Undertaking.

Is it time to make it legal?
It’s so common now, let’s have it.

People often misunderstand the meaning of undertaking,it’s not illegal to pass someone on their n/s who decides to sit out in the outside lane on a go slow.
Undertaking is to go from behind them in the same lane,undertake them then come back out in front of them.

Bit like those who sit out in lane one on smart motorways and point blank refuse to use the hard shoulder even though multiple signs instruct them too.

ROADRANGER:
Is it time to make it legal?
It’s so common now, let’s have it.

It was never “illegal”. It’s just bad form, and the burden is on the person undertaking to do it with reasonable care (effectively being prepared to give way to the outer vehicle which may start to move left).

And in general, we all know the difference between someone in a high powered car putting their foot down to leapfrog past on the inside, and on the other hand simply passing a slow-moving vehicle who have themselves abandoned lane discipline and common courtesy.

There are a few flaws in the idea especially in the case of traffic having to make a lane change from lane 2 to lane 1 for an exit or left turn ahead and being stopped by lots of undertaking traffic.

On balance it would probably be safer to raise the limiter setting to 60 mph and increase the speed limit to 60 mph for trucks in lane 2 while keeping it 90 kmh in lane 1 and 85 mph for cars in lane 3 of motorways for example.While then increasing the penalties massively for undertaking and lane hogging enforced by unmarked police patrols then everyone knows where they stand while in large part removing the causes of undertaking. :bulb:

Never been illegal… Just dangerous as it’s usually unexpected by the other driver.

Always be cautious of the middle lane driver, they aren’t good at concentrating hence the need to hog an overtaking lane.

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Seems to be the norm nowadays with all lane running motorways.For some reason alot of people stay in the 2nd lane.Inc trucks.So yeah i undertake if i’ve flashed them in and they are’nt moving over.As said though got to keep an eye out in case they decide to come over

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it might help if it was ilegal like in Germany and police (like in Germany again) penalise drivers for doing so!

I find the 40, 50 limits on the A12 are a free for all… Don’t worry about lane discipline or undertaking there…

If you’re not speeding they’ll go past you and carve you up from either side.

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daftvader:
Seems to be the norm nowadays with all lane running motorways.For some reason alot of people stay in the 2nd lane.Inc trucks.So yeah i undertake if i’ve flashed them in and they are’nt moving over.As said though got to keep an eye out in case they decide to come over

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Cars yeh, but I never undertake a truck in that situation.
Reason being I tend to think that if they are a crap and incompetent enough driver to ignore lane discipline, and hog the lane, they will more than likely be equally as crap a driver not to keep checking their n/s mirror…(don’t know about you lot but I was always taught to keep left unless overtaking. :bulb: )

As for cars…once over if you did untertake them when they were hogging, they soon got the message and got back into lane 1.
Nowadays the whole lane system is a complete cluster ■■■■ (since it stopped being policed with the lack of m.way Police presence :unamused: ) so nobody bats an eyelid anymore if they are undertook as it is so commonplace.
Instead of the law succumbing to ■■■■ poor driving practice as suggested, it would be better to go back to the days of actual ‘road policing’ instead of exchanging said system for revenue raising cameras. :bulb:

robroy:

daftvader:
Seems to be the norm nowadays with all lane running motorways.For some reason alot of people stay in the 2nd lane.Inc trucks.So yeah i undertake if i’ve flashed them in and they are’nt moving over.As said though got to keep an eye out in case they decide to come over

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Cars yeh, but I never undertake a truck in that situation.
Reason being I tend to think that if they are a crap and incompetent enough driver to ignore lane discipline, and hog the lane, they will more than likely be equally as crap a driver not to keep checking their n/s mirror…(don’t know about you lot but I was always taught to keep left unless overtaking. :bulb: )

As for cars…once over if you did untertake them when they were hogging, they soon got the message and got back into lane 1.
Nowadays the whole lane system is a complete cluster [zb] (since it stopped being policed with the lack of m.way Police presence :unamused: ) so nobody bats an eyelid anymore if they are undertook as it is so commonplace.
Instead of the law succumbing to ■■■■ poor driving practice as suggested, it would be better to go back to the days of actual ‘road policing’ instead of exchanging said system for revenue raising cameras. :bulb:

Given, that is never going to happen, i reckon it should be officially allowed.
I dont know the legality of the practice, I’m guilty of it myself, but, you have the certain knowledge that if the driver were to move over without checking, it would be down to me.

Normally I wont undertake unless there is a hard shoulder to dive onto when the numpty hogging the middle lane decides to move into lane 1 without checking, but in slow moving traffic of course I will.

I’m always trying to make progress I’m my lane up to and including the max speed if safe! But on the other hand I’m more annoyed about moving to the left lane when told by the matrix signs only for the next singe saying “next junction only” some times I’m better off staying in the normal driving lane. But I’m aware of the larger issues concerning the British roads.

ROADRANGER:
Is it time to make it legal?
It’s so common now, let’s have it.

Are you crazy? It would cause mayhem. Drivers don’t know what they are doing now without introducing something like that.Do you realise the dangers of undertaking?

It’s only common because of the low driving standards that blight our congested roads.

jakethesnake:

ROADRANGER:
Is it time to make it legal?
It’s so common now, let’s have it.

Are you crazy? It would cause mayhem. Drivers don’t know what they are doing now without introducing something like that.Do you realise the dangers of undertaking?

It’s only common because of the low driving standards that blight our congested roads.

There’s nothing…

Crazy about it. You only need to look at the USA and the free flow of traffic passing in any lane at different speeds to see that it’s not like getting into the bath tub holding an electric toaster. I’ve watched ‘big rigs’ just sitting in one lane all the way through busy towns driving on interstate highways, quite happily plodding on with traffic all around switching lanes. If you can’t watch your nearside properly don’t assume that the rest of us can’t do the same.

I couldn’t care less about which lane anyone passes me on be they in a truck, car or bicycle made for two.

robroy:

daftvader:
Seems to be the norm nowadays with all lane running motorways.For some reason alot of people stay in the 2nd lane.Inc trucks.So yeah i undertake if i’ve flashed them in and they are’nt moving over.As said though got to keep an eye out in case they decide to come over

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Cars yeh, but I never undertake a truck in that situation.
Reason being I tend to think that if they are a crap and incompetent enough driver to ignore lane discipline, and hog the lane, they will more than likely be equally as crap a driver not to keep checking their n/s mirror…(don’t know about you lot but I was always taught to keep left unless overtaking. :bulb: )

As for cars…once over if you did untertake them when they were hogging, they soon got the message and got back into lane 1.
Nowadays the whole lane system is a complete cluster [zb] (since it stopped being policed with the lack of m.way Police presence :unamused: ) so nobody bats an eyelid anymore if they are undertook as it is so commonplace.
Instead of the law succumbing to ■■■■ poor driving practice as suggested, it would be better to go back to the days of actual ‘road policing’ instead of exchanging said system for revenue raising cameras. :bulb:

I get what you are saying there Rob.But after flashing your lights for the 3rd or 4th time.And still no bloody movement.And your speed is higher than theirs.its a pain in the arse.But the standard of alot of drivers leave alot to be desired nowadays thats for sure.

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yourhavingalarf:

jakethesnake:

ROADRANGER:
Is it time to make it legal?
It’s so common now, let’s have it.

Are you crazy? It would cause mayhem. Drivers don’t know what they are doing now without introducing something like that.Do you realise the dangers of undertaking?

It’s only common because of the low driving standards that blight our congested roads.

There’s nothing…

Crazy about it. You only need to look at the USA and the free flow of traffic passing in any lane at different speeds to see that it’s not like getting into the bath tub holding an electric toaster. I’ve watched ‘big rigs’ just sitting in one lane all the way through busy towns driving on interstate highways, quite happily plodding on with traffic all around switching lanes. If you can’t watch your nearside properly don’t assume that the rest of us can’t do the same.

I couldn’t care less about which lane anyone passes me on be they in a truck, car or bicycle made for two.

It would be crazy to implement it in this country and the reason they do not implement it is for the reason I have given and I totally agree with them on that one.
Drivers in this country struggle to stick to any rules as it is.Can you imagine if they changed them? Total confusion and more accidents.
It works in the USA because they have always driven that way and their roads are far less congested.
Ask any traffic cop what he thinks of the idea and most will tell you it’s crazy and will never happen.

Any driver wanting to change lanes MUST ensure it is safe to do so - that means the vehicle passing on either side has the legal right of way over the one wanting to cross the line = simple really

jakethesnake:
It works in the USA because they have always driven that way and their roads are far less congested.

I suggest…

You take a look at traffic in and around Dallas/LA/Chicago/Miami/Las Vegas/Salt Lake City during the rush hour…all six lanes full of traffiic. Traffic that passes in any lane at varying speeds and has done so for decades. Your argument just doesn’t add up.

I’m sure there are better suggestions for really busy highways in the states and if someone from over the pond wanted to illustrate them here, feel free.

ROG:
the vehicle passing on either side has the legal right of way

How does that fit rule 267 of the Highway Code for example.Or lane discipline rule of return to the left lane ‘after’ overtaking which obviously implies only use the right hand lane to overtake.While why would we need any lane discipline rule if you are correct and why would trucks need to be limited to only lanes 1 and 2 of a motorway if lane 1 is considered as being no different to lane 3 regarding overtaking. :confused:

This irritates me on the M1 north and south between J12-10. There are several parts on this relatively short stretch that use the hard-shoulder and open into 4 lanes, but you drive only for a couple of miles and you have to move back over into lane 2 again, which then becomes lane one for a short while until it opens up again. Personally, I don’t move into the short lane 1’s, because it’s often a pain moving back into lane 2 again when lane 1 runs out, plus you’ve got slow traffic leaving Toddington - better to hang it out in lane 2 for that stretch in my opinion. Do I practice bad lane discipline? That’s open to debate, and I don’t really care for it. But there’s many lorry drivers who like to then undertake and only just manage to cut back in front of me. I know they’re trying to “teach me a lesson”, but I’m sick of moving into lane one only to find a line of lorries and cars in lane 2 when I have to repeatedly move back over in about 2 miles. I wish they’d see that.

Another one is when there’s a car behind me for miles and miles, and I move to lane 2 because I see blue and amber lights on the hard-shoulder ahead. I always move over for hard-shoulder recoveries if I can. The car will see my move to lane 2 as an invitation to hammer it up the inside, flying past the recovery, or being in my blindspot at the moment it’s ok for me to move back to lane 1.

Coming down the M1 south around East Midlands, I’m doing 50 through the roadworks at 2am, dead quiet. I hate those 2 miles of constant potholes on the inside so I use lane 2 for those 2 miles. Mr Bibby comes tearing up to my back door flashing his lights. I ignore him, and down the inside at 56 he goes, his lorry bouncing around from the potholes.