Why drive in middle of road?

[JOEPRO]

My work commute is on a (decent) B road and it seems like a number of lorries on it drive well over the white line. In many cases in the middle of the road.



Means that it's too dangerous to try to pass them on decent straights. And they also like the image above can come up against oncoming traffic at last second and swerve in.

Anyone got ideas on why they do that? There are very few to zero road gullies or dips in the verge also.

 

[MattF]

To avoid tree branches.

 

[fixerupper]

Yes . It's very common here as well ...

 

[sako243]

Soft verges

 

[Keith 66]

Round here a lot of people do it to avoid potholes, roads are in a terrible state.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Pot holes, stops people overtaking, controls the road Scape.

 

[Eric the chicken]

Only way to avoid pot holes here is not to drive at all!

 

[500e]

When your mirrors are £40 to1k you will give the overgrown hedges trees a wide berth.
Overgrown hedges trees are the farmers, persons on whose land they grow responsibility, the councils should enforce the cutting back and if the owner does not the authorities should do i t and bill the owner.
The one cut that is no higher than a car window which seems the norm around here is also poor substitute for a proper trim.
Half the people who cut with flail mowers do not seem to understand the flails need need sharpening, I see a lot hedges beaten to death not cut

 

[bricol]

Car drivers and especially SUV style drivers do it round here - while braking for everything coming the other way, especially at night.

My theory being when they finally get enough money to afford the biggest, widest vehicle they can to impress the neighbours, their eyes are bad enough to be unable to see properly to drive at night . . .

 

[Redsailor]

To avoid tree branches.

Do the same myself in my large campervan. No fun scraping along overgrown hedges and other overgrowth.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Overgrown hedges trees are the farmers, persons on whose land they grow responsibility, the councils should enforce the cutting back and if the owner does not the authorities should do i t and bill the owner.

It might also be council owned as they are responsible for the verges - we have quite wide ones here.

Ours are a right state, if we trim them the council don't like it, because it is their land.
If we leave them they easily grow several feet over a season with grass and scrub and it gets quite dangerous.

When they eventually cut them they only cut the first 18 inches from the road with a flail, just as far in as the telephone poles.
This leaves rest of the growth (a good four or five foot) untamed. Doesn’t take very long for things to start sprouting out of control.
They used to cut the whole verge on a regular basis – but those days are long gone.

 

[lazybones51]

A lot of the roads around here are a mess, to the point where there's two feet of crumbling pot holed tarmac along each edge of the road. If the road is clear of other traffic I'd drive exactly like the photo in the OP. Saves on damage to tyres, wheels and suspension, plus it's a lot more comfortable!

 

[Gareth J]

In their position, they're increasing their visibility around LH bends and reducing the risk of dangers from the LHS of the road - static stuff like overgrowth and potholes but also other road users and wildlife. They're also controlling you. They have a clearer view of the road so can, although it's not their place to do so, dictate to following vehicles when it's not safe to overtake. Eliminating the risk of sketchy overtakes. It only really works when they then pull right over to allow passing when it is safe though, otherwise people get miffed and are prone to doing even more daft stuff.

If driving a slower vehicle; old car, tractor, bicycle I do this a lot. It's then frustrating when people fail to pass when I feel it's appropriate and create a tailback.

 

[Migmac]

To avoid branches and soft verges.

 

[Erie Fred]

same as why a dog licks himself.....

 

[Wozzaaah]

My work commute is on a (decent) B road and it seems like a number of lorries on it drive well over the white line. In many cases in the middle of the road.

View attachment 426152

Means that it's too dangerous to try to pass them on decent straights. And they also like the image above can come up against oncoming traffic at last second and swerve in.

Anyone got ideas on why they do that? There are very few to zero road gullies or dips in the verge also.

It’s also dangerous and illegal to use your phone while driving, even for taking photos….

 

[Morrisman]

In their position, they're increasing their visibility around LH bends and reducing the risk of dangers from the LHS of the road - static stuff like overgrowth and potholes but also other road users and wildlife. They're also controlling you. They have a clearer view of the road so can, although it's not their place to do so, dictate to following vehicles when it's not safe to overtake. Eliminating the risk of sketchy overtakes. It only really works when they then pull right over to allow passing when it is safe though, otherwise people get miffed and are prone to doing even more daft stuff.

If driving a slower vehicle; old car, tractor, bicycle I do this a lot. It's then frustrating when people fail to pass when I feel it's appropriate and create a tailback.

My pet hate: a row of cars tailgating a slow vehicle..... but none of them have any intentions of passing it, leaving a row of cars several hundred feet long, thus almost impossible to pass in one hit, even on my bike.

And if you do come across a dead straight half mile of road and make a go of it..... you never know if one of the plebs will make a sudden last minute decision and whip out just as you pass them..

 

[JOEPRO]

In their position, they're increasing their visibility around LH bends and reducing the risk of dangers from the LHS of the road - static stuff like overgrowth and potholes but also other road users and wildlife. They're also controlling you. They have a clearer view of the road so can, although it's not their place to do so, dictate to following vehicles when it's not safe to overtake. Eliminating the risk of sketchy overtakes. It only really works when they then pull right over to allow passing when it is safe though, otherwise people get miffed and are prone to doing even more daft stuff.

If driving a slower vehicle; old car, tractor, bicycle I do this a lot. It's then frustrating when people fail to pass when I feel it's appropriate and create a tailback.

Thanks, I think that is the most plausible reasoning.

They do that even on long straights with Zero trees too.

I just stay behind not a huge deal but I see some other people doing some crazy stuff on this road to get around them as they do drive slow.

 

[JOEPRO]

Round here a lot of people do it to avoid potholes, roads are in a terrible state.

This road is actually in very good condition. Maybe because so many lorries are on it it does get regular re tar etc.

 

[Gareth J]

Thanks, I think that is the most plausible reasoning.

They do that even on long straights with Zero trees too.

I just stay behind not a huge deal but I see some other people doing some crazy stuff on this road to get around them as they do drive slow.

Vicious circle maybe; people overtake sketchily, lorries try to block overtaking... People overtake more sketchily, even more blocking.

Coincidentally this morning, drove a telehandler up an A road. Only a mile or two but it's pretty slow. Wasn't driving too defensively but equally wasn't hugging the kerb. A little honda jazz overtakes, across the solid while line, with oncoming traffic, brow of hill, approaching the village. Nice. We all passed as it was relatively low speed, the road is huge there and, with help from me and the oncoming drivers X3 abreast fit with room to spare. On. The way back, I hugged the white line everywhere I deemed it unsafe to overtake and then hugged the kerb when I decided it was safe. A bit of work from me but everyone happier.