MooseRacer

Try reading the highway code....you remember that thing don't you.....Undertaking is illegal unless in a queue, or unless directed by road signs/markings (and a queue includes being behind someone turning right)

and here it is...

only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left



[Edited by MooseRacer - 10/6/2002 3:12:35 PM]

Barnaby

Some more info, the guy saying it was legal was a Course Instructor at the Essex Police Driving School. Maybe it would be worth giving them a call?

[Edited by Barnaby - 10/6/2002 3:29:47 PM]

velryba

Today I had an "argument" with police officers who pulled me over.
Telling me that I have an attitude while calling me names and telling me to shut up and bla bla bla... the story goes.

What I need to know and I need a SERIOUS answer please:

1. If driving on dual carriageway in the left hand lane within the speed limit!!! and there is a slower car in the fast lane (10-20mph slower), is undertaking the car an offence. If yes, what is the procedure to OVERTAKE it?

2. If driving on a motorway (3 lines) in the left hand lane and there is a car in the middle lane (again within a speed limit and the other car is going slower), do I brake the law undertaking the car?

Thanks for any serious answers
robert

Luke

Dont think its illegal??? Down to Safe driving.

JohnMcC

I dont know for a fact but I always thought that, as long as you remained in the same lane, you werent really doing anything wrong.

ie If you were in the same lane behind them, changed to the left lane, passed them and then went back in front of them - then thats dangerous.

But, if you are in the left hand lane already, and dont change lanes, I thought it was ok (maybe not 100% technically though, but generally accepted)

As I said - my thoughts, dont know the 'truth'....

barge

I know how you feel.

If I'm on the inside & the outside is being hogged by a queen of the road I now just keep going & undertake.

I have been waiting for ages for PC Plod to pull me as I would request that they pull the other car as well & I would ask for my day on court.

good luck

MooseRacer

Sorry to dissapoint you all, but undertaking is not legal unless you are in a queue of traffic. Quite how a queue is defined i'm not sure. In the situation you've described you are in the wrong and the plod will most likely stop you.

The question that begs answering is why do they never pull the lane hogs that make you undertake in the first place?

yoza

Yep undertaking in those two instances are illegal.

People who hog overtaking lanes,when not overtaking do my head in,and they know it,thats why they do it!

Get a blue LED keyring works a treat in the dark,couple of well timed flashes and they move over a treat......think this is more illegal than undertaking tho

Is it impersonating a police officer?

RaZe-=Buzz=-

nope, sorry, dont agree youve done anything wrong.

As long as you didnt change lanes in ORDER to undertake them, then its fine - continuing on in your own lane is OK. Might be different if you then immediately have to pull out or you'd be running into the back of someone.

Stay in your lane and keep going. What are we all supposed to do with people wanting to turn right at an intersection if we cant undertake? All brake and stop? My ****.

AndiThompson

Undertaking is illegal, if their waiting to turn, that makes it a queue, and its then legal to pass them on the left.

RaZe-=Buzz=-

Undertaking itself is NOT illegal! Changing lanes SOLELY to undertake IS illegal.

If you were in a filter lane turning right, would you expect everyone else in the left hand lane to stop??? Dont be daft. Thats Undertaking - "passing on the inside".

This blanket bollox "its illegal" is WRONG. And if someone has got the time and the space to pass you on the inside, why aren't YOU in that lane? Bad driving on your part eh? Of course not, 'cos no one would EVER admit that!

velryba

Thank you ppl for replies but I was hoping for someone from the police or lawyers side to give me answer to this....

Buzz - all what you are saying is what I thought, but I need a legal prove or something in those lines. I do admit that I did argue with the policeman as he tried to push me over the legal edge, but next time if I argue I would like to be more certain

Jason - shut your mouth, I didn't ask whether you like it or not and if you would drive in left hand lane as you should by the law, there would be no chance to undertake you. Think b4 you speak...

Barnaby

A few years back I went on a Police Open day with the SIDC to Essex traffic Police headquarters. One of the instructors there told us that he regularly undertakes and that as long as it is not done in agressive way and is within the speed limit then it is legal.

Unless the law has changed since then of course.

MooseRacer

I would like to know the official way to get said to55ers out of the lane infront of you so you can overtake on the right.

MooseRacer

On motorways you should never overtake on the left UNLESS

Mark one answer

you can see well ahead that the hard shoulder is clear
the traffic in the right-hand lane is signalling right
you warn drivers behind by signalling left
there is a queue of traffic to your right that is moving more slowly




Above is an excerpt from the theory part of the driving test. Feel free to answer however you like, but you might well fail.



Oh, and I took the 4th option and lo and behold it was right. I would love to see a Police officer state publicly that you are allowed to undertake except for in the conditions mentioned earlier in this thread.

mutant_matt

Rob,

Unfortunately m8, they've got you. It is illegal in this case and they can do you for it. Obviously, it pisses you off because what they should actually have done is pull over the guy in the outside lane.

BTW, I suppose, the only legal thing to do is to change lanes, come up behind them and give them an opportunity to pull over. If they don't and you flash them (to make them aware of your presence ) and they still don't move, it's still not legal. Hopefully though, if you'd done all this, the cops would have actually done something about it. It's a pisser but it's one of those things

And to answer Q2, you have to go from Lane 1 to Lane 3 and back again around the **** in the middle lane I do actually do this in one manouver and indicate all the way too. Occasionally, the sight of someone doing this actually gets them to move over - sometimes....

Did they give you a verbal NIP? If so, on what charge?

Matt.

Diesel

Symapthies mate, but I too believe it is illegal.

Actually remember the highway code bit, and it says you can 'undertake' only in a one way road, or if traffic is moving very slowly on a multi lane two way road.

I rarely do it as I know you'll get done for it, and not the tosser 'policing' the right hand lane...

D

RON

I had an interesting chat with plod not that long ago about exactly this, an incident had occured where I thought that someone had undertaken me, BUT he did not pull in to then go past, he started of in the nearside lane, went past me (on the inside) and then pulled out, the police oficer in question did not consider this wrong, although he did say that it was 'a bit of a grey area).
I can sort of see both sides, I do think it's wropng to stay in the middle or outside lane IF there is nothing in the left lanes, but if someone weaves in and out purely to gain road position, then I do consider that wrong, and dangerous, as not everyone looks in all their mirrors when maneovering.
Ron.

JGRIFF

Velbraya, YHM

velryba

thank you all for your help
much appreciated

As I don't want this thread go a wrong direction with my name on it:

MODERATOR (Matt ) PLEASE CAN YOU LOCK THIS THREAD, THANK YOU

For the rest of you, PLEASE do not put any more replies after this message
if you do, you are just going against my polite wish

Thank you again and I’ll see you in another threads or meets where I’ll be more 'fun' again

Cheers
robert


[Edited by velryba - 10/7/2002 1:56:52 AM]

[Edited by velryba - 10/7/2002 3:29:58 AM]