Drivers warned of common habit that is illegal and could land you with £100 fine

The Highway Code explains what the law says and what drivers should do to avoid any penalties or other legal consequences

13:51, 23 Aug 2025

Motorists are being warned about an illegal driving habit that many people admit to having on UK roads. One in three drivers have admitted to committing the offence[1] which, if you're caught by police, could leave you with a fine and points on your licence.

While coasting to a stop or cornering a bit too early may be a relatively harmless quirk, there is one habit that can be especially annoying for other road users[2] and may leave you in trouble with the law. According to a recent survey by National Highways, one in three drivers[3] admitted to hogging the middle lane while travelling down the motorway - that's nearly 14 million drivers.

While national campaigns have been airing to warn drivers of how dangerous this can actually be, many people still don't see the harm in it.

To understand the issue, you'll need to look at rule 264 of the Highway Code. This comes as experts warned people of another little-known rule involving car passengers and the use of mobile phones, as reported by ChronicleLive.[4]

The Highway Code states: "You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slow-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past."

Although hogging the middle lane may seem like an innocent mistake, it can often cause long build-ups for traffic behind, as drivers attempt to file into the one lane to the right, whereas if they were in the left lane, drivers would have two lanes to file around them.

Asking why people hog the middle lane, the RAC has a few ideas.

Writing on their website, the motoring experts said: "It could be because practical motorway training isn't part of the UK driving test - meaning drivers haven't been taught how to drive on the motorway, apart from what they've learnt as part of the theory test. It could also be down to laziness - it's easier to sit in the middle lane rather than move in and out of the inside lane."

If police catch you hogging the middle lane, you could be hit with some nasty consequences. The bad habit is actually illegal and is classified under "careless driving" and therefore could leave you with three points on your license and a GBP100 fine, reports the Express[5].

The offence comes under the same category as running through a red light, tailgating and eating while driving. The RAC[6] added: "The new fixed penalties were intended to reduce the number of people lane hogging and carrying out other acts of careless driving on UK motorways, but it's still prevalent today.

"With the number of traffic police falling, it's increasingly difficult for police to fine lane hoggers, and it's not something that can be monitored using cameras in the same way speeding can." Meanwhile, motorists are being urged to take note of another strict law to avoid severe penalties.

The Highway Code rules around mobile phone use have been tightened significantly, meaning that even passengers could face a GBP1,000 fine if they are found to be distracting the driver.

While it is well known that motorists cannot touch their phones while driving, many are unaware that passengers can also be penalised if they contribute to a lack of control over the vehicle.

A spokesperson from BigWantsYourCar.com said: "Most drivers are aware that touching a phone while driving is illegal, but many do not realise that passengers could also be fined.

If a passenger's phone use distracts the driver - whether through loud notifications, videos, or conversation - police can take action, and penalties can be severe."

References

1. ^ committing the offence (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
2. ^ road users (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
3. ^ drivers (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
4. ^ as reported by ChronicleLive. (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
5. ^ the Express (www.express.co.uk)
6. ^ The RAC (go.skimresources.com)