HI guys,

Does anyone know if you can still be prosecuted for speeding or changing lanes in the tunnels.

I am only asking as I travel through them daily for work, and the amount of cars I see speeding and changing lanes is amazing. If they do, it must be quite profitable for the tunnels and where does the money go.

Yes. All the usual rules of the road apply as it is a road being used as a public highway.
The Tunnel Police issue the tickets and do all the legal processes as any force would do, including those for drink/drug driving.
It's up to the Courts to issue fines and prosecutions, which go to the Crown.

But breakdown charges are classed as a service... which is all theirs.

Changing lanes has become a lot more more predominant in the last few months again, I see it happen in about 50% of my journeys through the tunnel.

Speeding is a bit awkward, most cars do more than 35mph in the Queensway tunnel and that includes buses and tunnel police, it seems to be accepted practice despite the 30mph restriction. But overall it doesn't seem a problem other than as an authoritarian matter.

The worse thing is the mobile phone users and radio twiddlers who wander across the lane dividers totally unaware ofwhat they are doing (despite the lane vibrators). They are followed closely by the tailgaters, one of whom assaulted me not that long ago. If you want me to go faster, give me some space don't go within feet of my car, its that simple!

I don't understand why ordinary police cars and tunnel police cars don't do something about it when they themselves are getting tailgated.

Bull

S**t

Serious, I don't know if we've had a lot of foreign visitors, very few foreign tunnels disallow lane changes. I don't go through at peak times, about 9:45am and 4pm once or twice a week. Some of the lane changes I couldn't even understand like getting themselves stuck behind a slower car not far from the entrance - very surreal. On my last three journeys through the Queensway Tunnel I saw people change lane each time, I don't think I've ever seen it in the Kingsway.



Guy got far too close (10ft-ish), I indicated for him to pull back, he came closer (6-8ft), I gently slowed down to 20mph, he got closer still (like under 3ft at times), went through over half the tunnel at that speed. Far end I got stopped at lights, my window was open about 3"-4" and he managed to pop me, skinny bloke!

I reported it to police, they visited him and he came clean straight away, had no previous and swore it was out of character (things going on at the time etc), police said they thought he was absolutely genuine. I chose to let him off, its on record, if he makes a habit the police will do more, if it was a one off then no harm done,

I'm not into affecting people careers, insurance etc for a one-off temper tantrum.

Not quite the same thing, but driving back from Nantwich along the A41 a large truck appeared driving at speed until he got about 10 feet from my rear end.

We were all in a queue and I had left maybe 50 yards between me and the car in front. We were all doing about 50. I think the truck driver wanted me to tailgate the guy in front and when I didn't do so started pulling back a few yards then accelerating towards me. It was a bit like the film 'Duell although he never made contact.

This went on for about 30 miles until at the outskirts of Chester I took a shortcut through Christleton, whereupon he roared past me, presumably to give the fellow in front the same treatment. For some reason, I wound down the window in time to hear a bang - a collision between two vehicles. I suspect it might have been my truck driver friend misjudging things a bit. I hope nobody got hurt.

I expect he was on some JIT contract and was late, but really had I tailgated the chap in front of me it would have saved him no time.

I did think of calling the cops, his behaviour was so intimidating, but I suspect a dashcam in the rear window might have been a wise precaution.

When commercial vehicles with names on misbehave like that I phone the company up and give them an ear-bending.

Yes, I've also been thinking about a rear facing camera for a while, the forward facing one has been useful a few times.

I just don't understand how things like this don't happen to me. I do a lot of driving (including A41, Excoriator, sometimes using Christleton as a shortcut which 9/10 is actually slower but I understand how frustrating the A41 can be, especially towards the end) and use the tunnel a lot too.

Nobody has ever tried to assault me and very rarely do people try and intimidate me or be aggressive. I drive a normal car and I keep up with traffic, I'm not afraid to overtake whenever possible and generally make good progress.

I don't have a dashcam as I don't see the need, you only have to look on YouTube to see that users of them tend to act as aggressors by speeding up to create situations that would not normally be a problem or that they (either deliberately or through poor judgement or anticipation) don't react when any normal or competent driver would.

Going back to the original post, if someone dares to change lanes or drive a bit quicker than the arbitrary limit allows, has it affected your day? I wouldn't give it a second thought and I certainly wouldn't be annoyed enough to call their employer or sit there downloading footage from a camera to send to them or put on YouTube.

Tailgating is usually much more dangerous than speeding. It’s rare to see someone going over twice the speed limit, it’s common to see a tailgater at less than half the recommended distance.

This contributes to our horrendous accident statistics.

So you can choose to have someone driving on your tail shortening your life expectancy or not.

Its good if you have a dashcam. Make a complaint and see what they come back with. Then send them the dashcam footage.

A signed van jumped red lights and was swerving from lane to lane on the M53 some years back.

I complained to the company. They spoke to the driver who didn't agree with my version of events.

So I sent them the dashcam footage and they dismissed him immediately.

And another lane changer in the tunnel today, van somewhere behind me changed to the left hand lane of the tunnel before the end, yet again this was a pointless manoeuvre as he wanted to be in the right hand lane after the left turn so ideally he should have stayed in the right hand lane in the tunnel. He ended up having to wait for traffic to clear before changing into the right hand lane on Byrom Street.

We've have similar with CCTV ...

Us: The item didn't arrive today
Them: Yes, it did, it arrived at 1:12pm
Us: Do you want a copy of the CCTV footage?
Them: [pause] We'll deliver it tomorrow.

Its so much quicker than arguing the toss with them.

Really? Pull over, let them on their way. Job done.

It’s unlikely you’re going to die because someone is a bit close to you going through the Mersey Tunnel.

What an absolute hero you really are.

The guy could have been having a bad day, we all have them.

Why can’t people just get on with their lives without making it their mission to get offended or waste time on trivial matters. Let alone spending time as I mentioned above downloading footage with the sole aim of causing someone else misery.

Get a life Gibbo.