To overtake on motorway left hand lane?

[brasty]

DP says I am. But I hate when you are on a busy motorway, and someone is sitting in the middle lane, and will not move to the left hand lane, even though it is empty. While at the same time the right hand lane is packed with cars, making it hard to pull out into the right hand lane and still leave decent distances. So I have occasionally just overtaken the middle lane hogger in the left hand lane. I know the Highway Code says you should not, but sometimes it seems the safest option.

So I've only read about half the fucking thread

but can someone tell me: if I've been driving merrily along at 65 in the slow lane for miles - hardly any traffic - and I pass a car in the middle lane who's going along at 55... am I wrong? Should I slow down to beneath his speed so I don't go past him?

and yes, it is usually 'him' btw

SmallVera Yes, you'd be wrong to do that. And why would you slow down when you can overtake him on the right?

Small, you should move out to the right lane to over take and then make some kind of hand gesture to demonstrate that they’re a knobber and then move back to the left lane.

This thread is entertaining. I am with flowerpot - but not 100% s/he is on solid ground. In practical terms I will (and do) pass slow movers in L2 and L3 if I am in L1 and travelling more quickly. I keep a keen eye for what they are doing but usually they are so oblivious and or busy texting they don’t even notice I have passed them.

just seems a bit much to go through four lane changes. Although the prospect of flipping him the bird does appeal.

SmallVera Yes you should.

FlowerPot Why are you so determined to prove Migraleve wrong? Your posts are making you look ridiculous.

Regardless of the legalities, there are very few occasions when it necessary to undertake (pass a vehicle travelling slower than you) on the inside lane. The Highway Code explains when it is appropriate to do this.

“Flowers the reason I am confused because the first statement of rule 268 of the Highway Code says: Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. “

The key phrase is move to a lane on your left. If you are already in Lane 1, you are not moving lane. You overtake someone by moving from your lane, to the next lane (on the right!), then move back into your original lane when you have passed the vehicle. If you simply stay in your lane you are not overtaking. You may find you pass vehicles on your right, particularly in slow moving traffic. That is not overtaking.

I think you have to read the section of the Highway Code on lane discipline together for it to make complete sense.

@flowerpot1234 gave a much better explanation about 100 pages ago.

However if you think it through logically, it makes sense. You are travelling in Lane 1 and the lane ahead is clear. You don’t slow down so as not to pass a slow moving vehicle in lane 2. Apart from anything else that would be fairly unexpected behaviour. No-one would be harmed by you passing the vehicle in lane 2 - you might have to be a bit more alert to Lane 2’s potentially erratic behaviour but basically if you’ve been sat in Lane 1 for a couple of miles in theory you will be visible to vehicle in Lane 2. There is no hazard or vehicle in your lane so no reason to change from it. You are overtaking when you move from your lane to pass another vehicle.

If you decide to move from Lane 1, to Lane 3, then back again to Lane 1 to avoid passing vehicle in lane 2 then you’re moving lanes unnecessarily and you could be described to be weaving through traffic which the Highway Code says not to do.

SmallVera If changing lanes is a bit much for you, you shouldn't be driving on the motorway.

from
www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/answers/can-you-overtake-on-the-nearside-of-another-vehicle

Overtaking on the nearside (left) is legally acceptable if you are driving on a multi-lane carriageway in congested conditions, and the lane to the left is moving at a faster speed than lanes to the right. In these circumstances overtaking on the left is permissible although extra caution is needed for an awareness of other vehicles moving to the faster lane on the left.

It is also permissible to overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right. Overtaking on the left in these circumstances although permissible is subject to road markings and signs that may suggest otherwise.

So yes it is legal in certain circumstances,

reetgood Changing lanes to overtake is not weaving.

@bucksfrizz weaving would be more left than right?

Is it overtaking if you don’t change lanes? That’s what this all seems to be about and I don’t believe that it is tbh. The other options - slow down or move through three lanes - don’t strike me as conducive to maintaining flow of traffic. I can see why changing lanes to overtake on the left is dangerous, I don’t see maintaining your position in lane 1 being dangerous?

reetgood but why does it say do not overtake on the left as the first part of that sentence then? Why is ok to just ignore that bit of the Highway Code?

but can someone tell me: if I've been driving merrily along at 65 in the slow lane for miles - hardly any traffic - and I pass a car in the middle lane who's going along at 55... am I wrong? Should I slow down to beneath his speed so I don't go past him?
No you're not wrong. Just carry on otherwise you would be impeding the progress of the cars behind you in the left lane. Keep a good eye on him as you pass though.

Wrong Derxa!

reetgood Weaving means using any lane to get ahead of the traffic - you see motorbikes doing it.

Maintaining your position in lane 1 (and undertaking) is dangerous because the vehicle on your right could move left and wouldn't expect you to be there. Mainly because they are middle land hoggers and oblivious to other road users.

You are so wrong Dexra, it's drivers like you who cause accidents.

I'm so confused. So from what I've read you can be in L1 and pass a lane hogger in L2. No lane changing at all. However, it becomes illegal if you do this but then move to L2 in front of the hog? I though you weren't allowed to do the former even if no lane change happened? Reason being that the hogger might move into L1 as you're trying to pass him/her.

I'm genuinely confused now. Please someone explain!

So I and other drivers are happily driving along at 65 in the left lane. We are driving safely. Then we come across this person driving at 55 in the middle lane. I would have to slow right down move into the middle lane and then go into the 3rd lane.
40 years of safe driving.

The driver in the middle lane is an unexpected hazard and I would treat him with extreme caution.

No dexra you don’t have to slow right down. As you are driving along in the left lane you should become aware long before you reach middle lane twat that they are going slower than you, and you should change lane to overtake. There is no need to slow down to the speed of the middle lane car. Read the road ahead correctly and you will be in the 3rd lane passing this dick by the time you reach him.

Derxa of course you wouldn’t slow right down to overtake unless you haven’t been watching the** road ahead.

Derxa of course you wouldn’t slow right down to overtake unless you haven’t been watching the road ahead. I would have to slow down to get behind him and avoid undertaking.
Tbh I've never been in this exact position in my 30 years of travelling up and down to Scotland.