Undertaking...allow it?

[Deleted Member 1156]

My daily commute involves about 25 miles of motorway/dual carriageway each way. You can make quicker progress cruising in the inside lane. If your lane is moving quicker than the lane outside you are permitted to undertake but you should NOT deliberately come up behind a car and pull in to undertake.

 

[clubchamp98]

We should try it like the US , I would also like to see turning on a red light just like a junction unless the lights say you can’t like the USA.
It really stops the traffic build up.

 

[Tashyboy]

On a short, regular trip I do I come to a section of the A1 that is 4 lanes. Most times I undertake as I'm in the inside lane and figure it's a riskier manouvre to swing across three lanes to get past the idiot sat in lane 3 oblivious to all that's going on around them! As has been said they are still in that same lane as far as the eyes in the rear view mirror can see...I find it one of the most irritating displays of poor driving there is (and there are many of those)!

And this is why I Wrote "because? " on my previous post. Exactly my thoughts.

As much as undertaking is not the preferred option of driving. I wonder how many accidents it has actually caused. Seeing as driving on motorway causes the least amount of accidents per mile and is the safest of roads to travel on. I suspect not many.

 

[Old Skier]

It also increases traffic flow if all lanes are in use.

 

[Robster59]

There was a big publicity thing about a year or two ago which said that the Police were going to clamp down on middle lane hoggers. This patently hasn't happened and I see it all the time. When you overtake it's usually someone who is gripping the wheel with their nose about 6 inches from the wheel. It's not just on busy roads. Try the M74 at night and you still see it. People are just oblivious to where they are driving. If I am coming behind someone who is hogging the middle lane I tend to flash them first to try to get them to move over, which works about 50% of the time, otherwise I overtake them, pull (carefully in front), pause and then indicate to pull into the inside lane. This gets about 10% of them moving to the inside lane.
They cause frustration and accidents.

As for undertaking it the "with care" that's the issue. I've seen people undertake at above the speed limit and lane weave to get past.

 

[Slime]

Allow it? ....................... in a heartbeat.

 

[MadAdey]

Anyone who thinks that it is a good thing because they had a weeks holiday in the US and saw it in action needs to think again. It is the biggest cause of RTA's on the freeways over here. There is nothing worse than you are going past a lorry using the correct lane to pass to then find as you get past and go to change lane some is coming up the other side of it and nearly side swipes you as he needs to get into that lane too.

When you have people on a 4 lane highway doing 70+ MPH in all lanes trying to get ahead of each other by jumping between lanes and undertaking, trust me it gets pretty damn dangerous in rush hour.

 

[Slab]

Anyone who thinks that it is a good thing because they had a weeks holiday in the US and saw it in action needs to think again. It is the biggest cause of RTA's on the freeways over here. There is nothing worse than you are going past a lorry using the correct lane to pass to then find as you get past and go to change lane some is coming up the other side of it and nearly side swipes you as he needs to get into that lane too.

When you have people on a 4 lane highway doing 70+ MPH in all lanes trying to get ahead of each other by jumping between lanes and undertaking, trust me it gets pretty damn dangerous in rush hour.

Is it the unsafe lane changing that's the real issue rather than the undertake maneuver (I'd have thought if two vehicles pass either side they all just stay in the same lane after the over/under-take and no issue

 

[MadAdey]

Is it the unsafe lane changing that's the real issue rather than the undertake maneuver (I'd have thought if two vehicles pass either side they all just stay in the same lane after the over/under-take and no issue

No, cause normally the problem you get is that when someone goes into one of the right hand lanes (remember driving is back to front here), they inevitably come up pretty quick on really slow moving traffic. SO then they put their foot down to make sure they can get past the car they're undertaking and jump into a left hand lane before they hit the car in the lane they are travelling in.

 

[Imurg]

If drivers are so unaware of the consequences of middle lane hogging, they'll be even more blissfully unaware of anyone undertaking them until they're past.
I can almost guarantee that a significant number of drivers barely ever look in their left mirror..and that's the problem.
If you're going to allow undertaking, general awareness on the road has to increase dramatically.
It's not confined to motorways or D/Cs..
We have quite a few 30 limit roads with 2 lanes going each way.
A large proportion of drivers automatically go for the right hand lane, even when the left is completely free.
Coming to a roundabout on one of these roads, to turn left, many drift to the right hand lane to do it, even when there's nothing around...
And quite often the right hand lane is full, the left empty.
Go in the left hand lane and when you reach a roundabout or lights you cruise to the front of 10 cars...
It's illogical to drive anywhere but as far to the left as you can unless you're going right or overtaking.
And until they introduce mandatory retraining for drivers it will continue.
Therefore it will continue........
We shouldn't change the rules to compensate for those that break the rules.

 

[Smiffy]

On a motorbike it's called "filtering" and I used to do it all the time. What's the point of having a powerful bike if you can't make progress??? A nice loud "can" (exhaust) let's them know you're coming.
Middle lane hoggers get right on my wick. Totally oblivious, (and I do mean TOTALLY), to what is going on around them, just staring out of the windscreen straight ahead, with their heads so far forward that you could fold the sun visor down behind them. I've tried to "educate" them by overtaking normally, pull in front of them, cancel indicators, and then indicate again and go into the L/H lane. But you look in your rear view mirror two miles up the road and they are still sitting there, totally oblivious the tossers.
:angry:

 

[Slab]

No, cause normally the problem you get is that when someone goes into one of the right hand lanes (remember driving is back to front here), they inevitably come up pretty quick on really slow moving traffic. SO then they put their foot down to make sure they can get past the car they're undertaking and jump into a left hand lane before they hit the car in the lane they are travelling in.

Ah OK so the slower moving traffic still inherently gravitate to specific lanes (is that through traffic legislation or something else)
I mistakenly thought from other comments that the US system was like Australia where I understand there is no 'slow lane' or whatever name you want to give it, traffic just runs/passes in any lane and seems to work (again from holiday experience only)

 

[Hobbit]

Surely its about education, and learning to do the right things. Education on lane discipline, education on using ALL the mirrors and learning what to do if you're undertaking. Just as drivers learned to overtake, all that is needed is to learn to undertake.

I do it occasionally, and very carefully. Equally, when I'm pulling in after overtaking I'll look in the nearside mirror.

I did my advanced on a bike too many years ago to even remember what year it was. 7 years ago I went for more lessons, and re-did my advanced. And I also did an observed ride, being followed by a Police biker giving me real time advice via a radio. And I did a driver assessment last year. Having a licence might mean we can just go out and drive but that doesn't mean we're good or don't pick up bad habits.

I wonder how many people on here have even thought about doing their advanced?

 

[Robster59]

I say that everybody should be tested every 10 years. It would reduce cars on the road and hopefully make the roads safer.

 

[jim8flog]

I always ask- if we allow it and advertise it would it stop all those drivers who think the best thing to do is to drive in the 'middle lane' at well under the speed limit because it is the safest and actually get them to drive in the 'correct' lane ?

Personally I would love to see it on roads like the M25 particularly when the speed limit is reduced, but hey ho it happens anyway.

The problem with motorways is simple - no learners were allowed on them and for millions of drivers they have never been taught how to drive on one.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Are you saying that is ok on the M25 but not on the M5

No - but I expect it on the M25

If I am in the inside (slow) lane and find myself catching a middle lane driver tootling along at 50-60mph oblivious to all around I will sometimes drive up behind that car but not undertake. I will hang far enough back so that he'll be able to see me - and I'll flash him to let him in in front of me.

Sometimes I give up - but I don't undertake. I'll indicate to move out to middle lane and do that; then indicate to pass him and do that; then pass him and when I can see his number plate in the middle of me rear window (wot I was taught) I'll indicate and pull back in to middle lane; then again indicate to move into the inside lane and do that. But I only go through this palaver if I'm happy to sit in the inside lane, and he's been a plonker sat in the middle lane causing obvious problems for other drivers.

 

[jim8flog]

There is one situation where undertaking becomes almost necessary.

There are a lot of vehicles that are not allowed in the right hand lane and they come up to a vehicle driving in the middle lane going slower than them and the driver will not move over.

 

[USER1999]

Often the left lane is heavilly rutted by enormous hgv lorries, and is really unpleasant to drive on due to tram lining. The middle lane less so, so i can see why people dont want to be in the left lane. It doesnt make it right, but understandable.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Often the left lane is heavilly rutted by enormous hgv lorries, and is really unpleasant to drive on due to tram lining. The middle lane less so, so i can see why people dont want to be in the left lane. It doesnt make it right, but understandable.

Not in Kent it’s not. Most of the hgv’s travelling through Kent are foreign, with drivers who seem to think its lanes 2 or 3(when 4 lanes) for them. They leave the inside lane to British lorries.
Of course that is when they aren’t parked on the hard shoulder of a main A road or motorway, but that’s another issue altogether.

I have been told by a few newly qualified drivers that they were taught by their instructor to sit in lanes 2 or 3 as that is safer than sitting in the inside lane. If that is the case.....what hope is there?

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I have been told by a few newly qualified drivers that they were taught by their instructor to sit in lanes 2 or 3 as that is safer than sitting in the inside lane.

Why do they think it is safer in lanes 2 or 3?