
This happens frequently, as lorries are limited to around 56mph, while most cars may travel at speeds of up to 70mph on the motorway.
But as soon as this maneuver is complete, the overtaking car must move back into the left-hand lane.
Delaying this move could land the driver with a fine and points.
Some drivers sit in the middle and fast lanes for long periods of time, either due to laziness or because they are unaware of the rules of the road.
Until recently, learner drivers have been forbidden from using the motorway until they pass their test.
This means that the majority of motorists encounter a motorway for the first time without the help of an instructor.
Hogging the fast lane can be dangerous, as well as frustrating for other road users.
How long can I stay in the fast lane?
Drivers can only use the fast lane when there are slower-moving vehicles in the slow and middle lanes.
If the lane or lanes to the left of you are clear, you should move over.
Some drivers have been stopped by police after driving for several miles in the middle lane when the left lane is clear.
You should not be in the fast lane unless there is slower-moving traffic in both the lanes to your left.
If there are several vehicles travelling slowly in the left-hand lane, and there’s sufficient gap between them for you to safely pull in, you should do this.
Two distant vehicles should be overtaken in separate maneuvers, rather than one long one.
What are the fines for hogging the fast lane?
If police think you have stayed in the middle or fast lane for too long, you could get pulled over.
Penalties include a fine of £100, three penalty points, and a driver awareness course.
Fines can rise dramatically if the motorist contests this in court.
If police think you are driving without due care and attention, you could get fined up to £5,000.
What should I do if I see a fast lane hogger?
Regardless of how the driver in front of you is behaving, you must drive responsibly.
That means maintaining a safe distance between you and the car in front.
According to the Highway Code, your stopping distance at 70mph is 96 metres – around the length of a full-sized football pitch.
This is how far you should be from the car in front, even if they’re driving too slowly for the lane that they are in.
Am I allowed to use the fast lane?
Normal cars are permitted to use all lanes of the motorway, unless they are towing a trailer.
It is an offence to drive in the fast lane with a trailer attached to your car.
Goods vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes are also excluded from the right-hand lane of a motorway, as are most buses.
But you shouldn’t spend any longer in the fast lane than you need to.
As soon as you have overtaken the middle lane traffic, you should return to the left.
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