Anyone ever been done for undertaking?
Discussion
Actually do this quite often myself – in fact I have been deliberately undertaking for about 20 years and have never been stopped or questioned. I don't do it in an obvious way by continually swapping lanes - I just tend to stick in the nearside lane of congested dual carriageways just moving to the overtaking lane when I need to - just as instructed in the Highway Code. Just so happens that I might be going faster than the 75% of traffic that insist on sticking in the overtaking lane doing about 50mph.
I never try to squeeze myself into a non existent gap but pick my moment - there is usually someone who leaves a larger gap than necessary. I also never move into the nearside lane at a junction or a slip road.
Has anyone actually ever been done for this - have any of our BiB contributors booked anyone for this offence?
I never try to squeeze myself into a non existent gap but pick my moment - there is usually someone who leaves a larger gap than necessary. I also never move into the nearside lane at a junction or a slip road.
Has anyone actually ever been done for this - have any of our BiB contributors booked anyone for this offence?
I do all that you say too and think its neccesary in order to remain stress free and safe on todays motorways.
I dont care about getting anywhere quicker, after I'd only be at work instead of my nice warm car.
i used to be able to drive all the way to work on the inside lane in my last job becasue nobody uses it in the mornings on the M27.
The BMW/Mercs can keep their outside lane, I rather like my private one
oh yeah, never been doen either, but then again i wouldnt do it infront of a copper just to save me the hassle.
I dont care about getting anywhere quicker, after I'd only be at work instead of my nice warm car.
i used to be able to drive all the way to work on the inside lane in my last job becasue nobody uses it in the mornings on the M27.
The BMW/Mercs can keep their outside lane, I rather like my private one
oh yeah, never been doen either, but then again i wouldnt do it infront of a copper just to save me the hassle.
That sounds like perfectly reasonable behaviour to me. I often wonder as I travel along the inside or midle lane, passing slower cars in a queue in the outside lane, how it would be viewed by the law.
My own viewpoint is that lane discipline is what it is all about, and it is poor lane discipline which causes the majority of the hold ups.
Maybe we should adopt the "freeway" view to ensure it is legal!
My own viewpoint is that lane discipline is what it is all about, and it is poor lane discipline which causes the majority of the hold ups.
Maybe we should adopt the "freeway" view to ensure it is legal!
If you are driving along lane one for some time and happen to be doing 5mph more than those in the other busy lanes is it really considered as undertaking?
I find that if you are going just fractionally faster than those in the fast lanes when you need to move round lorry in lane one and indicate someone will eventually let you out to move round the lorry.
Their will be those that block you out but let them. theyll only end up having a stressed short life and you'll be passing them on the inside in a calm safe manner in 2 more mintues time!
I find that if you are going just fractionally faster than those in the fast lanes when you need to move round lorry in lane one and indicate someone will eventually let you out to move round the lorry.
Their will be those that block you out but let them. theyll only end up having a stressed short life and you'll be passing them on the inside in a calm safe manner in 2 more mintues time!
With undertaking, I tend to the view of the highway code. It is personally reasonable to overtake someone on the inside if you're queue is travelling faster than there's. It doesn't say how long a queue is though 
. My preferred interpretation is that a queue can consist of a single car if there is room to get round it (and back to the same lane) without inconveniencing any other road users. I do generally moderate my speed when I'm in the left hand queue so that I'm only travelling 10 or 15mph faster, just in case the numpty who should be in a different can't use his mirrors. Which he probably can't 'cause he hasn't seen the queue of traffic builing up behind him. 
. My preferred interpretation is that a queue can consist of a single car if there is room to get round it (and back to the same lane) without inconveniencing any other road users. I do generally moderate my speed when I'm in the left hand queue so that I'm only travelling 10 or 15mph faster, just in case the numpty who should be in a different can't use his mirrors. Which he probably can't 'cause he hasn't seen the queue of traffic builing up behind him. I may be wrong here, but I didn't think there was a specific offense of "undertaking"? I was led to believe you could be done for some other offence though (dangerous driving or summink?)
Anyone know the score?
FWIW I "undertake" on a regular basis and wish it was deemed to be totally legal so that people would check their passenger-side blindspot before moving in automatically. Middle Lane Morons wouldn't be such an issue then...
Am considering rigging up my scrolling LCD display onto the parcel shelf with appropriate messages for MLMs...
Anyone know the score?
FWIW I "undertake" on a regular basis and wish it was deemed to be totally legal so that people would check their passenger-side blindspot before moving in automatically. Middle Lane Morons wouldn't be such an issue then...
Am considering rigging up my scrolling LCD display onto the parcel shelf with appropriate messages for MLMs...
Yep, another serial undertaker here.
My defence is that lanes 2 and 3 are overtaking lanes.
If I am preceeding in a clear lane 1 and in the process I happen to pass a car travelling slower than me on the left then that person has caused me to break the law.
I have no reason to leave lane 1 so why should my journey be interupted by other peoples poor lane discipline?
My defence is that lanes 2 and 3 are overtaking lanes.
If I am preceeding in a clear lane 1 and in the process I happen to pass a car travelling slower than me on the left then that person has caused me to break the law.
I have no reason to leave lane 1 so why should my journey be interupted by other peoples poor lane discipline?
Mrs Fish said:
From past threads on this subject, as long as you are not swerving in and out using all 3 lanes and driving erratically it is not illegal to overtake on the inside
Thats what I thought was true. If you have to change lane to pass the vehicle and you decide to undertake rather than overtake then thats an issue. But if your running along in lane 1 and theres nothing infront of you and you pass a car then thats not against the rules.
Mrs Fish said:
From past threads on this subject, as long as you are not swerving in and out using all 3 lanes and driving erratically it is not illegal to overtake on the inside
although the Highway Code is only a "code" it states:-
"overtake only on the right unless traffic is moving in queues and the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are. Do not move to a lane on your left to overtake."
Of course, its open to interpretation what is considered by "queues moving slower than you are" - at 70mph in the inside lane, the 50mph queue in the outside lane is moving slower than I am....
>> Edited by shnozz on Tuesday 6th April 12:01
Hello all. New member.
I once drove down the A31 from the M27 right down to Ringwood in the left lane at about 60mph. There was a BiB on a bike behind me all the way and we must have passed dozens of cars queing at 45 - 55 mph in the right hand lane. I was driving sensibly and the bike followed at a reasonable distance before disappearing off up a sliproad.
If he had pulled me over I would have used the "other lane was queing more slowly than mine" argument but this was not necessary as he was clearly one of the decent ones.
There are decent ones thankfully
I was doing about 90 MPH down the M3 at 3am and moving around cars in a safe manner etc. It was about 10 mins or so before the car that had been following me drove past. It was a police car
They just looked in and carried on past.
I think there were only about 10 cars on the whole of the M3 at that time of day though.
I was undertaking in this instance though, just thought it relevant to point out my "decent BIB" experience. WOuld it have been the same if i was in the Griff instead of the Golf though?
I did have a PH sticker on the Golf too. Perhaps it was one of you lot!
I was doing about 90 MPH down the M3 at 3am and moving around cars in a safe manner etc. It was about 10 mins or so before the car that had been following me drove past. It was a police car
They just looked in and carried on past.
I think there were only about 10 cars on the whole of the M3 at that time of day though.
I was undertaking in this instance though, just thought it relevant to point out my "decent BIB" experience. WOuld it have been the same if i was in the Griff instead of the Golf though?
I did have a PH sticker on the Golf too. Perhaps it was one of you lot!
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