Undertaking in UK - should this be legal?
Discussion
What are peoples views on undertaking?
When I have to drive on dual carriageways or motorways, I am dismayed by the members of CLOC (Centre Lane Owners Club) and those that think the overtaking lane is the "Fast" lane and because they are doing 60mph+ they should be in that lane, even if the rest of the lanes are empty!
In the UK the roads are getting more and more congested and money should be spent by Police/Government on educating drivers to pull into the inside lane when there is space.
But instead they seem to put more effort into speed cameras and mobile phone usage whilst driving.
Would it not be easier to allow undertaking?
What are your thoughts on this?
When I have to drive on dual carriageways or motorways, I am dismayed by the members of CLOC (Centre Lane Owners Club) and those that think the overtaking lane is the "Fast" lane and because they are doing 60mph+ they should be in that lane, even if the rest of the lanes are empty!
In the UK the roads are getting more and more congested and money should be spent by Police/Government on educating drivers to pull into the inside lane when there is space.
But instead they seem to put more effort into speed cameras and mobile phone usage whilst driving.
Would it not be easier to allow undertaking?
What are your thoughts on this?
I always thought this was a good idea. It is most annoying sitting in the nearside lane of a dual carrageway while all the other people are queuing to crawl past a lorry and sometimes there are 10 or more cars in the outer lane, I think bunching up of trafic in ANY lane will speed up the movement of traffic.
Should have been legal years ago.
Should have been legal years ago.
The other one of course is people getting in the right hand lane to turn right at a roundabout about a mile before the roundabout! In the town where I live (Basingstoke), if someone knows they're going right-right-right over the next 3 or 4 miles, then they just stay in the outside lane all the time...
As for the question - it is a tricky one. Personally, I think our Highway code is a very well thought out set of rules and guides. The trouble is people just don't follow it!
I'm not sure that it'd be very safe to allow undertaking, but I'm undecided, so I am very interested in people's opinions on the matter.
As for the question - it is a tricky one. Personally, I think our Highway code is a very well thought out set of rules and guides. The trouble is people just don't follow it!
I'm not sure that it'd be very safe to allow undertaking, but I'm undecided, so I am very interested in people's opinions on the matter.
Is it actually illegal now? The highway code says 'overtake on the right'. It doesn't say you MUST overtake on the right or MUST NOT overtake on the left, which is what it normally says for things that are actually law.
I can see that by doing it you'd open yourself up to a driving without due care type charge in the event of an accident, but the person in the middle lane must also surely be in breach of a similar guideline in the highway code that says keep left unless overtaking.
>> Edited by d-man on Wednesday 24th August 13:30
I can see that by doing it you'd open yourself up to a driving without due care type charge in the event of an accident, but the person in the middle lane must also surely be in breach of a similar guideline in the highway code that says keep left unless overtaking.
>> Edited by d-man on Wednesday 24th August 13:30
IMO Undertaking is the result of the blind incompetent numpties stuck in the outside lane with a blatent dissregard for any faster traffic in their mirror 
I believe in the correct situation, undertaking is ok, but just to gain an extra few yards then it is obviously just dangerous.
I feel the bib's should crack down on the muppets in the outside lane that wind the rest of us up !!!
IF THERE IS NO TRAFFIC ON YOUR INSIDE ... MOVE OVER !!
(same goes for the middle lane nupties)
I believe in the correct situation, undertaking is ok, but just to gain an extra few yards then it is obviously just dangerous.
I feel the bib's should crack down on the muppets in the outside lane that wind the rest of us up !!!
IF THERE IS NO TRAFFIC ON YOUR INSIDE ... MOVE OVER !! (same goes for the middle lane nupties)
I regularly undertake to avoid utter numpties who blatently cannot drive!
If they actually adhered to the highway code then we would not need such a thread to take place, however out on the roads I think undertaking should be allowed. On the spot fines for MLMs should be brought in though, maybe a financial lesson to the numpties and it might make them think twice about actually pulling left!
If they actually adhered to the highway code then we would not need such a thread to take place, however out on the roads I think undertaking should be allowed. On the spot fines for MLMs should be brought in though, maybe a financial lesson to the numpties and it might make them think twice about actually pulling left!
Rule 242 from the highway code:
242: 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 thought it was illegal in any circumstances - this will affect how I drive in future. Only worry is those in the fast lane thinking it's illegal and pulling into the middle lane without looking....
R
242: 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 thought it was illegal in any circumstances - this will affect how I drive in future. Only worry is those in the fast lane thinking it's illegal and pulling into the middle lane without looking....
R
Ionican said:
Rule 242 from the highway code:
242: 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 thought it was illegal in any circumstances - this will affect how I drive in future. Only worry is those in the fast lane thinking it's illegal and pulling into the middle lane without looking....
R
Do not... rather than You must not...
Consider the appalling lane discipline and lack of spatial awareness of your average numpty driver and the fact that they evidently can't cope with the concept of checking their mirrors before they pull out. Surely allowing undertaking is going to see some terrible accidents.
Don't forget that PHer Harrigan died executing an undertake where the numpty didn't check their mirrors before pulling in.
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 24th August 14:15
Don't forget that PHer Harrigan died executing an undertake where the numpty didn't check their mirrors before pulling in.
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 24th August 14:15
yes - in the US they don't have this (IMHO daft) rule. So everyone takes just as much care whichever lane they're moving into.
There is also an offence of "excessive lane changing" or something similar I believe to prevent people weaving through traffic.
So the highway code basically says don't *move* so as to undertake, but if you're in the slow lane and someone is lanehogging then it's fine for you to keep up with the car infront in the slow lane even if that means undertaking the numptie in the middle. I think.
Which is cool :-)
There is also an offence of "excessive lane changing" or something similar I believe to prevent people weaving through traffic.
So the highway code basically says don't *move* so as to undertake, but if you're in the slow lane and someone is lanehogging then it's fine for you to keep up with the car infront in the slow lane even if that means undertaking the numptie in the middle. I think.
Which is cool :-)
Ionican said:
Rule 242 from the highway code:
exactly. but it is legal.
the highway code is not the law fortunately. otherwise you would have to smear your brake pads in grease to stop in the required distance
i enjoy undertaking retards in the outside lane from the nearside lane when theres a free carriageway in-between hehe.
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