We all know what the official Highway code rules of the road are that we all ahere to strictly of course but what do people think, or would do in a world without rules.

 

I am not sure if it is the same in the rest of country but in london there are alot of people that dont seem to understand that the outside lane(s) are for overtaking only and when you are not overtaking you should be in the left lane. This stops people being able to overtake them because they will not move over despite the left lane being free. This can be due to pig-headedness, ignorance, lack of spacial awareness or laziness.

 

Although the correct way would be to wait behind at a safe distance until the car infront obeys the rules of the road and moves over but there is sometimes no chance of this happening so what would people do in a more practical world.

 

The choices are;

 

1. Undertake. Illegal but so is being in the outside lane when not overtaking. Also dangerous if the person takes the hint and starts to move over or if aggravated by your intentions moves over to block thinking they are in the right and have the moral high ground. where possible this can be mitigated by moving more than one lane to the left to prevent this danger somewhat.

 

2. indicate right. Shows the driver infront that your intention is to pass but can be easily ignored and reinforce the resolution of the slow driver not to move over. Also this can be spotted by other motorists and possible police vehicles from the rear who may then react in the negatory.

 

3. flash lights. Similar to the above but can be as easily spotted from the rear. Could be deemed as move aggressive than the above which may prove more effective or further strengthen the resolution of the ignorant driver in front.

 

4. Tailgate. As in the dangerous catagory as point 1 due to the driver infront "testing your reactions" by tapping their brakes. It will show the driver in front that you are keen to get past rather than being happy to follow their pace but again can be either ignored or deemed as agressive with the result of which explained above. This method can be combined with point 2 and/or 3 for greater affect.

 

5. gesticulate. hand signals that take the place of flashing lights and indicators but again can be easily ignored by the driver infront who has probably not looked in their rear view mirror for the last 5 miles.

 

6. sit and cope with it. This is the correct method as laid down by the highway code but why should you. Someone is behaving inappropriatly which is inpeiding you from getting on with your journey.

 

 

In my personal opinion method 1 would be what i (would) employ (if legal). although 2 wrongs dont make a right if it is done in the safest manner possible and you give the driver infront ample time to move over in once your pressence is known i see no problem with it. It does attract some angry reactions and i really dont understand why.

undertake, if they're doing less than the speed limit it's perfectly legal.

Flash your lights works fine in other european countries.

I always give um a flash first let um know that there is no need for them to be in the outside lane.... If they don't move after that then I'm with you on option 1... giving um a bit of that :xxx: on the way past lol

I go with all of the first 5 normally LOL. TBH i find in my zed most people move over even if you dont want to get past and your just pootling along.

In the zed I would normally have the dip beams on while cruising on the motorway. It helps draw everyones attention to the fact you are there and often helps avoid this situation in the first place.

 

If that fails I am a big fan of undertaking. The important thing is to do it safely.

Make sure that if they do start to move left you have somewhere to go (hard shoulder for example).

 

Fvck all the idiots that sit in the outside lane. They should be herded together and shot!

I would undertake carefully too, I was under the impression that if If your lane is moving faster then there lane you can pass them on the left (undertaking!!)

Its ok to go past a car on the inside if you are maintaining the correct speed for your lane. If your doing 70 in the inside lane and your fast approaching someone crawling in the outside lane then just continue past, It is only considered an overtaking manouver if its an intentional act to get past for example if your behind someone and accellerate past them on the inside then pull back iin front of them.

undertake, if they're doing less than the speed limit it's perfectly legal.

 

is this true? if so it is a great bit of ammo against the outside lane squatters (not lawfully allowed to be there, no one wants them there and they make everyones life a misery) and the cops if you get stopped for pulling such a manoeuvre.

 

I also used my light whenever slightly dim, why not paid good money for HIDs and they make the car look even more ace, and i also find this helps to prompt people over. I dont know if it make the zed look more menacing from the perspective of a rear view mirror or the extra view photons hitting their retina wakes them up a bit and reminds them the need to move over.

 

outside lane sitters really are a pain and a real hazard on the road. half of them are half asleep at the wheel and have no idea what is going on in the space around them and the other half just have no respect or road courtesy and for some reason think everyone should go at their pace.

 

Im sure these people cause more accidents than people who speed. At least people who ocassionly break the speed limit when they judge it safe to do so using that great human commidity, that is under used and undervalued in modern society, common sense, are awake and aware of people and hazards on the road around them. Of this i am in no doubt.

I used to love middle lane cruisers when i drove vans, they normally sat around 65 ish, and since i could only really get 80 or so out my old puggy partners (90 on a down hill) i used to do laps around them.... A mildly amusing game at midnight, overtake indicate left accross 3 lanes then slow down to 60 let them overtake you and pull around again and repeat... they notice after 2 or 3 times and pull over and of you ago again looking for another victim! :D

I think the line is something like this "If the column of traffic on the left is moving faster than on the right, it is legal to proceed"

 

A column can start and end with 1 car can it? LOL..... ;)

 

 

 

And yes I go past on the left when lane-hogs are in the RH lane with miles of clear tarmac in front GRRRRRRRR

 

Drop to 3rd and gas it past! Ignorant mofos!

I used to love middle lane cruisers when i drove vans, they normally sat around 65 ish, and since i could only really get 80 or so out my old puggy partners (90 on a down hill) i used to do laps around them.... A mildly amusing game at midnight, overtake indicate left accross 3 lanes then slow down to 60 let them overtake you and pull around again and repeat... they notice after 2 or 3 times and pull over and of you ago again looking for another victim! :D

 

MWAHA love it!

 

 

Will have to do that one day ;)

I used to love middle lane cruisers when i drove vans, they normally sat around 65 ish, and since i could only really get 80 or so out my old puggy partners (90 on a down hill) i used to do laps around them.... A mildly amusing game at midnight, overtake indicate left accross 3 lanes then slow down to 60 let them overtake you and pull around again and repeat... they notice after 2 or 3 times and pull over and of you ago again looking for another victim! :D

 

It's when you do it clockwise they really sh1t themselves:smw:

Its ok to go past a car on the inside if you are maintaining the correct speed for your lane. If your doing 70 in the inside lane and your fast approaching someone crawling in the outside lane then just continue past, It is only considered an overtaking manouver if its an intentional act to get past for example if your behind someone and accellerate past them on the inside then pull back iin front of them.

 

Almost spot on.

 

Rule 268 of the new Highway Code:

 

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.

You missed option 7.

 

Nudge the car in front until they move or spin out lol!

I've come accross this quite alot and i find it is mostly girls. And they ain't doing it on purpose they are just THICK! Nothing works so there is no other option but to underake! And like Quavey suggested it is always fun to then slow down and make them wait :D :rofl: Then when they make the effort to go round i speed off into the distance........:D

Almost spot on.

 

Rule 268 of the new Highway Code:

 

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.

 

Exactly! And it is interesting to note the Higway Code says "Do not" as opposed to "You must not." This in itself is significant, because only a small portion of the 'Code is law; most of it is providing advice for us all to follow. Driving in contravention of the 'Code would be used, say, by insurance companies in assessing who is to blame for an accident.

 

If it were illegal to undertake, the 'Code would say "You must not!" So it is not actually illegal to undertake; however you could still be done for careless driving if a police officer thought your actions were hazardous or inappropriate for the road conditions.

 

Richard:smw:

I know they are infuriating but is it REALLY worth risking yours and others lives just for the sake of a few extra minutes?

I know they are infuriating but is it REALLY worth risking yours and others lives just for the sake of a few extra minutes?

 

Ah but it makes long drive more interesting...

 

My real pet hate is limited vehicles overtaking (aka wagons)

 

Now i used to have a ball with these, again more in the puggys than my vivaro, once id struggled passed them you pull infront of the offending cretin and slowly squeese of the throttle so your speed drops slightly infront of them. Suddenly this wagon is bearing down on you and he has no choice but to slow down or hit the back of the van. He cant go left because his mate is doing 0.1mph less and he cant go right because hes not allowed.

 

So its either big claim for being rammed on the motorway for me, or he lets of the power, misses a gear and hes down to 30mph crawling up the hill.... bwhahahhaha used to get all sorts of lights and horns and gestures!:D:rofl:

Could be a very long drive if you end up going via hospital lol. Oh and causing death by dangerous driving (which if the unthinkable happened you WOULD be done for) will get you a very nice holiday at her majesty's pleasure ;) lol Also remember these days that there are lots of unmarked police cars watching and recording your every move ;)

cant be done for loosing power on a hill! otherwise everyone would just hit the back of slower moving cars on hills and say it was dangerous driving!

LOL I was talking about undertaking :D

LOL I was talking about undertaking :D

 

Ahh! Well thats fair enough truth be told i tend to edge to hard shoulder just incase the offending critter attempts any tricks like that!

duffer you aint overtaken anyone for years so shuttup untill you know what your on about :D

From The Highway Code

 

Overtaking

267

Do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe and legal to do so. Overtake only on the right. You should

 

check your mirrors

take time to judge the speeds correctly

make sure that the lane you will be joining is sufficiently clear ahead and behind

take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area to verify the position of a vehicle that may have disappeared from your view in the mirror

remember that traffic may be coming up behind you very quickly. Check all your mirrors carefully. Look out for motorcyclists. When it is safe to do so, signal in plenty of time, then move out

ensure you do not cut in on the vehicle you have overtaken

be especially careful at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance

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.

 

 

Whilst you may want to form your own interpretation of the above you really should bear in mind that many people have already tried and failed. As far as the courts are concerned the Highway Code is The Law. If you pass on the left you can be found guilty of contravening S2 RTA (Dangerous driving) this has a prison sentence ,the minimum is S3 RTA (Careless Driving). With the number of cameras and unmarked traffic cars on the increase you have to ask yourself if you really need the points, heavy fine and inevitable ban.

 

By the way, one car hogging a lane is not 'congested conditions.'

............... As far as the courts are concerned the Highway Code is The Law...................'

 

The Highway Code is not law - only a small part is. The items that are law are noted in red and specifically say "YOU MUST/MUST NOT."

 

However Derek is correct in that the courts use the 'Code (or contravention of it) as evidence for the prosecution when determining guilt during motoring offence hearings.

 

And yes, undertaking could be interpreted as driving without due care, or at worst dangerous driving, if you move into the left lake to pass someone and then move back into the right lane afterwards.

 

Thing is - be patient. On a long motorway journey, most lane hoggers will move to the left when they finally see you, or when they consider the traffic flow is right for them. There are not many people who sit in lane 3 at 69mph when the other lanes are empty; middle lane hoggers are more common! If I'm driving in an empty lane 1, I still move out to lane 3 to pass them even if we are the only 2 cars on the road. As I would probably be driving in excess of 70;), I don't want to add dangerous driving to a potential charge sheet!

 

There are still unenlightened folk who actally believe lane 1 is "the slow lane;" lane 2 "cruising" and lane 3 the "fast lane!" They are mainly Rover or Volvo 760 estate drivers who passed their diving tests in a horse and cart:x:

 

Richard:smw: