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British motorists are breaking a crucial driving law when travelling on UK motorways, with road users not aware they are even breaking major rules. According to a new study from Nextbase, three in five UK drivers don't know that middle lane driving is illegal, a statistic that could seriously backfire when on the roads.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that only one in 18 drivers can correctly name the penalty for middle lane driving, which stands at a £100 fine and three penalty points. According to the survey, as many as one in six road users (17%) said they naturally gravitate towards the middle lane when roads are clear.

Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: "Middle lane driving doesn't get the same attention as using a phone at the wheel or tailgating, but the risks are still high.

"When drivers sit in the middle lane unnecessarily, others are forced into overtaking manoeuvres they wouldn't otherwise need to make, and that creates danger. The fact that most people don't even know it's illegal means it goes unchallenged every day on Britain's motorways."

Middle lane hogging is bad because it increases danger on the roads, with drivers forced into more hazardous moves in order to get past. Driving in the centre of a motorway can also promote undertaking, which creates frustrated drivers likely tempted to pass cars on the inside. The practice can also cause traffic bottlenecks, reducing the capacity of the road as it causes vehicles to bunch together.

However, there is a worry that drivers do not believe they are in the wrong, with 86% of motorists polled believing they use the lanes correctly at all times.

Francis Noakes, driving instructor behind the viral account 'Driving School TV', stressed that middle lane hogging had become one of the "most overlooked" issues on the road.

Francis said: "The confidence gap is what really stands out in this data, and it is something I see every day on the road with my students.

"Most drivers genuinely believe they are doing the right thing, but the numbers tell a different story. Until awareness improves and enforcement catches up, middle lane driving will stay one of the most common and most overlooked problems on UK roads."