wakko

Having just seen "Traffic Cops" on BBC1, a women was fined £30 for undertaking. When she undertook the other driver (who was doing 15mph) she happened to use the bus lane.

I wondered if she got fined for using the bus lane or because she undertook the other driver?

I know it not advised in the Highway code but is undertaking illegal?



Brian.

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

undertaking is illegal, well the car type is, berrying the dead is a different matter

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

At first, I thought you under-taking, as in the 'dead' kind!

stira2

iTrader: (1)

She got off very lightly, she could of got her licence taken off her if the policeman wanted to be a ****, think it can be classed as reckless driving

GeoffMM

yes its illegal and can be fined as dangerous driving. you are better off flashing your lights and kindly informing them to pull over, otherwise it may be £1k fine and a 6 month ban!!!!

Phil555

iTrader: (1)

LMAO

ethanrob

iTrader: (3)

Yep!

Undertaking is illegal,but being in possesion of 2kg of drugs obviously isnt !

jods

I heard that if the middle lane is moving slower than the inside lane it was OK to undertake ? Otherwise you could have a situation where all lanes get frozen due to some gimp in the outside lane driving like a girl.

raymie

NA, only legal if they catch u lol

T_H_E__c_R_O_W

i was wrong

g3m xr

did u seriously not know that was illegal ! scarey stuff if you drive !

only time your allowed to undertake is if the traffic if moving slower on the outside line i tkink , as in when parked on m25 lol

TimmyboyWRX

its only legal in 'slow moving traffic' as far as im aware, unless you are in the US in which case you can pass on either side

raymie

what if its a 70mph streatch of motorway for eg.

somebody doing 60mph on the outside lane and wont pull over and u under take him at 69mph, surley that cant be illegal coz u aint breaking the limit?

bugeyeandy

That traffic cop was a complete f-wit. Dishing out fines all over the shop for not wearing a seatbelt, yet comes across a large quantity of drugs and starts blabbing and filling his pants.
Surely he should have got arrested chap straight into the back of his car to stop him communicating with anyone else.
No seatbelt = £30 fine.
7 grands worth of drugs in your car - get off scot free
No insurance, licence or tax - £200 fine and six month ban

CallumW

With normal traffic flow it's illegal to overtake on the inside

.....except when there's a heavy flow of trafic and all of the (inside) lane you're in just happens to be moving faster than the outer lane


That said I have no qualms about using the inside lane when lane 2, 3 (and sometimes 4) are all overtaking fresh air.

I'd argue that I was avoiding a reckless driver as they were travelling in the wrong lane and obstructing the road
If they're so out of it that they didn't know they were not overtaking anything and also didn't see me behind them, so I wanted to get away from them sharpish

T_H_E__c_R_O_W

where you get that from?

bugeyeandy

From the highway code

only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so

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.

T_H_E__c_R_O_W

it koool i found it

danfranklin1

The bits of west london I drive in, if everyone avoided bus lanes and didn't undertake, no one would go anywhere. We're saddled with a fecking stupid system, and sadly it's every man for himself.

CallumW

I agree

I have a timer installed in my head from when I used to ride bikes.
Cruise up behind someone whoe's overtaking nothing and the timer begins.

If they dont move when the countdown finishes then I'll overtake on the inside.
I tend not to flash them as I feel that's aggressive. "Get out of my way"

I see undertaking as "You suck at driving. You're making me break the law because of your incompetence"

It's bad enough that they're so oblivious of their surroundings that they don't see me cruise up behind them, but they're happy to sit in an outside lane picking their **** while people struggle to navigate around them.

.... so I have little simpathy for them

RON

I had a very interesting 'chat' with a copper about undertaking, the scenario was this;
I had exited a roundabout onto a dual carriageway in the right hand lane of the d/c, another vehicle had exited long after me, but on the inside lane.... he sped up, went past me on the left, and then pulled out in front of me, clipping me in the process...... the coppers view was that the guy had NOT undertaken me, as he hadn't moved from the rh lane to the lh one to go past me, if you see what i mean.....

I thought the guy did wrong though to be honest, cos when he pulled out in front of me he was going faster than the d/c speed limit...... ie, not going slowly in slow moving traffic......

JGRIFF

The Highway code says:-

139: Overtake only when it is safe to do so. You should

not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area and then start to move out

not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle

move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can, but do not cut in

take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance

give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road

only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so

stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left.

Essentially then:
1. If the vehicle in front is waiting to turn right, and
there is room to do so.
2. If in slow moving multi lane traffic, and the queue
to your right is moving more slowly than you.
Other than these exceptions "undertaking" would be evidence of driving without reasonable care & consideration for other road users, there is no specific offence of undertaking.

chris-RB5

I got pulled over for undertaking and speeding at the same time, luckily they only gave me a fixed penalty notice for the speeding but got a good warning saying that if they wasn't in a such good mood i would have got done for dangerous driving as well, but was on a dual carrage way and the tosser was in the outside lane was doing 25mph in a 50mph

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Just for info

144: Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.

145: Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.



Truckers please take note

CallumW

I had a discussion with a copper after he stopped me.
I overtook in a 40 zone and he pulled me as I had booted it past the car in front
It was a clear road - nothing coming and he was down a sidestreet facing the road as I blew past.

I mentioned the above that the highway code said that when overtaking then to do so swiftly.
He said that when you overtake you should still not go over the speed limit.

My sensible head says that's dangerous.
How many times have you cawled past and the person you overtake speeds up....?

But then he also said that what if one of the local kids from the nearby estate wandere onto the road - esp as there's a drinking problem with the kids on that estate...... (this is about midnight I'm stopped)

So there's me now stuck in a dilemma of "Well that'll be one less of the *******" and "Shouldn't you be cracking down and policing that problem instead of hassling me".

But as I was shifting I kept schtoom

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Just for continuity with JGRIFF (Hey how you doing m8 - still cycling?)

136: Once moving you should

keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road
keep well to the left on right-hand bends. This will improve your view of the road and help avoid the risk of colliding with traffic approaching from the opposite direction
keep both hands on the wheel, where possible. This will help you to remain in full control of the vehicle at all times
be aware of other vehicles especially cycles and motorcycles. These are more difficult to see than larger vehicles and their riders are particularly vulnerable. Give them plenty of room, especially if you are driving a long vehicle or towing a trailer
select a lower gear before you reach a long downhill slope. This will help to control your speed
when towing, remember the extra length will affect overtaking and manoeuvring. The extra weight will also affect the braking and acceleration.


With particular reference to the first item under 136

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

This is a particular soap box of mine - that of people lurking in the outside lane when it is safe to pull over for faster traffic behind and I'm a chilled person normally, so when I say safe it is to be able to pull over and out again after I have passed without slowing down safely. End of the day it's laziness on the other drivers part or they are being deliberately a pain in the whatever or just not concious of your presence. Question if any of those people should be less guilty than an aware person undertaking the previous?

Most of this is bought about by my twice daily trip up and down M11 2 lane section where this phenonemon is widely visible.

I generally sit on the inside of those people who are so against being overtaken that they queue in long lines. That stretch of the M11 is so dangerous and predictable that before long the whole lot concertinas & I go up the inside as my lane is not breaking with eyeballs on the windscreen. Then they get the ar$e that I have and sit on the tail of the car to my right so I don't move out in front of them

Then you get the others whom you flash as you don't wish to undertake them and they can more than safely move over to let you past & they brake-test you or otherwise slow down un-necessarily. What to do then?

I work on the basis that they have braked more than is safe and to avoid them I go into the inside lane (where clear obviously) as they are slowing down & in the process undertake them. Have I done wrong? Also as they are recklessly braking un-necessarily in the outside lane they are driving dangerously.

CallumW

I suspect all those that sit in the overtaking lanes (overtaking fresh air) are actually turning right, but their rear bulb obviously isn't working.
So I must be ok as i'm avoiding the accident they'll be having when they turn right into the central reservation.

.... well why else would they be in the right hand lanes when they shouldn't be?

cong

i hate the tossers who flash at you while your in the middle lane (this is when im driving me micra doing 70mph odd) when they can bleedin obviously go into the right lane and overtake

bob

In the bus lane we have buses and taxi's undertaking all the time. As we are not permitted in the bus lane is this classed as undertaking?