Are You Allowed to Undertake? | Highway Code | BlackBeltBarrister
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2021
- Many people have no idea whether you are allowed to undertake (or, indeed, when.) Here, I take a look at what the Highway Code says about undertaking (and overtaking) and the situations when undertaking might often occur. Remember this is guidance, not advice - but also see my other videos on the Highway Code, below:
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You can also undertake if your moving from a right hand lane to a left-hand lane because your left hand lane exit is coming up.
Correct. When you move back into lane 1 and start to undertake a car to your right it doesn't matter whether you're taking the next left or not.
Great explanations. Being a HGV driver i come across a lot off middle lane hoggers especially going through roadworks, were i will often undertake the vehicles (they then speed up, and sit alongside until we meet a slower vehicle in front and prevent us from moving out into the middle lane). Car drivers, trucks speedometers are calibrated every 2 year's and are pretty accurate. Cars and white vans are not, and are quite often 3-5 mph out. So when you think your travelling at 50mph through roadworks, its quite possible that your only doing 46mph. So when an HGV comes past doing an accurate 50mph, do not think he is speeding and attempt to block him.
Rant Over.
You missed the recalibrated every 6 years regardless. Otherwise a good rant.
(Though if it has numerous average speed cameras, I've seen cars do what you note and then brake to what they think is 50 mph past each camera...)
One of the first things I do with a new car is to check calibrate the speedometer, against a good GPS speed reading on several different roads. My LEAF speedo is around 10% over reading. for 30 mph I drive at indicated 33. etc. I use a section of M/W that has a 50 limit for many miles, I set my cruise control to 55 , and rarely have anyone keep up with me. It is time that the manufacturers were required to fit accurate speedometers as is required with HGVs.
@@solentbum The problem is that speedometers on cars/vans are driven from the gearbox. The difference in rolling diameter between a new tyre and one that's on the legal limit means a speedo is only going to be dead on acurate for a small amount of a tyres life. The law used to say a speedo could be have 6% +/- tolerance, But I think the current tolerance is that it can only OVERREAD by 6%. Because of this, to stay legal, most manufacturers calibrate them to be over reading by 1 or 2% when the car/van's fitted with brand new tyres of the recommended size/model/brand. This means at an indicated 70mph a vehicle with worn tyres might only be doing an actual 65/66 mph.
GPS speed is WAY more acurate. I used to check any new van I was issued with against the speed indicated on some GPS navigation software I used on my phone. It would often show that a true 70 was being displayed as 73 on the vans speedo (even on brand new tyres),. So on a 4 hour leg of a journey, by going at an actual 70mph, opposed to the speedo's indicated 70 (That was really closer to 67mph) I may be over 10 miles closer to the destination in the same amount of time.
@@Reman1975 The problem is that the Governments allow vehicle manufacturers to dictate to them. The initial design of the speedo is over 100 years old, the tyre wear factor has long been known, but car makers will not move unless pushed. In a world of centimeter .accurate GPS and doppler radar , etc. it is only a matter of manufacturing to give the driver a correct read out.
Next year we will have cars that have a built in speed controller taking to our roads, so unless speedos are accurate the whole system will fall into disrepute, with of course many court cases to follow.
@@solentbum i,ve found that when my car says 50mph my seperate satnav says 47 so i set my cruise control to my satnav at 50mph and the amount of dirty looks i get when passing others cars is laughable
Worth keeping in mind the rules on Lane Hogging, as you should keep left unless overtaking.
So what if you're consistently travelling at 70mph on a dual carriageway but the traffic in the slow lane is consistently doing 60?
Can you "lane hog" at the speed limit?
@@harrylong2796 The outside lane should be used for overtaking.
Irrespective of the speed limit of the road, you should be in the near side (left) lane unless overtaking, turning right etc.
@@icarus3604 Yea see I'm not so sure that traffic police or a court would agree with you there lmao
@@harrylong2796 So you’re overtaking and not just lane hogging…
@@harrylong2796 There is no such thing as a "slow lane" or a fast lane. All lanes have the same speed limit.
If the act of undertaking is enforced under the category of careless, driving, I would be inclined to argue that the definition of carelessness is a lack of care and attention, but my driving was both considered and conscientious when I undertook the vehicle to my right.
I've been using a four lane section of the A1M sporadically for the last twenty years, often in the early hours of the morning when it is virtually empty. I am also often totally bewildered by having to pass another vehicle, whilst in the extreme left hand lane, while they are driving well below the speed limit in the extreme right hand lane, with a totally empty road ahead.
Yup. Been there and had the same problem. Middle lane owners club. Iv'e been driving on the left and caught up with a vehicle in lane 3 of 4. Do I cross two lanes to overtake? or stay on the left and undertake? I've done both. But not without a careful check for plod first. (flashing headlights generally has no effect)
Hard to justify staying in the inside right and far right when the road is virtually empty. Allowing 2 lanes to overtake should be the obvious option.
At night I prefer far left middle lane to allow for straying animals from the far left, I've never struck a deer yet, filled my freezer up though.
Lazy people basically. They don't ever want to pull out to overtake anything so they figure the right hand lane will do for their purpose.
@@vinnyvasquez I came to the same conclusion, when trying to identify the demographic, for middle lane hoggers. It affects all ages, sexes, race etc. Laziness. Don't want to use mirros or signals. Stick in a lane and mentally switch off, follow the dotted lines.
I think the the answer is this. To overtake a vehicle, you have to start from behind it, move to the side of it, and then move in front of it. If you are in lane 1, and someone is hogging lane 3 or even 4, you do not have to move all the way over. You carefully pass. I argue that you haven't over taken. You were never behind, never to the side, and never in front.
Need to talk about middle lane plodders on multi lane motorways...crossing multiple lanes to overtake is more dangerous than continuing in your left side lane.
True. In fact, moving from the inside lane to the outside lane to overtake a vehicle in the middle lane and then moving back to the inside lane is much more of an example of weaving than the example he gives of just moving from the middle to the inside lane and driving past the vehicles in the middle lane that have not moved over (as they should have done). I would not describe this as weaving. In order to qualify as weaving, I would say that you have to change lanes at least twice.
I drive on the M25 a lot, and see this all the time. I have driven for mile after mile with speed limiter set to 70 in lane 1 (too many cameras) to go faster) and just pass car after car sitting in lanes 2 & 3 ( even 4 sometimes) all doing less than 70. I am more than happy to argue my case if I ever get stopped passing on the inside. Hve dashcam to show that I have not changed lane. If I was a traffic cop I'd be pulling over the middle hoggers all day
Simple enough - if they are going at 70mph, you have no reason to be trying to overtake them. Just because you want to be going at 90, doesn't mean the speed limit isn't still 70.
Firmly agree, I cant understand why people do 60 in the middle lane let alone the right lane !
@@CrashSable true, but when they are doing 60mph in lane 3 on a 4lane motorway with little traffic and nothing in front it seems ludicrous to pull fro lane 1 to 4 to overtake at 70mph and then move back to 1.
Middle lane hoggers are the bane of my life. Very often I'll see the middle and right lanes packed, and nothing in the left lane for a good distance. Nobody wants to move left because they don't want the hassle of moving back into the congested middle lane when they eventually catch up to another vehicle.
More lanes is not the answer to congestion because we don't even make full use of the ones we have.
Middle lane hoggers seem to congregate around Birmingham, on the M6 .Most seem to be of Asian heritage and are female.
100% with you
from this video, i take it that you can undertake them if you are already in the inside lane (but not move into it to do so) as they are at the head of a traffic queue and your lane is moving faster
@@robertlawes522 no law to say you cannot move from lane 2 to 1 and undertake?
@@somethingelse411 I drive on that stretch of M6 every day and saw every kind of a person doing that, young white blokes do it as well.
Undertaking is, in itself, not illegal. What may be deemed to cause an issue is what and how you are doing it. i.e. dangerous driving; careless driving. These are what you would get points for.
If you are rapidly changing lanes to overtake or undertake vehicles you will get charged for weaving in and out of lanes and not for over/undertaking.
Define ‘rapidly’ in legal terms please.
@@Graveltongue Ask BBB. He's a lawyer and he used it.
@@Graveltongue Cutting in in front of a vehicle in the lane you are entering at an unsafe distance.
@@Graveltongue
Define "congested traffic" in legal terms, please.
My understanding is that a motorway has a driving lane and 2 overtaking lanes and that you should drive on the left lane unless overtaking...If you undertake a middle lane hogger in the left lane surely you are obeying the left lane at all times rule and your undertake is only because of middle lane hogger assuming 3rd lane being busy...if the lane hogger was driving in the left lane you could safely over take to the right..if you were stopped for the undertake surely the lane hogger should also be stopped for not driving in the left lane which was the cause of your own stop..
A motorway has a fast lane, a slow lane and a driving lane - these are _all_ *lane 1.*
It also has 1, 2, 3 or more overtaking lanes: these are lanes 2, 3, 4, etc.
If you're not overtaking you should not be in an overtaking lane. Simples.
My point exactly. The law on that is dead and can be safely ignored.
All motorway lanes carry a 70 m p h speed limit, unless otherwise stated or directed .
Colin I agree, as it's explained here, if you stay in lane you are allowed to move ahead of vehicles in other lanes - that is not over/undertaking
I've tried to make this point in another thread here and it's entirely my position that undertaking, or passing on the left in these kind of scenario, when done carefully and without excess speed is totally acceptable.
BBB just curious but who has the power to set speed limits on UK motorways? Is it the hogger or the local council? Every time I'm approaching a car going under 70mph in any lane to my right I've noticed the posted sign stays as at 70mph.
Came to this video late. Currently when travelling in the left hand lane of a motorway I will move out to the right hand lane to pass a slower middle lane vehicle and then return to the left hand lane. It seems that provided I remain in the left hand lane I can stay there and pass the middle lane vehicle.
The highway code states, that you must always travel in the inside lane and only use the righthand lanes for overtaking. So, if there is a vehicle in the righthand lane and you are traveling under the speed limit and you under take the vehicle, it is the vehicle in the righthand lane that is committing an offence and should be stopped. I was taught this by one of the first motorway traffic Police officers.
Yet sadly something the police never do anything about.
The hc also states as the bbb said do not overtake on the left unless the traffic is moving queues and the queue on your right is moving slower than you. But one vehicle hogging the right or centre lane doesn’t constitute a queue. By stevewhaley s interpretation it’s ok to pass on the left because the right lane driver is in the wrong , to me you pass said driver on the left no matter what speed you’re doing you’re committing ban offence, as two wrongs don’t make a right.
@@keithbutler1009 It is ok to pass on the left, if you've always been in the left, continue in the left...you have not performed any manoeuvre, let alone an undertaking manoeuvre. That is one huge difference between someone deliberately moving to the left with the intention of passing someone.
It is idiotic to tell the driver in the left to move over 2 lanes, to pass an idiot hogging an incorrect lane
@@blow0me This is what happened to me. I was traveling north on the M6 around 10 pm. I was traveling approx 70 MPH in the first (LHL) and came on a 4x4 traveling approx 65 MPH in the 3rd (RHL) with two females having a in depth conversation. There was no other vehicle in front for at least 2 mile and none to the rear for 1/2 a mile. I slowed to 65 MPH for 1 mile, with out changing lane, I increased my speed to 67 MPH and passed with the middle lane empty between us, I travelled at least 1 mile still in the first lane and the 4x4 vehicle was still in the outside lane, with cars behind starting to flash their head lights. I have driven/ridden on UK roads for 50 years and I would do the same again.
The highway code states that as soon as you have finished your overtaking manoeuvre you must/should return to the left-hand lane or the next lane to your left.
If it's not acceptable as you say, to move from lane 3 into 2 to overtake lane 3 then that makes you a hogger by obstructing traffic behind. I think you should look into this in more detail.
Please do refer me to any passages to read if you think they contradict this position and support the idea of moving from lane 3 to 2 for the purposes of overtaking ...
@@BlackBeltBarrister There is no difference in moving from lane 3 to 2 and continue passing traffic as there is moving from lane 2 to 1 and continue undertaking or as some might call it passing on inside. If I was to break rule 268 what law would it make it unacceptable? Whats not acceptible is to move from lane 3 to an empty lane 2 and stop all those behind who want to overtake those in lane 1. It's called lane hogging.
@@billyporter1389
BBB is wrong and knows it. Attorneys never admit to making mistaked. He's convinced that rule 268 is law even though it doesn't use the words *must/must not*
BBB if I overtaking and move back into my original lane are you saying it's illegal for me to undertake? I cannot find where it says that in the UK highway code. I'll have to go to Specsavers😂
There are a couple of times when it is legal to overtake on the left:
1: When you are in two lanes of traffic and the lane on your right is moving slower than your lane.
2: When in a one way street and your intention is to turn left at the end.
Rule 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. (Highway Code taken from dot Gov UK)
@@Tuberesu
Your first example makes it clear that undertaking is legal on any road that has two or more lanes of traffic heading in the same direction, single or dual carriageway.
What BBB is saying is it's legal to undertake but not if you have just moved back into the left lane after an overtake.
Rule 268 uses "do not" which is advise. It does not say you *Must Not*
I undertake all the time... by driving at a consistent speed, and observing lane discipline by keeping left whenever possible. If I'm doing 70mph in the left lane, and approach a middle lane cruiser going slower than myself, I will not cross three lanes of traffic to pass them, unless I see there will be an imminent need to move to the middle lane to pass another vehicle in the left lane after the undertaking manoeuvre. (I also use my mirrors a lot, which seems to be a lost art these days for most drivers, and look over my shoulder both before moving out, and moving in -- that comes from riding bikes for 35+ years.)
i guess the worry is that they'll suddenly decide to move over as you're undertaking, which would be awkward. ideally i'd get them on dashcam, then overtake them properly so i didn't get done when i send it to the police and get them three points.
@@stevestrange965 Yes, I agree. Them moving back in is always an additional calculated risk. In all honesty, I think 9 times out of 10 (probably more!), they don't even know you're there untill you pass them though!
@@MrMairu555 i like to think they'll be wracked with angst, if not contrition, as i sail past on the left, but somehow i doubt it. :(
@@stevestrange965 I always look in the mirror in the hope of some realisation... sometimes I see them pull into the left lane, but not always. Sadly, many are too selfish to care. I've always maintained there should be a test to drive on the motorway, or at the very least, additional training, and "P" plates should be mandatory for a year (preferably 2) after passing the test.
@@stevestrange965 I think many of them will be totally oblivious.
Do Not according to BlackBeltBarrister seems to have 2 opposite definitions in the same sentence.
Rule 268 says Do Not overtake on the left, and
Do Not move to a lane on your left to overtake. How can the first one be accepted or legal and the other not?
Question. BBB if what you say it true then what danger would moving from lane 3 to 2 and passing both lanes 1 and 3 have that moving from lane 1 to 2 and doing the very same does not have???
Yes, doesn't make any sense. Also like to mention because it comes under a do not (rule 268) it is not illegal.
Some people seem to have a problem distinguishing the difference between weaving in and out of lanes to get past slower moving vehicles and undertaking. To undertake is legal, the other is not.
Then you have others who say you can move from the slip road and undertake any amount af traffic to your right but you cannot move from lane 2 to do the exact same. What a load of absolute rubbish It doesn't give a fiddlers what lane you came from, both are legal.
Thanks. You ommitted the different types of lane markings, one of which designates a left hand lane as a separate road. These often appear quite some way ahead of a major turn off.
If its a separate road, its a separate road!
A left hand lane is not a separate road. A slip road on a single or dual carraigeway is on the same road as those going straight.
If I’m on a completely open stretch of motorway, doing the speed limit and approaching someone sitting in the middle (or worse outside) lane doing under the speed limit, I have on occasion maintained my speed and undertook.
If I was stopped and questioned I’d say it was safer to maintain my lane and undertake, rather than pull into the outside lane then back into the inside lane (especially in wet conditions, I’m in Scotland it’s usually wet)
Also lane hogging is automatically an offence, while undertaking is not. I’d probably also say “the lane was congested by slower moving traffic”
I’ve only been pulled 3 times:
1) fish tailing my car by taking a corner too fast
I laughed that off as I was in a C3 1.0 front wheel drive and dash cam
2) wrong way on a 1 way bus lane
Ask the officer to accompany me to the no entry ⛔️ sign (light off, faded, heavy snow covering road marking) would he put that in his notes [not in public interest]
3) after a crash
Person accused me of speeding, I agreed, said I accelerated up to 45-50 to pass her. She said maybe even 55. The offer asked how fast she was doing, she said 30. I said 35. She said she was not!! Only 30. The officer asked if she knew it was a 60 road
I’m in agreement - when I asked my Advanced Driving Instructor about the subject he replied “we can do 70 in each lane”…
@@dazzyd1964 Don't go past if you don't want to overtake properly.
@@marklittler784 so it’s perfectly acceptable to sit in lane 2
@@tonyoliver4920 No ! But your the one doing the overtaking not them.
Or alternatively, how about just slowing down a bit?
You can't move to a lane on the left in order to overtake. But, you should move over to the left if you are not overtaking. So, move to the left (because you are not overtaking) and undertake slower drivers who are not moving over to the left.
So if you move to a lane to your left you cannot undertake. Do you have to wait for 30secs or 1minute, or 2 mins or maybe 5 mins? Or maybe you can stay alongside the hogger, as that's not undertaking.
Ultimately, if someone wants to drive faster than you, it’s up to them to assume responsibility for their actions. Why hold them up and deliberately annoy them. A car came up behind me the other day flashing it’s lights while I was overtaking, I moved out of the way once I’d finished overtaking. I ended up seeing the same car at a red light and he wound down his window to thank me for moving over as his wife was in hospital in labour. Not everyone who is in a hurry is a bad person, give them the benefit of the doubt.
So despite your co-operation, he didn't get very far ahead?
So, if I understood you correctly, his wife was in hospital already, and he thought that it was reasonable to act impolitely, even dangerously, just because HE was in a hurry?
I hate it when, as an Hgv driver, you move into lane 2 on a dual carriageway to let someone out of a junction or layby etc and before you can move back in someone is undertaking you. They can't see why you've moved out and it's very dangerous as if you need to get back in you can't and also they could run into the back of the vehicle moving onto the carriageway . Thankfully it doesn't happen that often though
That's interesting because I've just done my CPC renewal and the trainer said there's no rule for undertaking so long as you do it in a safe manner and don't cut back infront of the vehicle you undertake because that will be classed as weaving
Your trainer is correct. You can undertake or move to a lane to your left to undertake.
The reason some people think it's illegal to undertake or move to a lane on your left to undertake is they don't bother to read and understand the meaning of words like do/do not or must/must not. They are not the same. Rule 268 is not a "must/ must not.
@@seankinvarra1123 just because it isn't directly criminalised doesn't make it acceptable driving. That's a ridiculous mindset to be taking away from the Highway Code.
If you move to the left to overtake, you risk being charged with careless (or even dangerous) driving as to do such a manoeuvre is below the minimum expected standard of driving. Adhering to the Highway Code is part of this expectation. Police UK literally lists passing on the left as the first example of a careless driving offence.
@@user-mv5zt8qd9l
Yes it is acceptable.
If after an overtake you are advised to move back into lane one which is your original lane. You are moving faster than those in lane two, or three or any of the outside lanes, so you overtake them.
It makes no difference what lane you came from before the overtake on inside (undertake).
Weaving in and out of lanes may be classed as careless driving. That is a completely different matter
Which is the short version of what BBB just said.
I've spent years on the UK motorways, I find it far less stressful to stay in the left hand lane at the current road speed, unless that falls below 55mph.
I frequently find I'm travelling faster than the right hand lane, often when the centre lane is completely empty for miles.
Surely at 3:38 moving to the middle lane is exactly what that vehicle *should* do. It should not be in lane 3 if lane 2 is clear. It should only be in lane 3 if it needs to pass a vehicle in lane 2. The same applies to all the "bad" vehicles in front of it in lane 3 with no reason to be in that lane.
The point is that the vehicles in front should be moving into the middle lane, not the one at the back who then launches off at 90mph, effectively blocking all other cars to his right from moving back into the correct lane.
@@CrashSable the most important word in your reply is "should". Which mirrors exactly what I said in my comment. But more often than not, they don't. And when I say "more often than not", it seems to be 100% of trips I make on the motorway.
@@CrashSable How would one car in lane 2 be blocking all cars in lane 3?
Before returning to the UK I lived in Canada for over twenty years. I drove to work every day on the highway and it had eighteen lanes. You could use any lane to overtake and I never had an accident or any problems, you just make sure you use your mirrors when you change lanes. Accidents were few and far between. It was never dangerous. The traffic kept flowing.
With 18 lanes why are you surprised traffic is freeflowing
True but my point was even with all those lanes and traffic it was safe to undertake.
@@robertwhittingham2855 Most brits think the only was to get pass a hogger legally is to go all the way around. Even if there was 18 lanes in same direction and a hogger was in lane 17, you have to go to lane 18 then return to 1. That's make 34 lane changes!!!!😂😂😂
Don't bring what happens in a sane country into this.
@@st.george007
The rules on undertaking are the same in UK as in Canada.
The highway code doesn't provide that you can move to a lane to your left to undertake. Neither does it provide that you MUST NOT do it.
Not being a "must" doesn't mean you can't be found liable for an offence if you do so in a way that's careless or causes an actual incident.
@@user-mv5zt8qd9l Well that's plain obvious if you're at fault. Moving to a lane on your left is not an offence, and when that's complete neither is it an offence to pass a vehicle to your right. That is not careless driving.
BBB I think you should explain what is the offence you would be committing if you were to make the manoeuvre you said 3:37. I can find nothing in the RTA or the HC that supports you on this.
The offence of deliberately changing lane to underatake the vehicles ahead of you.
If you are already in a lane and there is congestion ahead, you are supposed to stay in that lane and queue accordingly, no matter how frustrating that seems !
Find my comment on this video on how to avoid such scenarios...
@@superfinster So it must be an offence to "deliberately" changing lanes to overtake? If there's an open lane to your right or left there is no offence on moving into it and pass both lanes. That's deliberately changing lanes isn't it?
You missed a scenario I've come across countless times. It's usually at night, the motorway is not busy, there's a bloke sat in the middle lane doing say 60mph. No other cars for miles.
I'm already in the left hand lane doing 70mph.
I refuse to go right out to the right hand lane just because he can't be bothered to move so I simply keep going and undertake him in the left lane. My lane is going faster than his lane and I didn't swap lanes to get by him.
As you should know, the term "undertaking" was removed from the actual Law (Road Traffic Act) in 1972.
Any citation received from an RPU officer will NEVER reference an offense of "undertaking", as the term does not exist in law.
As you noted, the offense is most likely to be attributed to:
CARELESS or inconsiderate driving
The offence of driving without due care and attention (careless driving) under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is committed when the defendant's driving falls below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver - section 3ZA(2) of the RTA 1988.
Some examples of careless or inconsiderate driving are:
overtaking on the inside;
driving too close to another vehicle;
driving through a red light by mistake;
turning into the path of another vehicle;
the driver being avoidably distracted by tuning the radio, lighting a cigarette etc.
flashing lights to force other drivers to give way;
misusing lanes to gain advantage over other drivers;
unnecessarily staying in an overtaking lane;
unnecessarily slow driving or braking;
dazzling other drivers with un-dipped headlights.
DANGEROUS driving
The offence of dangerous driving under section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is committed when the defendant’s driving falls far below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver and it would be obvious that driving in that way would be dangerous - section 2A of the RTA 1988.
Some typical examples from court cases of dangerous driving are:
racing, going too fast, or driving aggressively;
ignoring traffic lights, road signs or warnings from passengers;
overtaking dangerously;
driving under the influence of drink or drugs, including prescription drugs;
driving when unfit, including having an injury, being unable to see clearly, not taking prescribed drugs, or being sleepy;
knowing the vehicle has a dangerous fault or an unsafe load;
the driver being avoidably and dangerously distracted, for example by:
using a hand-held phone or other equipment
reading, or looking at a map
talking to and looking at a passenger
lighting a cigarette, changing a CD or tape, tuning the radio.
@@willmagicman1289 By "ignoring", the evidence would have have to point to the driver seeing or being aware of the light being red but making a concerted effort to continue anyway (EG: gunning the light).
By "mistake", the evidence may point to the driver actually braking for the light in normal good time but, say, then skidding on oil, snow or ice, etc. through the red light or perhaps not being aware of the light being red for some other justifiable reason, usually not actively caused by the driver.
The term "undertaking" may not be used in law. Neither does passing on kerbside or nearside and there are other words or phrases that are used and acceptable by the judge.
Undertaking or if you prefer to call it overtaking on inside were removed from the statute book in 1972 RTA and became legal to do so. If it is carried out the prosecutor must prove without reasonable doubt that the standard of driving fell well below the standard expected by a reasonably safe and competent driver. Undertaking or any of its synonyms does not fall into this category. Weaving in and out of lanes would be a different matter.
So what BBB is saying is incorrect. There is no offence in undertaking or moving from an outside lane to an inner or nearside or kerbside to overtake.
If as your list shows overtaking on left is careless or inconsiderate driving then all bus drivers would be out of a job!
Whether a sign says " Stay in Lane" or not, it is legal to undertake. I'd like to know what highway code BBB gets his information from.
Rule 268
“Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.”
@@BlackBeltBarrister "Do not" is not a "Must not" All of Rule 268 is a "Do not" . Even the "or move to a lane on your left to overtake" is advise. So where you state from your diagram the car in lane 3 cannot move to lane 2 and undertake, that is completely wrong.
@@billyporter1389 the Rules say do not do it. I’m not going to endlessly debate with someone pedantic who cannot differentiate “advise” from “advice”.
@@BlackBeltBarrister Is it illegal to move to a lane to your left and undertake? It is certainly not illegal to move to a lane on your left *to* undertake.
@@shawnrahoon6789 As I understand the HC ... there are "do not" ... and "must not" parts ... The latter I believe are written into law ... though I am unsure of this.
At 3.40 you said it's not acceptable to move from lane 3 to 2 and overtake. If that's the case then you're saying you can move from 3 to 2 and it's ok to impede those behind from overtaking.
There is always one!!!
@@ukbiker1631 .... who asks questions. It's called lane hogging. Do you know what that is?
@@shawnrahoon6789 Yes, I do thank you.
@@ukbiker1631
Do you agree with BBB in saying Rule 268 is not acceptable to move to a lane on your left to undertake?
@@ukbiker1631 There's always one who makes a statement yet cannot answer a question about it.
Driving on the M25, it is often quicker to sit in the inside lane because apparently no one on that road knows to move to the left unless over taking.
Even tonight I had to take avoiding action as a driver came of slip road that became a lane, and sat at I guess 50 mph... thankfully I was able to move around her and indicated to the left (not required by the highway code) all the way back to the now lane one... she stayed in lane two but flashed me and sounded her horn. I am driving my wife's new car so I'm super careful I left plenty of space.
I remained in lane 1 at 69 (according to the sat nav)... undertaking many cars in lanes 2 and 3... lane 1 continued to be clear... this happened for 6 miles between junction 16 and 17 at which point we left the M25.
The biggest problem is people thinking they are missing out by not moving over... the driver doing 50mph in lane 2 on a motorway is a menace and danger.
So all this while I had a marked Police car behind me until I left the motorway... I would put money on me moving into lane 2 or 3 would have been a problem but all the others ignoring the highway code get away with it.
Isn't there a BIG difference between 'should not' and 'must not'?
Eg: If I'm on a 4 lane motorway, there's nothing in lane 1 & 2 and I'm doing the speed limit. Lane 3 & 4 have the odd car/van going less than 70mph. Am I in the wrong (from a legislation POV) to stay in lane 1 undertaking them? FYI I come across this situation fairly regularly on the A1-M11 section, North & South bound...?
No, you are not in the wrong. There are two "Do Not's" in rule 268. Neither of them are an offence if you break them.
If overtaking on the left was not acceptable then Rule 268 would say " You MUST NOT move to a lane on your left to overtake. Some people don't understand the difference between Do Not and Must Not.
That is correct and has been pointed out numerous times. A barrister will never hold their hands up even when they are proven 100% to be wrong.
I don't understand the difference between those two things. What's the difference between must not and do not?
@@bakersmileyface Its all explained in the Highway Code Introduction and Wording.
Dare I suggest a video on the legality of motorcycles filtering?
Having had a car driver deliberately block me from doing so as he thought it wasn't legal and that it would only be fair if I were trapped in the same traffic jam as him.
There is a difference between legal and tolerated.
Especially in city traffic , filtering, is tolerated for traffic flow.
Filtering isn't technically legal as there should never be a point when 2 vehicles occupy the same space in the same lane which happens when filtering.
Police tolerate the process for traffic movement.
But be warned , if your filtering , if you hit a car then your insurance will blame you regardless.
The car already occupies the space in the lane so has priority and you as a biker encroach on that.
Vehicle don't need to give way.
The other thing bikers fail on is , filtering, is moving between 2 rows of traffic heading in the same direction.
Moving out to pass stationary traffic into the face of oncoming lanes is NOT filtering.
I'm a biker, car driver with 20 years experience in insurance and the courts.
@@pauldavison7105 it's strange you say it isn't technically legal when (a) that's not how the law works in the UK, and (b) it's specifically mentioned in the Highway Code in sections 88 and 160.
@@phyphor yes but UK law has a lot of contradictions.
The onus is on the rider.
Me as a biker I rarely filter as I know if I hit something my insurance will blame me regardless.
Well, first, what do you mean by "UK law", because there's different laws in Scotland than in England & Wales, let alone Northern Ireland.
Second, what contradictions exist?
Third, why do you seem to give the impression you believe that something is illegal if it isn't specifically permitted?
Fourth, your entire reaction is precisely why a qualified barrister should do a video on the subject, because it's apparent (see points 1 through 3) that you aren't as clued up about the law as you claim.
Fifth, and finally, your reticence to filter is completely irrelevant to the actual law, which is why, as per the fourth point, a video on the topic would seem sensible.
@@phyphor it's habit referring to UK.i did probably assume England was a given.
There are many areas of ENGLISH law that , in practice, are not as clear as they would appear.
My questioning of the legality of filtering is one of experience. Yes section 88 may say its allowed but in practice it's so very easy for a biker to suffer in the belief they are safe and in the right.
But there are far too many circumstances I've seen where insurers and indeed courts routinely prove that filtering is what I would refer to as a false right.
When something happens it's far too easy for courts to fall back on other offences such as being careless or insurers to not accept arguments over liability without aggravating factors directing away from the biker.
You see you only have a right to do anything "in law" if doing so doesn't cause you to commit a different offence.
It's far too easy for something like being careless to quickly remove that right.
Bikers behaviour doesn't help as the few that break the rules or indeed the ones that think their filtering right is written in stone cause a certain level of prejudgement against all bikers.
Whilst this channel is very informative I would say a barrister isn't going to give a full perspective as a barrister simply wouldn't deal with minor road traffic issues on a daily basis.
A clinical discussion on "the law" doesn't address the actual application in practice as it doesn't address the other tools the police fall back on to counter 88.
My reference to toleration is a reflection of how easy it is for a cop or indeed a court to use something else to quickly dispell the idea that filtering is simply legal.
Another simple example I come across is cyclists riding two abreast and claiming "the law" says they can do it. It may do but invariably if doing so causes issue or incidents with drivers then it's easy for other offences to override that aspect.
In essence nobody has a blind right to do anything and a clinical discussion on legislation can't always tell you how "in practice" things actually work.
I feel there is some confusion being caused in the video, especially around moving to the left if the left lane is moving quicker, to pass the cars in front. You have classed this as "weaving", however to many "weaving" would be in and out of lanes, not just moving once to a lane flowing quicker.
Furthermore, Rule 264 states "keep in the left lane unless overtaking. If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so."
If you're in lane two and the traffic in lane one is moving faster, then you are not overtaking. Therefore, you should not be in lane two and should move back to lane one. This would naturally put you back in the faster moving lane. As long as you then do not move back to lane two a few car lenghts ahead you would be perfectly within the law.
Back in the 60s I took (and passed) my motorcycle test.
One of the questions at the end was "When can you overtake on the left?"
I gave all the answers that I could think off, and the examiner asked for one more.
My mind went blank until, in a moment of genius, I said "In France".
The examiner said "Not the answer I was looking for, but perfectly correct so I will accept it".
When I got home I checked the Highway code and the answer that I missed was "When overtaking a tram".
At that time the only trams in the UK were at Blackpool, a long, long way away.
Most drivers think the same rules still apply to undertaking. The law on undertaking was removed from the statute book in 1972!
Its my understanding that you sit in the left lane. you use the middle lane as an overtaking lane and once you've passed the vehicle in the left lane you move back into the left lane. the right hand lane is another overtaking lane. as far as I'm concerned if I move back into the left lane after an overtake and I'm not going quicker than the speed limit I will undertake all day long and god help any copper who stops me and not the middle lane hogger.
Even though BBB tries to say it's not acceptable to move to a lane on your left to undertake, he is absolutely wrong. You are correct.
Okay, you say you should not move into the lane to your left to undertake. But if the lane to your left is clear, then surely you should be moving into it anyway rather than hogging an outer lane. How would that be judged?
Fine: that's where you should be.
You "should not" is not a must not. It's advise, not law.
@@cvsdigital It's normal for lane 2 to slow down and lane 1 start moving faster. There could be a suitable gap in lane 1 to move into it. What BBB is trying to say is if you move back into the driving lane or any lane to your left then it illegal to pass on left. He is completely wrong and I am very surprised for someone in his profession to come out with that myth.
Thanks that makes it pretty clear. If you stay in lane and come across a slower vehicle you can pass on the left hand but with caution in case they suddenly change lanes.
It's always good to have a barrister confirm things like this. I hate undertaking I do a lot of driving and it drives me absolutely mad. Soooooo dangerous.
If there wasn't people driving slowly in the outer lanes no one would have any reason to undertake.
If the inner lane is clear enough that some one can use it to undertake then why are you driving in the outer lane?
He said its not acceptable to move from lane 3 to 2 and undertake. Yet he also said it is acceptable to do the same by moving from lane 2 to 1 and undertake. Aren't they a contradiction to each other?
Its not dangerous at all 😂
@@abyss1997
If undertaking is dangerous then it would be illegal. But it's neither.
"Undertaker" is the old word for a funeral director - so presumably you can pass a vehicle in front on either side when driving a hearse :)
The old saying 'outside takers are overtakers, inside takers are undertakers'.
Probably because can end up at the undertakers when you do, if someone knocks you into a tree you really wont end up very well off, especially if the tree is stationery or hasn't ended up as stationery.
@@marklittler784 stationary!!
@@klauswolf9449 Pall bearers.
🤣
BBB.
Rule 268 says Do Not move to a lane on your left to overtake. If I'm in lane 2 and im approaching a car in front of me, what you are implying is its not acceptable for me to move to a lane on my left. You are telling me I must stay in lane 2 and continue on hogging.
The one thing that the video did not seem to cover is if you are in the middle lane and you come up behind a car going considerably slower, you overtake and return to the middle lane, then the traffic in the outside lane comes to a halt. In strict interpretation of the law (you should not move to an inside lane to join faster moving traffic) you then cannot proceed to pass those cars now moving slowly to your right.
In addition to this, how do you manage a situation where a car persists in sitting in the outside lane with all the inside lanes clear?
Thank you so much, for clearing this up.
He said it's not acceptable to move from an outer to an inner lane and undertake. Where does the Highway Code say that?
@@saundersdachicken6197 You're correct, It doesn't say in the code that it's not acceptable to move to a lane on your left to overtake.
On a dual carriageway if a car to my right is turning right I can undertake. But if it's going straight I am not allowed. Doesn't that mean undertaking is illegal on DC's but legal on motorways? Confused!!!
Good point. I think BBB is confused.
Where in the Highway Code does it say you. MUST NOT MOVE TO A LANE ON YOUR LEFT TO OVERTAKE????
Senario. I've moved back into lane 2 from 3 after an overtake. The nearest cars ahead in lanes 1 and 3 are 10 seconds in front so I stay in lane 2 as I am catching up on both lanes. How can it be unacceptable for me to pass the car in lane 3 but acceptable to pass the one in lane 1???
Bearing in mind. On a motorway you should drive in the Inside lane and the other lanes are for overtaking. Yet often you find yourself bimbling along in lane 1 and others are flying past in lanes 2 and 3, and like on the M3 lanes 4. Then there is always that one person driving below the Maximum speed limit in lane 2, the overtaking lane. Rather than trying to get across Lanes 2,3 and 4 just to go back across to lane 1. Is it permitted to deem lane 2 as travelling slower than lan 1 and pass on the Inside.
Excellent defogeration Dude, many thanks ...
If I move back to the left after an overtake then it's a criminal offence if I undertake? I thought you said undertaking is legal.
On a motorway, I drive as much as possible in lane 1, typically between 60 and 70 mph. This sometimes necessitates passing a car going more slowly in lane 2. I take great care to give them a chance to see me. My reasoning is that moving into lane 2 and then the overtaking lane, and then back again, is actually far more dangerous. I see no reason for slowing down to avoid undertaking, especially with a lorry close behind me being driven aggressively.
And you are correct. As long as you are doing 70 or less, the person you just "undertook" is in the wrong. You are simply keeping up with your lane.
Correct and ukbiker. Many motorists and commenters think the hogger is the one who sets the speed limit of the lanes to their left.
Thanks BB - that clears that up. This weaving in and out, under and overtaking is rife. It's particularly hazardous if you ride a motorcycle as I do. Filtering on a motorcycle (within the limitations allowed) also a contentious subject - is one of the the most hazardous activities on a bike and must be done with extreme care.
"Contentious" not "pretentious", unless you ride in a very strange way....
@@christopherdean1326 oops! Thanks. I might look a bit strange to some. We all do 👍😁
GREAT! discussion. Thanks!
BBB. I'm in lane 2 which is doing 55 mph and move back into lane 1 after an overtake. Lane 1 ahead is empty. I have to stick to 55mph and block tbe traffic coming from behind. That cannot be correct surely?
The more I read this the more confusing its getting. After having moved back imto lane 1 after an overtake, I am catching up on the traffic in lane 2 and 3 who are doing around 50mph. Does that mean my speed limit is reduced to 50mph and its not acceptable(illegal) for me to stay at my speed and pass? Surely BBB you can't be serious.
Great video thanks again for your help with this video 📹👍😀
Can you do a part2 video on this topic with some advice about middle and outer lane hogging . If staying left is not enforced or managed then undertaking “safely” needs some definition because lane hogging is prominent and not policed.
You should only leave the inside lane to pass traffic, so in this case, you should already be in lane 1 ready to “pass”
In North America, states and provinces seem about equally divided between "slower traffic keep right" and the much preferable "keep right except to pass". Nobody thinks they are "slow" and "slow" is a loose term that damn hard to enforce. Unfortunately driver education is virtually non-existent in most states so it does not matter much what the law says.
It's the same in the UK. It's just people don't know the rules. We don't have "fast" and "slow" lanes, it's an extreamly common misconception. The rule is keep left unless overtaking.
@@Stettafire In Germany the rule is also to keep right unless overtaking. Undertaking is highly illegal unless all traffic is moving at less than 30mph (50km/h) and fined relatively heavy. Under the principle of 'fines must hurt everybody equally' they are not fixed amounts of money but fixed multiples of daily income. They range from 2x daily income to 360x (double for repeat offenders).
Many states in the US do not, or at least did not have an enforced policy on keeping right. Hence there is very little lane discipline and you will often see both left lane hogging and weaving in and out of lanes as common behaviour on US interstates, even where there are laws in place. You can stop reading now unless you wish to read my amusing anecdote: I was once riding at a good pace on an empty Interstate in a state that would have been part of the Confederacy (and I do mean empty road, not a vehicle for miles) when I eventually saw a car way ahead dawdling in the "fast lane" for no good reason at all. As I "undertook" him at almost exactly the speed limit, I gave him the customary cheerful one finger wave to indicate my opinion of his driving. (Side note: He had a Jesus fish on his Scion which, if you are American should give you an indication of the type of person he was. I am sure Jesus would not have reacted as he did!). He sped up to catch me and attempted to ram me off the road. Fortunately, the joke was on him and he ended up nearly crashing his own vehicle off the road (lucky for him there was a hard shoulder and a decent bit of verge). I imagine his lady-friend passenger might have had a few words for him.
@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 In Germany, at least traditionally, driving standards and lane discipline are far higher in general. Two lane autobahns with no speed limit make that a bit of a necessity. Also, in Germany, Autobahn driving is part of the driving licence training/test. I always found that you could tell when you were getting close to a border in Germany because the more other nations drivers were on the autobahn, the worse the average driving got!
Could you do a video about rights as a victim/witness, especially for the vulnerable. This would be really helpful. Thanks
This is a little gem of a channel
Thank you 😊 🙏
He said it's not acceptable to move to a lane on your left to overtake. If this is a little gem of a channel, can you show me where in the Highway Code do it state that?
I left work 1 night, and the car in front of me went straight to the right hand lane of a dual carriageway and stayed there, only moving into the left lane when he exited onto the dual carriageway. i have no problem passing cars on the left who are driving in the right or centre lanes when there is no need to be those lanes
BBB, why isn't the motorway and especially when there's four lanes, treated in the same manner as a one way street? All the traffic is going in the same direction with no oncoming traffic. The lane discipline is appalling on the UK motorway network and has been a life long frustration for me. I've been driving for 44 years but have never been stopped by the police on the motorway. I do undertake quite a lot but in only the manner described in your video. I love your videos as you always get down to the nitty gritty without BS. Keep it coming and thank you
Good questions Jon. In congested traffic the ‘choose a lane, stay in lane’ instruction pretty much mirrors the exception allowed on one-way streets. The nearside blind spot is the main reason for insisting on overtaking on the right in other circumstances, especially with regards to goods vehicles with poor rear vision. Do you remember when the nearside mirror was an optional extra? Only really became standard around the 80’s
My solution... I avoid motorways altogether. The scenery is usually much better once outside of city limits. It might take me a little longer, but at least I'm not stressed out when I reach my destination.
I know this isn't an option for everyone, but it suits me.
No
You need to try a few motorways or their equivalent outside of Europe, I find most of Western Europe to be the best place to drive, with some of the better drivers.
@@shardlake don’t worry standards are falling with the erosion of our culture as we import more of the 3rd world each day...
regarding slip roads, when you have a very long slip road. when the lane center paint changes you can build up your speed and pass traffic on the right. from long lines to a dotted line separation. think thats what Ashley Neal driving Chanel mentioned regarding undertaking
Worth mentioning an overtake is deviation from your lane with the sole purpose of passing the vehicle in front in your lane, then returning to your original lane, driving past in another lane is perfectly legal so adopting your correct lane on the left is ok and if the lane is clear you can go to the speed limit. I have had a police vehicle behind me, driven past a lane hog on their left hand side, the police then pulled the lane hog
I am glad somebody else understands the difference between passing on the left and undertaking.
Same here, could not get safely out to the right so I stayed in the left lane and passed the hogger, Kent Police then fired up the blues and pulled over the hogger :)
That must have been satisfying. 👍
You have missed one, Middle lane hoggers. Also, your terminology is incorrect. Undertaking is an act you are doing. whereas passing on the inside is is the situation you are in. Vehicles travelling on your right going slower than you on the left within speed limits of course.
Yes, I believe a few years ago there was legalisation about allowing passing on the left if someone is hogging the middle lane (also made it an offence to hog the middle lane when the inside lane is clear)
@@FlyingPanda it's been legal since 1972
@@billyporter1389 He is right that middle lane hogging is now an offense, wasn't before.
This video seems to indicate that you don't have to move out to overtake a middle lane hogger, as the flow of traffic in your lane is faster than the middle lane. I have, in the past, drawn level with the hogger then stayed at their speed, before pulling away slowly.
@@billyporter1389 middle lane hogging come under the offence of driving without due car and attention and can lead to 3 points on your licence and £100 fine
Black Belt Barrister. Its acceptable for a car to change from lane 1 to 2 and pass between both 1 and 3 but not acceptable to move from lane 3 to 2 and do the same? Are you sure about this and if so can you tell me which rule states this?
. He's saying it's ok to move to the left but you cannot or unacceptable to overtake those to your right which means you can legally block those behind. If that was true then driving without reasonable consideration for other road users is acceptable.
Move to the left (or right) to maintain your braking distance and forward visibility without obstructing following traffic. Works for me. Also my momentum. I have a very small car. Passing anything is an exercise. "Intention" seems to be the basis of the guidance, which is an interesting concept to try and prove.
If the limit is 70 and a vehicle on my right is achieving 56 am I undertaking or should I sit on my horn shouting “CNUT “ out of the window
Missed the obvious question: when middle or outside lane drivers have clear opportunity to return to the near side (lane 1 - the ‘slow’ lane, as some call it) but refuse to do so, and so long as you’re driving within the speed limit, does the law allow for undertaking? Does other drivers’ poor lane discipline offer an excuse for undertaking in this circumstance, or do we just have to endure being held up needlessly by someone who won’t allow faster-moving traffic to overtake within legal limits?
Yes, this was covered by BBB. If the lane you are travelling in is travelling faster and you end up undertaking slower traffic in the other lanes, you are in the clear as long as you stay in that lane.
So, what if I’m doing 70 in the inside lane and I catch up with someone in the middle lane? There is no queue but he’s obviously going slower than me. Can I overtake in the left hand lane (which do all of the time by the way)?
I don't drive so thanks for teaching the undertaking is like overtaking but on the left-hand side rather than slowing down to go behind someone.
The highway code doesn't explicitly say that you can't move into a lane on your left if traffic is congested and your lane is blocked. It says you mustn't weave between lanes. Weaving is not defined in the highway code but it generally requires repeated switching back and forth, so in terms of cars repeated changing of lanes.
If it wanted to ban changing lanes to the left then it could simply have said that. Like it does in previous rules. The use of the term weaving indicates it's something different.
The highway code has been revised many times so it is unlikely that the use of weave was a mistake.
Agree. If it was illegal to move to a lane on your left to undertake then Rule 268 would say "You *must not* overtake on the left or you *must not* move to a lane on your left to overtake......." Instead it uses *do not* which is advise rather than law.
@@shawnrahoon6789 The point is not that you cant move to the left and undertake. It is that if you subsequently move back to the right, you may fall foul of the law!
The M1 near Between the M18 junction and Chesterfield is a “Smart” motorway with four lanes. It is not uncommon to see a lone driver pooteling along in lane Three with lanes One, Two and Four clear. In this situation I usually pass on the left in lane One with lane Two as a dividing lane in case they decide to move to the left. This is far safer than crossing to lane four and then back to lane One when I am travelling at the posted speed limit. What would be the official view of this manoeuvre if spotted by the police or reported by the lane hogged dash cam?
I use the maxim taught to me forty five years ago by my instructor “Never pull cross back into a lane until you can see the headlights and tyres of the vehicle you have just passes in your rear view mirror to ensure adequate clearance.” Even so I have been flashed with or without accompanying horn (Oooh Matron!) on few occasions I have made the detour for the long way around.
This sounds exactly like the M60 and I do exactly as you describe and just hold lane 1.
I do a lot of towing so when I have a trailer on I can’t go over 60mph but often come up behind people in lane 3 doing less than 60. I either have to sit behind them and wait for them to move, or use lane 1 to undertake
I’m sure they’re going to book you for that manoeuvre sir, it’s undertaking. And also book the person in Lane 3. As “Lane Hogging” is now an offence in its own right.
From the video it seems like if you deliberately move to the left to undertake it's a problem; if you happen to be in a lane to the left anyway it's not.
I don't know if they would book you. They may have words with the lane hogger and I've seen them do that before. I think this is a case of how the undertake is been done. If it is someone weaving in and out of traffic, I have seen them been stopped before. Personally I will move over and overtake lane hoggers in the outside lane but that is just me. If you are passing traffic which is slow due to congestion I'd advise to proceed cautiously and do it safely.
I feel you missed a fairly new but common reoccurring issue. I often drive at 60 mph in lane 1 on the M25 and most times will end up coming to a car/van that is travelling bellow 60 mph in lane two. They clearly have poor lane discipline but am I allowed to continue my speed and course to pass them on the left hand side or do I have to then travel all the way to lane 3 or even 4 to safely overtake them and then traverse all the way back to lane one where it is 90% of the time free of other vehicles and freely moving at 60mph.
If it is a solitary vehicle, lane 3 is clear and the manoeuvre is safe, you should move to lane 3 for a normal overtake. The advice about passing on the left does refer to congestion, so we need more than a solitary vehicle. If there is a queue in lane 2, at 60 mph, passing on the left might be justified, but I think all other lanes need to be busy too.
Many years ago, on a bank holiday, travelled the M4 from Swindon to Bristol, mostly in lane 1. A bit foggy, traffic nose to tail in lanes 2&3, speed around 50-55. Lane 1, mostly empty, so travelled just a little quicker all the way. Lonely though.
I start flashing my headlamps methodically from a good distance back on approach which gives them time to move over before I get near them, they cannot tell whether its police or not when your far behind, thats one way of sorting it, if it gets on your nerves that much.
Can you draw level with them, then pull away slowly? What if the hogger slows down even more?
Yes, just undertake (🤭) the manoeuvre carefully and without excess speed. Why cross 2 lanes only to return again shortly afterwards.
Drivers rarely change lane suddenly, if the difference in speed is very small your unlikely to get knocked off the motorway.
So this means that if I'm doing 70 in lane 1 and someone is doing 65 in Lane 2 I can continue forward. That's very helpful.
If you are doing 70mph in lane 1 just after completing an overtake and someone is doing 65mph in lane 2, what he's saying is you are not allowed to undertake. That is a contradiction to the Highway Code.
@@Seanmcdhuibhne highway code states that if the traffic in the lane to the right of me is moving slower, then I can proceed. It happens all the time when the outside lane gets jammed up and lorries fly past on the inside.
@@Banglish123 Of course you are allowed to undertake. What BBB is saying is it is not acceptable to move back into an inside lane to undertake. That's not very helpful, for nowhere does the highway code state that.
Very well put, and good demonstrative illustration. I am glad that you brought in the word ‘pass’, until fairly recently the word ‘overtaking’ related to passing moving vehicles or vessels either on land or afloat. That meant either side of the slower vehicle. Undertaking, is a more recent construct, now in common use. By this way, don’t try to explain this to an Australian!,
I like the "left and right". Every time I ask for car parts its on or off side, nearside far side, driver side or passenger, port or starboard.
Yet we define a right hand drive car as one that has the steering wheel on the right. Where you stick out your right arm when indicating right. The left of the car being the side facing left when we drive on the left.
When I open the door on my right my car tells me "right hand door open" no matter where the steering wheel is or where the car is in the world.
Just a bugbear of mine.
The amount of car-nerds who moan at me for calling it left and right instead of near or far. It's a car. Near or far from what, exactly? It's as arbitrary as all hell and I refuse to engage with idiots who say otherwise.
Absolutely. I'm in many many car related forums, many of which are worldwide, so what a US driver refers to as near side is not our nearside.
I made this short to explain it to people: ruclips.net/video/lFnZPTSpMwI/видео.html
@@Stettafire, quite correct. In the automotive industry worldwide, it is left and right. Simples.
If it wasn't OEs would end up building cars the wrong way round
If I'm understanding this correctly then you are allowed to undertake a middle lane "hogger" if you are in the left hand lane and travelling at greater speed (within speed limits of course) as long as you didn't move to the left in order to undertake?
No, unfortunately not. If you are in the left hand lane, and are travelling at a greater speed that the middle lane hogger, you cannot pass them on the left UNLESS their lane is congested. Normally middle lane hoggers are not travelling in congested lane; they are usually well seperated from vehicles in front and behind them, meaning it would be easy for them to see that it was safe to move into the left hand lane - but they never do!
Could the argument that "you moved into the left lane because thats what the rules tell me to do" be used rather than the "I moved into the left to undertake" argument
@@tlangdon12 Not being in the left lane when clear has been an offence for many years now in the UK, but not many prosecutions. Unfortunately middle lane hoggers rarely (in my experience) use indicators so undertaking is extremely dangerous.
I think you would be incorrect for a 'middle lane hogger', but perfectly correct for an 'outer lane hogger'; you have the option of overtaking on the right with someone dawdling in the middle lane, not so with the outer lane.
The big rub though is that someone traveling at 70 MPH in the middle or outer lane technically cannot be overtaken.
We can all choose whether and how we break the law, but in doing so we must be prepared to take responsibility for whatever ensues.
This is especially true if an incident results from our actions.
So NEVER do anything that a thorough risk analysis reveals to you that there is a possibility of an accident occurring.
Ensuring there are no vehicles on the opposite side whilst you over, or undertake a vehicle, leaves an escape route should this vehicle fail to hold it's lane!
@@mrroobarb I disagree, sorry. I've yet to meet a middle or outer lane hogger who is actually awake. They're never aware you're there until you pass them. What is bizarre is the notion that moving from the left lane to the right lane to pass this moron sat in the middle, is safer than simply rolling past said moron by not changing lanes. Nowadays, ive given up moving from left to right lanes, its too unsafe.
In Australia, al states have the rule “keep left unless overtaking “. There are roadside signs showing this. It is the rule for all roads of 2 lanes or more.
It is legal to overtake on the left hand side on multi lane roads in australia. Yes you are supposed to keep left unless overtaking on a freeway only. But what do you do when they won,t move over. Too many rules, not enough police to enforce them.
You omitted the scenario where someone is just sitting in the overtaking lane thinking it's their own personal "fast lane". If the motorway is clear and I am in the correct left-hand lane driving slightly faster than them, then at some point I will catch up with them and will "overtake" them on the inside lane. Now, I think that I am not doing anything wrong here as I have continued to progress in the correct lane and just happened to overtake them on the inside lane as they were the ones driving badly. Where does the law stand on this?
I used to be a commercial driver, and year back I looked up the rules concerning undertaking. Back then it said that the action was only permitted if instructed to do so by a police officer, or (As you said) in congested traffic if the lane on your right is moving slower than the lane you are in.
I tried to find out what the legal definition of "congested traffic" was, but couldn't find one, so I ended up working on the basis of, If the congested traffic to my right was doing anything less than 70, and there was a car in front of me in the left or middle lane who was happily undertaking them, then both lanes were technically cueing and it was OK to undertake, even if the car's to the right were only 5 or so MPH below the speed limit.
Your thoughts?
Cueing? Playing snooker on the motorway? Very dangerous.
Congested traffic, doesn't make any difference what it means. Undertaking is acceptable up to the speed limit.
Queing? Cueing is calling you on stage? Or playing snooker?
@@johnbishop5316 Queing or *Queuing*?
@@Seanmcdhuibhne Queuing. Queue as a verb is queueing. However, many individuals often spell it as queuing. In the English language, both are appropriate, and both are defined as to "arrange or form in a queue."
How does the law know your intention for moving into a lane on your left? You could use the excuse that you did it because your exit junction was coming up. Now you can undertake on the left to keep up with traffic.
Agree. What BBB is trying to say is after completing an overtake and back into lane 1 it's not acceptable (I assume he means illegal) to undertake a vehicle to your right, yet he earlier correctly says undertaking is legal!
Good, clear explanation - thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Move from lane 3 to 2 and undertake is illegal.
Move from lane 2 to 1 and undertake is legal.
Can you explain that?
It was but still, apparently, not clear enough for some folk (who maybe shouldn't have driving licences).
@@billyporter1389 Yes, the explanation for that is that it is not true.
The Highway Code does not say you must not overtake on the left or move to a lane to your left to overtake. So BBB is incorrect saying it's not allowed to move from lane 3 to 2 to undertake.
Does undertaking only apply to adjacent lanes? For example: Can a vehicle in lane 1 undertake a vehicle in lane 3 or 4 (assuming lane 2 is completely clear)
It doesn't matter what lane you are in, undertaking is the action of going past any vehicle to your right, the pain in the bum is the number of witless idiots who persist in lane hogging and don't seem to understand this is an offence.
What is the difference between undertaking and deliberately undertaking?
Deliberately undertaking means nothing different to undertaking.
Can you do one on not returning to the left Lane please, as people seem to be confused about this lane discipline and sit in the middle or right lane because they are either to ignorant or incompetent of changing lanes or returning to the left causing undertaking.
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Have found that when using Sat-Nav ETA when traffic is busy is within a couple of minutes from arriving at destination regardless of lane hopping or not.
What usually works when traffic is busy is to stick in middle lane. Invariably you note specific vehicles from lanes either side gaining and losing a few yards for miles. If I occasionally do lane hop from outer lane I keep a good distance from vehicle in front and observe carefully vehicles coming in from left lane. Also never bomb ahead so as not to annoy other motorist. As you mentioned it's always about having due consideration for all other motorist, especially two wheeled vehicles who often come up fast from the inside, making excellent mirror use essential.
During times when bus lanes are not restricted (in most cases out with rush hour) the majority of car drivers strangely seem to avoid using bus lanes when they are perfectly allowed to do so. This often means that the bus lane is completely clear of traffic. When I use the bus lane during these times I am often able to move faster (within the speed limit) than the congested outside lane and therefore am undertaking. Would this be deemed unlawful? It certainly irks many drivers who do not seem to understand that bus lanes are free for all to use except during the restricted times. On occasion I have had cars veer across my path to try to deter me from continuing!
I also notice this a lot when I use the bus/taxi lane during permitted hours.
For me this is purely because a large number of motorists have no idea what the blue sign detailing the time and use restrictions mean.
Because I don't have bus lanes in my town I find it hard to know when I can and can't use them when I visit a city that had them.
@@fastfreddy19641 Bus lanes are our city boy way of having a laugh. Every time you travel "up town" you're bound to get nicked. Some bus lanes are all the time, some are some times. You can't read the restriction until it's too late. Gotcha again! Bumkin.
@@fastfreddy19641 Bus lanes always have blue signs indicating when they are open to other vehicles.
@@fastfreddy19641 Should you really have a driving licence?
Roadworks state 50mph so why do people sit in the middle and outside lane doing 45 when the nearside lane is empty I blame driving instructors for not drumming home keep left at all times unless overtaking omg
Very clearly explained, as a high mileage van driver I am seriously fed up with so many drivers using the middle lane as their default , many at 65mph leaving me no option but to clog up the outside lane while I overtake in my speed limited van( sorry for holding up the guys who in my opinion are safely travelling at 80mph)
Middle lane joggers get off the motorways if you don’t know how to use them😂
If lane 1 is empty just use it to undertake.
He says you cannot move back into lane 1 after an overtake and go faster than any of the overtaking lanes. That's not true.
Good explanation. I regularly tow a trailer on the motorway and (like HGV drivers) that means I’m barred from the outside lane (if there are three or more lanes). So the middle-lane hoggers are an irritant; I can’t go round them, and I’m usually on a long journey with a 60mph limit so I’m not keen to spend a long time at 50-55. I’ve often taken the view that if I’m in lane 1 at a steady 60 and meet one of these idiots then I’m ok to stay where I am and - cautiously - cruise past. Good to hear that this does indeed seem to be ok.
Don't forget what he said about moving from an outer lane to undertake. That means if you do an overtake and move back into lane 1 it is an offence if you cruise past those in lane 2 or 3
Thanks for clarifying that. As an HGV driver I kinda knew this but I wanted to be certain. My understanding of undertaking was going from the middle lane to the left and once passed the middle lane hogger you go back into the middle. Pretty much what you said I think. Ta.
Thats not what undertaking is. Undertaking is passing another vehicle on its left. One manoeuvre, not three.
I will not move from lane 1 to lane 3 and back to lane one to pass a middle lane dawdler. If I'm riding a bike, then the risk is even greater to move across all lanes. Aint ever going to happen. Sometimes they move into lane 1 after I've passed; sometimes they flash their headlights 74 times. Sometimes both.
It's illegal to speak sense. But some of us have to educate others.
what i am noticing happening more, usually on the slip road or approaching a junction is the car in front of you will over take a slow vehicle but then they slow to the same speed as the vehicle then at the last second they speed up causing the following car to miss the junction or swerve back behind the slow vehicle. as for undertaking drive 2mph under speed limit and let the day dreamers stay to your right.
Could you do a video about what you can do about noisy, nuisance neighbours.
@@squicker How I wish this was an option.
Take up night time drumming. Or invite local music band for free evening nights practicing.
@@tlangdon12 it is. Just plan accordingly.
@4:34 isn't there a requirement that when not overtaking you should move left? Wouldn't it therefore be reasonable to move left and then subsequently keep up with traffic in the left hand lane even if that meant you were passing slower vehicles on the right? i.e. there is a contradiction in the not moving left rule?
There isn't a contradiction. The rule is that you mustn't move left in order to overtake. If the lane(s) to your left are empty you should move left. If it happened to be the case that you then caught up with queues of traffic and the queue in the left lane was moving faster than queues to your right, it would be OK to pass the traffic on your right.
@@simontuffen8243 The rule doesn't say you mustn't move left in order to undertake. If it did say that it would be illegal. Instead it uses "do not". I assume you didn't read the wording and Introduction to the Highway Code.
@@billyporter1389 If it says "Do not" in the Highway Code (which it does) then that is a rule of the Highway Code.
@@simontuffen8243 Yes "do not" along with "should not" are rules. They are not law as must and must not are if you disobay that rule. Neither are "do not" rules backed up with an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence.
@@billyporter1389 Yes, they may not be specific laws but if you break the rules of the Highway Code it could be construed by a court as breaking the law by dangerous driving or careless driving.