when is it ok to undertake cars on the motorway?
Discussion
afternoon all
after helping my brother move yesterday and having to use the m3 and m25 and doing an airport run the day before i finally realised just how bad the middle lane hoggers have got(my commute doesnt invole motorways so im rarely on them)
with a car loaded with stuff i didnt really want to be in the fast lane for most of the journey, 80mph was an ideal speed. however once i joined the m3 the middle lane was completely full! much futher ahead was 2 buses one in the slow lane the other in the middle, and yep you have guessed it the slow lane was empty except this bus that was about half a mile away, the problem was the people in the middle lane were only doing around 60mph and appeared to be in some sort of trance, infact the middle lane was too busy for me to join(the cars were fairly close to each other)
problem is why should i have to sit at 55 so i dont undertake the row of cars, and why should i be forced into the fast lane which would have had me sat in it for a while to clear the middle lane and im sure by this point i would be holding people up(not to mention sitting in the slow lane for a bit while i waited to join the end of the middle lane 'snake' to get to the fast lane)
so i thought sod it, slowly passed the cars one by one by sticking to around 65mph in the slow lane where i was able to join the middle lane as the driver behind the bus had left a HUGE gap, into the fast lane to over take the bus then next thing you know im back into the empty slow lane
i know what i did was 1 massive under take, but would anyone have done the same?
after helping my brother move yesterday and having to use the m3 and m25 and doing an airport run the day before i finally realised just how bad the middle lane hoggers have got(my commute doesnt invole motorways so im rarely on them)
with a car loaded with stuff i didnt really want to be in the fast lane for most of the journey, 80mph was an ideal speed. however once i joined the m3 the middle lane was completely full! much futher ahead was 2 buses one in the slow lane the other in the middle, and yep you have guessed it the slow lane was empty except this bus that was about half a mile away, the problem was the people in the middle lane were only doing around 60mph and appeared to be in some sort of trance, infact the middle lane was too busy for me to join(the cars were fairly close to each other)
problem is why should i have to sit at 55 so i dont undertake the row of cars, and why should i be forced into the fast lane which would have had me sat in it for a while to clear the middle lane and im sure by this point i would be holding people up(not to mention sitting in the slow lane for a bit while i waited to join the end of the middle lane 'snake' to get to the fast lane)
so i thought sod it, slowly passed the cars one by one by sticking to around 65mph in the slow lane where i was able to join the middle lane as the driver behind the bus had left a HUGE gap, into the fast lane to over take the bus then next thing you know im back into the empty slow lane
i know what i did was 1 massive under take, but would anyone have done the same?
I was northbound on the M1 yesterday in that interminable 50mph limit which finally ends near the junction for Milton Keynes North. I was dead on the limit in lane 1 throughout. Everyone in lane 2 was bimbling along at varying speeds between 45 and 48.
I don't know whether it's because they can't read a speedometer or are incapable of keeping the needle on 50, but whatever it is, I gradually wafted past them all. Nothing illegal about it that I can see. The queue of traffic in lane 2 was moving more slowly. You just have to be alert that nobody suddenly dives across without using their mirror. Especially approaching slip roads.
The most hilarious bit are the numpties who clearly don't know the difference between SPECS and a Gatso. A train of 10 cars and the guy at the front promptly panic brakes creating a ripple effect all the way down the line. People like this must live in some sort of suspended animation. What else can explain such bizarre behaviour?
The problem with going to lane 3 is you get some impatient tool glued a foot off your rear bumper when there is clearly nowhere for you get out of his way. The Polish registered ones are particularly bad. Hence my choice of lane 1. Far more relaxing and quicker as well.
I don't know whether it's because they can't read a speedometer or are incapable of keeping the needle on 50, but whatever it is, I gradually wafted past them all. Nothing illegal about it that I can see. The queue of traffic in lane 2 was moving more slowly. You just have to be alert that nobody suddenly dives across without using their mirror. Especially approaching slip roads.
The most hilarious bit are the numpties who clearly don't know the difference between SPECS and a Gatso. A train of 10 cars and the guy at the front promptly panic brakes creating a ripple effect all the way down the line. People like this must live in some sort of suspended animation. What else can explain such bizarre behaviour?
The problem with going to lane 3 is you get some impatient tool glued a foot off your rear bumper when there is clearly nowhere for you get out of his way. The Polish registered ones are particularly bad. Hence my choice of lane 1. Far more relaxing and quicker as well.
related issue I frequently vacillate on is with bus lanes.
outside the hour they are operational people still drive in outer lane.
on occassion you can be in a 30 zone with some person/vehicle doing 20-25 in outer lane
what is position now with doing 25-30mph up the bus lane (on inside) - same as Motorway?
outside the hour they are operational people still drive in outer lane.
on occassion you can be in a 30 zone with some person/vehicle doing 20-25 in outer lane
what is position now with doing 25-30mph up the bus lane (on inside) - same as Motorway?
There is the usual collection of urban myth above, but the Highway Code, which would be taken into account in any prosecution for driving without due care, says as follows:-
Overtaking
267
Do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe and legal to do so. Overtake only on the right.
...
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.
Overtaking
267
Do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe and legal to do so. Overtake only on the right.
...
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.
I "undertook" two cars on the M1 this afternoon with a police car right behind me.
I was at 70 in lane 1, lane 2 going about 60-65 (lane 2 and 3 slowed down because there was a police car on the hard shoulder, which pulled out behind me), I didn't really have anywhere to go so just carried on.
Police car did nothing, but the cars I passed moved over to lane 1 as soon as I passed them...
I was at 70 in lane 1, lane 2 going about 60-65 (lane 2 and 3 slowed down because there was a police car on the hard shoulder, which pulled out behind me), I didn't really have anywhere to go so just carried on.
Police car did nothing, but the cars I passed moved over to lane 1 as soon as I passed them...
marshalla said:
OP - your post explains why the middle lane gets full - too many believe that there is a "slow lane" and a "fast lane" on a motorway. These concepts were phased out years ago, yet people still keep talking as if they are current and obviously try to avoid the "slow lane".
yes i think this is atleast half the problem, i dont mean to stereotype but 90% of the people i 'undertook' before the bus seemed to either be at or very close to retirement age, drove a honda civic 1.6(they fancied something sporty so didnt choose a 1.2 but dont you you dare mention a tdi engine, 1.9 and it has a turbo??? no harold your not allowed it will be too fast!) in silver or baby blue, listening to radio 2 on route to cornwallthey dont use the "slow lane" bacause harold will get told off, 'we didnt buy a 1600cc engine to drive in the slow lane dear' and they dont use the "fast lane" because harold will be tempted to reach 76mph which at that speed is likely to have a blow out,wheel fall off or any other failure due to speed, hit the central reservation and cause the car to instantly explode killing everyone within 100 feet
grumbledoak said:
As long as you don't change lanes to do it I don't think there is any problem. Do be careful of course; some of the buggers seem to be comatose. They might pull left on you.
i was worried about this, mainly due to the fact i did the airport run the day before and was nearly taken out 4 times. it seems a red mazda 6 is infact invisible on motorwaysrich85uk said:
yes i think this is atleast half the problem, i dont mean to stereotype but 90% of the people i 'undertook' before the bus seemed to either be at or very close to retirement age, drove a honda civic 1.6(they fancied something sporty so didnt choose a 1.2 but dont you you dare mention a tdi engine, 1.9 and it has a turbo??? no harold your not allowed it will be too fast!) in silver or baby blue, listening to radio 2 on route to cornwall
they dont use the "slow lane" bacause harold will get told off, 'we didnt buy a 1600cc engine to drive in the slow lane dear' and they dont use the "fast lane" because harold will be tempted to reach 76mph which at that speed is likely to have a blow out,wheel fall off or any other failure due to speed, hit the central reservation and cause the car to instantly explode killing everyone within 100 feet
they dont use the "slow lane" bacause harold will get told off, 'we didnt buy a 1600cc engine to drive in the slow lane dear' and they dont use the "fast lane" because harold will be tempted to reach 76mph which at that speed is likely to have a blow out,wheel fall off or any other failure due to speed, hit the central reservation and cause the car to instantly explode killing everyone within 100 feet
I am very close to retirement age.
I drive a Jap car
I fancied something sporty
It has a turbo
Now I'm really confused as to which lane I should be in......
If it helps, none of my given names are Harold
Its simple if you're a MLM. The "slow" lane is there for lorries and poor people (so they'll be closer to the hard shoulder when their old car breaks down)
Having had plenty of experience of undertaking in other countries where there aren't the hang ups about it that there are in this country (in the US, Canada or South Africa for example you just choose a lane you like and stay there), I have no problem with undertaking at all and do it frequently when it is the best way to proceed.
After all, if you want to be strictly "British" about it, undertaking is only possible when other drivers are failing to abide by the rule "keep left except when overtaking." If it is physically possible for somebody to undertake you, then you are in the wrong lane.
Having had plenty of experience of undertaking in other countries where there aren't the hang ups about it that there are in this country (in the US, Canada or South Africa for example you just choose a lane you like and stay there), I have no problem with undertaking at all and do it frequently when it is the best way to proceed.
After all, if you want to be strictly "British" about it, undertaking is only possible when other drivers are failing to abide by the rule "keep left except when overtaking." If it is physically possible for somebody to undertake you, then you are in the wrong lane.
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