Undertaking on dual carriageway?
Discussion
My understanding is that unless the flow of traffic dictates that the left hand lane is moving faster than the right hand lane you should not undertake.
Last night I was on a fairly deserted dual carriageway A road. Long, straight, illuminated with street lights and therefore regular national speed limit signs
I was in the right lane having overtaken a lorry and doing a steady 70 when I got stuck behind someone in a Focus doing a steady 45. The lorry soared past on the inside. I waited for the Focus to either speed up or move left.
It did neither and 10 miles later I was still stuck behind it. Loads of other cars undertook it. I didn't on the grounds that 1. I thought that might be illegal and 2. The road wasn't busy but other cars that approached it were undertaking at speed and for me to have gone into the left lane to undertake might have caused conflict with an approaching car from behind.
But after 10 miles and 15 minutes? How long should you put up with that before giving up and undertaking?
Last night I was on a fairly deserted dual carriageway A road. Long, straight, illuminated with street lights and therefore regular national speed limit signs
I was in the right lane having overtaken a lorry and doing a steady 70 when I got stuck behind someone in a Focus doing a steady 45. The lorry soared past on the inside. I waited for the Focus to either speed up or move left.
It did neither and 10 miles later I was still stuck behind it. Loads of other cars undertook it. I didn't on the grounds that 1. I thought that might be illegal and 2. The road wasn't busy but other cars that approached it were undertaking at speed and for me to have gone into the left lane to undertake might have caused conflict with an approaching car from behind.
But after 10 miles and 15 minutes? How long should you put up with that before giving up and undertaking?
First, I would keep behind for 30 sec. waiting for the car to pull in, then I would've put my indicator on for 30 sec., implying that I wanted to overtake.
If that didn't work I would've given a couple of flashes, and if it still didn't register, I would drop a cog and floor it on the inside.
If that didn't work I would've given a couple of flashes, and if it still didn't register, I would drop a cog and floor it on the inside.
Interesting to know what the Police view on this would be?
Like most people I would try some flashing/indicating then do a quick check for Police before going quickly by on the inside. I have occasionally put an extra lane between myself and the nutter when encountering this situation with three lanes.
I would have thought that from a legal perspective the OP could reasonably argue that he was at considerably increased risk either driving behind the other car at 45mph or creating a 45mph roadblock by not passing on the inside; so passing on the inside was justified.
Like most people I would try some flashing/indicating then do a quick check for Police before going quickly by on the inside. I have occasionally put an extra lane between myself and the nutter when encountering this situation with three lanes.
I would have thought that from a legal perspective the OP could reasonably argue that he was at considerably increased risk either driving behind the other car at 45mph or creating a 45mph roadblock by not passing on the inside; so passing on the inside was justified.
Pericoloso said:
10 miles ?
Give up after 10 seconds ,treat the idiot doing 45 same as if it were a motorway ,pass and don't look back for the rage occurring.
Agreed. If they're hogging the lane for ten seconds or more then they're not going to move over.Give up after 10 seconds ,treat the idiot doing 45 same as if it were a motorway ,pass and don't look back for the rage occurring.
Either undertake them or ram them off the road.
Pericoloso said:
I meant to add earlier ,absolutely no point in flashing your headlights.....
Do you really think drivers like that use their mirrors ,ever ?
Many of them don't even unfold them from the parked positions.
This. Never once flashed, never indicated or beeped etc.Do you really think drivers like that use their mirrors ,ever ?
Many of them don't even unfold them from the parked positions.
Just overtake on the left and be on with your life.
Pericoloso said:
10 miles ?
Give up after 10 seconds ,treat the idiot doing 45 same as if it were a motorway ,pass and don't look back for the rage
occurring.
Give up after 10 seconds ,treat the idiot doing 45 same as if it were a motorway ,pass and don't look back for the rage
occurring.
had something similar on a motorway, car hogging the middle lane, passed it on the left and looked back, they were flashing and raging that I had "undertaken" them, looked back 30 secs later, still hogging the middle lane (and I had not caught the traffic up in the left lane).
If they are doing a decent pace then slowly gain on them and pass, if they are driving dangerously slow then report them.
I used to undertake then get ahead of them change into their lane and gradually slow down to show them what it's like but these days I just flash them if if they don't move over then undertake whilst on the horn.
I used to undertake then get ahead of them change into their lane and gradually slow down to show them what it's like but these days I just flash them if if they don't move over then undertake whilst on the horn.
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