Keep left - definitive guidance please
Discussion
On the motorway, you've just overtaken someone and you are in lane 2 on cruise control doing a perfectly reasonable speed. Ahead in lane 1 is a 56mph truck. Do you move left and then <try to> move out again when you reach him? What is the definitive distance that you should stay out? Highway code breaking distance? 30 seconds of travel time?
I try to keep left, but unless I'm the slowest vehicle on the road I need to overtake sometimes. My daily M6 commute is getting infuriating because if you do move left, chances are there won't be a gap to move out and overtake when you need to a few seconds/minutes later. All too often you get boxed in and end up having to slow down and wait.
With 9 points I can't be the fastest on the road anymore so I'm always conscious that I'm holding someone up if I do choose to avoid excessive lane changes.
I try to keep left, but unless I'm the slowest vehicle on the road I need to overtake sometimes. My daily M6 commute is getting infuriating because if you do move left, chances are there won't be a gap to move out and overtake when you need to a few seconds/minutes later. All too often you get boxed in and end up having to slow down and wait.
With 9 points I can't be the fastest on the road anymore so I'm always conscious that I'm holding someone up if I do choose to avoid excessive lane changes.
Just had a similar thread (from calibrax) with a video showing what not to do. 
Guide rules as follows:-
- You need at least a 4-second gap to move into;
- It's nothing to do with how long it will take you to get to the next overtake (because if the difference in lane speeds isn't much then it could take several minutes!
)
- If you're doing the speed limit yourself then you're not holding anyone up.
- "undertaking" is called "overtaking on the left" (because the "over" bit of overtaking refers to going from behind to ahead; "undertaking" would be moving from ahead of a vehicle to behind it.)
Guide rules as follows:-
- You need at least a 4-second gap to move into;
- It's nothing to do with how long it will take you to get to the next overtake (because if the difference in lane speeds isn't much then it could take several minutes!
)- If you're doing the speed limit yourself then you're not holding anyone up.
- "undertaking" is called "overtaking on the left" (because the "over" bit of overtaking refers to going from behind to ahead; "undertaking" would be moving from ahead of a vehicle to behind it.)
Just clarify my understanding on undertaking, if I am doing 60 in L1 and I am approaching a car in L2 going slower than me, and I pass them, is that undertaking, I think not, but if I am in L3 approaching a car doing 60 and pull into L2 to pass, that's clearly undertaking.
The original post on distance when you would pull back in is one of these grey areas which only a judge can clarify when your in front of the beak.
What you may consider reasonable, I may not. Common sense should prevaile, unless of course you are a MLM, the main criteria I think is that as long as you are not holding anyone else up, and you are catching vehicles in L1, then stay in L2, no point in keep changing lanes.
The original post on distance when you would pull back in is one of these grey areas which only a judge can clarify when your in front of the beak.
What you may consider reasonable, I may not. Common sense should prevaile, unless of course you are a MLM, the main criteria I think is that as long as you are not holding anyone else up, and you are catching vehicles in L1, then stay in L2, no point in keep changing lanes.
Vipers said:
Just clarify my understanding on undertaking, if I am doing 60 in L1 and I am approaching a car in L2 going slower than me, and I pass them, is that undertaking, I think not, but if I am in L3 approaching a car doing 60 and pull into L2 to pass, that's clearly undertaking.
The original post on distance when you would pull back in is one of these grey areas which only a judge can clarify when your in front of the beak.
What you may consider reasonable, I may not. Common sense should prevaile, unless of course you are a MLM, the main criteria I think is that as long as you are not holding anyone else up, and you are catching vehicles in L1, then stay in L2, no point in keep changing lanes.
Well said Sir The original post on distance when you would pull back in is one of these grey areas which only a judge can clarify when your in front of the beak.
What you may consider reasonable, I may not. Common sense should prevaile, unless of course you are a MLM, the main criteria I think is that as long as you are not holding anyone else up, and you are catching vehicles in L1, then stay in L2, no point in keep changing lanes.
My definition of a MLM is one that will not pull into L1 on a quiet motorway with ample gaps.
A busy motorway is a different matter as dropping into L1 amongst the trucks will get you nowhere.
Equally weaving in and out of L1 will get you labelled as a nutter.
I drove the M40 to Silverstone last Sunday,spent 95% of the time in L1,MLMs were dealt with easily.
A busy motorway is a different matter as dropping into L1 amongst the trucks will get you nowhere.
Equally weaving in and out of L1 will get you labelled as a nutter.
I drove the M40 to Silverstone last Sunday,spent 95% of the time in L1,MLMs were dealt with easily.
I was told to use the 10 second rule by an advanced driving instructor - if it would be abour 10 secs before you could overtake the next vehicle ahead then you should move over. However that was 20 years ago and I reckon 20 seconds is more reasonable these days given the more congested roads and the less likelihood of being able to pull out again.
iva cosworth said:
My definition of a MLM is one that will not pull into L1 on a quiet motorway with ample gaps.
A busy motorway is a different matter as dropping into L1 amongst the trucks will get you nowhere.
Equally weaving in and out of L1 will get you labelled as a nutter.
I drove the M40 to Silverstone last Sunday,spent 95% of the time in L1,MLMs were dealt with easily.
Mine would include both drivers that will not pull into an ample gap to let faster traffic past and ones that do not let cars out that are clearly needing to pass something.A busy motorway is a different matter as dropping into L1 amongst the trucks will get you nowhere.
Equally weaving in and out of L1 will get you labelled as a nutter.
I drove the M40 to Silverstone last Sunday,spent 95% of the time in L1,MLMs were dealt with easily.
That does not mean diving into gap for two seconds or braking and waving a car out, it means watching what is going on around you and smoothing out all your interactions with other road users.
I approach it like this. .
If you're going faster than traffic in L1 and theres space in L3 to pass you if needed then it seems pointless to change to L1 if youre just going to have to come out of it again
If L1 is empty you should be in it
If you're in L3 with an audi up your arse at 85 and theres nowhere to go then proceed as you are until theres a space in L2 for them to pull in and undertake
If you're going faster than traffic in L1 and theres space in L3 to pass you if needed then it seems pointless to change to L1 if youre just going to have to come out of it again
If L1 is empty you should be in it
If you're in L3 with an audi up your arse at 85 and theres nowhere to go then proceed as you are until theres a space in L2 for them to pull in and undertake
M4cruiser said:
If you're doing the speed limit yourself then you're not holding anyone up
Matters not how fast you are doing, you should not prevent anybody passing you, if they choose to drive at 100 mph, so be it, you should not be policing the roads, also it will encourage people to undertake to get past youM4cruiser said:
- "undertaking" is called "overtaking on the left" (because the "over" bit of overtaking refers to going from behind to ahead; "undertaking" would be moving from ahead of a vehicle to behind
Interesting viewpoint.Bennet said:
I don't think trucks really do 56 miles per hour, it's more like 65. Just sit behind the trucks. You have a stress free commute and you arrive more or less at the same time as you would have done.
I don't think that's true. The fastest I've been in the UK while behind a truck was an indicated 60mph, which was probably 56ish true speed.About 8 years ago I recall being overtaken by two foreign trucks while I was sat at 60, but unless they've been played with, I think they are limited to 56.
Vipers said:
M4cruiser said:
If you're doing the speed limit yourself then you're not holding anyone up
Matters not how fast you are doing, you should not prevent anybody passing you, if they choose to drive at 100 mph, so be it, you should not be policing the roads, also it will encourage people to undertake to get past you
Another place I get abuse for being safe is when I'm in L2 and can see a "situation" developing in L1 (i.e. a sudden lane change is likely by a vehicle in L1) so I ease off to avoid it. Guess what the driver behind me thinks?
Dimski said:
Bennet said:
I don't think trucks really do 56 miles per hour, it's more like 65. Just sit behind the trucks. You have a stress free commute and you arrive more or less at the same time as you would have done.
I don't think that's true. The fastest I've been in the UK while behind a truck was an indicated 60mph, which was probably 56ish true speed.About 8 years ago I recall being overtaken by two foreign trucks while I was sat at 60, but unless they've been played with, I think they are limited to 56.
A police driver with an escort took the tractor unit on the motorway with the tacho disengaged, which meant the limiter was disengaged as we'll.
No problem exceeding a ton. Not saying it would do that with a load. From memory most with this magic switch (some were designed to look like a light switch) were foreign trucks.
Oooh good thread honing in on the detail. Think I'd agree with those who say the following:
Generally MLMs are the ones obliviously bimbling along in L2 despite nothing in L1 for miles.
Attempting to weave is a PITA and as alluded to by the OP can result in you being boxed in. I get that more assertive and confident drivers may suffer this less but still...
Anyone else's speed is irrelevant and policing the roads on behalf of BiB is naughty
Generally MLMs are the ones obliviously bimbling along in L2 despite nothing in L1 for miles.
Attempting to weave is a PITA and as alluded to by the OP can result in you being boxed in. I get that more assertive and confident drivers may suffer this less but still...
Anyone else's speed is irrelevant and policing the roads on behalf of BiB is naughty
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