One I saw this morning, was wondering what peoples thoughts on the right (legal?) way of handling the below situation.
About 4:45am, I’m in a 3.5T van and in front are 3 Artics. In the middle lane there’s a gritter doing 35-40mph with lights on ect. 2 of the Artics moved out to the middle lane, then the fast lane to overtake. The 3rd simply remains in the slow lane and undertakes the gritter.
Now which was the right way of going about it? Technically HGV’s are not allowed in the fast lane, unless the rules have an exception for slow moving vehicles/gritters, yet undertaking is very frowned upon in the highway code.
Undertaking is frowned upon, not illigal, I think its illigal for a HGV to be in the 3rd lane
Personally i would stay in lane one, girltters are obviously not regular traffic so i can see no reason not to undertake, infact dont most of them have a keep left arrow on the left side and a keep right on the right side indicating you can pass on both sides
Coffeeholic:
Technically there is no fast lane, or slow lane. All lanes of a multi-lane carriageway generally have the same speed limit.
What road was this on?
M6 Southbound, Passing J38. And 3rd lane not fast lane sorry. Was just curious as to the correct way. As I was only in a van I moved across to lane 3 and overtook.
With no other vehicles around who usually use lane 3 then PASS either side for LGVs especially if lane 1 is being used
With others around who do usually use lane 3 then PASS using lane 1 because those drivers will not be expecting a LGV in lane 3 when they can use lane 1
This has been asked been asked on another (non-truck) forum. The correct method is to complete all round observations, and proceed with caution in lane 1. If you feel it’s required/worthwhile/needed, quick toot on your horn (ooer missus) to inform the gritter driver your are passing. Obviously you wouldn’t pass hard on the limiter, but in a safe progressive manner.
Hope this helps
Paul
dew:
One I saw this morning, was wondering what peoples thoughts on the right (legal?) way of handling the below situation.
About 4:45am, I’m in a 3.5T van and in front are 3 Artics. In the middle lane there’s a gritter doing 35-40mph with lights on ect. 2 of the Artics moved out to the middle lane, then the fast lane to overtake. The 3rd simply remains in the slow lane and undertakes the gritter.
Now which was the right way of going about it? Technically HGV’s are not allowed in the fast lane, unless the rules have an exception for slow moving vehicles/gritters, yet undertaking is very frowned upon in the highway code.
Thoughts?
David.
if you are already driving in lane 1 and wish pass the gritter that is in lane 2, you can use either lane
passing the gritter in lane 1 is NOT undertaking as per the highway code, however, if you are in lane 2, move across to lane 1, pass the gritter, then move back into lane 2, then that is undertaking
I am not trying to provide a conclusive answer here but just wanted to share my thoughts on the matter.
You are allowed in lane 3 in certain extenuating circumstances and if traffic in lane 2 slows down to a crawl in normal circumstances would you not still be allowed to go past it in lane 1?
Aren’t lanes 2 and 3 supposed to be overtaking lanes? Obviously the gritter isn’t using lane 2 for overtaking so these are not normal circumstances.
I got stuck behind a gritter the same as you describe on the M6 last Sunday and there was a foreign truck in front of me who was confused about what to do and insisted in following for however many miles it was going. After a little while I moved out to lane 2 as I was going to overtake in lane 3 as soon as the line of overtaking cars were past but as I did this the foreign truck went past him in lane 1 so I moved back into lane 1 and seeing that the hard shoulder was clear I used a some of that to undertake him leaving him plenty of room. Part of the reason I felt this was a fair enough thing to do is because the gritter was spreading all the grit out to the right hand side and I am also leaving the driver more room by going past the way I did as it was icy conditions.
The way I see it is that in certain circumstances we are expected to use a bit of judgement and common sense rather than following dogmatically the letter of the law. If it was certain there was no other way to prevent an accident would it not be legal?? I think it would be because you have a common law duty of care and under the common law of england and wales there can be no wrong without a remedy. This often renders provisions in statute legislation as dead letters. In some circumstances it could be the safest thing to do to undertake it depending on the behaviour of the other traffic and could help to prevent vehicles from ploughing into the queueing traffic behind you especially where there is patchy fog.
In some ways I think it could be an equally valid question to ask whether it would be legal to sit behind a slow moving gritter for miles on end whilst the traffic builds up behind you creating a hazard.
shuttlespanker:
passing the gritter in lane 1 is NOT undertaking as per the highway code, however, if you are in lane 2, move across to lane 1, pass the gritter, then move back into lane 2, then that is undertaking
What Shuttle says, passing someone on the inside is not undertaking unless you pull across into their lane.
I believe there is a special exception for passing gritters as they are slow moving vehicles which purposely use the middle lane. You can pass them on the left or the right. Also undertaking is not illegal, I do it all the time on the exit from a nearby toll booth if there is a slower vehicle in the right lane (I use the tag only lane which is far left). There are always police sitting near the tolls and not once have any of them followed me to have a word.
LandyLad:
Why do some of you say that overtaking requires a lane change?
In my understanding, passing another vehicle is the same as overtaking another vehicle is the same as getting in front of another vehicle.
Why have 2 different words describing getting ahead of another road user>
So why involve change of lane as a naughty thing to do?
Educate me please people.
Strictly speaking overtaking means move, pass, move back, while passing means stay where you are and pass.
If you are trundling along in lane 2, and have been for a while, and get ahead of a vehicle in lane 1 and remain in lane 2 then you have passed it. If you are trundling along in lane 2 , move to lane 3, get ahead of a vehicle in lane 2 then return to that lane you have overtaken it.
Yep Coffee, I know that’s the implication of the words overtake / pass, but why are people saying its OK to pass but maybe not OK to overtake?
For me any half decent driver should be able to get in front of another vehicle safely by ‘overtaking’ as long as there is enough room to complete the manouevre without breaking the speed limit or endangering any other road user. (Necessary, Safe, Legal).
So for me, I wouldn’t differentiate between the two methods to get past the gritter unless its to do with visibility. Unless - maybe if I was following the gritter in the same lane and a bit close, the driver might not be aware of me and if I made a lane change to get past, then that might take him by surprise?
Otherwise getting past is just getting past and if passing is safe then so is overtaking.
shuttlespanker:
passing the gritter in lane 1 is NOT undertaking as per the highway code, however, if you are in lane 2, move across to lane 1, pass the gritter, then move back into lane 2, then that is undertaking
+1