How to block the motorway without really trying

[Yung Man]

I was driving north on the M1 between J19 and J24 on sunday night, everything began to slow down because there was a HA 4x4 doing about 60mph in lane 1, even if it had been a police car I would have passed it at 70-75mph but I was stuck and had to wait my turn, as I got along side the HA vehicle (me in lane 3) he peeled off down a slip road, the six or eight cars in front did'nt see this so they carried on playing safe.
Eventually we had Fiat Panda in lane 2 doing 65mph and a Kia Sorrento in lane 3 doing spot on 70mph with a Clio behind him then me, there was nothing in lane 1.

After 2 miles or so I'd had enough and went lane 2, lane 1, and undertook all three, I watched in my mirror for the next few minutes to see the Kia pass the Panda then move to lane 1 and the clio pass both of them and then sit in lane three for the next 5-10 minutes until I couldn't see him anymore.

I don't know who is worse me or them

What can you do when a driver decides he can't be bothered using his mirrors and the only option (IMO) is to break the law and do a undertake?.

Edited by Yung Man on Wednesday 3rd October 16:12

[Yung Man]

waremark said:

There are a couple of techniques which I would try before undertaking, both to be used with caution. One is to close up rapidly from well back until you have a dominant position in the mirror which the driver in front may or may not notice. Be sure you have somewhere to go if he brake tests you. The other is to apply main beam - I would do this from well back, for three or four seconds, and then possibly follow by the closing up technique. Again, be ready for erratic behaviour by the driver in front.

I don't think it is illegal to pass on the left, and I don't quite go along with Reg. I would certainly consider passing on the left, but making sure that I maximise seperation from the vehicle I will be passing to give time to react if he changes lanes without warning, and being ready to give a horn warning. I would also consider my escape route (perhaps the hard shoulder). Much of this applies to a normal overtake on the right. You should also identify when you have passed the point of no return for braking behind the overtaken vehicle so that the only way out is acceleration forwards.

waremark said:

Did I actually say that out loud?.

[Yung Man]

waremark said:

There are a couple of techniques which I would try before undertaking, both to be used with caution. One is to close up rapidly from well back until you have a dominant position in the mirror which the driver in front may or may not notice. Be sure you have somewhere to go if he brake tests you. The other is to apply main beam - I would do this from well back, for three or four seconds, and then possibly follow by the closing up technique. Again, be ready for erratic behaviour by the driver in front.

The problem with this technique is the Clio was behind the Sorrento and he(the Sorrento) was the one I wanted to speed up and move over, at the time the Sorrento seemed quite happy cruising along side the Panda, If I had flashed at the Clio it might have just made him angry, plus me speeding up behind them flashing my main beam makes me appear impatient.

waremark said:

I don't think it is illegal to pass on the left,

Thats not the way I see it.

waremark said:

if he changes lanes without warning, and being ready to give a horn warning. I would also consider my escape route (perhaps the hard shoulder).

How would this type of driving look to an unmarked plod?, not good I would suspect. (I say "unmarked" because I don't think you would do that if a marked plod was close by)

[Yung Man]

Strangely Brown said:

Yung Man said:

What can you do when a driver decides he can't be bothered using his mirrors and the only option (IMO) is to break the law and do a undertake?.

Exactly what law do you think you've broken by passing on the left?

The highway code states in rule 163

"move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in".

"Move back to the left" means you must have overtaken on the right.

And again rule 163,

"only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so"

I know you might say "Its not a rule (law)" but would you take the chance if plod was 2 cars back of you?.

I wouldn't.

[Yung Man]

Vaux said:

Yung Man said:

The highway code states in rule 163

"move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in".

"Move back to the left" means you must have overtaken on the right.

And again rule 163,

"only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so"

And the next bit says:
".....If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left."

I am not disputing what you are saying but in the OP there was only a Fiat Panda in lane 2, even Nick Freeman couldn't call that a queue.

[Yung Man]

Strangely Brown said:

Yung Man said:

Strangely Brown said:

Yung Man said:

What can you do when a driver decides he can't be bothered using his mirrors and the only option (IMO) is to break the law and do a undertake?.

Exactly what law do you think you've broken by passing on the left?

The highway code states in rule 163

"move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in".

"Move back to the left" means you must have overtaken on the right.

And again rule 163,

"only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so"

I know you might say "Its not a rule (law)" but would you take the chance if plod was 2 cars back of you?.

I wouldn't.

But what I asked was, which law are you breaking? You stated that it was illegal. So is it? or isn't it?

It is.

[Yung Man]

vonhosen said:

Leave me to deal with the lane hogger & I will.

Being a professional driver I've seen most things on my travels but never plod stopping someone for "lane hogging".
Can I ask you when was the last time you stopped anyone for "lane hogging"?, I would imagine more people get a tug for undertaking than LH.

[Yung Man]

Yung Man said:

I was driving north on the M1
Eventually we had Fiat Panda in lane 2 doing 65mph and a Kia Sorrento in lane 3 doing spot on 70mph with a Clio behind him then me, there was nothing in lane 1.

The chances are that the Clio was driven by an advanced driver who had all the patience in the world, the trouble is I don't like flashing the guy who is behind the one that needs shifting.
If you sit patiently behind someone for mile after mile and they only move over when they are ready to leave at the next exit, which I find is usually the case they haven't learned anything and so will do exactly the same thing next time they use a motorway or dual carraigeway, as a normal driver I don't have to ability to point out to this guy that his driving is not acceptable.
If on their 100 mile journey they where passed on the left by 10 car drivers the police could stop and book all 10 of them because the HC says it's a no no, surely the best thing to do is stop the MLM and re educate him so that next time he doesn't cause 10 cars to pass him on the left, this has got to be a better way of improving safety.

[Yung Man]

vonhosen said:

Yung Man said:

Yung Man said:

I was driving north on the M1
Eventually we had Fiat Panda in lane 2 doing 65mph and a Kia Sorrento in lane 3 doing spot on 70mph with a Clio behind him then me, there was nothing in lane 1.

surely the best thing to do is stop the MLM and re educate him so that next time he doesn't cause 10 cars to pass him on the left, this has got to be a better way of improving safety.

The Kia Sorento in lane 3 is of course quite right to pass the vehicle doing 65 in lane 2 at no more than 70, just as you should be doing. Undertaking both in excess of the limit is not the way forward. Even if the Clio weren't between you, you shouldn't be flashing the Kia for doing the overtake in that fashion.

Whether the sorrento was actually doing exactly 70mph is irrelevant(his or my speed cannot be relied upon to be accurate) but you are quite right 70mph is the limit, we had been driving along like this for a few miles so looking back on it either the Panda was now doing 70mph or the Sorrento had slowed to 65mph (these are only approximate figures).
It was the Panda driver that was holding the job up by being a MLM.

How do we stop people driving like this?, If you (plod) make no effort to stop them and have a word it is just going to become the norm, how else can society (us) get the message through to them, they are basically reducing a 3 lane road down to a 2 laner.

[Yung Man]

It could have been worse, they might have pulled back into lane 1 then slowed to 45mph.

[Yung Man]

time2react said:

Some people will never learn.
It is the same for those that remain in the outside lanes unnecessarily. Enjoy your day in court.

How many people (roughly) have you booked for either example of inconsiderate driving?, perhaps if you spent more time booking people for being in lane 3 (when they should keep left) then you would'nt need to book people for undertaking.

[Yung Man]

Yung Man said:

time2react said:

Some people will never learn.
It is the same for those that remain in the outside lanes unnecessarily. Enjoy your day in court.

How many people (roughly) have you booked for either example of inconsiderate driving?, perhaps if you spent more time booking people for being in lane 3 (when they should keep left) then you would'nt need to book people for undertaking.

Are you not prepared to answer this simple question?.