Is it safer to drive in the middle lane of a motorway?

I am aware of the law around overtaking on a motorway but would like to know if your correspondence that complained about ‘middle lane hoggers’ is referring to cars driving slowly or at the posted speed limit? It seems to me that on a motorway that has a number of roads joining from the left it it sensible to stay in the middle lane at the speed limit rather than keep moving from the left to avoid joining traffic which in itself can cause other problems/accidents. I am not suggesting travelling well below the limit in any lane but the left.

Asked on 8 May 2025 by David Greenhill

Answered by David Ross
While it is sometimes appropriate to move from lane one into lane two to allow joining traffic to flow easily into lane one, you should move back into lane one at the earliest opportunity irrespective of whether you are travelling at, below or above the speed limit. Adjusting your speed by a small margin when in lane one can allow traffic to join the motorway without the need to change lanes, which is an even safer option and reduces traffic in the middle lane.
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