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.

Between October and December last year, the Force received 326 Operation Snap video submissions from a total of 202 individual witnesses, resulting in 180 Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) letters being sent to registered vehicle owners.

https://www.northants.police.uk/news/northants/news/news/2022/february/more-examples-of-poor-driver-behaviour-captured-on-dash-cam-footage-on-the-countys-roads/

Also for the both of you I have numerous emails from the police, informing me they are going to trace the drivers from uploaded Dashcam videos. So scoff all you like but I'm not the one who cannot drive responsibly or safely, 🙄

Also for those on MN who want to report people like the OP and make our roads safer places to drive, https://nextbase.co.uk/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/

Any the outcomes? The replies have a link to follow it up it says. Not just to say they will trace

Undertaking itself is not a specific offence, but you could be done for careless driving for undertaking at speed on a flowing motorway.

They were wrong to hog the middle lane you were dangerous undertaking and the police would pull you over rather than them.

Anyone who doesn't feel able to get into the correct lane and thinks undertaking is ok, shouldnt be on motorways.

People that think they are good drivers and come on here spouting this are generally the worst drivers in real life

Oh dear op you don't really know much do you , failing to provide information regarding who was driving the vehicle at the time after receiving a NIP, results in you will receive a fine of up to £1,000, 6 penalty points on your driving licence and/or a disqualification from driving.

So tracing a driver is not really an issue any more , as long as the registration is clearly visible on dashcam footage and you are deemed to have broken the law or have unacceptable driving standards you will be notified and asked to provide information on who was driving or receive 6 points.

Probably the ones in the middle lane ensuring everyone is at a ‘safe’ speed

Now hold the stick at the other end and read slowly.

Im saying:
The emails you receive
They have a link
You can follow up the outcome of the footage
You don’t need to just tell us ‘they will trace the driver’
You can actually look up the outcome of your footage

The emails I have received from numerous forces always say they have reviewed the footage and the vehicles involved with be dealt traced and the driver with either be given a driver awareness course, fine or points. The emails usually come through 3 days after submitting the footage after they have been reviewed. You are reminded not to share the footage on social media and to keep it encase it goes to court.

I would not undertake in any circumstance. It's careless and not worth the risk of an accident. I say that as someone that is very irritated by middle lane hoggers and drives at a 70 on motorways. You were in the wrong. Your dad is right.

You can convince yourself all you like.

Apart from in a traffic jam of course.

It's not undertaking if the lane to the right of you is going slower than your lane. You were right, you can't brake and slow down just because they are hogging the middle!

Out of interest for the ‘never undertake’ people.

If it was a dual carriageway and someone was in the right lane doing well under the speed limit on an empty road- what would you do? Like this, at least 20mpb or more than what you’d expect the road to be. Weren’t going to shift

There's no point arguing with all the middle lane apologists. Highway code rule 264 says drive on the left unless overtaking. It isn't the law (sadly), just a suggestion. If there was more proactive police enforcement it might stop people doing it.

My husband is a Driving Instructor, there's no way he'd let me off with this, apparently it's both illegal and extremely dangerous. Your Dad is correct but I totally get where you're coming from 😀

It’s not illegal.

When I had to do a speed awareness course (so clearly I'm not always the best judge of driving matters! But this isn't my opinion, it's the opinion of the instructors running the course) we were told that it's OK to undertake like that- the person in the "faster" lane should have pulled over as they weren't overtaking.

It isn't illegal. The Highway Code makes that very clear by its use of language- illegal actions are headed by the words MUST NOT, in bold type. I'm rather shocked that some people don't appear to know the difference.

It may be deemed careless driving, but it would depend on the traffic in the outside lane/other circumstances. If , for example, the outside lane was as congested as the OP says, it would be unsafe to slow her speed to go in behind the middle lane hogger and then attempt to get into the outside lane, as the OP would have to attempt to match their speed to enter the flow of traffic. It's entirely possible that her manoeuvre would be deemed the safest option given the circumstances.

As an aside, it does infuriate me that people get into the outside lane and stay there. Very poor drivers, all of them. But no doubt they all consider themselves to be amazing drivers.

QuintanaRoo · Yesterday 17:51

...and he said he couldn’t undertake. So he’d literally stop on the m25 even though the road was clear. He wouldn’t believe me when I said it was ok to keep going!

On the first bike lesson where I went on a dial carriageway, the left lane was empty and the right lane was full of traffic doing 40 to 45.

I matched their speed and when I came off at the next exit, the instructor stopped me and asked what the Hell I'd been playing at. He told me I should have accelerated to 70 and that it's perfectly legal to do the limit in that situation.

And that if I'd done it on a test, I'd have failed. So, OP drove correctly and legally.

People who thoughtlessly cruise in the middle lane are the same kind of people who change lanes without looking. I did exactly what you did but the middle lane driver pulled straight into me as she moved into the slow lane without looking. I have never undertaken since.

Are you and your dad on speaking terms OP since yesterday?

On the basis of this thread, I’m guessing in real life you’re like a dog with a bone and won’t let your poor dad rest until he’s said that he’s wrong and you’re right!

Why are you spouting nonsense, it's not illegal

Your husband should consider a career change, he definitely should not be instructing others if he lacks basic knowledge like this.

Whatever word you want to use and I will use weaving, you think that crossing two lanes of traffic and then crossing back again in a short space of time is safer than driving straight in the left lane? Yes I do find that baffling but you decide to focus on the word weaving rather than answer my actual question.

100% this. Perfectly fine to keep up with the traffic in your lane. Middle lane hogger at fault here

It's not over/undertaking when you don't change lanes.