Does anyone know what the law actually states about overtaking? I overtook someone doing 20 in a 30 zone a few weeks ago and got up to about 50 myself in the process and my gf was having a go at me, a) for overtaking and b) for going too fast whilst doing it (lol). She said that if a copper had seen me I'd have been in trouble. Is it against the law to overtake or something? It's not something I was ever taught whilst learning to drive that's for sure.
LOL... YES.
It is absolutely illegal to break the speed limit ever (in the eyes of the law) this applies to overtaking.
Highway code :-
"163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so.
You should not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
Use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out
Not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle.
Move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in.
Take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance.
Give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road.
Only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
Stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left.
Give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 213 and 214 to 215)."
Right here's where people get confused..
"Move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in."
People vaguely remember reading something about "doing it quickly" and that becomes drive faster = Speed. Which is NOT what it means. It means, don't dawdle and do it within the limit.
Again probably from when you had your lessons. Your instructor will have said something like "If you start an overtake and misjudge it and your choice is die in a head on, or put your foot down and break the law and live, it's an easy choice, you break the law." that is not an excuse to speed, he simply wanted you to stay alive while you built some experience. (we all make mistakes)
Also this magical 10% allowance over the limit is notional, it varies from county to county and force to force (locally they apply 5% +2mph) So he would have be prosecuted at 68mph.. Plus they have no legal obligation to allow you anything at all. Generally common sense will prevail if it's straight forward speeding.
And no I'm not demonising people who speed, I've been in with people who are safer at 120mph than others are at 30mph.
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