Essex Police target drivers who 'hog' the middle lane

Police officers flashed their headlights at drivers "hogging" the middle lane and pulled over those who ignored their warning

Essex Police officers have been targeting drivers who "hog" the middle lane while using the county's major roads.

The force said motorists who continuously drove in the middle lane were an "annoyance" to other drivers.

This week police officers have flashed their headlights at those displaying the behaviour, and reported any driver who ignored the warning.

They said those road users showed "poor driving ability and awareness".

Remaining in the middle lane becomes an offence when it is done for "longer than necessary", and there are no vehicles in the inside lane to overtake.

• What's wrong with middle-lane hogging?

"For those who reacted to a headlight flash reminder and moved over it was left at that," Essex Police said on social media.

"However some then moved straight back out again after we passed in our marked car," it added.

The police force said the drivers who ignored its warnings were stopped and reported for careless driving.

It added that heavy goods vehicles and caravans cannot be driven in the right-hand lane on a major road, so those motorists would have been prevented from passing "slow drivers hogging the middle-lane".

"These drivers, who have shown their poor driving ability, awareness and knowledge, do the same and worse in normal conditions and busy roads," officers said.