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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To overtake on motorway left hand lane?

522 replies

brasty · 31/10/2017 22:49

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.

OP posts:
PinkFlamingo888 · 31/10/2017 22:58

Yes you’re being unreasonable. The middle lane hogger is also being unreasonable but two wrongs don’t make a right. If the middle lane hogger decides to stop hogging the middle lane and move over at the same time as you’re undertaking there could be an accident. People like you may even be forcing him to stay in his irritating position.

ThePants999 · 31/10/2017 22:58

You know what else is illegal? Hogging the fucking middle lane. Highway code rule 138. If they're going to drive illegally and stupidly, I'm going past them in whatever lane I can.

Hercules12 · 31/10/2017 22:58

How are you signalling to undertake?

Ellisandra · 31/10/2017 22:58

why is more dangerous?

Jesus OP you are being beyond unreasonable and should stay off the fucking roads until you learn to drive properly.

I really really hope you get done for this Angry

imokit · 31/10/2017 22:59

No its not a safer alternative to pulling into the right hand lane to overtake when there's no space.
The safer alternative to pulling into the right hand lane to overtake is to stay in the middle lane, match your speed to the car in front to maintain a safe distance and then WAIT until the right lane clears up and you have space to safely move into it.
A few extra minutes to your journey is worth it compared to your life, the lives of those in the car with you and the lives of the people in the other car(s).

SuperLoveFuzz · 31/10/2017 22:59

If everyone drove perfectly, indicated, checked the road is clear and checked blind spot before moving over, you'd be ok. If you want to put your life in the hands of someone you already think is a poor driver (lane hogger) then go right ahead. I bet you'll wish you just stayed behind when you smash into each other.

FittonTower · 31/10/2017 22:59

It's more dangerous because the people in the middle lane are not expecting you to whip up inside them and might pull in because they see you but don't expect you to be going too fast in that lane. That causes a crash which, if the motorway is a busy as it must be if you can't pull out into the fast lane could harm a lot more people than the middle lane hogger and the bad driver that is undertaking.

Original poster
brasty · 31/10/2017 22:59

I mean I ma in the middle lane and signal to go into left lane, then very slowly overtake, keeping an eye on what they are doing.

OP posts:
ToffeeSauce · 31/10/2017 22:59

Actually I kind of agree with you OP, although I do think it’s a bit dangerous.

The Highway Code says cars should be in the slow lane and move into the fast lanes for overtaking if the left hand lane traffic is moving slowly. This means the slow middle lane driver is in the wrong as he should be on the left if the way is clear. All you’re doing is driving at the speed the slow lane is moving at. So how can you be in the wrong? If all lanes are moving slowly (ie traffic jam) you aren’t expected to deliberately move more slowly in the left hand lane unless you unwittingly undertake.

Why does the middle lane driver get to dictate the speed everyone else can drive?

KarlosKKrinkelbeim · 31/10/2017 22:59

Lane discipline in this country is fucking abysmal

Migraleve · 31/10/2017 22:59

i do signal before I do it

HOW????

If you are driving along on the inside lane, and decide to undertake the car in the middle lane, how the fuck do you signal? Is there some sort of special indicator code for people who ignore the Highway Code??

Frillyhorseyknickers · 31/10/2017 23:00

Why is it more dangerous? I am genuinely asking

Really?

Well, the person you want to undertake is in the wrong lane, so we can assume they are either not paying attention or just a wank driver. In the U.K. We overtake on the right, so taking into account the above, we can assume they probably won't be anticipating you undertaking them, or even notice you, which is why it's more dangerous.

It also promotes road rage...

quarterpast · 31/10/2017 23:01

Also, because most U.K. cars vans and lorries have the driver sitting on the right hand side of the vehicle, there is a blindspot to the left hand side of the driver which in bigger vehicles like lorries and vehicles which are towing means that’s it’s incredible dangerous to try and undertake them as if they decided to pull in to the left hand lane they may not see you.

Original poster
brasty · 31/10/2017 23:01

Okay, I get your safety concerns. Just annoying to go behind someone going 50 miles an hour for 20 mins, because they will not pull in to the left lane.

OP posts:
PinkFlamingo888 · 31/10/2017 23:01

Please stop saying that you ‘overtake’. You do not. You’re undertaking. Overtaking on a motorway is legal. Undertaking is not.

ThePants999 · 31/10/2017 23:01

Is there some sort of special indicator code for people who ignore the Highway Code??

Sitting in the middle lane is one pretty good indicator ;-)

Hercules12 · 31/10/2017 23:01

No wonder there are accidents reading some of these posts.

Migraleve · 31/10/2017 23:01

The Highway Code says cars should be in the slow lane and move into the fast lanes

It most certainly does not.

There is no such thing as a slow lane, or a fast lane.

Original poster
brasty · 31/10/2017 23:02

quarterpast Yes I know that, I have only done this with cars. TBH vans, lorries do not do this.

OP posts:
ThePants999 · 31/10/2017 23:02

Please stop saying that you ‘overtake’. You do not. You’re undertaking.

Strictly speaking, the Highway Code does not recognise the term "undertaking". Rule 268 starts "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake." But yes, undertake is common parlance.

Orangebird69 · 31/10/2017 23:02

migraleve, the op isn't in the left hand lane, she's stuck behind the hog in the middle lane. So she indicates, goes into the left hand lane and undertakes the hog. I would too tbh.

PinkFlamingo888 · 31/10/2017 23:03

If you’re sitting behind them for 20 minutes it sounds like you’re also middle lane hogging to me.

iCoCo · 31/10/2017 23:03

quarterpast that is incorrect, there is no such thing as a slow/fast lane. It’s overtaking lanes. Once you have overtook, move to the left. If a vehicle is a way down the road, overtake again and then move left.

I travel on motorways daily and part of congestion is the long chains of traffic in the 3rd lane. Honestly, other counties manage to overtake properly, the UK just cannot. It must be the British habit of queueing Grin “that looks like it moves faster, so I’ll join that queue”. In reality, on a busy motorway, they all generally get to the same point at similar times. Then you see the muppets lane changing.

Migraleve · 31/10/2017 23:03

Okay, I get your safety concerns. Just annoying to go behind someone going 50 miles an hour for 20 mins, because they will not pull in to the left lane.

Sorry but if you can't pull over to the right lane to overtake them over a 20 minute period then you should probably not be on the motorway.

quarterpast · 31/10/2017 23:04

It’s still harder to see down your left hand side even in a car, hence the rule of overtaking to the right. You’ve been lucky so far OP, please don’t undertake you’re putting everybody at unnecessary risk.

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