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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think if you're being undertook, you might be driving wrong.

193 replies

theundertakersmate · 14/10/2023 01:41

NC for unpopular opinion.

I don't undertake on the motorway, for a disclaimer. But I do drive long distance on a smart motorway where there are 4 open lanes. I find it insanely frustrating the amount of people who do not move to the left. I understand it's hard when there are no hard shoulders but as I don't undertake, I fully go round people in overtaking and get back into the left lane, as we are meant to.

A colleague does a similar route and instead of my problems, he constantly complains about people repeatedly undertaking him. He says it always happens.

AIBU to think that, while undertaking is dangerous and not my way of driving, if you are ALWAYS being undertaken, to the point you rant about it always happening in your workplace... maybe you are the problem and are sitting middle lane??

Surely, if a person can physically undertake you, you aren't using the lanes appropriately?

OP posts:
Gifgirl · 15/10/2023 08:05

NoMor · 14/10/2023 07:04

I don't undertake people as it's dangerous but if there is somebody in the lane to the right of me who is going slower than I am, I will continue at my current speed even if it means I go past them. That is not undertaking, it is staying in your lane until you need to overtake. I'm not moving two lanes to go round them, that is dangerous. People need to stay in the left lane until they overtake I agree.

So bloody dangerous.

Snoozysnoozy · 15/10/2023 08:09

Gifgirl · 15/10/2023 08:05

So bloody dangerous.

Show quote history

Explain why. The fuckwits that stay in lane 2 or 3 clearly aren't going to move back in.

Gifgirl · 15/10/2023 08:10

ChampagneLassie · 14/10/2023 08:03

Yes thread is hilarious. I was wondering if I was in the wrong as I regularly “undertake” when middle lane drivers are dawdling generally I’m just flowing along in traffic. Glad to be vindicated

You're not vindicated. You are driving dangerously.

ButterMyParsnip · 15/10/2023 08:14

Errr @Gifgirl you should probably do some googling or read the Highway Code.

Does anyone else feel like Mumsnet needs to contact the BBC and ask them to do a news feature on undertaking with some experts?

webster1987 · 15/10/2023 08:21

daisychain01 · 14/10/2023 05:19

Undertaking is 100% illegal in the context described. People flippantly saying "oh I undertake" are breaking the law. Frightening that you don't know the Highway Code.

The Highway Code doesn't stipulate that it's illegal to undertake but is strongly encouraged. You are allowed to keep up with traffic in your own lane. If you're deliberately moving into lane 1 to undertake a car in lane 2 then that would be wrong. If you are in lane 1 and there is a slower moving car in lane 2, you can continue in lane 1 at the speed of traffic in your lane.

webster1987 · 15/10/2023 08:22

WrigglyDonCat · 14/10/2023 06:24

Undertaking is 100% illegal might be illegal in the context described. People flippantly saying "oh I undertake" are breaking the law might be breaking the law.

I have to get my pedant hat on. There's no law that says overtaking on the left is illegal. There is guidance in the highway code that sets out (somewhat vaguely) when overtaking on the left is considered normal practice.

If you overtake on the left and you are charged, it will be with careless driving. It is then up to a court (assuming you don't accept a fixed penalty) to decide whether your actions were careless. Part of that consideration is whether your actions fell outside of the HC guidance.

When it comes to overtaking on the left, what is likely to get you unwanted attention is aggressive manoeuvring to gain advantage. Simply passing by continuing your journey in the lane you've been in for a while without changing speed, gesturing, flashing etc. probably wouldn't be considered careless driving.

Spot on

webster1987 · 15/10/2023 08:23

It amazes me that we never hear from the middle lane hoggers in these posts. Would love their perspective 🤣

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 15/10/2023 08:28

‘Rule 268Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.’

Actual Highway Code guidance.
Note the situation where they say it’s ok is actually quite specific and doesn’t cover ‘there’s a middle lane hogging arsehole on my right.’

henrysugar12 · 15/10/2023 08:30

I was on a motorway yesterday and moved to the left lane as it was completely clear after overtaking a lorry. I was travelling at a steady 70, not going over once! And passed about twenty cars that were sat in the middle going at about 55.

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:31

'Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake'.

Unless you're in slow moving traffic the Highway Code says don't do it (although the idiots who have gleefully said they happily do it at 60-70 mph on this thread will pretend that's slow moving traffic)

To think if you're being undertook, you might be driving wrong.
Snoozysnoozy · 15/10/2023 08:35

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:31

'Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake'.

Unless you're in slow moving traffic the Highway Code says don't do it (although the idiots who have gleefully said they happily do it at 60-70 mph on this thread will pretend that's slow moving traffic)

So if the left hand lane is clear then I may drive at the speed limit passing anyone in the other lane(s). When I eventually approach snow moving traffic I may safely manoeuvre into the overtaking lane, pull back in and continue driving at the speed limit.

DrinkingMyWaterMindingMyBiz · 15/10/2023 08:38

Snoozysnoozy · 15/10/2023 08:35

So if the left hand lane is clear then I may drive at the speed limit passing anyone in the other lane(s). When I eventually approach snow moving traffic I may safely manoeuvre into the overtaking lane, pull back in and continue driving at the speed limit.

Show quote history

If only all drivers could understand this!

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 15/10/2023 08:38

@Badbadbunny I would move but I'm not moving if someone is just flashing their lights at me. I never said the left was clear. If the left was clear I'd already be in it

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:39

@Snoozysnoozy no the other way round. Don't pass on the left in normal moving traffic. In slow moving traffic you can pass on the left.

Snoozysnoozy · 15/10/2023 08:39

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:39

@Snoozysnoozy no the other way round. Don't pass on the left in normal moving traffic. In slow moving traffic you can pass on the left.

Define slow and normal.

Nothankyou22 · 15/10/2023 08:41

Yep I stay left until I need to overtake someone in that lane otherwise I technically undertake.
Theres signs all along the m25 saying keep left but they sit in any lane

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:45

@Snoozysnoozy I define slow moving traffic as congestion, when all cars in all lanes are moving slowly/ stop start. Under 30mph I would say.

What's your definition of congestion? Just coming up to someone driving slower than you?

Daffodilsandtuplips · 15/10/2023 08:46

Ive come back to this thread to mention I was in lane 1 a few days ago where the flow of traffic in lane 1 was faster than in lane 2, two cars in front of me was a police car. It stayed in lane 1 for a several miles then took a slip road off.

DrinkingMyWaterMindingMyBiz · 15/10/2023 09:05

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:45

@Snoozysnoozy I define slow moving traffic as congestion, when all cars in all lanes are moving slowly/ stop start. Under 30mph I would say.

What's your definition of congestion? Just coming up to someone driving slower than you?

What's your definition of congestion? Just coming up to someone driving slower than you?

This would be it for me, to be honest. If someone is driving at 55mph in the left lane, I’d simply slip into the middle lane, overtake them and go back into the left lane a 70mph. I wouldn’t be sitting behind them along the whole stretch of motorway when I can overtake, my journey would take longer than necessary!

Snoozysnoozy · 15/10/2023 09:13

@NerrSnerr

2 lanes of slow moving traffic and a clear left hand lane would fit the description. And slow would be anyone going under the national speed limit.

Dwappy · 15/10/2023 09:14

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 08:45

@Snoozysnoozy I define slow moving traffic as congestion, when all cars in all lanes are moving slowly/ stop start. Under 30mph I would say.

What's your definition of congestion? Just coming up to someone driving slower than you?

Congestion can travel at much faster than 30. Normally a stop start section of traffic would be called a queue. I travel on m25 and other motorways regularly. I often see signs saying "congestion caution" and they'll drop the speed limit to 60 or 50. It can quite easily happen that lanes 2 and 3 (and 4) have all dropped down to 40 or 50 due to sheer volume of traffic, but because everyone has moved out of Lane 1 (as normal) that can now flow freely at 50 or 60. I'm not going to slow down to 40 in that situation in lane 1 just because lane 2 and 3 are so busy they're stuck at 40 and my lane is empty and the speed limit is 50!

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 09:20

I genuinely think that many undertakers and the middle lane drivers interpret the HC as they do purely because they're anxious about changing lanes.

NerrSnerr · 15/10/2023 09:24

If the road is genuinely congested then undertaking is allowed. There are many people on this thread who weren't talking about congestion though, they were talking about undertaking purely because of someone middle lane hogging.

Globules · 15/10/2023 09:25

My cross country trip yesterday was not fun. 6 hours on motorways. Middle lane hoggers at most points of the journey.

My biggest frustration about this is a 4 lane motorway that is mostly reduced to a duel carriageway, as the hoggers in lane 3 only leave people options to overtake in lane 4.

At those points I stayed in lane 1 at my continuous speed. Had a few glares from the hoggers for undertaking. Mostly women drivers doing the hogging.

Why aren't these drivers posting on this thread?! Defend your actions!

Dwappy · 15/10/2023 09:26

Gifgirl · 15/10/2023 08:05

So bloody dangerous.

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Why? What happens if you get an idiot sitting lane 3 (where there's only 3 lanes) doing 55/60 on an otherwise empty road? I've seen that (normally at night). So I'm in lane 1 doing 70. No one in front (or often even behind). And there's this dickhead plodding along at 55/60 in lane 3. I cannot "overtake" as there is no other overtaking lane. So now I need to change 2 lanes to sit behind him and do 55/60? And any other cars that come along behind also need to join this queue behind me? So we could potentially have a massive tail back or cars for ages behind a dick who won't move over and there's 2 other lanes totally empty???