Just be very very careful when doing this, and only when you have an escape route to the left. The same dozy drivers that haven't seen they are holding up traffic are even more likely to not check their left mirror and pull into you as you're undertaking.
Yes I'm a criminal, but they made me do it
- Thread starter Mr Badger
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
That hasn't made it a 'specific offence' - it is an offence in the same way it has always been, 'Careless Driving'. It's just made it easier to fine people for 'Careless driving' of which lane hogging is a subset.
It is not, as you said, 'now a motoring offence'. It's status hasn't changed. It's just easier to do something about it, as previously such offences required a normal prosecution to proceed with.
Soldato
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Its never been an offence to undertake someone if you are keeping up with traffic in your lane. Its an offence if you purposefully make undertaking maneuver, i.e. move from the middle lane to the inside lane to over take... but not if you were already there and are keeping up with traffic.
Really... I wonder if the theory test is actually hard enough sometimes.
[TW]Fox;28399109 said:
Pedant!
You still wouldn't be charged with "undertaking" even in those circumstances, but you could be charged with careless of even dangerous driving.
I wouldn't know, I passed my test long before it was introduced!
So if for example you are stuck behind someone doing 50 in the outside lane, and you are waiting for them to move over so that you can pass them and then pull in in front of them, is it acceptable to move to the inside lane and pass them on the inside, if you have no intention to move back to the outside lane immediately afterwards?
The idea is you get out of the overtaking lanes when overtaking is not on your agenda and you don't camp there while cars come up behind you.
If there's no car in sight I don't expect a single dam to be given.
But if a car is closing distance on you and having to slow down while you pointlessly sit in the overtaking lanes it's an issue.
If there's no car in sight I don't expect a single dam to be given.
But if a car is closing distance on you and having to slow down while you pointlessly sit in the overtaking lanes it's an issue.
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You shouldnt be "stuck" behind someone in the first place - you use the outer lanes when you're overtaking. Regardless of what the person in front is doing, if you're not overtaking you should be in the inside lane.
Keeping yourself in the inside lane makes it much simpler to pass on the inside - you'd still want to hang back and give them the opportunity to see you and move over though.
Only in America
Over here we use the inside lane for overtaking, the outside lane is closest the shoulder.Exactly this, however what annoys me is if you do this and then they start to speed up, to close the gap - A few times I've either had to back off or change down and gun it to complete the move.
That doesn't answer my question. I could have overtaken a car, and then be stuck behind a slow moving car in the outside lane which is not moving over to let me pass.
It is acceptable to then move back to the inside lane, and pass them on the inside, if it is not my intention to move back to the outside lane, but merely to make progress..?
Associate
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I thought undertaking was technically only "bad" if you change into the left lane to purposely pass, and almost start weave through traffic. If you're in the left lane and staying in the lane, but it happens to be going quicker than the right, then there's nothing wrong. Same goes with slip roads - you're in a different lane/queue to the left-most lane of the motorway, so you can go quicker (as long as you don't pull back onto the main carriageway, when it would be undertaking). But, that doesn't mean it's a safe/intelligent way to pass other road users - especially as people arguably check their left mirror less than their right when changing lane as they naturally don't expect cars there.
I understand why people do it, but isn't it causing more problems than it solves?
I've seen it a few times when there's a slow/dumb car in the outside lane and people start to undertake to get past, which then stops this car from being able to pull over... How can he move into the left lane, to allow people to pass (arguably correctly) when there's now cars flying up his inside?
If dozy people that sit in the right lane start getting undertaken and traffic still flows around then, then surely they're never going to learn/realize they're a problem? No, I don't mean tailgating and flashing lights to get them to move over, but just the notion that the system is adapting to the problem driver instead of addressing the crux of the issue. And, if they ever get pulled for it then all they'll say is that it's unsafe to move into the slow lane due to cars undertaking, so they get away with it.
Yes, I'm one of those people that sits in the left lane when I can and when I'm about to overtake a middle-lane hog, I change 2 lanes to go right of them and then swing back 2 lanes into the left lane. Yes, it's pedantic and frustrating, but 8 out of 10 times the middle lane hog tends to pull over into the left lane too, which is good, instead of just roaring past them on the inside when they'll almost stay in the middle lane as it will seem safer to them compared to changing lane.
I understand why people do it, but isn't it causing more problems than it solves?
I've seen it a few times when there's a slow/dumb car in the outside lane and people start to undertake to get past, which then stops this car from being able to pull over... How can he move into the left lane, to allow people to pass (arguably correctly) when there's now cars flying up his inside?
If dozy people that sit in the right lane start getting undertaken and traffic still flows around then, then surely they're never going to learn/realize they're a problem? No, I don't mean tailgating and flashing lights to get them to move over, but just the notion that the system is adapting to the problem driver instead of addressing the crux of the issue. And, if they ever get pulled for it then all they'll say is that it's unsafe to move into the slow lane due to cars undertaking, so they get away with it.
Yes, I'm one of those people that sits in the left lane when I can and when I'm about to overtake a middle-lane hog, I change 2 lanes to go right of them and then swing back 2 lanes into the left lane. Yes, it's pedantic and frustrating, but 8 out of 10 times the middle lane hog tends to pull over into the left lane too, which is good, instead of just roaring past them on the inside when they'll almost stay in the middle lane as it will seem safer to them compared to changing lane.
I do similar but what about when they're in the outside lane?
I had a car in front all the way from Central London, A40, then M40 - He didn't leave the outside lane once, even when totally clear - ok, he was cruising at reasonable speeds but why can't people pull in? In the end I had to pass him on the inside as it was getting ridiculous (This was now well past High Wycombe to give you some idea of how long I had been waiting for him to pull in).
Is the reason motorway etiquette isn't taught in driving lessons/tests because some areas of the country don't have them? Other than that, I can't fathom why they wouldn't be included given the difference between them and normal single carriageway roads.
I must say that I used to move over two lanes and then move back when dealing with middle lane hogs, but when I watched them in the mirror, they would always just stay where they were. So now I don't bother, and pass on the inside.
I must admit i undertook about 6 cars in a row the other morning as they were all in the outside lane not overtaking up a slight hill. I just flew past and then over took the person in the inside lane. I didn't make a move to do it, i just kept to my lane and accelerated.
I would have got a slapped wrist i'm sure, there was no excuse for it, i just got fed up.
I wish more people had/used cruise control so they wouldn't slow down to 55-60mph when they get to a slight hill because they're incapable of increasing pressure on the throttle a little bit.
I would have got a slapped wrist i'm sure, there was no excuse for it, i just got fed up.
I wish more people had/used cruise control so they wouldn't slow down to 55-60mph when they get to a slight hill because they're incapable of increasing pressure on the throttle a little bit.
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Get radar guided cruise control and you can do it in the outside lane too
Adaptive cruise, plus lane assist, equals self-driving car.
Associate
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Passing on left or right, both good. Just be sure to do so 'at speed' to minimise time spent in the danger zone.