question about undertaking

[filski666]

here's a question I hope someone can help clarify for me:

imagine the scenario - driving down the middle lane of 3 lane motorway/dual carriageway overtaking long line of traffic. Come across bloke in outside lane doing 65. I am doing 70 in the middle lane (which is clear) - can I keep going past the bloke in the outside lane or am I breaking the law?

I know "undertaking" is illegal, but undertaking is a manoeuvre (spelling?) and I am not making a manoeuvre I am just driving along in my lane. It says in the highway code that you can undertake if the lane to your right is "slower moving traffic"

Obviously the bloke shouldn't be there, and if I moved out to the third lane he probably wouldn't even notice me there, so is there some technicality which means I can undertake him and not get nicked for it?

or should I just ram the off the road for being a cock?

or should this be in Advanced Driving?

Edited by filski666 on Tuesday 15th July 06:53

[filski666]

vonhosen said:

You've missed out a couple of bits in your Highway Code quotes, such as in 'congested conditions', or 'slow moving queues' etc.

I was hoping I could gloss over those bits in my defence - m'lud!

[filski666]

vonhosen said:

You've missed out a couple of bits in your Highway Code quotes, such as in 'congested conditions', or 'slow moving queues' etc.

so what are you supposed to do in those conditions? - move out to third lane and sit there like a lemon?

Another example for consideration...driving down the left lane on pretty much deserted motorway - car in third lane doing well under speed limit. Can I undertake here (as there is even empty lane between me and them!)

[filski666]

this is the bit in the highway code I am referring to:

268
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.

surely this reads that I can undertake the car on the right by staying in my lane? As I was only going 5mph faster than car on right (otherwise I would have been speeding and I never do that!) so am in adjacent lanes of traffic at similar speeds, I am not weaving in and out of lanes to overtake. And it MUST be congested - else why is that driver in the outside lane??!?!?!

edited cos italics don't work when typed - have to paste from "formatting help" for some reason!

Edited by filski666 on Tuesday 15th July 08:33

[filski666]

5ltr-chim said:

There was a case in court - last year if memory serves me right where they defined an "undertake"
Effectively it is moving to a lane to you're nearside, overtaking a vehicle now on you're offside and them moving back into the lane on you're offside.

My understanding is that it's perfectly legal to overtake on the nearside of another vehicle providing it is as with all driving done whilst exercising the greatest care & attention.

this is my point - as I am not "moving to a lane" in order to overtake - I am not undertaking - so thanks very much officer, i will be on my way then?