Overtaking on motorways

[Deleted member 65149]

Now I'm sure this has been discussed many times within other threads, but hopefully we can stick to this one point for now. The Highway Code states:

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.

So here's a scenario that makes this instruction confusing. You're happily cruising along at say an indicated 75mph on the inside lane of a fairly quiet 3-lane motorway. You can see you're catching up with a slower vehicle that's staying in the middle lane. There are a few vehicles at speeds of 80 and more comfortably passing. There are no slower vehicles in view in front of you in the inside lane. So should you

1. slow down to the speed of the vehicle in the centre lane and wait until there are no faster vehicles approaching from behind, then pull out across two lanes and accelerate back up to your previous cruising speed to overtake, then return back across two lanes to the inside lane?
2. pull out to the centre lane and wait (possibly for ever) for the slower vehicle to pull over so you can overtake in the centre lane?
3. pull out into the centre lane and flash lights/sound horn to remind slower driver to pull over to the left and wait until you can pass without impeding traffic in the outermost lane?
4. keep cruising at the same speed but indicate and pull out across two lanes despite the likelihood of causing faster vehicles to have to slow down whilst you overtake the slow vehicle?
5. accelerate to a speed whereby you can merge into the faster traffic (albeit much higher than the speed limit), move out two lanes to overtake, then return to the inside lane and resume cruising speed?
6. stay in the inside lane and illegally overtake the slower vehicle on the left after warning them with lights and/or horn that that is your intention?

What SHOULD you do and what WOULD you do?

 

[RWDpetrol]

3 then 6, in so far as you can combine the two.

 

[Williamwoo]

You shouldn't be doing 75 of course. Therefore, unless the person in the middle lane is doing less than 70, it shouldn't be an issue. If they are doing less than 70, then 1) should apply.
However, in the real world, I would do 5).

 

[p3tchy]

6

But your entire thread is flawed.

"of a fairly quiet 3-lane motorway."

 

[RWDpetrol]

unless the person in the middle lane is doing less than 70, it shouldn't be an issue.

What???

 

[jamesfuller]

This is what I do. If I am sat at a reasonable speed in the 1st lane with nothing in front, but cars are in the next lane or two over going slower but have no reason to be there, I regard it as traffic (hence the reason for them not changing back to the 1st lane)

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, its down to you. You have to plan well ahead, have an escape and assume that as you are halfway past they could possibly wake up!

On a recent trip up the A1 I would have been stuck at 55mph behind some 100year old in her Nissan if I had not of done this, the rolling roadblock she caused was ridiculous.

 

[Harrythedog]

Overtake him legally

 

[davidjpowell]

I would possibly stay in lane 1 keeping the hard shoulder as an escape route. I would not sound my horn or flash lights in case they decide to pull into me.

Most likely though would be a trip to lane 3 with a smart pull back to lane 1

 

[Giantvanman]

None of your options………..Being a quiet and non-congested motorway, this rule does not apply.

Any decent driver wouldn't need to slow down because they will have seen and read the traffic condition well in advance and selected a safe gap to move into lane 2, into lane 3, to pass.
If there was no gap to change lane, slow for a time because a gap will appear.

Interestingly, had the lane hogger been in lane three (at less than 70mph) with lanes 1 & 2 being empty, it would not be careless or inconsiderate to use lane one to pass, it could reasonable be argued, to pass using lane one.

 

[GP801]

Recently had this scenario on the A3. Me doing just under 70 in lane 1. Small hatchback in centre lane doing approx 55 ish and had been for some time oblivious to others on the road. I pulled into lane 3 to overtake and then back in again. Only problem was in the time it had taken me to overtake in the "correct" manner someone else had undertaken at speed in lane 1. There was no accident but it was close and a touch scary.

 

[kth286]

What ever I was proposing to do, I would consider how my argument would stack up in court first.

Then do whatever seems to be (most) legal.

 

[developer]

I just use the hard shoulder and f*ck 'em all - simples .

I should add that I find mooning at the same time generally eases the tension.

 

[geraldrobins]

I would move into lane 2 in the hope that the vehicle in front would move over. If no one is behind him he may no be aware he is causing an issue and maybe sitting there to avoid moving in and out of lane 1 and 2 to pass lorries etc. If he doesn't pull over then I would overtake when there is a safe gap in lane 3.

 

[RWDpetrol]

I think the make and model of the car in lane 2 are important in the decision making process.

 

[Major774]

I sometimes do this... cruise up to them in lane 1 and look over. I then lower my speed to see if they get the point and move over to the left. If not, then I will move out to over take them.

Not correct but oh well

 

[renault12ts]

Slow to 70, so that when you overtake him on the left you are only committing one offence.

If on slowing to 70 you find you are no longer catching him...ask yourself who was most wrong...you or him.

 

[TDE1]

I just use the hard shoulder and f*ck 'em all - simples .

I should add that I find mooning at the same time generally eases the tension.

It might have been you I saw on the M5 then, John. At the time, I thought it was Nick Griffin staring at me.

 

[markjay]

If we are the only two cars on the road, then it's a no-brainer: move to the outer lane to overtake and then move back to the inner lane.

The dilemma is obviuosly when the outer lane is busy and the legal options are to either move to the middle lane and wait, or just slow down in the inner lane. Do you then proceed and overtake in the inner lane....?

 

[Giantvanman]

If we are the only two cars on the road, then it's a no-brainer: move to the outer lane to overtake and then move back to the inner lane.

The dilemma is obviously when the outer lane is busy and the legal options are to either move to the middle lane and wait, or just slow down in the inner lane. Do you then proceed and overtake in the inner lane....?

All hypothetical, granted, but if part way through your 'undertake' the car in lane 2of3 moves to lane one, hitting you, you have explaining to do. More so if the less than honest lane hogger says they checked their mirror and you must have been in a blind spot………..they have the law on their side for the manoeuvre.

And it would be no use counting on the hard shoulder for escape…….careless driving is a matter for a court to decide along with case law etc. Driving on/in the hard shoulder (when not a medical/vehicle emergency) is an absolute offence.

 

[moonloops]

160MPH flyby in lane one with enough wind blast to roll their car is the only way to do it