Undertaking - a bad habit?

I've been doing this a fair bit recently, a bad habit that I have got into. Is it me, or do more drivers drive in the middle and/or outside lane these days - for no reason - than they used to?

For instance, I'm on a motorway inside lane. Nothing else around. I come up to a car trundling along in the middle lane. Do I:

a) wait for him to pull into the inside lane so I can overtake (they never do)

b) move into the middle, then overtake on the outside, then pull back into the middle, and finally the inside again (tedious)

c) wait a bit before giving it a blast of turbo no. 2 and undertake him in the time it takes to have a dump the morning after a night on the curry & ale?

No prizes for guessing that I'm doing C a lot these days (and the curry n ale bit too)

well yhou should do b) of course even if it is tedious.

problem being, if you do c) and he decides to pull into the inner lane you have a nasty accident that is probably your fault, since you end up smashing into him from behind in the wrong lane!

If I'm going fast enough to need to ovetrtake I naturally find myself moving to the middle and outer lanes, doesn't seem like much effort really?

i would go for 'b'. its safer, and considering the idiots on the road, better to get there in one piece.

i thought 'c' was totally illegal. and i would be pissed if someone did that to me, especially if i was wanting to move to the inside lane. others to consider on the road as well. if i saw that going on, i would be tempted to move from middle or outside into the inside lane, just to annoy the person undertaking

i dont mind overtaking at speed in middle or outside lanes, but i wouldnt do anything that could endanger others as well.

its only a few more seconds taken to get to the destination, taking it in mode 'b'

the thing thats more worrying are the idiots that stick a foot or two off your back end at high speed. even braking and slowing, doesnt stop them a lot of the time.

Nope, according to the highway code you can go past in the inner lane if the traffic in the other lanes is queueing, as far as I'm concerned, they are!

I never undertake and hate it when the misses does it. If someone does it to me I put my left and indicator on and shit them up a bit

i thought queueing would mean stationary or at slow speed, i.e. coming up to/or at a junction or roundabout. so it would apply in instances of accelerating away from traffic lights etc. but not in any other way, imo. but i may be wrong

Wasn't it decided recently that undertaking a moving vehicle was illegal...there was a discussion on trying to make it legal?

i always thought it was, unless in certain circumstances where its warranted.

just because someone is not going fast enough, is not a good reason, imho

but, i wll say if someone was driving dangerously maybe thats a warranted time

i thought queueing would mean stationary or at slow speed, i.e. coming up to/or at a junction or roundabout. so it would apply in instances of accelerating away from traffic lights etc. but not in any other way, imo. but i may be wrong

I'm sure you are totally correct but thats what my excuse would be, it winds me up when the 2 outside lanes are packed, brake lights on, and the inside lane is totally clear. People are so pig headed and selfish

what gets me more than anything, is 90% of people not knowing how to drive around a roundabout. then need to read highway code, or better still the DOT driving manual, to see what lanes they get in.

Nope, according to the highway code you can go past in the inner lane if the traffic in the other lanes is queueing, as far as I'm concerned, they are!

Thats right, if they are travelling at a spped less than yours (within the limit) supposedly queing in the middle they need to know that lane discipline is also curteous, however most of them dont know what day of the week it is and are functioning on one cell. The police should really do more on this, firstly by warning people and then issuing tickets. This will get people actually thinking. It will also open up what is deemed to be acceptable by one officer to another. Once we get these middle laners sorted there wont be as much trouble on the roads.

If someone does it to me I put my left and indicator on and shit them up a bit

If they are being a twat, i.e cutting ina out of traffic that is actuallt travelling correctly they are just too impatient, I do the same. If you are sat in the middle lane then tough

Nope, according to the highway code you can go past in the inner lane if the traffic in the other lanes is queueing, as far as I'm concerned, they are!

lol that might make you feel better about it but it won't cut it in a crash or if the law spot you...

I admit to occassionally undertaking but it's really a last resort that I don't like doing. Best to be patient. What worries me is what is going on in the minds of these lane hoggers? People who sit in the fast lane when the road is completely empty? Is that an offence, it should be!

I'm sure you are totally correct but thats what my excuse would be, it winds me up when the 2 outside lanes are packed, brake lights on, and the inside lane is totally clear. People are so pig headed and selfish

sure i agree with you on that point, i do that as well

i was meaning any form of non queuing traffic

Thats right, if they are travelling at a spped less than yours (within the limit) supposedly queing in the middle they need to know that lane discipline is also curteous, however most of them dont know what day of the week it is and are functioning on one cell. The police should really do more on this, firstly by warning people and then issuing tickets. This will get people actually thinking. It will also open up what is deemed to be acceptable by one officer to another. Once we get these middle laners sorted there wont be as much trouble on the roads.

Definately, I would love to be a traffic cop for a while, police things like that for once.

I overtook a copper sat in the middle lane last week. AN ACTUAL POLICEMAN middle laning it. Sickened I was. Sickened to the core.

you didn't fancy undertaking him then? lol

lol that might make you feel better about it but it won't cut if the law spot you...

!

I bet I could get out of it

Seriously though, when I (very rarely I must add) have done this I am very observant of what the donkeys are up to as they clearly have no concept of the fact they are in control of a motor vehicle, so are likely to do anything.

Definately, I would love to be a traffic cop for a while, police things like that for once.

 

I overtook a copper sat in the middle lane last week. AN ACTUAL POLICEMAN middle laning it. Sickened I was. Sickened to the core.

lol, only ones i see are usually eating on the side of the road.

then again, not trying to annoy the police, but how many do you see with no lights on when bad visibility, no indicators when lane changing, or just totally crap.

i have known a few traffic police, and they at least can drive

So is it illegal to undertake cars when the outside lanes are full at 40 mph and the inside clear - not from what the highway code used to be. I dont undertake cars much in fact I go with option b most times but some days i am so pissed off that the middle laner has nowt in front that I just have to let them know, either by going up their insde or tailgating. Wrong I know, but it gets those muppets to realise - I hope.

you didn't fancy undertaking him then? lol

I was sooooooo tempted, but I figured as the outside lane was clear I would just use that, ten cut back in in front of him so he got my message... but not too close, obviously.

Sometimes I think I spend too much time on the M3.

I've found flashing lights as you come up behind them is a wake up call and they pull in...but not always!

So is it illegal to undertake cars when the outside lanes are full at 40 mph and the inside clear - not from what the highway code used to be. I dont undertake cars much in fact I go with option b most times but some days i am so pissed off that the middle laner has nowt in front that I just have to let them know, either by going up their insde or tailgating. Wrong I know, but it gets those muppets to realise - I hope.

i agree, in that case, but that is not a queue imo, maybe i am wrong. i feel a traffic at speed is different from a stream of traffic queued at lights or slow moving.

the original point was about one car in middle lane, and overtaking that. and i think most would move to outside lane and then back.

so for one car i would not undertake, but if other lanes were clogged it would depend on speed, road conditions and other things.

for a bit of humour, only undertaking i would like is for chav's and other morons, 6ft under would be nice j/k

True, original thread question, I would do what I did with the cop, go into outside lane but cut back in, not dangerously close just enough so they realise.

True, original thread question, I would do what I did with the cop, go into outside lane but cut back in, not dangerously close just enough so they realise.

wish we had hi-five smilie, i would do same as you