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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To overtake on the inside?

172 replies

MerryMarigold · 19/12/2023 22:36

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?

OP posts:
BIossomtoes · 21/12/2023 10:23

Gettingcolder · 21/12/2023 10:13

If you are driving at 60mph on a motorway, unless you are in a traffic jam, there is absolutely no need to move into the middle lane at junctions. This is what causes accidents and on many European motorways is considered dangerous driving and is therefore prohibited - there are road markings intended to stop the practice.

At 60mph there it is easy enough for drivers to join from a slip road providing you have left sufficent space between you and the vehicle in front.

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I was taught to do it. It makes complete sense to me to show consideration to drivers joining the motorway and I very much appreciate when others do it for me.

Shodan · 21/12/2023 10:24

WhichOneGoes · 21/12/2023 09:09

Yes. As it CLEARLY says in the Highway Code

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NO. You are wrong. Aproaching in your own lane is NOT OVERTAKING.

WhichOneGoes · 21/12/2023 10:26

No one is disagreeing that middle lane hoggers are knobs though.

I'm just about to do a 4 hour motorway trip. ☹️

Nonewclothes2024 · 21/12/2023 10:27

AmethystSparkles · 19/12/2023 23:12

I’m a sensible driver…some would say that I’m too slow but the Highway Code says that 60mph on a motorway is perfectly fine (under 55 is not). I find that if I pull into the middle lane to help people joining the motorway, I can’t get back into the slow lane because idiots people are undertaking.

Not helped by the fact that people joining the motorway think that it’s a great idea to join in a big clump, leaving people little choice but to slow down or move.

You sound like a menace. It's not called the 'slow lane'.

Gettingcolder · 21/12/2023 10:29

@blossomtoes It's fine if you are travelling at the same speed, but not if you are at a lower speed than others in the middle lane. If you are struggling move back in to the left lane, it generally means you aren't driving fast enough so don't move out in the first place. It really is common sense!

Shodan · 21/12/2023 10:29

From the Highway Code, rule 268:

268
Do 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. (my bold)

Fieldofbrokenpromises · 21/12/2023 10:29

BIossomtoes · 21/12/2023 10:23

I was taught to do it. It makes complete sense to me to show consideration to drivers joining the motorway and I very much appreciate when others do it for me.

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Taught by whom?

xILikeJamx · 21/12/2023 10:31

I live in an area of Scotland that has never had 3 lane roads but in the past few years there's about a 2 mile stretch been built where the '3rd' lane appears on the inside of the original 2 lanes. Instead of pulling in to the new left lane, people seem to pull out into the outside lane!!

It's so bizarre, infuriating and dangerous and you're left with no other option than to pass on the left hand side.

BIossomtoes · 21/12/2023 10:35

Fieldofbrokenpromises · 21/12/2023 10:29

Taught by whom?

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My driving instructor - who else?

Everanewbie · 21/12/2023 11:37

I have done a lot of motorway driving recently and have been shocked by the amount of poor driving, recklessness and aggression. Unfortunately, these basic ideas seem to need reinforcing.

  1. Slow Lane. Fast Lane. Not helpful terms. Unless lanes are separating for junctions you drive in the left lane as a default. Any lanes to the right of you are for overtaking.
  2. Unless road conditions dictate otherwise, the highway code suggests you make good progress. If you don't have confidence to drive at 70mph in good conditions, maybe take some lessons and address you issue.
  3. The speed limit, as a default, unless otherwise marked, is 70 mph in every lane. If you are overtaking slower vehicles in the outside overtaking lane at 70mph you are doing nothing wrong and well within your rights so long as you move back to the inside lane after completing the maneuver. No one should be tailgating or hassling you for this because they want to exceed the speed limit.
  4. Whilst speeders and lane hoggers are acting badly, no one should attempt to police them with their actions.
  5. Whilst you drive in the left lane, if there are several vehicles to overtake, it is dangerous to move in and out constantly. Make a sensible judgement on how long it will take you to overtake the next vehicle and balance the requirement to drive in the left lane without making excessive lane changes.
  6. No matter what car you have (mentioning no German brand names) the motorway is not your personal race track and is not the autobahn. Other people have just as much right to be there as you.

I don't think you did too much wrong here OP, what I would add is that you should look for your earliest safe opportunity to move to the outside lane to overtake the middle lane hoggers, and may need it gently reduce your speed to find a space to do that.

Plsdiscuss · 21/12/2023 12:37

I was on the M25 last night for an hour. Steady flow of traffic.

At most points I was in lane 1, only moving into lane 2 to overtake vehicles in lane 1 or to give space to those joining the motorway.

At most points I was moving faster along the road than those in lanes 3 & 4. It was ridiculous. Lane 1 was pretty clear. Lane 2 mostly empty. Lanes 3 & 4 full.

I even watched a van at one point cruise in lane 4 at 65mph. A big build up of traffic behind him. Lanes 2&3 were empty. I sailed past the queue and the van in lane 1.

I refuse to wait behind all those incompetent drivers who don't correctly use lanes 1&2. Should I have left lane 1 to be part of the problem in lane 4? Or stay in lane 1 and safely go at my speed?

Interestingly, several drivers moved out of lanes 3/4 after I "undertook" them and joined me in lane 1.

Newtrix · 21/12/2023 12:40

YireosDodeAver · 19/12/2023 22:42

I don't know if yabu but if you are then I am too. Can't stand middle lane hoggers who aren't overtaking anyone. If they are too nervous to change lanes as needed then they shouldn't be on the motorway.

Sometimes I "undertake" as per your op but if I can be arsed it's more satisfying to overtake them in the 3rd lane then immediately indicate to pull in front of them and then immediately back into the left hand lane, all the while going at least 10mph faster than them, which sometimes successfullly shames them into pulling over into the correct lane.

Absolutely love doing that too!! End up doing it almost daily atm

justteanbiscuits · 21/12/2023 12:42

I regularly drive a 3 lane section of an A road. 2 miles before I join it, it changes from 40mph to 50mph. I am only on it for about 1 1/2 miles before leaving at the next junction - the inside lane goes off with this junction if that makes sense. The middle lane is almost always going to 40mph because drivers seemingly can't understand the speed limit increasing. It's a fairly busy section of road, so there is no way I am sitting in inside lane at 38mph, and it would take most of the mile and a half top get into outside lane and then back into inside lane. As such, I stay in inside lane at 50mph.

My understanding is that if you are travelling at a steady speed, and you're not changing lanes, it is perfectly acceptable to continue past them middle lane, rather than have to slow down in order to not pass them. You're not allowed to change lane into the inside lane in order to undertake though - but if you're already there, it's fine.

ChristmasSteps295 · 21/12/2023 12:48

I recently gave someone a bollocking for hogging the middle lane. He had drivers flashing him and a constant stream of people having to go into the next lane to get past. It's not the first time I've seen him do it, so I said you're ruining it for everyone else. You've made the motorway smaller for everyone else travelling and you can quite clearly see you're pissing other people off.

He also drives in the middle of the road when he can't see other vehicles which is similarly infuriating.

Personally, I think he needs to retake his test!

In terms of going faster than others in the next lane, that's on them for not driving properly. I'm not going slower than I need to just because other people don't use the proper lane.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 21/12/2023 12:51

ArticWillow · 21/12/2023 08:53

Question to all those justifying undertaking in a dangerous way (no hold ups or slow moving traffic...)
Why not just use the outside lane to overtake?

The reason for me would be that getting back into the middle lane and then the 'fast lane' which both had very heavy but fast traffic felt actually more dangerous than passing a few cars on my right.

OP posts:
GasPanic · 21/12/2023 12:57

I do this sometimes.

But doing it with lorries is unwise because if they haven't seen you and move over then they are going to come off far better that you are.

So if you do decide to undertake a lorry I would recommend extreme caution.

Even if you overtake lorries it is wise to give them plenty of space, ie move over to the far side of the lane, checking of course that no one in a further outside lane will be scared or impeded either. That's because things like big gusts of wind can make lorries veer erratically over the road and you want to be as far away from that as possible.

meeplesmarples · 21/12/2023 13:02

The idiots on this thread claiming you're driving dangerously and undertaking are probably the same twats who clog up middle lanes pottering along under 70mph with plenty of space in the left lane next to them, then condemn others who are driving at a legal speed and passing on the left because they cannot get out to overtake on the right because of aforementioned twats.

OP, you're doing nothing wrong, I will pass cars in the same way if they're under 70mph and middle lane sitters. I'm not dicking around pulling across and back through multiple lanes of traffic all because some people just don't know (or don't care) they have to drive in the leftmost lane unless they are actively overtaking.

LlynTegid · 21/12/2023 13:06

The law should be changed to allow dash cam evidence or that from a passenger's phone to be used as evidence, and middle lane hoggers get points on their licence. Ban a few and the message will get through.

The normal reticence to report people would not happen I suspect.

ElevenSeven · 21/12/2023 13:27

Just wanted to report with delight that the Police were on our local motorway this morning, doing random checks and have said they have issued a number of tickets for middle lane hoggers, hurrah!

Not sure it will change their behaviour based on this thread though, some still seem to think it’s sensible driving to pootle along saying they can’t get back in, or people joining the motorway in clumps (?)

Travelfan2021 · 21/12/2023 13:37

This reply has been withdrawn

Removed at poster's request due to privacy concerns.

naughtynine · 21/12/2023 15:18

The car to the left didn't "appear", the tube indicating left isn't using their mirrors correctly if the think cars are just suddenly appearing round about them.

Have you never seen someone speeding on the inside lane? Clearly not everyone can gauge the speed when the car is in the distance.

naughtynine · 21/12/2023 15:20

OP, you're doing nothing wrong, I will pass cars in the same way if they're under 70mph and middle lane sitters.

Plenty of middle lane hoggers are doing 70 plus but just don’t want to move. Do you not pass those ones?

macaronicheezepleeze · 21/12/2023 16:33

naughtynine · 21/12/2023 15:18

The car to the left didn't "appear", the tube indicating left isn't using their mirrors correctly if the think cars are just suddenly appearing round about them.

Have you never seen someone speeding on the inside lane? Clearly not everyone can gauge the speed when the car is in the distance.

What's your point? People speed in any lane. You should use your mirrors and check your blind spot whichever lane you're pulling into.

macaronicheezepleeze · 21/12/2023 16:35

naughtynine · 21/12/2023 15:20

OP, you're doing nothing wrong, I will pass cars in the same way if they're under 70mph and middle lane sitters.

Plenty of middle lane hoggers are doing 70 plus but just don’t want to move. Do you not pass those ones?

Again, what's your point? If they are doing upwards of 70 you're not going to need to pass them/overtake them.

enchantedsquirrelwood · 21/12/2023 17:17

Gettingcolder · 21/12/2023 10:29

@blossomtoes It's fine if you are travelling at the same speed, but not if you are at a lower speed than others in the middle lane. If you are struggling move back in to the left lane, it generally means you aren't driving fast enough so don't move out in the first place. It really is common sense!

It isn't. I can be doing 70, move over, and the person joining accelerates quickly to 80 and beyond, and then wants to undertake.

I think part of the problem on the roads is the fact that some people drive extremely powerful cars and get frustrated with those who don't.

Tough in my view. People with expensive cars don't have more right to be on the roads.