To think this driving manoeuvre was both safe and legal?

[AmazonAmazine]

Arguing with my dad who was the passenger!

3 lane motorway. I was in the left lane, cruising around 70 as no one in front. Came up to a car in the centre lane doing around 50mph. The right lane was running fast, I’d guess over 70.

I assessed the safest thing to do was carry on being very vigilant and slow a little bit and steadily pass the slow car in my lane at around 60. The alternative was get behind it then attempt to accelerate into the fast flowing right lane, accelerating in between higher powered cars from a much lower speed. I’d been forced to slow a bit on approach already, there was no obvious gap in the right lane which everyone as crowding into on approach from the centre lane. The middle car clearly wasn’t shifting, the left lane ahead of me was very clear. The road wasn’t otherwise particularly busy, the right lane was just busy because of this car.

I was very aware, ultimately had a hard shoulder for emergency and I was watching the car well for any sign of switching lane.

iabu- you should have crossed back and forth over two lanes, as it’s always the passing lane
Ianbu- this was the safest way of dealing with the hazard.

The highway code is very clear. You pull out it the right to over take. You do not undertake.

shrugs. I’d have probably done the same as you. But - your dad is right

Not ideal but probably the safest way given the idiot who was blocking the middle lane!

So you continued driving in your own lane past a car in the middle lane? That’s perfectly fine, that’s not overtaking, that’s just continuing to drive.

Safe yes, illegal also yes. Many of us would have chosen to do what you did but your dad is still right

I did a speed awareness course recently and they said undertaking in these circumstances is fine.

you were following the flow of traffic and taking the safest route. It’s the middle lane hogger in the wrong, not you.

That was my argument. Undertaking would be to come up from behind then go left to go around, and surprise the driver appearing on the left. They had a long clear view of me in my lane driving steadily towards them.

It’s not illegal.

I was taught it isn't illegal to pass on the inside, it's unwise as people don't expect people to pass on the left. My instructor said undertaking is a deliberate manoeuvre to the left to overtake on the left, vs continuing to move at the speed you were at to pass a driver in the wrong lane, you're following the flow of traffic - it's the middle lane driver who's the issue!

You cant undertake on the motorway....watch any episode of motorway cops...or whatever its called!

That arse middle lane driver is probably one of the twats on here recently arguing they are perfectly safe and reasonable.

That’s good to hear. I also gave the example of when traffic is queuing and lanes flow at different speeds. Sometimes the left lanes start moving before the right, we don’t all sit and wait until the right lane moves! If we did and there was an a lane closure we’d never escape

You would failed a driving test for overtaking a car on the left. It would have constituted a major error

so there’s your answer

It's fine.

And absolutely necessary nowadays with smart motorways because so many people drive the 3rd of 4 lanes at 50 to avoid having to move in and out of traffic at exits.

They are the idiots - not people like you who drive steadily in one lane at a speed suitable for motorway driving.

That is overtaking. Surely surely that is obvious.

To drive “Past a car”

is

“overtaking

Never pass on the lest unless the traffic is crawling. That car in the middle could easily have pulled left without seeing you.

How is it safe? The car in the middle lane might have decided to get into the left lane without looking, not expecting someone to be undertaking them. That's the reason you don't undertake. They've already proved themselves an idiot by hogging the middle lane, they could continue this.

This does not include times when there's roadworks etc and you're told to stay in lane, and the three lanes are going at variable speeds.

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

So you would sit at 50 behind it then attempt to nip in between cars at 70-80? Even in a lower powered car? And just hope everyone braked for you as you got up to speed? There’s an obvious hazard in that

It's perfectly fine to do this and is not classed as undertaking.

By that argument they might have gone right without looking too

I’d slow. Go behind the middle lane driver. And then just drive at 50 (hardly a snail’s pace) until safe to overtake in right hand lane

This. If you don't have to change lanes to go past a car you're fine. Although you should be aware that they might not expect you to be there.

I thought it was illegal to undertake like that.

It’s my understanding that undertaking is only legal when you’re in queues of slow moving traffic. Which wasn’t the case here.