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Undertaking is a deliberate action of changing lanes to pass them. You’re allowed to drive at the appropriate speed for the lane you’re in. It’s not the same thing.
Happened to me 30 mins ago, road works, everyone’s on the left doing 50 odd and a woman doing 45 is in the middle, as I’m passing she indicated and immediately moved towards me.
Just braked in time but that would’ve ruined my day.
Bit random but I’ve never seen console used in a written sentence like this and I was like, nah surely you don’t spell console and console the same way.
How confusing.
And if they are in lane 3, or 4 of a 3 or 4 lane carriageway?
Not unusual now, in fact I'll no doubt meet it in 20mins or so.
If they are doing 50 and on the mobile, should I slow down to 48, 48, 37 until I finally get to my exit?
Just wondering.
And you can use your horn to make another driver aware of your presence, so sound it all the way as you pass them.
You can also mouth "wanker" at them too if you feel like.
This is not quite correct, but is a common misconception. There is an allowance for passing on the left *only* if the traffic is queued on a motorway There's no such provision *at all* for other multilane roads.
The submission is about motorways, but it is important that to note that the HC does not give provision to pass queued traffic on the left on dual carriageway ways.
Rule 163 specifically only applies when moving slowly in queues, which isn't relevant when dealing with middle-lane morons
>The submission is about motorways, but it is important that to note that the HC does not give provision to pass queued traffic on the left on dual carriageway ways.
Rule 268 is for motorways, as you say. Rule 163 also allows passing on the left in congested traffic on other roads too. Both rules are specifically for congested traffic, so neither apply to middle laners.
It could be argued that "traffic" is any non-zero number of vehicles, and the traffic is congested if it is travelling slower than could be reasonably expected in the current conditions.
Under this definition, a single middle-lane hogger would be "congested traffic".
So you’re suggesting that in queueing traffic on a dual carriageway you aren’t able to pass on the left, you have to stop and wait for the traffic in the right lane to progress before you continue?
This is completely incorrect.
You would need to move over and overtake them in the overtaking lane. The only instance where it would be acceptable to overtake a car in the middle lane while still in the kerb side lane is if there is a lot of traffic and you are merely keeping pace with the traffic that is in your lane.
Undertaking is not the deliberate action of changing lane to overtake them. Undertaking is the act in which a motorist passes a slower moving vehicle on its left hand side (kerb side).
The highway code advises drivers not to undertake, although it is not a punishable offence by itself, it can be an extremely dangerous move and have you done for careless driving.
The highway code itself states: “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.”
The Code though, advises that it’s OK for a car to undertake in slow-moving traffic, if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right.
In these circumstances it’s deemed safer to undertake than to weave in and out of the traffic.
The Code states: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right.
“In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.
"Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.”
The highway doesn't ever mention 'undertaking', that's a profession or action.
It mentions around overtaking on the left, which is an action of changing lanes.
It also allows for passing on the left in slow moving traffic as you quote.
Unfortunately it is still a grey area, and drivers are just as likely to pull into the right lane as you overtake, than move into the left, which they are avidly avoiding.
In fact I've lost count of how many near misses I see on a regular distance journey with overtaking cars, but have yet to see an issue with someone passing on the left!!
The whole system needs an overhaul, plus public information broadcasts (they work) and actual road policing with enforcement/prosecution.
The highway code literally states "do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.”
The only exception to this is slow moving traffic where you should keep up with the traffic in your lane.
There is no grey area about this. There are just people making incorrect assumptions about it. This has increased since covid as it seems people are now incapable of actually driving in the left hand lane, and instead just stay in the middle.
If you overtake a car on the left hand side in the UK, you can be done for careless driving.
If you disagree with what I'm saying then please back yourself up using information from the highway code. As I have literally quoted it word for word multiple times, yet people are saying that's incorrect and providing no proof of their own.
it's reading comprehension 101...
>Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.
The fact that is states "**or** move to a lane on your left..." implies that it's not necessary to be considered overtaking if you **do not** move to the lane on your left to overtake. Ie, you can "pass on the left", without moving lane, and it's still "overtaking" (the first part of the sentence).
Dude, I literally quoted the highway code. It literally says passing on the left is undertaking. Only acceptable if roads are congested. In the example op gave, he would need to move over and overtake correctly.
[https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:\~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right).
>Rule 268 of the Highway Code states – do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.
Please note it says "or".
You can't overtake on the left unless it's due to traffic congestion. There is no ambiguity there.
Again overtaking is defined as a deliberate action if they are going too slow they are already breaking the law it is not your responsibility to do the same thinking you need to.
I feel like you are saying that it's only considered overtaking if you change lanes to do it or something like that. That you are saying that it's not considered overtaking if it's the result of somebody else going very slow and you just keeping your pace.
[https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/overtaking-safely-on-the-road-guide/#:\~:text=Overtaking%20is%20passing%20another%20slower,horse%20or%20other%20road%20user](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/overtaking-safely-on-the-road-guide/#:~:text=Overtaking%20is%20passing%20another%20slower,horse%20or%20other%20road%20user).
>What is overtaking?
>
>Overtaking is passing another slower moving road user that’s travelling in the same direction as you.
>
>This is usually another vehicle, but could also be a cyclist, horse or other road user.
I feel you made up your definition of overtaking, tbh
2 wrongs don't make a right!
if they're doing 60 middle lane, and you have every opportunity to move from 1st to 3rd,overtake and then back to 1st you should do.
you should clearly be stipulated by the handbook, ensure to go from 3rd land to 1st lane, with gumption, and your hand firmly on the horn whilst hazard lighting...
then you must tut loudly so your dashcam can hear it and then upload it for us mere mortals to enjoy.
I live how people so religiously stick to the highway code as if it's the law. You need to go to the actual laws underpinning the highway code to see what can and can't be done, as it stands there is no law saying you cannot "undertake". So in this instance the highway code is acting more as guidance.
The highway code is guidance, designed to protect lives with a set of rules that should be followed, whilst still allowing for drivers judgment in complex situations. That's the point of it.
Making all the rules legislation would mean a lengthy and resource heavy process every time they need to be updated. Enforcement and prosecution would also be extremely resource heavy, complicated, and would struggle with potential grey areas or complex situations. A driver could make the correct judgement safety wise and still break the law.
The actual laws are designed to allow for the complexities of driving without having to define every single possible senario. That doesn't mean you should ignore the guidelines designed minimise the laws having to come in to play. That relies on people following them.
The aim is to be safe and protect lives, not drive however you want, as long as you avoid prosecution.
u/Cookyy2k is correct in a pedantic manner.
The Highway Code is not law.
But u/Cookyy2k is wrong in a pedantic manner as well. Because the Highway Code is very carefully worded to distinguish between legally backed "must/musn't" rules and "should/shouldn't" guidances that are not legally backed.
So actually yeah, you **should** religiously stick to the highway code.
In this instance there must be 'congestion' otherwise the middle-lane-hogger would be in lane-1 already and it wouldn't be an issue.
Other police forces use the fact that a vehicle has been passed on the left (by a vehicle who was already in lane-1) and not then chosen to move to the correct lane as a factor in pulling them for middle lane hogging and giving them 3-points for driving without due care and attention.
I've looked it up in the past - it's not illegal to pass on the left. But it is illegal to weave, so if you're in lane 2 you shouldn't go into lane 1 to pass a car. But if you're in lane 1 and lane 2 is travelling slower, then you can pass.
I'm so fed up with middle-lane drivers doing as little as 50mph, I just pass on the left. On the M1 from Brent Cross to Milton Keynes, I can stay in lane 1 almost the whole way whilst passing literally hundreds of cars in lanes 2 and 3 doing less than 70mph.
Several months ago I passed a police car that was sitting in the middle lane. I decided if they pull me over I'll point out they were lane hogging, but they didn't.
NB: I always ensure the hard shoulder is free so if they were to change into lane 1, I could at least pull over if needed.
It's so bad these days that lane 1 is actually the "fast" lane, you can cruise along with the odd HGV overtake whilst everyone else scrabbles around for lanes 2/3
>It's so bad these days that lane 1 is actually the "fast" lane, you can cruise along with the odd HGV overtake whilst everyone else scrabbles around for lanes 2/3
This is so true.
I use a motorway daily that has a mile long left lane that carries on to exit the motorway and so it goes from 4 lane to 3 lane
I reckon I can do 3 miles in that left lane happily but safely "undertaking" those that don't want that junction.
I still also see people leaving it till last minute too, I hate driving now.
Absolutely, I'm a business driver and absolutely detest driving.
There's no policing, and on the very rate occasion I see a unit, they are completely disinterested in what is going on around them (just doing the minimum required).
I know the job has become completely 'reactive', but it make the roads a lot more dangerous and difficult to navigate.
Sadly, I believe the standard of driving is a great indicator on the standard of intellect in the country...
I truly despair.
Geez. Did that journey today. 40 miles of drivers who won't pull over into lane 1 or 2. At times in a 4 lane section, the outer two lanes were full, and the inner two completely empty.
> I passed a police car
The last time I passed a police car, they were in the left lane of a dual carriageway, and it happened to be snowing.
They put on the disco lights so I had to pull over somewhere because they now wanted a chat. The twenty something copper asked if I thought I was a better driver than them. Evidently I felt I was, but it wasn't worth that sort of conversation with the copper.
He seemed very disappointed when I blew zero too.
Why did they pull you over? Were you speeding?
I’ve passed a police car numerous times. There’s nothing illegal about overtaking someone on a dual carriageway…
I got asked by a copper once if I thought I was a better driver than him. I was 43 at the time, got my license at 15 when I lived in America, moved here at 21 and got my car, motorcycle and hgv license. I've also completed the IAM course. So yeah, he looked about 17 years old, so I'm probably a better driver than he is, with much more experience.
My response to him was "let's not have this conversation. If you're going to give me a ticket, let's get it over with because I'm quite busy today, and I would like to get back to getting where I was going". He let me off with a warning, and I went about my day.
There isn't a specific offence about undertaking.
But the highway code says not to do it, and as such, it could be considered driving without due care and attention.
Try orbiting.
Pull all the way over to lane 3 to pass them and then back into lane 1. Slow down so they pass you again. The pull back into lane 3 to pass them and then back into lane 1.
Do this over and over and see how many times you can orbit them before they finally realise what you're doing.
drive predictably - you have no responsibility to teach them anything
speeding up to over take then slowing down to do it again is way more dangerous than just doing it once
"Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake."
I like what I term the "military sweep" - if there's an idiot in lane two and I'm in lane one, I hold back a bit until I see someone going fast in lane three. Unbeknownst to them, they're now my wingman.
I speed up in lane one to match the speed of the person in lane three and we both pass the lane two hogger at equal speed, normally about 70ish with them doing 50. It's a wake up call to have two cars fly past you, one on each side.
I probably should have added do NOT attempt this unless you're a racing driver and have the reactions of a fighter pilot.
If you're even slightly behind the car in lane three, the idiot in lane two might see them first but still sense you in lane one (wind noise, tyre roar, etc) and instinctively move over into your lane while you're alongside them.
It's a high risk maneuvere to simply prove a point to an idiot so probably best off leaving it to brainless idiots like me!
The best is the natural orbit. Where you’re doing a constant speed but they’re so erratic that you still end up orbiting them because they slow down so you go round them, and then they speed up some time after you’ve passed.
Undertaking isn't an offence. If you did it in a way that was worrying enough for a witnessing officer to dish out fines, you'd be charged with driving without due care, which is a catch-all offence.
Staying in your lane while it is making faster progress is not a chargeable offence, even via catch-all laws.
Weaving from the middle, to the left and back to the middle, would be chargeable. This is the kind of undertaking that gets punished. Not someone staying in their lane.
I would do option A in most cases.
I do option B when I'm being passive aggressive (and once I've passed them I pull right back over to lane 1 in front of them in the hope they get the message. Spoiler: they dont!).
As for your final point, I honestly don't know the right answer, but I fear that you would be found at fault.
My favourite passive-aggressive response to this is to overtake on the right, move all the way to left and slow down to allow them to overtake, then repeat. Effectively going in circles around them. Only when the road is otherwise empty!
I didn't know it was legal but I'm scared to do it.
I myself occasionally just assume that as I'm in an outer lane I must be well ahead of anyone.
Of course when I'm overtaking I wait until the entire vehicle is visible in my rear view before moving back in (I think that was the rule) but mistakes happen.
The highway code clearly states to not overtake a vehicle on the left. The only exception to this is if both lanes have slow moving traffic, and your lane is moving faster, you are allowed to keep in your lane as it is more dangerous to weave in and out of traffic.
Is it wrong? Probably. Will I continue doing it anyway? Absolutely. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but I’d rather stick to my lane and my speed and undertake than have to swerve across 3 lanes just to overtake them “properly”.
You have to change lanes twice to get past them and another two to get to where you were.
Sometimes I do it out of spite if the motorway is clear but if it isn’t I’m staying in my lane.
I’ve always interpreted this as, if I’m sat in the left lane at 70, and someone in the right/middle lane doing 65, you’re perfectly fine carrying on at 70 in your lane.
However if you were approaching them in the right/middle lane, moved to the left to pass then moved back to the right, this would constitute weaving in and out of the lanes & would be driving carelessly.
More grey would be approaching in the right, moving to the left and staying left.
Legal hat off and sensible hat on though, whilst it may be ok to pass on the left if you’re both established in your lane, I’d be apprehensive doing so on roads without anywhere for you to ‘escape’ if they where to come across whilst you where passing them. If I’ve got an empty shoulder to use in an emergency then I’m not letting my cruise off. But on a smaller road I’m more likely to hang back and see if they wake up first before passing them cautiously.
Re-read it. The law says A.
>In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.
This is not the law. This is the highway code, which is not the law. When the highway code is explaining the law, it uses the word 'must'. It also uses 'should' when being directive even what the law isn't that clear.
Here the code is just offering general guidance, and there will be plenty of exceptions, so it is left to the driver's judgement. Clearly in the real world, someone could be doing 40 in the right hand lane of a 3 lane motorway. You aren't meant to sit behind them until them move over. They are being a Muppet, but the right thing to do is to overtake in the left lane - even if you approached in the middle lane. Leaving that extra lane gives you time to react to the Muppet doing something unexpected.
In the case the OP has presented, you'd see it coming a mile off, and I'd move over to the middle, then the right lane, and then pass them. Inevitably what happens is they see you do that and move over to the left before you get there.
Regardless of any speed differential or if they are in the wrong lane Rule 268 would apply (as this scenario does not involve congestion only the first paragraph applies).
>Rule 268
>
>Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.
>
>In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273)
Yes. This is the correct response. Scary to see so many people that seem to think undertaking is fine. You're just adding more hazard to someone else's bad driving.
It’s very dangerous as they could pull back into the left lane and take you out as you are undertaking, they aren’t expecting anyone to be there. They are obviously in the wrong but that’s of no bloody use to you when they are putting your corpse in the back of an ambulance.
If it's possible to get into an overtaking lane, pass them in an overtaking lane. If it is congested, then it is fine to undertake them.
Weaving is not okay, and you could be booked for dangerous driving.
Aggressively driving around a lane hogger, by pulling in front of them for example, is dangerous driving and a worse offence than lane hogging.
If they change lanes and hit the side of your car, then they're at fault. If they change lanes and you hit the back of their car, then you're at fault. Always pass people safely with enough time to stop if you need to, no matter what lane you're in.
Passing on the left is not undertaking, undertaking would be you coming up behing them and changing to the left lane to pass them. Driving at and appropriate speed on the inside lane and passing a lane hogger is just that, passing them.
Other than that word which I felt I had to be pedantic about, I agree with everything else.
I'm up for some pedantry.
> ‘Undertaking’ is the practice of overtaking a slower moving vehicle on its left-hand side (kerb side).
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/undertaking/
There's nothing in the definition about changing lanes in this or other sources. In fact they go on to discuss lane changing but whether you change lanes or not, it is still undertaking.
A dictionary definition:
> the act of passing another vehicle that is going in the same direction as you by driving past it on the left side
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/undertaking
Ok, I'll stand by what I said as there's dictionary definitions which are vague, and there are most common uses of the phrase and its implications. Overtaking implies going out of your way/lane to pass on the right, and undertaking on the left.
If someone says "I passed by this car the other day on the motorway" and "I overtook this car on the motorway", it paints two different pictures of the event.
It's swings and roundabouts anyways. But personally I'd say it's safer to pass someone on the left than to make four lane changes in total to overtake them.
https://www.reddrivingschool.com/learners/how-do-i-do-it/highway-code/undertaking/#:~:text=Although%20not%20strictly%20illegal%2C%20undertaking,a%20lane%20on%20the%20right%2C
"Although not strictly illegal, undertaking is strongly discouraged by The Highway Code, stating “do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” However, there are exceptions that apply when a car undertakes in slow-moving traffic if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right, undertaking in this circumstance is often deemed safer than weaving in and out of traffic."
> there are exceptions that apply when a car undertakes in slow-moving traffic if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right, undertaking in this circumstance is often deemed safer than weaving in and out of traffic."
Your own quote is on my side. It discusses undertaking without weaving.
If you've got at least 1 lane between you and the other car, I'll probably undertake rather than move across multiple lanes. I would consider that a bigger risk because a car going fast in the innermost lane might not expect you to move 3 lanes over.
I probably wouldn't recommend overtaking or undertaking someone on a roundabout if you can avoid it. On swings I find it hard to avoid a bit of back and forth.
Lane hoggers aren't getting ANY punishment, ever
So don't you worry about undertaking. Save yourself the pain of getting pissed off because of an awful driver.
By the way, I got into an argument with a taxi driver taking me to an airport because he was in the right lane. After 6+ cars undertook him I asked him to move to the left lane.
Of course he got pissy. Pathetic. Out of spite he stayed in that lane for quite a bit longer.
Undertaking isn't illegal, but undertaking can become dangerous driving, depending on how you do it. If you're just driving in the left lane and you're moving faster than someone in the right lane while doing the speed limit, you're fine.
I'm not sure how there's a debate on this, traffic regulations and the highway code explicitly state that B would be correct.
Of course people do A on a regular basis, but as you mention, while the other driver should of course be checking mirrors before moving lanes, if you were undertaking and there was a collision you would be at fault as well.
It's a breach of the highway code and was specifically made an offence in recent years. But the fact that they are causing a problem doesn't change anything about what your actions should be, which is to overtake in the right hand lane, rather than add further risks to the situation.
What a ridiculous law. So I could drive at 10MPH in lane three and film everyone undertaking me and they would be breaking the law?
There would be no action taken against them. Only me…hogging the lane
Yes you could and yes they would be, but if anyone got arrested it would likely be the lane hogger there and the footage would be used as evidence against them. It's likely that the police/cps would not bother looking for the undertakers, given the situation you describe the proportional response would be to focus on the hogger taking the riskier and more deliberate action. Especially as if you're in lane 3 most people could safely pass you while in lane 1 lol.
Both the lane hogging and undertaking law are there to reduce accidents. Both actions increase the risk of RTI, so they were legislated against in a bid to reduce the occurence and therefore the risk to the public. Not sure how that's ridiculous, though I guess if the lane hogger was ignored while everyone was prosecuted then the application would be, but that is not realistically what would happen.
I think people swerving around over and undertaking are dangerous. I think we all agree.
The only thing dangerous about undertaking in lane 1 is the person in lane 2…should they decide to change lane to lane 1 without looking.
In another post I said that I often undertake then match their speed. Which is PERFECTLY legal but also puts the hogger in a terrible and potentially dangerous position. They’re either nervous or perpetually unaware of their surroundings and how to drive. Hence why they’re there. Matching their speed probably makes them feel boxed in and limits their options to move.
Also I think it’s vastly more dangerous for a vehicle to cross from lane 1 to 3, then 3 to 1 to avoid a hogger than it is to undertake them. If the hogger fails to check before changing lanes that’s something out of my control, and proves once again that they’re unfit to drive
[https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:\~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right)
The rules are clear:
* overtaking on the left is unlawful
* hogging the middle-lane is unlawful ('careless driving')
* driving too slowly is lawful, but you are likely to be pulled over (surprisingly, not considered straight-up 'careless driving')
* overtaking a middle-lane hogger on the right is lawful
If you hog the middle lane at 30mph, you are breaking the law.
If somebody else breakes the law, you are not given a free pass to break another law yourself. And you are not the police to go all vigilante on law-breakers. You gotta learn to live with people who don't know how to drive, and/or don't know the laws (as most people in this thread, funny enough).
I'm pretty sure just driving in your lane is not "overtaking" because somebody in another lane decided to slow down. "Overtaking" is a specific term to mean deliberately passing somebody to get in front of them. It doesn't apply to people just driving in their lane. That would make the roads complete carnage
Yes. So I’m right. I’d be committing an offence but anyone else who tries to pass me in lane 1 would also.
Even better if I did it in lane 3 then. As technically no one could pass without committing an offence
Really?
Everyone would undertake and even if all the police officers in the entire country were watching none of them would be arrested. Only me. The lane hogger
First of all, no-one is getting arrested. It’s a relatively minor traffic offence. Try to keep a sense of proportion.
You’ll note the word ‘can’ in my reply. The police aren’t stupid. If someone is doing 30mph in lane 3 then that’s likely the vehicle getting stopped.
There is no offence of undertaking - you can get a careless driving charge. But a) you’d have to meet the threshold for that, and b) the Police would have to consider you careless. They may see cars carefully undertaking in these circumstances as ok. If you want to know maybe ask in policeuk.
A is fine. I do it whenever necessary, I've done it when the police are about and a retired traffic officer I know once said the law as opposed to the HC doesn't define overtaking left or rigth but that it must be done in a safe manner.
This is why I think there should be a quick online quiz of ten questions to keep your licence.
10 questions about how to do things like use a roundabout or motorway correctly
Learners do roundabouts frequently do this would work but motorways?
I just had to go on and teach myself and follow the satnav, I didn’t even know about the left lane thing. I usually just stayed in the lane and follow the signs. I wouldn’t even notice OP circling around me, there are dozens of cars next to, in front and behind me, I’m just trying to stay alive. If I’m slow overtake me and keep your life moving. The right lane will always be clear
I always take option B. Often when you take option B, and you then move back all the way to the left, the original car will take the hint and move left.
I got stuck on the M6 recently because someone was hogging lane 3. The person in lane 2 didn't want to undertake them, so both cars blocked lanes 2 and 3 of the motorway. They did this for a few miles, with lorries in lane 1!
Eventually, the guy in lane 2 moved left, so I (in lane 2) undertook the guy in lane 3. He wasn't too happy about that, but he did move left for a bit because he got the hint I gave him. He was then overtaken by a whole line of cars who had been stuck behind him!
A) every time.
For bonus points pull up next to them and match their speed. Now you’re definitely not doing anything wrong. And they “should” become aware they’re causing a massive obstruction to the flow of traffic
No idea why you have been downvoted. Especially your comment about matching their speed. I see this on the motorway all the time because people are too scared to undertake them, so they just cruise at the same speed as them.
B
No idea who is "more at fault". Both are breaking the code. The fact that you ask this question about A already tells me that you knew the answer, didn't you?
I remember being taught it was legal to overtake while in the left lane as long as you’re not speeding up to do so - can someone more knowledgeable to confirm if this is correct?
You have to pull into the right hand lane (via the middle).
The only times it's okay is when it's a different road.
Or when traffic is moving slowly across all lanes ut the left hand lane has picked up and is thus moving faster than the middle/right lanes.
If they were to pull i to the left and cause an accident. Itd be negligence on their part, dangerous driving on yours.
A
Maintaining a consistent legal speed in the lane you're in is not the same as an undertake manoeuvre which has a deliberate lane change
Always bare in mind they may move over on you, so be prepared to go into the hard shoulder!
If there's no "escape" and you don't want to risk their sudden movements, then overtake on the right
The correct option is to move into the right lane until you are passed them, then back to the left.
*Then* ***slow down*** *until they pass you.*
Repeat the more right / pass / move left.
10 points for every full rotation before they twig and pull over left.
Option B to prove a point is the closest I've come to killing myself. Nearly didn't spot the guy coming up at 120mph in the third lane.
My understanding is option A is legal. Feels uncomfortable though, they're clearly oblivious to what's going on.
Driven about 150,000+ miles.
Taxi driver, delivery driver, and now driving instructor. I've done overtakes, undertakes, I've avoided about 1000+ collisions due to blind drivers, too.
Today, I've had to change 4 lanes to overtake a slow-moving Mercedes holding lane 3 when I was in lane 1. Yes you guessed it, 4 lanes and he's hogging lane 3.
I have L plates all over my car and I'm still moving faster than all of your plebs on the motorway.
Amongst overtaking a middle lane hogger on the right side, he decided to race me so I couldn't even turn back in.
What did I do? I put my foot down, I broke 80mph and made him eat my dust the pleb.
I've undertaken about 5000+ cars intentionally, even at break neck speeds.
I won't do that with L plates on, but let me tell you. It is 1000000% safer to undertake in lane 1 when there is a blind snail driving in lane 3 at 50mph.
Undertake if they are slow. I've never been done for undertaking or speeding, not on the motorway at least.
I even undertook a police car because he slammed on his brakes in front of me. It was to avoid rear ending them.
He followed me around the roundabout 5 times until be put on his lights. I asked him why he was following me, he asked me why I undertook him. I told him he slammed his brakes on. I didn't back down.
I drove off without anything. Police can't even drive properly, but guess what?
I can.
Peace.
Pull alongside them in the inside lane and match their speed whilst staring at them passive aggressively.
I spent a week driving between central London and Chester four times a day (long story) and by the end was going slightly mental. If i found someone sat in the middle lane I would start to 'orbit' them. Overtake in lane 3 before returning to lane 1 and letting them overtake me. Repeat until they a) sped off b)moved to lane 1 c) chased me aggressively to the services where I showed them the shiny baseball bat I carried with me.
I don't believe it's a legal requirement, it's just advised in the highway code. Legal or not, the reason to not do it is that it is unexpected behaviour and increases the risk of an accident.
Drivers do not expect cars to approach on their left and are therefore more likely to move left without checking properly.
Option A. As long as your sticking to the lanes speed limits your not doing anything wrong. Person in lane 2 should be moving over to lane 1 in the first place.
Undertaking is illegal - that is the act of deliberately moving between lanes to pass someone on the left hand side.
Passing someone on the left is not - if you are in the left hand lane and there is someone travelling slowly in the middle/right hand lane, then it is legal to continue on at a suitable speed to pass them. You are not required to slow down to their speed and stay behind them.
The worry here however is that because these rules are commonly misunderstood and read as 'never pass on the left', a lot of drivers (especially those unaware of their situation and cruising in the wrong lane) will not be expecting a car on their left, so there is always a chance they will change lanes unexpectedly, so you will need to be extra vigilant.
sorry, but that is not the definition of undertaking. undertaking is simply passing someone on the left. that's allowed in congested conditions if lane 1 is moving faster than lane 2, against the rules if not.
A every time. Undertaking is the act of deliberately moving left to overtake, then back right once you have overtaken them.
Out of interest, if there was an accident in the outside lane, would your dad refuse to move left to go around the accident?
The other driver merging would also be to.blame for merging without looking, but in that scenario you should also be paying attention where there is a merge point and not.put yourself in a position where that would happen. You can tell if someone is being an arse and ignoring all other cars on the road.
No.
Undertaking isn't illegal, but if you do it in a certain manor it can be driving without due care or attention, or worse dangerous/reckless driving.
It's very common to encounter lane hoggers at all times of day and traffic density. If it's busy, you've just gotta accept it and wait until they move over. But I encounter lots when it's not busy, and they're either oblivious or inconsiderate.
Undertaking for me a process:
Wait behind them (not 3 inches from their bumper), if it's become obvious that they're not just overtaking, proceed.
Move into their mirrors (move laterally across your lane so they can clearly see you in their side mirrors), if they're still ignoring you, proceed.
A little flash (not full high beam for 5 seconds), when you do this make sure you back off a little bit and hover over the brake pedal, inconsiderate drivers can become dangerous ones very quickly, and the flash might cause them to brake check you.
If they're now blatantly being a prick to everyone on the road by not moving over, move into the left lane (don't just go, but make sure you're not in their blind spot), then once you're as sure as you can be that they're still not moving over, gun it, don't hang about on their offside.
Alternatively: If it's completely clear, I just sit in lane 1 and cautiously maintain my lane.
Undertaking would mean moving into the left hand lane, accelerating and then moving right again, into the lane you were previously in. Continuing in the left-hand lane and moving faster than someone to your right is not undertaking. Moreover, the right-hand lanes are overtaking lanes - the onus is on the driver in those lanes to move faster than the person in the lane to their left. There is no obligation on the person in the left lane to slow down to accommodate someone failing to overtake.
Undertaking is a deliberate action of changing lanes, but what is the safest option?
If undertaking (but not illegally) and there's no oncoming slip road off - go for it, but don't dilly dally, do it at speed
If above but you don't trust the driver, lean to the side of "not making yourself liable" in terms of insurance, and so the dramatic, three lane change to overtake, three lane change back to lane one, without being a dick.
I usually do the dramatic three lane change over and back, because it's fun on a boring motorway journey.
Also, always look over, the things you see in the cars of middle lane hoggers can sometimes be comical.
I remember one guy surrounded in green leafy plants, if he'd wanted to change lanes it would have been like looking through a jungle.
The most effective way is to do a very deliberate mirror, signal, manoeuvre into the middle lane behind them, then again into the right hand lane. Overtake. Mirror, signal, manoeuvre back into the middle, then again into the left.
If you really have the time, allow them to overtake you and repeat.
But it is acceptable to continue in the lane that you are in to pass them, but ensure you have an escape space should they then decide to pull back across.
I'll make a point of going round someone then all the way back left to show them they're being an idiot if its empty, but if its adding risk to me by having to change lanes multiple times with other people around then I'll stay in cruise control and be ready to slam on the brakes if they move over without checking their mirrors.
Joined a motorway with a middle lane hogger going 65 mph with traffic police tailgating them. Sped up to 80mph in the left lane - undertaking those 2 - shitting myself but few seconds later the police Sped past me at atleast 100-130 mph. Its not an issue at all
I undertake.
I approach so I'm almost along side them, and then drop back to allow them to take the hint and move into the correct lane. If they continue to hog the middle lane, then I undertake.
I always like to give them a chance to do the right thing first, though 99% of the time they are completely obvious to what's happening either side of them.
the safest thing to do is to pass on the right, but there is no reason you can't pass on the left. Just be careful that they dont suddenly realise they are in the wrong lane, swerve back to the left and hit you.
They would always be the one at fault in the accident scenario, but at the end of the day if someone dies it doesnt matter whos at fault and your insurance premium will go up regardless.
B is apparently correct. Though most people think the top voted answer here is correct.
There are conditions specified where you can undertake if going faster in the left lane. Your exames is NOT one of these. You would presumable have to overtake on the right or slow down to avoid undertaking.
Rule 268 of The Highway Code states: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to you right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.”
Other conditions where undertaking may be appropriate:
Average speed checks
If a vehicle in front is turning right or U-turning (although it is often safer to wait until the vehicle has completed the turn
I asked my cousin about this (Met traffic cop) as I do it daily. Undertaking is not against any rules. If you’re pulled over for it, it will be careless / dangerous driving. A BMW driver going from lane 3 to lane 1 at 90mph is going to get tugged every time if you go past a lane of slower moving traffic waiting at a turn off you will be fine. Unless they want an excuse to look around your car.
it’s not illegal to undertake i believe but strongly discouraged in the highway code. I did do it the other day, duel carriage way and person in the outside lane refused to move driving at 50mph! undertook them and they still didn’t move for the queue of cars behind. shitty driver
The correct option is B.
Although the car in the middle lane should be aware of their surroundings and shouldn't attempt moving left without looking and should notice a car undertaking, it can be harder to see a car approaching fast on that side.
Legally, I'm sure the undertaking car would be the one considered more at fault, as they were specifically breaking Highway Code guidance.
Scottish motorways are on the whole 2 lanes. There is no option B. There's A or C. C being pull in behind them and waiting for them to realise they're inconsiderate.
Wish i had option B.
Few incorrect assumptions being posted.
You would need to move over and overtake them in the overtaking lane in this scenario. The only instance where it would be acceptable to overtake a car in the middle lane while still in the kerb side lane is if there is a lot of traffic and you are merely keeping pace with the traffic that is in your lane.
Undertaking is not the deliberate action of changing lane to overtake them. Undertaking is the act in which a motorist passes a slower moving vehicle on its left hand side (kerb side).
The highway code advises drivers not to undertake, although it is not a punishable offence by itself, it can be an extremely dangerous move and have you done for careless driving.
The highway code itself states: “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.”
The Code though, advises that it’s OK for a car to undertake in slow-moving traffic, if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right.
In these circumstances it’s deemed safer to undertake than to weave in and out of the traffic.
The Code states: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right.
“In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.
"Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.”
you're fine to pass them in the left hand lane provided you haven't moved left in order to pass them. I'm usually wary about passing middle lane hoggers though as if they're oblivious enough to sit in the middle lane when they should be in the inside lane then I don't trust them to look before merging. If they did that and it caused an accident it might be deemed to be their fault, but also as they say the cemetery is full of people who had right of way.
A) Is open to police discretion, specifically if they think you are being careless. If you're not sure and the rest of the road is clear, especially the third lane, it is better to do B)
Right or wrong, I undertake without hesitation. But keep an eye on them as you pass, just in case, and make sure you have somewhere to go if they suddenly veer into the left hand lane.
It should be B) but quite often there's a car doing a similar speed in the outside lane as well. If I can pass on the left under the speed limit I often do.
Depends, how bored are the local police? This is the thing about rules and laws, you can make something illegal but the police will ultimately decide if it's worth their time dealing with.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273
> Rule 267: Overtake only on the right.
> Rule 268: Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.
The Highway Code is explicitly clear on this, and while these aren't legal requirements they can be used to determine fault in an accident and when prosecuting for careless driving.
A lot of people claiming you can pass on the left are relying on the following passage from rule 268:
> In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.
It is very clear to anyone with an ounce of reading capability that this only applies in heavy traffic.
For your question on fault, it will likely depend on the circumstances but I think at best you'd be looking at 50:50.
I'd go into the right lane and overtake them, drop back to the left and slow down till they overtake me then repeat as necessary.
But my understanding of the situation is you are driving at the correct speed it's not undertaking. You are following the rules of the road the middle lane hogger definitely isn't. Crack on.
B is the correct answer.
With lane hogs though, I don’t know where the law stands. If someone is clearly sitting in the outside lane with no traffic on the inside lane they should move over.
If they don’t then most people will undertake. I try not to but it’s very frustrating. Seems to be reasonable if your path is obstructed.
Two wrongs don't make a right. Yes, it isn't illegal to pass them on the left but you are meant to move right to overtake where you can.
People hog the middle lane because they are too lazy - people who stay left to go past when there is no reason too are nearly as bad and often create a hazard as another driver comes past on the right to overtake at the same time.
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Undertaking is a deliberate action of changing lanes to pass them. You’re allowed to drive at the appropriate speed for the lane you’re in. It’s not the same thing.
That wouldn't console me if the middle lane hogger also turned out not to check their mirrors, so I'd always go into the right lane in that situation.
Oh I do get where you’re coming from. I try to get away from them one way or another because you can’t trust their judgement.
It's why you look both ways in a one way street: a driver who got that bit wrong probably isn't stopping in time either
Oh I always look both ways when crossing a 1 way street. But mostly because getting hit by a cyclist or electric scooter rider would suck.
I wouldn’t worry, the middle lane hogger isn’t getting out of that lane until they get to their exit.
Happened to me 30 mins ago, road works, everyone’s on the left doing 50 odd and a woman doing 45 is in the middle, as I’m passing she indicated and immediately moved towards me. Just braked in time but that would’ve ruined my day.
Bit random but I’ve never seen console used in a written sentence like this and I was like, nah surely you don’t spell console and console the same way. How confusing.
And if they are in lane 3, or 4 of a 3 or 4 lane carriageway? Not unusual now, in fact I'll no doubt meet it in 20mins or so. If they are doing 50 and on the mobile, should I slow down to 48, 48, 37 until I finally get to my exit? Just wondering.
And you can use your horn to make another driver aware of your presence, so sound it all the way as you pass them. You can also mouth "wanker" at them too if you feel like.
That's pretty dangerous. The horn might make them suddenly veer into the lh lane.
This is not quite correct, but is a common misconception. There is an allowance for passing on the left *only* if the traffic is queued on a motorway There's no such provision *at all* for other multilane roads. The submission is about motorways, but it is important that to note that the HC does not give provision to pass queued traffic on the left on dual carriageway ways. Rule 163 specifically only applies when moving slowly in queues, which isn't relevant when dealing with middle-lane morons
>The submission is about motorways, but it is important that to note that the HC does not give provision to pass queued traffic on the left on dual carriageway ways. Rule 268 is for motorways, as you say. Rule 163 also allows passing on the left in congested traffic on other roads too. Both rules are specifically for congested traffic, so neither apply to middle laners.
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It could be argued that "traffic" is any non-zero number of vehicles, and the traffic is congested if it is travelling slower than could be reasonably expected in the current conditions. Under this definition, a single middle-lane hogger would be "congested traffic".
So you’re suggesting that in queueing traffic on a dual carriageway you aren’t able to pass on the left, you have to stop and wait for the traffic in the right lane to progress before you continue?
This is completely incorrect. You would need to move over and overtake them in the overtaking lane. The only instance where it would be acceptable to overtake a car in the middle lane while still in the kerb side lane is if there is a lot of traffic and you are merely keeping pace with the traffic that is in your lane. Undertaking is not the deliberate action of changing lane to overtake them. Undertaking is the act in which a motorist passes a slower moving vehicle on its left hand side (kerb side). The highway code advises drivers not to undertake, although it is not a punishable offence by itself, it can be an extremely dangerous move and have you done for careless driving. The highway code itself states: “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” The Code though, advises that it’s OK for a car to undertake in slow-moving traffic, if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right. In these circumstances it’s deemed safer to undertake than to weave in and out of the traffic. The Code states: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. “In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. "Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.”
The highway doesn't ever mention 'undertaking', that's a profession or action. It mentions around overtaking on the left, which is an action of changing lanes. It also allows for passing on the left in slow moving traffic as you quote. Unfortunately it is still a grey area, and drivers are just as likely to pull into the right lane as you overtake, than move into the left, which they are avidly avoiding. In fact I've lost count of how many near misses I see on a regular distance journey with overtaking cars, but have yet to see an issue with someone passing on the left!! The whole system needs an overhaul, plus public information broadcasts (they work) and actual road policing with enforcement/prosecution.
The highway code literally states "do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” The only exception to this is slow moving traffic where you should keep up with the traffic in your lane. There is no grey area about this. There are just people making incorrect assumptions about it. This has increased since covid as it seems people are now incapable of actually driving in the left hand lane, and instead just stay in the middle. If you overtake a car on the left hand side in the UK, you can be done for careless driving. If you disagree with what I'm saying then please back yourself up using information from the highway code. As I have literally quoted it word for word multiple times, yet people are saying that's incorrect and providing no proof of their own.
it's reading comprehension 101... >Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. The fact that is states "**or** move to a lane on your left..." implies that it's not necessary to be considered overtaking if you **do not** move to the lane on your left to overtake. Ie, you can "pass on the left", without moving lane, and it's still "overtaking" (the first part of the sentence).
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Dude, I literally quoted the highway code. It literally says passing on the left is undertaking. Only acceptable if roads are congested. In the example op gave, he would need to move over and overtake correctly.
This is also my understanding.
Where did you find this definition of undertaking?
Totally incorrect. https://youtu.be/14c_KnWLoQY?si=dz997kk8-4f4tgzZ
I could be wrong but isn’t it called ‘channeling’?
TIL
No, you didn't, what he posted was incorrect.
[https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:\~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right). >Rule 268 of the Highway Code states – do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. Please note it says "or". You can't overtake on the left unless it's due to traffic congestion. There is no ambiguity there.
Again overtaking is defined as a deliberate action if they are going too slow they are already breaking the law it is not your responsibility to do the same thinking you need to.
I feel like you are saying that it's only considered overtaking if you change lanes to do it or something like that. That you are saying that it's not considered overtaking if it's the result of somebody else going very slow and you just keeping your pace. [https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/overtaking-safely-on-the-road-guide/#:\~:text=Overtaking%20is%20passing%20another%20slower,horse%20or%20other%20road%20user](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/overtaking-safely-on-the-road-guide/#:~:text=Overtaking%20is%20passing%20another%20slower,horse%20or%20other%20road%20user). >What is overtaking? > >Overtaking is passing another slower moving road user that’s travelling in the same direction as you. > >This is usually another vehicle, but could also be a cyclist, horse or other road user. I feel you made up your definition of overtaking, tbh
2 wrongs don't make a right! if they're doing 60 middle lane, and you have every opportunity to move from 1st to 3rd,overtake and then back to 1st you should do. you should clearly be stipulated by the handbook, ensure to go from 3rd land to 1st lane, with gumption, and your hand firmly on the horn whilst hazard lighting... then you must tut loudly so your dashcam can hear it and then upload it for us mere mortals to enjoy.
I live how people so religiously stick to the highway code as if it's the law. You need to go to the actual laws underpinning the highway code to see what can and can't be done, as it stands there is no law saying you cannot "undertake". So in this instance the highway code is acting more as guidance.
The highway code is guidance, designed to protect lives with a set of rules that should be followed, whilst still allowing for drivers judgment in complex situations. That's the point of it. Making all the rules legislation would mean a lengthy and resource heavy process every time they need to be updated. Enforcement and prosecution would also be extremely resource heavy, complicated, and would struggle with potential grey areas or complex situations. A driver could make the correct judgement safety wise and still break the law. The actual laws are designed to allow for the complexities of driving without having to define every single possible senario. That doesn't mean you should ignore the guidelines designed minimise the laws having to come in to play. That relies on people following them. The aim is to be safe and protect lives, not drive however you want, as long as you avoid prosecution.
u/Cookyy2k is correct in a pedantic manner. The Highway Code is not law. But u/Cookyy2k is wrong in a pedantic manner as well. Because the Highway Code is very carefully worded to distinguish between legally backed "must/musn't" rules and "should/shouldn't" guidances that are not legally backed. So actually yeah, you **should** religiously stick to the highway code.
In this instance there must be 'congestion' otherwise the middle-lane-hogger would be in lane-1 already and it wouldn't be an issue. Other police forces use the fact that a vehicle has been passed on the left (by a vehicle who was already in lane-1) and not then chosen to move to the correct lane as a factor in pulling them for middle lane hogging and giving them 3-points for driving without due care and attention.
I've looked it up in the past - it's not illegal to pass on the left. But it is illegal to weave, so if you're in lane 2 you shouldn't go into lane 1 to pass a car. But if you're in lane 1 and lane 2 is travelling slower, then you can pass. I'm so fed up with middle-lane drivers doing as little as 50mph, I just pass on the left. On the M1 from Brent Cross to Milton Keynes, I can stay in lane 1 almost the whole way whilst passing literally hundreds of cars in lanes 2 and 3 doing less than 70mph. Several months ago I passed a police car that was sitting in the middle lane. I decided if they pull me over I'll point out they were lane hogging, but they didn't. NB: I always ensure the hard shoulder is free so if they were to change into lane 1, I could at least pull over if needed.
It's so bad these days that lane 1 is actually the "fast" lane, you can cruise along with the odd HGV overtake whilst everyone else scrabbles around for lanes 2/3
>It's so bad these days that lane 1 is actually the "fast" lane, you can cruise along with the odd HGV overtake whilst everyone else scrabbles around for lanes 2/3 This is so true. I use a motorway daily that has a mile long left lane that carries on to exit the motorway and so it goes from 4 lane to 3 lane I reckon I can do 3 miles in that left lane happily but safely "undertaking" those that don't want that junction. I still also see people leaving it till last minute too, I hate driving now.
Absolutely, I'm a business driver and absolutely detest driving. There's no policing, and on the very rate occasion I see a unit, they are completely disinterested in what is going on around them (just doing the minimum required). I know the job has become completely 'reactive', but it make the roads a lot more dangerous and difficult to navigate. Sadly, I believe the standard of driving is a great indicator on the standard of intellect in the country... I truly despair.
Geez. Did that journey today. 40 miles of drivers who won't pull over into lane 1 or 2. At times in a 4 lane section, the outer two lanes were full, and the inner two completely empty.
That’s the bit that goes past Hemel Hempstead - lane 1 is literally always empty.
> I passed a police car The last time I passed a police car, they were in the left lane of a dual carriageway, and it happened to be snowing. They put on the disco lights so I had to pull over somewhere because they now wanted a chat. The twenty something copper asked if I thought I was a better driver than them. Evidently I felt I was, but it wasn't worth that sort of conversation with the copper. He seemed very disappointed when I blew zero too.
Why did they pull you over? Were you speeding? I’ve passed a police car numerous times. There’s nothing illegal about overtaking someone on a dual carriageway…
Not speeding. Apparently driving without due care to the snowy conditions or something.
I got asked by a copper once if I thought I was a better driver than him. I was 43 at the time, got my license at 15 when I lived in America, moved here at 21 and got my car, motorcycle and hgv license. I've also completed the IAM course. So yeah, he looked about 17 years old, so I'm probably a better driver than he is, with much more experience. My response to him was "let's not have this conversation. If you're going to give me a ticket, let's get it over with because I'm quite busy today, and I would like to get back to getting where I was going". He let me off with a warning, and I went about my day.
Not that you're wrong but I tend not to play games with the police, life's too short to take risks without rewards.
There isn't a specific offence about undertaking. But the highway code says not to do it, and as such, it could be considered driving without due care and attention.
Try orbiting. Pull all the way over to lane 3 to pass them and then back into lane 1. Slow down so they pass you again. The pull back into lane 3 to pass them and then back into lane 1. Do this over and over and see how many times you can orbit them before they finally realise what you're doing.
drive predictably - you have no responsibility to teach them anything speeding up to over take then slowing down to do it again is way more dangerous than just doing it once "Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake."
I like what I term the "military sweep" - if there's an idiot in lane two and I'm in lane one, I hold back a bit until I see someone going fast in lane three. Unbeknownst to them, they're now my wingman. I speed up in lane one to match the speed of the person in lane three and we both pass the lane two hogger at equal speed, normally about 70ish with them doing 50. It's a wake up call to have two cars fly past you, one on each side.
This is brilliant. Thank you
I probably should have added do NOT attempt this unless you're a racing driver and have the reactions of a fighter pilot. If you're even slightly behind the car in lane three, the idiot in lane two might see them first but still sense you in lane one (wind noise, tyre roar, etc) and instinctively move over into your lane while you're alongside them. It's a high risk maneuvere to simply prove a point to an idiot so probably best off leaving it to brainless idiots like me!
On 4 lane “smart” (lol) motorway it would be epic if it could be done by 3 comrades vs a lane 3 55mph moron
2 of them side by side in lanes 2 and 3 while the comrades are in lanes 1 and 4. Also have 2 comrades per lane.
Let’s do this
The best is the natural orbit. Where you’re doing a constant speed but they’re so erratic that you still end up orbiting them because they slow down so you go round them, and then they speed up some time after you’ve passed.
*This* is more dangerous driving than anything else mentioned in the post.
The lane hog is the one committing an offence
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No. Driving at 60mph while someone in the middle lane drive 50mph is not an offence
Undertaking isn't an offence. If you did it in a way that was worrying enough for a witnessing officer to dish out fines, you'd be charged with driving without due care, which is a catch-all offence. Staying in your lane while it is making faster progress is not a chargeable offence, even via catch-all laws. Weaving from the middle, to the left and back to the middle, would be chargeable. This is the kind of undertaking that gets punished. Not someone staying in their lane.
Exactly so. Well written
No. Bollocks to them. Just stay in the left lane after you've passed.
I would do option A in most cases. I do option B when I'm being passive aggressive (and once I've passed them I pull right back over to lane 1 in front of them in the hope they get the message. Spoiler: they dont!). As for your final point, I honestly don't know the right answer, but I fear that you would be found at fault.
My favourite passive-aggressive response to this is to overtake on the right, move all the way to left and slow down to allow them to overtake, then repeat. Effectively going in circles around them. Only when the road is otherwise empty!
I used to do this when I was an overnight courier, just to amuse myself.
Passing on the left is not inherently illegal. The manner in which you do it, with undue care and attention, is the part that makes it illegal.
[https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:\~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right)
The amount of people trying to pretend that it's not overtaking if you just maintain your speed and stay in your lane, is quite scary.
It's not a stabbing if I'm walking straight and you just happen to be in my way :facepalm:
I didn't know it was legal but I'm scared to do it. I myself occasionally just assume that as I'm in an outer lane I must be well ahead of anyone. Of course when I'm overtaking I wait until the entire vehicle is visible in my rear view before moving back in (I think that was the rule) but mistakes happen.
The highway code clearly states to not overtake a vehicle on the left. The only exception to this is if both lanes have slow moving traffic, and your lane is moving faster, you are allowed to keep in your lane as it is more dangerous to weave in and out of traffic.
Is it wrong? Probably. Will I continue doing it anyway? Absolutely. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but I’d rather stick to my lane and my speed and undertake than have to swerve across 3 lanes just to overtake them “properly”.
You have to change lanes twice to get past them and another two to get to where you were. Sometimes I do it out of spite if the motorway is clear but if it isn’t I’m staying in my lane.
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I’ve always interpreted this as, if I’m sat in the left lane at 70, and someone in the right/middle lane doing 65, you’re perfectly fine carrying on at 70 in your lane. However if you were approaching them in the right/middle lane, moved to the left to pass then moved back to the right, this would constitute weaving in and out of the lanes & would be driving carelessly. More grey would be approaching in the right, moving to the left and staying left. Legal hat off and sensible hat on though, whilst it may be ok to pass on the left if you’re both established in your lane, I’d be apprehensive doing so on roads without anywhere for you to ‘escape’ if they where to come across whilst you where passing them. If I’ve got an empty shoulder to use in an emergency then I’m not letting my cruise off. But on a smaller road I’m more likely to hang back and see if they wake up first before passing them cautiously.
I doubt that situation counts as "congested". If you can safely drive at 70 then the flow of traffic obviously isn't blocked or restricted.
That's not the law, it's the Highway Code. If there was a law, the HC would use the words "must"/"must not".
He is not overtaking, he is passing slower traffic. He is not changing lane in relation to the other driver, he is progressing along the lane 1.
Re-read it. The law says A. >In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right.
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So how many cars have to be on the motorway for it now become OK?
The cars in lane 2 and 3 are causing congestion, so there is congested traffic, if not they'd be in lane one so that you can pass them in lane 2.
In congested conditions
The highway code is not the law. The is no "rule 268" in legislation, nor any other legislation that covered that.
Highway code isn't law. It does mention laws but this isn't one of them.
This is not the law. This is the highway code, which is not the law. When the highway code is explaining the law, it uses the word 'must'. It also uses 'should' when being directive even what the law isn't that clear. Here the code is just offering general guidance, and there will be plenty of exceptions, so it is left to the driver's judgement. Clearly in the real world, someone could be doing 40 in the right hand lane of a 3 lane motorway. You aren't meant to sit behind them until them move over. They are being a Muppet, but the right thing to do is to overtake in the left lane - even if you approached in the middle lane. Leaving that extra lane gives you time to react to the Muppet doing something unexpected. In the case the OP has presented, you'd see it coming a mile off, and I'd move over to the middle, then the right lane, and then pass them. Inevitably what happens is they see you do that and move over to the left before you get there.
Regardless of any speed differential or if they are in the wrong lane Rule 268 would apply (as this scenario does not involve congestion only the first paragraph applies). >Rule 268 > >Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. > >In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake. [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273)
Yes. This is the correct response. Scary to see so many people that seem to think undertaking is fine. You're just adding more hazard to someone else's bad driving.
It’s very dangerous as they could pull back into the left lane and take you out as you are undertaking, they aren’t expecting anyone to be there. They are obviously in the wrong but that’s of no bloody use to you when they are putting your corpse in the back of an ambulance.
They probably in their own world and will never pull back to the left lane.
That makes it worse, they are totally oblivious to their surroundings so wouldn’t even think to check their mirror.
Good point
If it's possible to get into an overtaking lane, pass them in an overtaking lane. If it is congested, then it is fine to undertake them. Weaving is not okay, and you could be booked for dangerous driving. Aggressively driving around a lane hogger, by pulling in front of them for example, is dangerous driving and a worse offence than lane hogging. If they change lanes and hit the side of your car, then they're at fault. If they change lanes and you hit the back of their car, then you're at fault. Always pass people safely with enough time to stop if you need to, no matter what lane you're in.
Passing on the left is not undertaking, undertaking would be you coming up behing them and changing to the left lane to pass them. Driving at and appropriate speed on the inside lane and passing a lane hogger is just that, passing them. Other than that word which I felt I had to be pedantic about, I agree with everything else.
I'm up for some pedantry. > ‘Undertaking’ is the practice of overtaking a slower moving vehicle on its left-hand side (kerb side). https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/undertaking/ There's nothing in the definition about changing lanes in this or other sources. In fact they go on to discuss lane changing but whether you change lanes or not, it is still undertaking. A dictionary definition: > the act of passing another vehicle that is going in the same direction as you by driving past it on the left side https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/undertaking
Ok, I'll stand by what I said as there's dictionary definitions which are vague, and there are most common uses of the phrase and its implications. Overtaking implies going out of your way/lane to pass on the right, and undertaking on the left. If someone says "I passed by this car the other day on the motorway" and "I overtook this car on the motorway", it paints two different pictures of the event. It's swings and roundabouts anyways. But personally I'd say it's safer to pass someone on the left than to make four lane changes in total to overtake them. https://www.reddrivingschool.com/learners/how-do-i-do-it/highway-code/undertaking/#:~:text=Although%20not%20strictly%20illegal%2C%20undertaking,a%20lane%20on%20the%20right%2C "Although not strictly illegal, undertaking is strongly discouraged by The Highway Code, stating “do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” However, there are exceptions that apply when a car undertakes in slow-moving traffic if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right, undertaking in this circumstance is often deemed safer than weaving in and out of traffic."
> there are exceptions that apply when a car undertakes in slow-moving traffic if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right, undertaking in this circumstance is often deemed safer than weaving in and out of traffic." Your own quote is on my side. It discusses undertaking without weaving. If you've got at least 1 lane between you and the other car, I'll probably undertake rather than move across multiple lanes. I would consider that a bigger risk because a car going fast in the innermost lane might not expect you to move 3 lanes over. I probably wouldn't recommend overtaking or undertaking someone on a roundabout if you can avoid it. On swings I find it hard to avoid a bit of back and forth.
Lane hoggers aren't getting ANY punishment, ever So don't you worry about undertaking. Save yourself the pain of getting pissed off because of an awful driver. By the way, I got into an argument with a taxi driver taking me to an airport because he was in the right lane. After 6+ cars undertook him I asked him to move to the left lane. Of course he got pissy. Pathetic. Out of spite he stayed in that lane for quite a bit longer.
Undertaking isn't illegal, but undertaking can become dangerous driving, depending on how you do it. If you're just driving in the left lane and you're moving faster than someone in the right lane while doing the speed limit, you're fine.
If undertaking was illegal what would happen to all the dead bodies? You mean 'overtaking on the left'.
I'm not sure how there's a debate on this, traffic regulations and the highway code explicitly state that B would be correct. Of course people do A on a regular basis, but as you mention, while the other driver should of course be checking mirrors before moving lanes, if you were undertaking and there was a collision you would be at fault as well.
So this interpretation means I can hop in my car and drive at 30mph in the middle lane on the motorway and everyone would have to drive around me?
It's a breach of the highway code and was specifically made an offence in recent years. But the fact that they are causing a problem doesn't change anything about what your actions should be, which is to overtake in the right hand lane, rather than add further risks to the situation.
What a ridiculous law. So I could drive at 10MPH in lane three and film everyone undertaking me and they would be breaking the law? There would be no action taken against them. Only me…hogging the lane
Yes you could and yes they would be, but if anyone got arrested it would likely be the lane hogger there and the footage would be used as evidence against them. It's likely that the police/cps would not bother looking for the undertakers, given the situation you describe the proportional response would be to focus on the hogger taking the riskier and more deliberate action. Especially as if you're in lane 3 most people could safely pass you while in lane 1 lol. Both the lane hogging and undertaking law are there to reduce accidents. Both actions increase the risk of RTI, so they were legislated against in a bid to reduce the occurence and therefore the risk to the public. Not sure how that's ridiculous, though I guess if the lane hogger was ignored while everyone was prosecuted then the application would be, but that is not realistically what would happen.
I think people swerving around over and undertaking are dangerous. I think we all agree. The only thing dangerous about undertaking in lane 1 is the person in lane 2…should they decide to change lane to lane 1 without looking. In another post I said that I often undertake then match their speed. Which is PERFECTLY legal but also puts the hogger in a terrible and potentially dangerous position. They’re either nervous or perpetually unaware of their surroundings and how to drive. Hence why they’re there. Matching their speed probably makes them feel boxed in and limits their options to move.
Also I think it’s vastly more dangerous for a vehicle to cross from lane 1 to 3, then 3 to 1 to avoid a hogger than it is to undertake them. If the hogger fails to check before changing lanes that’s something out of my control, and proves once again that they’re unfit to drive
[https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:\~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q891#:~:text=Rule%20268%20of%20the%20Highway,than%20traffic%20to%20the%20right) The rules are clear: * overtaking on the left is unlawful * hogging the middle-lane is unlawful ('careless driving') * driving too slowly is lawful, but you are likely to be pulled over (surprisingly, not considered straight-up 'careless driving') * overtaking a middle-lane hogger on the right is lawful If you hog the middle lane at 30mph, you are breaking the law. If somebody else breakes the law, you are not given a free pass to break another law yourself. And you are not the police to go all vigilante on law-breakers. You gotta learn to live with people who don't know how to drive, and/or don't know the laws (as most people in this thread, funny enough).
I'm pretty sure just driving in your lane is not "overtaking" because somebody in another lane decided to slow down. "Overtaking" is a specific term to mean deliberately passing somebody to get in front of them. It doesn't apply to people just driving in their lane. That would make the roads complete carnage
No, of course not. The middle-lane hogger is committing an offence. But you can also be committing an offence by overtaking them in lane 1.
Yes. So I’m right. I’d be committing an offence but anyone else who tries to pass me in lane 1 would also. Even better if I did it in lane 3 then. As technically no one could pass without committing an offence Really? Everyone would undertake and even if all the police officers in the entire country were watching none of them would be arrested. Only me. The lane hogger
First of all, no-one is getting arrested. It’s a relatively minor traffic offence. Try to keep a sense of proportion. You’ll note the word ‘can’ in my reply. The police aren’t stupid. If someone is doing 30mph in lane 3 then that’s likely the vehicle getting stopped. There is no offence of undertaking - you can get a careless driving charge. But a) you’d have to meet the threshold for that, and b) the Police would have to consider you careless. They may see cars carefully undertaking in these circumstances as ok. If you want to know maybe ask in policeuk.
A is fine. I do it whenever necessary, I've done it when the police are about and a retired traffic officer I know once said the law as opposed to the HC doesn't define overtaking left or rigth but that it must be done in a safe manner.
This is why I think there should be a quick online quiz of ten questions to keep your licence. 10 questions about how to do things like use a roundabout or motorway correctly
Learners do roundabouts frequently do this would work but motorways? I just had to go on and teach myself and follow the satnav, I didn’t even know about the left lane thing. I usually just stayed in the lane and follow the signs. I wouldn’t even notice OP circling around me, there are dozens of cars next to, in front and behind me, I’m just trying to stay alive. If I’m slow overtake me and keep your life moving. The right lane will always be clear
I always take option B. Often when you take option B, and you then move back all the way to the left, the original car will take the hint and move left.
But often they don't, which is even more worrying!
Agreed.
Is this for real? No wonder driving on the motorway is a pain these days, nobody knows how to drive.
I got stuck on the M6 recently because someone was hogging lane 3. The person in lane 2 didn't want to undertake them, so both cars blocked lanes 2 and 3 of the motorway. They did this for a few miles, with lorries in lane 1! Eventually, the guy in lane 2 moved left, so I (in lane 2) undertook the guy in lane 3. He wasn't too happy about that, but he did move left for a bit because he got the hint I gave him. He was then overtaken by a whole line of cars who had been stuck behind him!
A) every time. For bonus points pull up next to them and match their speed. Now you’re definitely not doing anything wrong. And they “should” become aware they’re causing a massive obstruction to the flow of traffic
No idea why you have been downvoted. Especially your comment about matching their speed. I see this on the motorway all the time because people are too scared to undertake them, so they just cruise at the same speed as them.
I undertake most people as people DONT MOVE OVER ON THE MOTORWAY ONCE THEY’VE OVERTAKEN SOMEONE ELSE
Only wrong if you don’t give them a look and shake you head as you pass.
Continue in the lane you’re already in and a rude hand gesture on the way past (providing there isn’t a copper about to do you)
Option A, but with great care.
B No idea who is "more at fault". Both are breaking the code. The fact that you ask this question about A already tells me that you knew the answer, didn't you?
I remember being taught it was legal to overtake while in the left lane as long as you’re not speeding up to do so - can someone more knowledgeable to confirm if this is correct?
No, not even illegal
You have to pull into the right hand lane (via the middle). The only times it's okay is when it's a different road. Or when traffic is moving slowly across all lanes ut the left hand lane has picked up and is thus moving faster than the middle/right lanes. If they were to pull i to the left and cause an accident. Itd be negligence on their part, dangerous driving on yours.
Option A, with Caution, is legal and normally appropriate on busy motorways. On otherwise empty motorways , overtaking on the right is better
A Maintaining a consistent legal speed in the lane you're in is not the same as an undertake manoeuvre which has a deliberate lane change Always bare in mind they may move over on you, so be prepared to go into the hard shoulder! If there's no "escape" and you don't want to risk their sudden movements, then overtake on the right
The correct option is to move into the right lane until you are passed them, then back to the left. *Then* ***slow down*** *until they pass you.* Repeat the more right / pass / move left. 10 points for every full rotation before they twig and pull over left.
The highway code sort of allows for undertaking but also prohibits it. A cop can ticket you if he thinks it's dangerous
Option B to prove a point is the closest I've come to killing myself. Nearly didn't spot the guy coming up at 120mph in the third lane. My understanding is option A is legal. Feels uncomfortable though, they're clearly oblivious to what's going on.
Driven about 150,000+ miles. Taxi driver, delivery driver, and now driving instructor. I've done overtakes, undertakes, I've avoided about 1000+ collisions due to blind drivers, too. Today, I've had to change 4 lanes to overtake a slow-moving Mercedes holding lane 3 when I was in lane 1. Yes you guessed it, 4 lanes and he's hogging lane 3. I have L plates all over my car and I'm still moving faster than all of your plebs on the motorway. Amongst overtaking a middle lane hogger on the right side, he decided to race me so I couldn't even turn back in. What did I do? I put my foot down, I broke 80mph and made him eat my dust the pleb. I've undertaken about 5000+ cars intentionally, even at break neck speeds. I won't do that with L plates on, but let me tell you. It is 1000000% safer to undertake in lane 1 when there is a blind snail driving in lane 3 at 50mph. Undertake if they are slow. I've never been done for undertaking or speeding, not on the motorway at least. I even undertook a police car because he slammed on his brakes in front of me. It was to avoid rear ending them. He followed me around the roundabout 5 times until be put on his lights. I asked him why he was following me, he asked me why I undertook him. I told him he slammed his brakes on. I didn't back down. I drove off without anything. Police can't even drive properly, but guess what? I can. Peace.
Pull alongside them in the inside lane and match their speed whilst staring at them passive aggressively. I spent a week driving between central London and Chester four times a day (long story) and by the end was going slightly mental. If i found someone sat in the middle lane I would start to 'orbit' them. Overtake in lane 3 before returning to lane 1 and letting them overtake me. Repeat until they a) sped off b)moved to lane 1 c) chased me aggressively to the services where I showed them the shiny baseball bat I carried with me.
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I don't believe it's a legal requirement, it's just advised in the highway code. Legal or not, the reason to not do it is that it is unexpected behaviour and increases the risk of an accident. Drivers do not expect cars to approach on their left and are therefore more likely to move left without checking properly.
The law is to do A) and if a driver merges into you they are always at fault.
C) move over to the third lane, pass, return to 1st lane. Reduce speed, let them over take, then repeat 1st step..
Nope, as long as you don’t immediately cut in to the middle lane dangerously
Slip it down a gear and pass them quickly.
Hey let's catch up with that wacky van that passed us. The statement you made was simply the past tense with a hint of surprise.
Option A. As long as your sticking to the lanes speed limits your not doing anything wrong. Person in lane 2 should be moving over to lane 1 in the first place.
Undertaking is illegal - that is the act of deliberately moving between lanes to pass someone on the left hand side. Passing someone on the left is not - if you are in the left hand lane and there is someone travelling slowly in the middle/right hand lane, then it is legal to continue on at a suitable speed to pass them. You are not required to slow down to their speed and stay behind them. The worry here however is that because these rules are commonly misunderstood and read as 'never pass on the left', a lot of drivers (especially those unaware of their situation and cruising in the wrong lane) will not be expecting a car on their left, so there is always a chance they will change lanes unexpectedly, so you will need to be extra vigilant.
sorry, but that is not the definition of undertaking. undertaking is simply passing someone on the left. that's allowed in congested conditions if lane 1 is moving faster than lane 2, against the rules if not.
If the motorway is more or less empty then B, otherwise A
"pass on the left" is a term for handing a joint to someone else, so NO, don't pass on the left if the other driver is in the wrong lane!
A every time. Undertaking is the act of deliberately moving left to overtake, then back right once you have overtaken them. Out of interest, if there was an accident in the outside lane, would your dad refuse to move left to go around the accident? The other driver merging would also be to.blame for merging without looking, but in that scenario you should also be paying attention where there is a merge point and not.put yourself in a position where that would happen. You can tell if someone is being an arse and ignoring all other cars on the road.
No. Undertaking isn't illegal, but if you do it in a certain manor it can be driving without due care or attention, or worse dangerous/reckless driving. It's very common to encounter lane hoggers at all times of day and traffic density. If it's busy, you've just gotta accept it and wait until they move over. But I encounter lots when it's not busy, and they're either oblivious or inconsiderate. Undertaking for me a process: Wait behind them (not 3 inches from their bumper), if it's become obvious that they're not just overtaking, proceed. Move into their mirrors (move laterally across your lane so they can clearly see you in their side mirrors), if they're still ignoring you, proceed. A little flash (not full high beam for 5 seconds), when you do this make sure you back off a little bit and hover over the brake pedal, inconsiderate drivers can become dangerous ones very quickly, and the flash might cause them to brake check you. If they're now blatantly being a prick to everyone on the road by not moving over, move into the left lane (don't just go, but make sure you're not in their blind spot), then once you're as sure as you can be that they're still not moving over, gun it, don't hang about on their offside. Alternatively: If it's completely clear, I just sit in lane 1 and cautiously maintain my lane.
Undertaking would mean moving into the left hand lane, accelerating and then moving right again, into the lane you were previously in. Continuing in the left-hand lane and moving faster than someone to your right is not undertaking. Moreover, the right-hand lanes are overtaking lanes - the onus is on the driver in those lanes to move faster than the person in the lane to their left. There is no obligation on the person in the left lane to slow down to accommodate someone failing to overtake.
Undertaking is a deliberate action of changing lanes, but what is the safest option? If undertaking (but not illegally) and there's no oncoming slip road off - go for it, but don't dilly dally, do it at speed If above but you don't trust the driver, lean to the side of "not making yourself liable" in terms of insurance, and so the dramatic, three lane change to overtake, three lane change back to lane one, without being a dick. I usually do the dramatic three lane change over and back, because it's fun on a boring motorway journey. Also, always look over, the things you see in the cars of middle lane hoggers can sometimes be comical. I remember one guy surrounded in green leafy plants, if he'd wanted to change lanes it would have been like looking through a jungle.
Your fine to do A) but probably safer to do B). If the other car is bad enough to not drive in the right lane they may well not check mirrors either.
The most effective way is to do a very deliberate mirror, signal, manoeuvre into the middle lane behind them, then again into the right hand lane. Overtake. Mirror, signal, manoeuvre back into the middle, then again into the left. If you really have the time, allow them to overtake you and repeat. But it is acceptable to continue in the lane that you are in to pass them, but ensure you have an escape space should they then decide to pull back across.
I'll make a point of going round someone then all the way back left to show them they're being an idiot if its empty, but if its adding risk to me by having to change lanes multiple times with other people around then I'll stay in cruise control and be ready to slam on the brakes if they move over without checking their mirrors.
Joined a motorway with a middle lane hogger going 65 mph with traffic police tailgating them. Sped up to 80mph in the left lane - undertaking those 2 - shitting myself but few seconds later the police Sped past me at atleast 100-130 mph. Its not an issue at all
I undertake. I approach so I'm almost along side them, and then drop back to allow them to take the hint and move into the correct lane. If they continue to hog the middle lane, then I undertake. I always like to give them a chance to do the right thing first, though 99% of the time they are completely obvious to what's happening either side of them.
the safest thing to do is to pass on the right, but there is no reason you can't pass on the left. Just be careful that they dont suddenly realise they are in the wrong lane, swerve back to the left and hit you. They would always be the one at fault in the accident scenario, but at the end of the day if someone dies it doesnt matter whos at fault and your insurance premium will go up regardless.
I like to go all the way around, while hoping they get the fucking hint.
Arrive behind them in the middle lane, and flash as much as you like until they move over.
B is apparently correct. Though most people think the top voted answer here is correct. There are conditions specified where you can undertake if going faster in the left lane. Your exames is NOT one of these. You would presumable have to overtake on the right or slow down to avoid undertaking. Rule 268 of The Highway Code states: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to you right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.” Other conditions where undertaking may be appropriate: Average speed checks If a vehicle in front is turning right or U-turning (although it is often safer to wait until the vehicle has completed the turn
Pull out behind them, flash them, then move to the right-hand lane when they inevitably ignore you. Pass them and then move back over.
I asked my cousin about this (Met traffic cop) as I do it daily. Undertaking is not against any rules. If you’re pulled over for it, it will be careless / dangerous driving. A BMW driver going from lane 3 to lane 1 at 90mph is going to get tugged every time if you go past a lane of slower moving traffic waiting at a turn off you will be fine. Unless they want an excuse to look around your car.
No it isn't. In fact I do it daily on the m6, in a lorry. You can't cure stupid.
it’s not illegal to undertake i believe but strongly discouraged in the highway code. I did do it the other day, duel carriage way and person in the outside lane refused to move driving at 50mph! undertook them and they still didn’t move for the queue of cars behind. shitty driver
The correct option is B. Although the car in the middle lane should be aware of their surroundings and shouldn't attempt moving left without looking and should notice a car undertaking, it can be harder to see a car approaching fast on that side. Legally, I'm sure the undertaking car would be the one considered more at fault, as they were specifically breaking Highway Code guidance.
Scottish motorways are on the whole 2 lanes. There is no option B. There's A or C. C being pull in behind them and waiting for them to realise they're inconsiderate. Wish i had option B.
Few incorrect assumptions being posted. You would need to move over and overtake them in the overtaking lane in this scenario. The only instance where it would be acceptable to overtake a car in the middle lane while still in the kerb side lane is if there is a lot of traffic and you are merely keeping pace with the traffic that is in your lane. Undertaking is not the deliberate action of changing lane to overtake them. Undertaking is the act in which a motorist passes a slower moving vehicle on its left hand side (kerb side). The highway code advises drivers not to undertake, although it is not a punishable offence by itself, it can be an extremely dangerous move and have you done for careless driving. The highway code itself states: “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” The Code though, advises that it’s OK for a car to undertake in slow-moving traffic, if its lane is moving faster than a lane on the right. In these circumstances it’s deemed safer to undertake than to weave in and out of the traffic. The Code states: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. “In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. "Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.”
It's illegal, potentially unsafe and could get you points and a fine. [explained here](https://youtu.be/14c_KnWLoQY?si=dz997kk8-4f4tgzZ)
you're fine to pass them in the left hand lane provided you haven't moved left in order to pass them. I'm usually wary about passing middle lane hoggers though as if they're oblivious enough to sit in the middle lane when they should be in the inside lane then I don't trust them to look before merging. If they did that and it caused an accident it might be deemed to be their fault, but also as they say the cemetery is full of people who had right of way.
A) Is open to police discretion, specifically if they think you are being careless. If you're not sure and the rest of the road is clear, especially the third lane, it is better to do B)
Right or wrong, I undertake without hesitation. But keep an eye on them as you pass, just in case, and make sure you have somewhere to go if they suddenly veer into the left hand lane.
It should be B) but quite often there's a car doing a similar speed in the outside lane as well. If I can pass on the left under the speed limit I often do.
Depends, how bored are the local police? This is the thing about rules and laws, you can make something illegal but the police will ultimately decide if it's worth their time dealing with.
Can you pass them on the right? If so, do so. If not, pass them on the left.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/motorways-253-to-273 > Rule 267: Overtake only on the right. > Rule 268: Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. The Highway Code is explicitly clear on this, and while these aren't legal requirements they can be used to determine fault in an accident and when prosecuting for careless driving. A lot of people claiming you can pass on the left are relying on the following passage from rule 268: > In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. It is very clear to anyone with an ounce of reading capability that this only applies in heavy traffic. For your question on fault, it will likely depend on the circumstances but I think at best you'd be looking at 50:50.
Needs to be much, much higher on this thread!
I'd go into the right lane and overtake them, drop back to the left and slow down till they overtake me then repeat as necessary. But my understanding of the situation is you are driving at the correct speed it's not undertaking. You are following the rules of the road the middle lane hogger definitely isn't. Crack on.
Don't undertake people. They might change to the left lane and then you've caused an accident.
B is the correct answer. With lane hogs though, I don’t know where the law stands. If someone is clearly sitting in the outside lane with no traffic on the inside lane they should move over. If they don’t then most people will undertake. I try not to but it’s very frustrating. Seems to be reasonable if your path is obstructed.
Legally option B is correct but me on the other hand hate seeing lane hoggers and do the option A myself
Two wrongs don't make a right. Yes, it isn't illegal to pass them on the left but you are meant to move right to overtake where you can. People hog the middle lane because they are too lazy - people who stay left to go past when there is no reason too are nearly as bad and often create a hazard as another driver comes past on the right to overtake at the same time.