I wouldn't mind 'handling' her, Cor!!                                                                                                                                                                             

What's the point of higher speed limits when most people sit in lane 2 and narrowing the motorways and holding everyone else up. Many times i've sat in lane one, holding a dead 70mph and have undertaken 20 plus cars. Until motorists use the motorways properly and stay in lane one except to overtake, motorways will always be slow no matter what the speed limit is.                                                                                                                                                                             

haha we've totally hijacked this thread. Sorry.  Yes she's coming to the rally next week.                                                                                                                                                                             

Ragnar, you're spot on.  They reckon the number 1 cause of anger on the road is tail gating... but I really think it's lane hogging!! If you don't want someone riding up your arse then move over moron!                                                                                                                                                                               

Matt and Ragnar have hit the nail on the head there Lane discipline needs to go hand in hand with increased speed limit just like they do on the continent!!

                                                                                                                                                                             

No, it's worse here mate.   Lane discipline here in Holland is outrageous! The Dutch NEVER indicate, ever!  Really bad, lazy drivers.   I found the French, contrary to what folks would have you believe, were the most courtious and polite drivers.  Always moving over for you and sticking to lane 1 unless overtaking.                                                                                                                                                                             

Same with Spain and Portugal too Matt - overtake pull back in

makes ya wonder whether it would be a good idea to enforce motorway driving as the final part of the driving test eh?? then again if instructors taught people to DRIVE instead of just to PASS THEIR TEST then maybe it might be different
                                                                                                                                                                             

i promise you it's worse in Holland, Belgium and parts of Germany!  The UK standards of driving is far higher than here.                                                                                                                                                                             

Agree with Matt...  french drivers are wonderful compared to most!!
In britain though, the inner lanes are so often rutted by lorries that I kinda see why cars don't like to be in them!!
Not that that's a good excuse for not pulling in to let others pass.

                                                                                                                                                                             

Lane 1 is used by truckers doing 55mph. Lane 2 is used by truckers doing 56mph. Lane 3 is used by car drivers who can't use Lane 1 and 2 'cos it's full of trucks,                                                                                                                                                                             

bad idea - yeah cars have improved but peoples driving standards haven't - if anything they have got worse. increase the speed limit to 80 and people will want to drive at 90 . its fine the way it is with a little leeway for practicality.   Cars are also alot heavier than they were 20/30 years ago - and as Scotty says - ye cannae change the laws of physics - more mass and speed is more inertia, and more damage when it hits something.   Think people should stop being so impatient, set off in time and ease back on the "must be there 1st" Clarkson type atitude.                                                                                                                                                                              

Xk from your comments on trucks blocking all the lanes I take it you can drive one
As for the state of the lanes ie rutted that is downs to poor surface being done on the cheap
Truck speed limit on UK motorway is 60mph but restricted to 56mph due to European legislation
I have 12 disc brakes the size of most car wheels that have to stop 44 tonnes from 56mph and it takes about 300mts so before you all have the speed limit increased as already said learn to drive

jp - nothing personal. But the time saved by overtaking a 55mph truck just so u can maintain your 56mph is just 8 minutes over an 8 hour journey. Plus if u stayed at 55mph u would not only save fuel cos u r going slower, but also due to less wind resistance being in the slipstream of the truck in front.                                                                                                                                                                             

Xk you really don't know what your talking about it is not to do with maths and 1 mph I could explan it but I would be wasting my time you and meany other don't or won't care unless all trucks are off the road                                                                                                                                                                              

I don't want all trucks off the road, just out of the middle lane. Do please explain, I am interested in the truckers point of view.   I repeat, this is nothing personal.                                                                                                                                                                             

I do a lot of motorway miles and don't have a problem with truckers at all and consider them pretty courteous on the whole. In my experience the problem on uk motorways is with inexperienced /thick / nervous car drivers who don't see the consequences of behaving like sheep.   "yah boo, I've got this space in the outside lane and I'm going to sit here pootling along cos it's mine & don't give a damn about any one else" Long streams of em with very little traffic in the middle & inside lanes   Definitely need more driver education. I made my daughters do the passplus course when they passed their driving tests. I can't see why this isn't a compulsory phase of the driving test cos everything they learn is essential stuff   Definitely agree about French motorways. Driving on french autoroutes is bliss by comparison. And if you mess about dithering in the outside lane they don't half let you know, but it gets you back where you should be pretty sharpo & keeps it all flowing                                                                                                                                                                             

Xk I will gladly tell you how hard a job this is and how much the poor driving standards of others affect our day as will meany other drivers on this site but it is just to difficult in the forum so next time I see you grab a cuppa and a seat                                                                                                                                                                              

ok - but you're paying                                                                                                                                                                             

Drivers never pay we just turn up late                                                                                                                                                                              

lol    I'll pay just to watch :-D