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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:
HeyRoly · 31/10/2017 23:31

One thing I've never quite understood about undertaking is this: what if I'm in the left hand lane but find myself going faster than a car alongside me in the middle lane? Is it illegal to drive past them? Or is that not technically undertaking because I haven't changed lanes?

Giraffesarequitetall · 31/10/2017 23:32

southwindswesterly it is bloody scary isn’t it. Presumably you were going slightly slower as just entering the motorway but you would also have had the speed differential. We were going 75/80 and got hit by someone going 100, pushed onto the fast lane and lots of swerving to regain control. We were very lucky and didn’t hit anything else but my god it still gives me a funny feeling when I flashback to it. [Shudders]

Never again do I want to lose control of a car at that speed. I feel I should point out that the other driver got prosecuted and their insurance paid up all, there was never any debate it was his fault.

Glad you were ok.

I am glad this thread has given you a new insight OP, it’s very easy for any of us to not see the harm in certain things. I would also second doing advanced driving. I did my advanced driving test shortly after the accident, I knew logically it wasn’t my fault but had been so shaken up I wanted to prove I was a good driver.

Giraffesarequitetall · 31/10/2017 23:35

heyroly that is still technically undertaking.

RedToothBrush · 31/10/2017 23:36

Middle lane hoggers going slow trap me in this scenario

You are not reading the road ahead then well enough / You are too impatient and that in itself is dangerous.

Pull out sooner. Go slower. Don't drive illegally.

Its not that hard.

Thewinedidit · 31/10/2017 23:37

hedda you've lived a blessed motorway life if you've rarely came across it. It's a daily annoyance for me on my commute.

I would not undertake them though. It's just as easy to over take correctly and nowhere near as dangerous.

HeyRoly · 31/10/2017 23:37

That's sort of what I thought, giraffe, but it seems barmy to have to stick to the middle hogger's speed even when both of you have clear road ahead. And equally barmy to have to overtake them in lane 3 before returning to lane 1.

quarterpast · 31/10/2017 23:38

Thinking about what you’ve said OP, if you are undertaking particularly because the third lane is too full for you to find a space, then it’s even more dangerous for you to undertake because any of those vehicles could and should pull into the middle lane and then lane one at any time, making the chance of you colliding with them a very real possibility.

thenightsky · 31/10/2017 23:39

This is why I loved driving in the US and DH hated it. Just overtake in whichever lane is free, why not. DH had to be relegated to navigation as he just couldn't handle it. Grin

Migraleve · 31/10/2017 23:46

And equally barmy to have to overtake them in lane 3 before returning to lane 1

It’s not barmy, it’s what you should do. You overtake on the right. You then move back and drive on the left. You ignore the knob in the middle lane.

MrsEight · 31/10/2017 23:47

It’s illegal 🙄

Montsti · 31/10/2017 23:49

You shouldn't do it as it can be very dangerous but I live abroad where it is completely commonplace so you have to be aware of cars speeding up behind you at the rate of knots and undertaking you before you have a chance to change lanes...

Oxcheeks · 31/10/2017 23:49

brasty if you're really asking why undertaking is wrong, you need to read the Highway Code, if you don't have an understanding of why it's wrong, you probably need more driving lessons or to retake you're driving test, you're a menace (shouldn't be allowed)on the road

BlondeB83 · 31/10/2017 23:50

If there is a lot of traffic and the left hand lane happens to be moving faster than the other lanes then passing cars in the right hand lanes is allowed. Overtaking in the left lanes is not, however. YABU.

IslandNiles · 31/10/2017 23:51

What about dual carriageways, where there is no third lane 😩

bert3400 · 31/10/2017 23:51

I agree with the OP and often 'undertake' . If the stupid twats didn't sit in the middle lane then I wouldn't need to . In the US you can overtake from any lane ...we need tò adopt this system, cause Mr/Mrs Twat are never going to move from the middle lane!😁

TheCowWentMoo · 31/10/2017 23:52

I really dont understand why you are undertaking instead of overtaking in this scenario? I can see the annoyance when you are in the outside lane and theres someone doing 50 in the middle lane and you have to do 2 lane changes to overtake them it is tempting to undertake (I still wouldn't), but really its just as easy to overtake than undertake in this situation and a lot less dangerous.
Dont harass them though by driving closer fgs, thats equally dangerous and a middle lane hogger is likely to be fairly incompetent anyway harassing them might just panic them.

And don't pull out into a gap too small (the amount of times I've had to slam on the brakes lately because a car pulls out right in front of me with no warning).

Ignore the posters saying you're a liability and shouldn't be on the motorway because you struggle to get into the third lane, you're not (although maybe for the undertaking) they are being ridiculous. But you do need to be more confident. I used to hate overtaking on busy motorways but I just had to accept that it would take me a bit longer to get out than other cars and eventually built up my confidence, we dont just magically get good at lane changing and you can only drive motorways once you've passed your test.

bert3400 · 31/10/2017 23:53

By the way it's also illegal to sit in the middle lane but people still do it , all the time

VelvetSpoon · 31/10/2017 23:57

But what do you do if you can't get up to the speed of the outside lane?

I tend to sir in the nearside lane, as my car is comfortable at at max of about 60mph. It's a very small car with a tiny engine. Anyway, I go along at 60ish in a 70. Everyone whizzes past me in the other 2 lanes. No problem.

At the weekend I was doing just this. On the middle lane ahead was a car doing no more than 50. The outside lane was full of cars going much faster than me. So what was I meant to do? I couldn't keep up with cars doing 80 or more in the other lane so there was no way I could overtake guy in middle. I'd be putting myself at risk by trying.

I slowed a bit. He didn't speed up. I ended up undertaking him doing 55mph. I honestly don't think I could have done anything else.

Whilst I get you shouldn't do it, if the middle driver pulled into my lane and collided with me, without having indicated or checked if the lane was clear he'd be at fault regardless of whether we were both doing the same speed or I was going slightly faster.

Charolais · 31/10/2017 23:58

I live in the US and our freeways are safe and a treat to drive on because you can pass in any lane. You must always check your mirrors before changing lanes.

My dad, while visiting here, was always surprised by the passing on the freeways and admitted they were better to drive on. He also noted American drivers seemed to be politer to each other because we voluntarily move over to allow cars to enter the freeway without having to slow, or god forbid, stop.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 31/10/2017 23:58

Poor drivers who lack the skills and confidence to go into the right hand lane are the ones who undertake. It is really dangerous. Just stop it.

SeaToSki · 31/10/2017 23:58

I much prefer the US way, you can overtake or undertake. Where ever you are, you have to check before you move lane. No assuming a lane is meant to be clear because of your road position. I think it makes for safer driving overall because everyone always checks before pulling across, no matter which side they are moving to.

SomewhatIdiosyncratic · 31/10/2017 23:59

On a clear motorway, I've ended up going from lane 1 to lane 4 back to lane 1 just to pass the lane 3 hogger doing 60-65 mph. All lanes were quiet, so hogger was not overtaking anything. They're a bloody nuisance because they push other people into the position of having to change their driving e.g. changing lanes or needlessly adjusting speed around them.

I've encountered plenty of times on a free flowing but busy motorway that lane 3 is difficult to enter because of the difference in speed from lane 2-3 and very tightly bunched traffic with far less than the minimum stopping distance. (The M1 nr Newport Pagnall has always been a prime area for this phenomenon Wink)

Where speed is heavily restricted on a smart motorway so the stopping distances are small, it can again take a lot of patience to change lanes safely.

Migraleve · 01/11/2017 00:02

couldn't keep up with cars doing 80 or more in the other lane so there was no way I could overtake guy in middle. I'd be putting myself at risk by trying

You don’t have to match the speed of the cars doing 80mph though. You wait for a gap and when it’s safe you pull into the right hand lane, overtake the guy you are driving faster than, and once you have passed them you simply move back over. There is not a rule saying you have to be doing 80mph or any other minimum speed. If you are going faster than the car you are overtaking then you are good.

starzig · 01/11/2017 00:04

I usually drive in the left. If I happen to pass someone in the middle cause they are slower then so be it.

Ontheboardwalk · 01/11/2017 00:06

If I'm overtaking the middle lane drivers you can easily spot the poor people in the middle lane stuck behind the stupid driver and anticipate they are going to move into lane 3

An indication from them, an adjustment safely of my speed, and they are on their way correctly overtaking them. All safe all round.

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