Off-siding

[GTR1400MAN]

Seen this?

Watched it for the first time just now - only as far as 4 1/2 minutes. That very definitely encourages crossing a line to gain a view - very un-IAM. Personally I was a bit dubious about 4 1/4 minutes. I would have liked a video available to the public to put more emphasis on when and why it is not safe to cross the centre of the road.

There's a lot in there of 'using all the road' that I'd do, but there did seem to be some OTT positioning for minimal gain.
1:36 why do it so late? If you are going to do it then it could have been done much earlier coming out of the right.
Absolutely no equalisation for oncoming by the following camera bike
4:12 with the little gained there's not much distance to the limit point where oncoming are going to appear from.
Continual 'dancing' on the white line, and for what?
Several times the lead bike moves away from a hazard only for the following bike to move nearer, so that they are still staggered!
And repeat ...

[Horse]

Some would say you have paid for all of the road use it.

Or, perhaps:
"You have paid for all of the road, there is an option to use it."

As someone else asked: is there a benefit? Because there's no doubt that it brings additional risks.

[Strangely Brown]

How about multi lane dual carriageways? There’s plenty examples I can think of where you get a huge visibility benefit from using the right lane of a twisty two lane DC, providing you’re not holding anybody up.

Feature 1 of the The System is Position. The question you should be asking yourself is, "What is the safest and most appropriate position for me to occupy on the road?"

All else being equal, if you are not inconveniencing anyone and you can see further ahead on a DC then why shouldn't (or indeed wouldn't) you be in L2 (or more)?

[Another Bill]

All else being equal, if you are not inconveniencing anyone and you can see further ahead on a DC then why shouldn't (or indeed wouldn't) you be in L2 (or more)?

Because of Highway code, one of several mentions is 137 "On a two-lane dual carriageway you should stay in the left-hand lane. Use the right-hand lane for overtaking or turning right. After overtaking, move back to the left-hand lane when it is safe to do so."

I know that's not a "MUST" but it's a widely held public perception and it has a basis in HC. I'm all in favour of using dual carriageway lanes that way and do so when I think fit, but I'm generally aware of that perception, which sometimes makes me more reluctant. Last thing I want is for other traffic to "react" if they think I'm disregarding HC...

[Horse]

I'm generally aware of that perception, which sometimes makes me more reluctant. Last thing I want is for other traffic to "react" if they think I'm disregarding HC...

1. Who is they? Many drivers appear to have little knowledge or regard for HC and law. If it's plod, then they'll understand what you're doing.

[H war story warning]
I'd been up to Edinburgh and was heading down from York to Lincoln. Arrived at a roundabout just ahead of a saloon car containing four smartly dressed short-haired gents. Hah! 'School' car. H on best behaviour, perfect lines (on the bike), bang on the speed limits. Several miles later they whizzed past, so I tagged on to return the compliment at the upped pace. They knew, etc.

2. Perceptions aside, will what you do affect anyone else? Are you obstructing anyone, imposing on them, hindering them? If yes, simply don't.

On a reasonably empty motorway, I'll often stay in the centre lane. It's away from the centre but also gives a margin from the left too.
But ...
If someone is closing from behind, I'll move left until they've passed.

[jont-]

On a reasonably empty motorway, I'll often stay in the centre lane. It's away from the centre but also gives a margin from the left too.
But ...
If someone is closing from behind, I'll move left until they've passed.

Do you ever get caught out by not noticing someone closing from behind? It feels like while you might gain in one area you lose in the other (having to pay more attention to whats behind).

If no-one is around then I don't see much harm, but I do wonder if it makes [some] drivers lazy and after a while they forget to keep an eye on their mirrors and move back left when someone is closing on them.

In general drivers seem happier to vary their speed than position (ie if sat on cruise control you can end up running rings around someone sat in the middle lane who speeds up when clear but slows down when reaching other traffic).

Given the number of MLMs around at the moment (which seems worse than ever), I doubt the vast majority of motorists would even notice which lane you're in, never mind why.

[Horse]

On a reasonably empty motorway, I'll often stay in the centre lane. It's away from the centre but also gives a margin from the left too.
But ...
If someone is closing from behind, I'll move left until they've passed.

Do you ever get caught out by not noticing someone closing from behind? It feels like while you might gain in one area you lose in the other (having to pay more attention to whats behind).

Haven't done yet

The times when motorways are quiet enough to do this are likely to coincide with when deer are abroad. Having slightly more distance from the left could be a big, albeit rare, gain.

[Another Bill]

In general drivers seem happier to vary their speed than position (ie if sat on cruise control you can end up running rings around someone sat in the middle lane who speeds up when clear but slows down when reaching other traffic).

That may sometimes be attributable to one of modern cars’ must-have gadgets, Adaptive Cruise Control.

I got a courtesy car from a dealership recently with ACC and found it distinctly unnerving, encouraging ‘me’ drive as you describe. Worst of all was the unexpected accelerations, one example being after a car in front pulls off at a slip road on DC. That’s often the last thing I want as an exit-slip is usually followed by an entry-slip, and I’d rather defer such acceleration until I figure out where the entry-slip is, and what’s happening on it. Left to its own devices, the ACC might then slow down (a very long way) behind the first vehicle to merge, causing some annoyance to the driver of a second vehicle planning to merge behind me.

Given time to familiarise myself with the ACC I’ve no doubt I’d have got used to the quirks and learned how and when to disable or override it, but I had the feeling it would have been quite a determined learning exercise. I wonder how many people actually bother.

[exportmanuk]

That may sometimes be attributable to one of modern cars’ must-have gadgets, Adaptive Cruise Control.

Just got a new bike, it has Adaptive cruise control. I didn't specify this, the bike was already built with it fitted.(Dealer speculative order)

[Strangely Brown]

All else being equal, if you are not inconveniencing anyone and you can see further ahead on a DC then why shouldn't (or indeed wouldn't) you be in L2 (or more)?

Because of Highway code, one of several mentions is 137 "On a two-lane dual carriageway you should stay in the left-hand lane. Use the right-hand lane for overtaking or turning right. After overtaking, move back to the left-hand lane when it is safe to do so."

I know that's not a "MUST" but it's a widely held public perception and it has a basis in HC. I'm all in favour of using dual carriageway lanes that way and do so when I think fit, but I'm generally aware of that perception, which sometimes makes me more reluctant. Last thing I want is for other traffic to "react" if they think I'm disregarding HC...

I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous post:

"What is the safest and most appropriate position for me to occupy on the road?"

Just because HC says to be in the left lane, that does not automatically mean that it is either the safest or most appropriate for the circumstances at the time.

As always, the answer begins with the words, "It depends..."