Many motorists have a habit of staying in the middle lane on the freeway, a practice that is gaining momentum each summer but can be expensive…
If there is a subject that is unanimous around the coffee machine after returning from vacation, it is this one. But why do some motorists “squat” the middle lane on the highway? A practice which has the therefore to annoy at the highest point but which is nevertheless very widespread. According to a recent study conducted by SANEF (Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l’Est de la France), made public in June, 37% of motorists never fall back on the right lane after having overtaken. More than one in three drivers therefore do not respect the Highway Code.
And yes, on a road with several lanes, the law is however clear on reading article R412-9 of the Highway Code: ”During normal operation, all drivers must keep their vehicle close to the right edge of the roadway , as far as its state or profile permits.” The other queues are only authorized for overtaking. Once this is done, the driver is required to move to the right lane. If some camp the middle lane to avoid innumerable overtaking of heavy goods vehicles and slow vehicles, they do not have the right to do so.
The reason is simple: beyond the fact of being illegal, drivers addicted to the middle lane – especially if they camp there and never exceed 120 km/h – behave in ways that are not without consequences. They often cause slowdowns by forcing other vehicles to pass them on the left at a speed only slightly faster than their own. In fact, this causes a congestion of several queues which, in the end, regularly leads to a traffic jam.
More seriously, by remaining permanently in the middle of the highway, these motorists also sometimes cause overtaking on the right, prohibited and dangerous, on the part of other drivers, irritated to find themselves blocked behind an aficionado in the central lane. Do the latter even know that they incur a fine for refusing to fall back on the right lane? The same article R412-9 of the highway code stipulates that “the fact, for any driver, of not keeping his vehicle near the right edge of the roadway in normal operation is punished by the fine provided for second class fines.
This is a fixed fine of around 35 euros, reduced to 22 and potentially 75 euros if the 45 or 60 day deadline is exceeded, depending on the payment method. On the other hand, the culprit does not risk any withdrawal of points on his driving licence. Given the increased risk of accidents caused by this practice, it’s almost a shame…