What lane do you drive in when on the motorway and why? Also, what are the lanes called?

Unless you're an American, you shouldn't have a favourite lane. You should ALWAYS keep left unless overtaking. Even if by 'overtaking' you're passing a constant stream of traffic, that's fine, provided you move over at the end of it. Unless, of course, you're one of those massive imbeciles who enjoy throttling the road's capacity.

You should be regularly evaluating your position and changing lane to keep the system efficient - there is no catch-all 'best lane'.

As for names, they are officially know as (from left to right) 'inside', 'centre' and 'outside' (or 'nearside', 'centre' and 'offside'). Some people prefer to use 'left', 'middle' and 'right' or 'lane 1', 'lane 2' and 'lane 3'. If a lane appears for only a short distance, it is usually takes 'lane 4' (or the equivalent), even if it appears on the left.

If you want to be really amateur you can all them 'slow lane', 'middle lane' and 'fast lane', but any professional will tell you there's no such thing as a fast lane.

Basically to improve safety. Firstly the most common and dangerous mistake enacted by bad drivers on motorways is driving "too close" to the vehicle in front and this has caused thousands of accidents and deaths. That is why it can enhance safety of all for some to pull into the middle lane to ease this.I also stay in the middle lane either if all traffic in the inner lane is going slower than I am, and all three lanes are congested or alternatively when coming up to an incoming filter like J11 on the M4, where a very large number of vehicles may be trying to join or leave the motorway at that Exit. This makes it safer for them by people staying on motorway keeping clear of them?

It looks like I'm the only American here, I cruise in the right lane as the left is the passing here. Unlike one person's comment, not all Americans drive all over the road, just about 85%. Many have the left lane as their favorites. I see them come on from the merging lane and (on an almost empty road) instantly drive all the way to the left and go slower than almost all other traffic.

Here it's the right, center (center right & center left on 4 lane highways), and left (passing lane).

I commute by bicycle most days.

When I do drive on the highway, I drive in the right hand lane. There is a long portion with many on & off ramps (with 4 lanes). On busy days, I drive in the center right lane so that the merging lanes can get on & off without me being in their way and prevent them colliding with me when they try to cut me off. There are still 2 lanes on my left for fast drivers to pass.

The only answer to this question is, the LEFT lane. The left lane is for normal driving and the other lane(s) are for overtaking slower vehicles in the left lane.

The lanes are usually LANE 1, LANE 2 (&) LANE 3.

You should always be keeping on to the left unless overtaking.

The lanes are not "called" anything, they are numbered 1,2,3 etc from left to right.

So under normal conditions you should be in lane 1 unless overtaking.

Telle & Avis de JJ - you have got to be having a wind up.

Obviously you have never read your highway codes.

If you drive in the middle come what may then you will find yourself being stopped and prosecuted by the police as they tend to pull middle lane morons over as you are driving inconsiderately and potentially dangerously.

Drive as far to the left as possible but not on the hard shoulder.

Hard shoulder ! Lane 1 ! Lane2 ! Lane3 ! Lane 4.......and so on.

There is no such thing as a fast lane. lane 1 is for normal travelling and all lanes to the right of it are for overtaking only

As the law requires, I drive in the left-hand lane, unless I am overtaking.

The lanes are called:

Left-hand lane, middle lane, right-hand lane.

OR

Lane 1, lane 2, lane 3.

OR

Nearside lane, centre lane, offside lane.

They don't have official names. There's the left lane, right lane, and sometimes middle lane.

Sometimes you would refer to a "fast lane" or "passing lane", and a "slow lane" or "exit lane".

If there are three lanes, you should always drive in the middle lane, because it's the lane of least resistance. If you're passing someone, this should be done in the fast lane. If you're exiting, this should be from the exit lane (or occassionally the fast lane; be careful to watch for traffic signs).

The left hand lane unless overtaking - that is where you are supposed to drive.

The lanes are called lanes. Numbered 1,2,3 etc from left to right.

Telle - it is idiots like you that cause problems on the roads.

Read your highway code and stop being a MLM.

Driving lanes are country specific, but it is either you drive left, pass on the right or drive on the right pass on the left.

In our country, we drive on the left lane(cars made for our country have the steering wheel on the right, if you are inside facing foward), then use the other lane\s to overtake. but this is not very well practiced, so much so that you may find the fastest moving cars are overtaking on the left.