Battle to halt M-way 'middle lane hogs'

A new attempt to educate some of Britain's most irritating drivers gets under way today. Two new safety messages will be unveiled on motorways, urging motorists not to lurk needlessly in the middle lane.

Thirty signs with the the messages Keep Left Unless Overtaking and Don't Hog the Middle Lane will be displayed on the M1, M6, M18 and M62 for one week. The Highways Agency is testing driver reaction to the messages as part of its campaign to reduce motorway accidents.

Roads minister David Jamieson said: "Poor lane discipline causes frustration to drivers and can disrupt the flow of traffic."