Middle Lane Drivers, Do they Ever Notice?
Discussion
MattsCar said:
It is not technically an undertake though, it is just staying in your lane and maintaining your speed.
If you came up behind them in L2, move to L1 and back in to L2, then that would be undertaking/ an undertake.
Sure you realise this though.
Where does this technicality originate? Everyone says it but I'm not aware of any official piece of guidance or legislation which supports it.If you came up behind them in L2, move to L1 and back in to L2, then that would be undertaking/ an undertake.
Sure you realise this though.
This is all the HC has to say on the matter:
"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."
Note that it's do not overtake on the left OR move to a lane on your left to overtake. Also the lane speed point is only applied to congested conditions, not when traffic is free flowing.
This is not a personal argument for or against passing on the left, and of course none of the above has force of law as none of it's 'must'. But unless I've missed something there's no guidance that actually defines 'undertaking' or that says passing on the left in such-and-such a way is ok, but undertaking is not. The HC doesn't even use the word.
DaiB said:
Where does this technicality originate? Everyone says it but I'm not aware of any official piece of guidance or legislation which supports it.
This is all the HC has to say on the matter:
"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."
Note that it's do not overtake on the left OR move to a lane on your left to overtake. Also the lane speed point is only applied to congested conditions, not when traffic is free flowing.
This is not a personal argument for or against passing on the left, and of course none of the above has force of law as none of it's 'must'. But unless I've missed something there's no guidance that actually defines 'undertaking' or that says passing on the left in such-and-such a way is ok, but undertaking is not. The HC doesn't even use the word.
For it to be an "overtake" I would say you need to change lane to do this, so if you are in L1 doing a speed which means you will catch up with and you can pass on the left then this is ok as it could be put forward that it then comes under the part that your lane is moving quicker than L2. This is all the HC has to say on the matter:
"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."
Note that it's do not overtake on the left OR move to a lane on your left to overtake. Also the lane speed point is only applied to congested conditions, not when traffic is free flowing.
This is not a personal argument for or against passing on the left, and of course none of the above has force of law as none of it's 'must'. But unless I've missed something there's no guidance that actually defines 'undertaking' or that says passing on the left in such-and-such a way is ok, but undertaking is not. The HC doesn't even use the word.
As you rightly point out there is no guidance as to what they term "Congested conditions".
I would suggest even if there is just 1 car in L2 doing a speed slower than you are in L1 is clearly only there and going slower due to "congested conditions"
EBRANDON1 said:
The worst is when you carry on in lane 1 maintaining steady speed, on cruise control, and 'undertake' the oblivious idiot in the middle lane. Then they speed up to match your speed, then inevitably meet a slower car in lane 1 needing overtaking so you're boxed in!
Yes this is very annoying. I think they do it on purpose to justify their reasoning for hogging L2. Biggy Stardust said:
Common Porpoise said:
I can't remember if it was on here that i read about the "loop the moron" game.
You complete an overtake of a middle lane moron in the outside lane then move to the middle (or third) lane and then to the inside lane or the lane inside your target car before slowing until they overtake you. You then accelerate to re overtake in the correct fashion and repeat as above. managed five loops once, I think northbound on the M3.
My record is 6 orbits. They noticed after the 3rd but kept chugging away in lane 2 at 60mph.You complete an overtake of a middle lane moron in the outside lane then move to the middle (or third) lane and then to the inside lane or the lane inside your target car before slowing until they overtake you. You then accelerate to re overtake in the correct fashion and repeat as above. managed five loops once, I think northbound on the M3.
As I completed orbits 4, 5 & 6 they got steadily angrier, screaming, jumping up and down, gesticulating, etc but never pulled into lane 1 or changed their speed.
Unfortunately we got to the point where I had to turn off- I've always wondered how many more orbits I could achieve depending on their journey & other traffic.
M53 South between the Mersey Tunnel (and the Vauxhall Astra factory.
DaiB said:
But unless I've missed something there's no guidance that actually defines 'undertaking' or that says passing on the left in such-and-such a way is ok, but undertaking is not. The HC doesn't even use the word.
The HC says "overtake on the left" which is the correct term. Undertaking is nothing of the sort. That's why the HC doesn't use the word.M4cruiser said:
The HC says "overtake on the left" which is the correct term. Undertaking is nothing of the sort. That's why the HC doesn't use the word.
Well yes, but it doesn't clearly define what 'overtaking on the left' is either. However the fact it says OR move left to overtake strongly suggested that 'overtake on the left' means nothing more or less than simply passing on the left. Whether you were already in the lane or moved left to get there is irrelevant in terms of the weight given by the HC. So I don't get where statements like 'its only undertaking (or overtaking on the left of you prefer) if you switch lanes to do it' come from.
DaiB said:
M4cruiser said:
The HC says "overtake on the left" which is the correct term. Undertaking is nothing of the sort. That's why the HC doesn't use the word.
Well yes, but it doesn't clearly define what 'overtaking on the left' is either. However the fact it says OR move left to overtake strongly suggested that 'overtake on the left' means nothing more or less than simply passing on the left. Whether you were already in the lane or moved left to get there is irrelevant in terms of the weight given by the HC. So I don't get where statements like 'its only undertaking (or overtaking on the left of you prefer) if you switch lanes to do it' come from.
Acuity30 said:
I like to stay in lane 3 at a sat nav indicated 70mph. This ensures no one behind me can get caught speeding and keeps everyone safe.
I do the same thing, that way I don’t have worry about trying to decide whether I’m under/over taking on the left or just passing them on the left Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff