To overtake on the inside?

[MerryMarigold]

There I am driving down the M11. I overtake a lorry so I'm in the middle lane but there is no one in the left lane so I move back over. I'm driving about 65 but there are so many people hogging the middle lane that they are going slower than the far left lane and so I overtake them on the inside. I felt bad but WIBU?

@AmethystSparkles no one would undertake you if you drove in the correct lane.

I do love that you even checked how slow you are able to legally drive like a twat on a motorway.

@AmethystSparkles have you thought about some extra lessons to help improve your confidence when driving on the motorway? It really helped my sister. She's a lot more comfortable now.

You guys need to be grateful you're not in the USA!
Six-lane highways, undertaking is the norm, as is not indicating😱
I visit as my daughter lives there, and I'm thankful that I'm still alive 😅

This.

I do this frequently. it's not undertaking, and the driver in the wrong is the idiot in the middle lane.

If the person is in the middle lane to allow people joining from a slip road, then they need to move back to the inside lane, not stay in the middle lane.

Middle hoggers are annoying but there is another lane to overtake from. Very dangerous manoeuvre undertaking.

As others have said you are not undertaking as you haven’t changed to a left hand lane to pass someone.

The middle lane hoggers are awful and in the wrong.

As per (thank god!) PPs- what you did was NOT undertaking. You were continuing in your lane (correctly).

Any of those who were in the middle lane and driving slower than you and others in the inside lane, and not moving into the inside lane when appropriate (aka middle lane hogging) were driving illegally and could be prosecuted as such - it's a careless driving offence.

Er that was exactly what I was referring to as a middle lane hogger. Slow lane is empty all the way into the far distance, no traffic joining, twat in middle lane is sitting in it not moving, more traffic in fast lane due to middle lane being blocked. I use the M11 and M25 3-5 days a week and it was something you used to occasionally see and comment ‘bloody idiot’, now it is par for the course and not worth commenting on.

Not sure what the point of your comment disagreeing with me was tbh?

@WilmaWonka I was on the M25 going to my destination and it was OK. Sat nav brought me back down the M11 at around 6 from Cambridge. It was really bad, although going against rush hour.

This is fine IMO. Driving at the speed limit in the left lane is totally acceptable. I won’t adjust my driving because there is an idiot in the right lane. If someone is oblivious enough to coast along in the right lane, then they are a careless driver no matter what lane they are in. Driving past them is no more of a risk in one lane, than any other IMO.

When I took my test I'd have been failed for doing 60 on a dual carriageway if 70 was safe and reasonsonable in the moment. There's a concept called Make Good Progress, and it's about not being THAT driver.

I don't think everyone on the UK roads passed a UK Test and I don't know if they have to have a UK Test when they move here.

And, let's face it, not everyone that did a UK Test knows how To use a motorway anyway.

I was in the middle lane overtaking the far left lane the other day- going at 70 and faster than the prick in the "fast"lane. He wasn't panicking, he was totally oblivious to all around him including the 10 cars piled up behind him.

All need to be following the rules for it to work. Unfortunately, a huge number of drivers don't.

Undertaking is dangerous and selfish

Also illegal

@Copperoliverbear

You seem so certain.

Please point me to the legislation that makes it so.

A few pps have pointed out that it is not a specific offence.

Oh dear god... some of these replies are scary.

Sitting in lane 2 when lane 1 is free is idiotic but 'undertaking' in the lane 1 in normal traffic is really stupid. That idiot who is sitting in lane 2 has already shown they aren't the best of drivers so what makes people think they would check for someone undertaking if they were to decide to switch lanes. This isn't just a legal issue it's a trying to minimize the risk of getting yourself killed issue.

The Highway code is clear that you should only overtake on the right on a motorway. It's scary that posters think it's ok to do.
"Do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe and legal to do so. Overtake only on the right" "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake" Highway Code on Motorways
Yes, there is an exception to that where the traffic is congested and you end up passing the cars in lane 2 or 3 but the fact there may be an idiot sitting in the middle lane is never an exception.

If you don't understand this then you shouldn't be driving on motorways.

I think it's quite an interesting question, and quite telling that it divides people so much.

When drivers in the left hand lane slow to the pace of the middle lane hogger and sit a bit behind them at their pace, there is a real risk that they end up hanging about in the MLH's left hand blind spot. Or, the MLH might know they are there and might even be trying to move left, but can't because the left hand lane person is blocking the space they need to do that safely. Better to pass quickly and smoothly, minimising time spent hanging about in the MLH's blind spot and abreast of them. I think I agree with PPs that it's not strictly undertaking, but it really comes down to understanding and minimising risks. Go round if you can, but if you can't, don't stubbornly slow the whole left hand lane down to the pace of one slow car in the middle lane, or hang about on someone's shoulder for the sake of it.

I remember my driving instructor saying the crime shouldn't be undertaking, but allowing yourself to be undertaken. Ie don't hog the middle lane.

Undertaking is so dangerous.

I agree, middle lane hogs are a nuisance, I deal with them on a almost daily basis. But their shit driving doesn't justify you breaking the law or causing a serious accident that will lead to lane or road closure!

I drive a Lot on busy motorways and apart from when there is very slow congested traffic I NEVER have the need to undertake. What is it that's so difficult about overtaking to the right of a middle lane hogger. What exactly is it that people have difficulty with? Sometimes you have to wait until a safe opportunity arises but it always does.

Middle lane joggers are really annoying but why choose to overtake on the 'wrong side' (lane 1) when there is an overtaking lane (lane 3) right there.

All the people posting that undertaking is "illegal" are the exact same dozy fools who drive everywhere in the middle lane. Guarantee it.

Jumping of a cliff isn’t illegal doesn’t mean it’s safe or a sensible thing to do

There are always posts about middle lane but all I ever see is middle lane & fast lane hogging. Often the inner lane is empty which is frustrating if you’re there as I did think you couldn’t pass cars to your right unless in traffic.

shouldn’t rather & I have seen plenty of near misses where someone has indicated to go left but a car on the left has appeared. Tbh most driving these days is shit, don’t start me on lack of indicators.

Because it's not overtaking. It's passing. Overtaking would mean passing them in the left hand lane and then pulling out in front of them from the left.

It's unnecessary and dangerous to slow down to a speed slower than they are driving, hang back, pull in behind the middle lane hogger, pull out again into the 3rd lane, pick up speed again, pass them, then overtake them and pull back into the left hand lane once again.

Just pass them from the left and carry on as you are. What a lot of fannying about.