I have overtaken on the left on motorways a few times, but generally, only after following for minutes and with an empty lane between us, e.g. I'm in Lane 1, they're in lane 3 and nobody in Lane 2. In this circumstance, I think the risk of the overtake (which is definitely not zero) is lower than being anywhere near such a bad driver paying so little attention.
I think I remember Ashley Neal say on his channel (a long time ago) that this is ok. Sadly it's quite common that people are sitting in furthest right hand lanes and not overtaking people.
The biggest problem here is of course lane hogging you can guarantee a middle lane hogger ALWAYS hogs the 3rd lane on a 4 lane motorway with usually 2 lanes empty on the inside.
Ex police, ex lots of driving and motorcycle courses… everyone is getting fed up of having to make "allowances" (myself included) for chumps who are demonstrating poor driving. I’m not advocating anything here, but having to regularly make these allowances for too many who drive badly is causing the roads to be more dangerous than they should be.
"Overtaking on the inside is not the answer". That is your opinion. Is not committing any offence by undertaking. Would you expect a driver in lane 1 to slow down to the speed of a hogger in lane 4? If so then you are in favour of traffic congestion.
"Overtaking on the inside is not the answer" is not only James opinion, it is the opinion of the Highway Code. Have you ever actually read it? Do you believe that people should not serve long sentences in prison? If so, you are in favour of the death penalty. It's called a non sequitur. 😉
I've been on the M4 doing 70 in lane 1, no vehicles are in lane 2 but I've still been overtaking vehicles in lanes 3 & 4. Why can't these numpties get in the correct lane. Why do they pick a lane and a speed and just stick to that. Lane discipline on UK roads is an absolute joke.
Solve the problem of people hogging the overtaking lanes with nothing on their left and you also solve the problem of people overtaking on the left. You're focusing on the wrong thing...
What about the culture of lane hogging that people are becoming secure to follow and practice? No one says anything? You are right to a point! Easy to say, easy to point a finger to the second wrong but nothing is done to the first wrong! So many times I am going 55/60 mph on a motorway on left lane, than I need to jump to the furthest right lane to overtake a slower hogger on the middle lane and come back to the left lane? Is that safe for me?? No! I have to deal with the lanes changes and faster cars!!!! You still will say I am the dramatic one
I think one thing this debate shows is that drivers that do hog overtaking lanes should be charged more frequently than they are. Too many times I see vehicles traveling in the right hand lane, significantly below the speed limit, failing to move over to the left. If this has been going on for sometime it does encourage overtaking on the left. In the situation you described the motorcyclist was definitely in the wrong, they should have anticipated that the overtaking car ahead of them would be moving over after completing the overtake and waited longer. It is the vehicles hogging an overtaking lane and you have been slowly catching them up for miles with no sign of the driver ahead making any attempt to move back to the left hand lane that causes the most problems. But generally i do not like overtaking on the left and i am never in such a rush that i feel the need to do so.
Always find that, if anyone types a message and it’s not liked, all will jump on the bandwagon and be silly with comments. Problem is, it’s always the person undertaking that’s the subject and not the people lane hogging.
Absolutely agree with you but what is the best course of action. Wait in lane one until the lane hogger moves to lane one or go in behind and add to the lane of hoggers?
@@billhambelton7698 a definite conundrum! With my learners we wait in lane 1 at a distance that if they suddenly move back in it’s no problem. If it’s really bad there’s no issue with positioning behind the lane hogger and a quick flash of the headlights. It’s different to intimidating and forcing someone to give way. I’ve not felt the need to do it but it’s another option, admittedly only more confident drivers seem to like that option
@@JamesSimpkinsADI If your lane 1 is totally empty ahead but you decide to move over behind the hogger then you are equally at fault for lane hogging. I've often came across lanes 2 and 3 doing around 50mph with lane 1 empty. Its you and drivers like you are the cause of this.
It's a no win situation here. If you move to lane 2 flash the hogger and they don't move over you become part of the same problem. If you stay in lane 1 in a staggered formation you are blocking other drivers from undertaking. Additionally you will eventually get lorries tailgating you. Would you also be deemed by the police for not making proper progress by holding up traffic in lane 1?
@@JamesSimpkinsADI Slowing down for no reason is driving without reasonable consideration for other road users which is Careless Driving. Moving over to a lane on your right to become another hogger is committing the same offence. Your idea of undertaking outside congested traffic being Careless Driving has no backup.
I don't give two hoots. I agree with your "correspondent". I'm sick and fed up of lane hoggers impeding my progress. I recently did 5 miles (ish) in lane 1 of the 4 lane M6 in Cheshire at a steady 75 and must have undertaken 200 vehicles. Crazy. YOU are focussed on the wrong problem,.
@@GerardKelly-q4w The prosecution would be for Careless Driving / Driving Without Due Care and Attention. Please actually watch James' video before you rush to comment. 😉
@@bobjohnbowles with only 2 cars on the carriageway of a motorway the one in lane 1 is doing 70mph and passing a hogger doing 60 in lane 4. Are you trying to say the one in lane 1 is committing the offence of Dangerous Driving??????
I was travelling to Sheffield on the M67 this week I'm in the left lane there's a car ahead in the middle I over took on the right ,signalled then moved left signalled and move left again he got the message and moved left. It's not hard and it's safer
What about rule 264 "keep in the left lane unless you are overtaking" what if I'm in left lane going the speed limit no one a head of me to miles and because drivers in the middle and right lane aren't keeping up with the speed limit I'm now "over taking on the left" how is that my fault when I'm going by the rlues and other drivers are the reason this is happening? Like your content keep up the great work
@@MarvinV180 I agree that’s the tricky scenario and bad lane discipline is of course the problem. But yes you would still be overtaking on the left, I do feel in these sorts of situations if there was a traffic officer in sight they will weight up who is essentially doing the ‘more wrong’. Is it the person that overtakes on the left or is someone needlessly staying right and causing problems
James I use a major dual carriageway coming out of Manchester. Most of the major housing areas are off on the right hand side. Drivers adopt the right hand lane miles before their junction. I would prefer not to overtake on the left. On the rare occasions I've undertaken (overtake on the inside, quite a good term considering the consequences) I've flashed and horn sounded first. I know it's wrong but sometimes you are limited to the least worst action.
@COIcultist in a separate combent Ivexsaid wxactlyvthe same thing ie using lights and horn to let the cars in outer lanes aware of where you are. If they stay in outer lanes then cautiously overtake on the left.
@@Mrhullsie2I think he means he is in lane 1 and that lane is empty ahead of him as far as he can see because everyone else is travelling in lane 2 and 3 etc.
For those who think undertaking is Careless Driving which is illegal btw, have any of you ever come across a sign on any road that said *No Overtaking On Left*?
If the muppets in the outside lane moved over when the inside lane is clear, then we would not have a problem. They are the problem and somehow they need educating.
Overtaking on the left often occurs in congested traffic; where is the difference between congested and flowing? We have all witnessed (and likely taken advantage of) better flowing lanes and moved lanes accordingly. Does this mean we are flouting the law when moving from lane 2 to lane 1 because lane 1 is moving better (faster)? If you are just under the speed limit in lane 1 but encounter slower traffic bunching up in lanes 3 and 4 (M25, between J15-J16), do you seriously slow your progress to manoeuvre around the hazard or maintain your safe, legal speed and continue on your journey? Video appreciated but for me, the 'changed attitude' shows no difference to poor spatial awareness; when people dive in after an overtake, forcing you to brake sharply or pull out in front of you to overtake you just as you were about to pass them. The real issue and focus should be implementation of the law with lane hoggers. I personally have no problem with this form of revenue collection- alas, we do not have the personnel to implement the law.
It's about time the Highway Code is changed in this regard. The ambiguity leads people to not know when passing on the left is or isn't acceptable and clearly leads to some people not understanding that vehicles may pass them on the left. This is what causes accidents, not the act of passing on the left, which is not an inherently more dangerous manoeuvre than passing on the right. If people expect that traffic may pass them on either side, the risk evaporates.
Ye, people do know there could be a car coming up on their left hand side. If they are in lane 2 of a single or dual carriageway and a bus lane comes to an end do you seriously think those in lane 2 that want to take the next left don't check to their left?
The HC allows undertaking of slow moving traffic but it’s impossible to define the difference between this and normal traffic conditions. That’s why it’s ambiguous and why they can’t make undertaking an RTA offence.
@@Tailspin80 I'm going to imagine you are an an intelligent and observant driver (however unlikely that is given you think it is impossible to define congestion) and ask if you are being followed by a marked police car where would you pass a traffic on the left? Rule 163 Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so 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. 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.
With the congested roads we have the U.K., moving from outer lane to the inside lane, you invariably have to slow down to the traffic speed in the lane you have moved into. You then have to wait patiently for the traffic in the outside to pass which may be a steady stream of traffic. Indicating right doesn’t seem to make a blind bit of difference to the traffic in the outside lane and you can almost sense they are saying mug for moving into the inner lane as they pass.
If you pull out to overtake, while someone is catching up in the outside lane (which you are moving in to), you will hold them up. Essentially, you don't want to wait, but prefer to make someone else hold back for you.
From an insurance point of view, the insurance company of a policyholder changing lanes resulting in a collision will take 100% liability, regardless of the direction of lane change. This is true even if someone else is not 'in the correct lane' since changing lanes is an active decision at the time of the collision, rather than a passive cause, and needs to be done with due care and attention. From a police point of view, maybe a left overtaker will be given a careless driving. The problem here is that there _are_ circumstances under which you can overtake on the left, including: On Non-Motorways: Remain in the lane and overtake if there is a queue moving more slowly on your right. On Motorways: Remain in the lane and overtake if there is congestion on lanes to the right. For a dual carriageway, the question then becomes is two (or more) cars on the lane to your right moving slower than you 'a queue moving more slowly on your right'? I think most would say yes, and the dictionary definition would agree (a line of people or vehicles). Of course, the stupidity comes when there is just one person on the right lane having a 'go slow' day - is that a queue? If not, you could have 50 cars in the left lane not able to overtake the one car in the right lane - until someone moves over to right to make it a queue. Rules need an update to remove the restriction. The overtaking rules already require care and due attention when doing so. Furthermore, the changing lanes also require care and due attention when doing so. The motorbike example provided here was the car's fault for changing lanes without due care and attention.
I had an experience of this. I was on motorway in right lane, went to move in but a car had come up on inside without me seeing them only just see them as it appeared in my mirror. He waved his arms at me.
I’ve just bought a Lexus with adaptive cruise control. It maintains a set distance to the vehicle ahead. However if you are in lane 2 and conditions allow you to drop to lane 1 it will happily charge off undertaking all the cars hogging lane 2! I imagine the system is the same for all countries the car is sold in and in most undertaking is acceptable. However in the U.K. it encourages you to pick a lane (typically lane 2) and stay there. Is this part of the reason that lane hogging is now so common?
4:58 I had someone undertake someone I had just overtaken and they then moved to lane 2 as I was also trying to move to lane 2. I sensed they were there, but they were completley in my blind spot and I could very easily have stuffed them into the central reservation.
if the bike went to pass on the left when the vehicle they were about to pass was indicating left prior to changing lane then the biker is an idiot, but this is also why you check your mirrors when changing lanes and also check over your shoulders to check the blind spot, yes then the biker is causing the issue, you still check before changing lane I would suggest this is also a somewhat different situation to say if the car had been in lane three for quite some time and the bike had been following had seen them there - not having seen them pull out to pass traffic in lane two with the presumption they will at some point move back. for reference this is also why bikes "filtering" at motorway speed is dangerous keep in mind also the highway code itself also specifically notes when you *can* pass on the left, so there is no blanket ban. as always context matters, specifically what the other vehicles around you are doing, speed, lane keeping, as far as you can tell spatial awareness, closing velocities etc for reference a family member is ex-police and when asked if you would get pulled for this noted "only if you were driving like a d^&k", the police are too busy, if you get pulled over its not for this, its the manor of your driving generally
Records are not kept for the separate offences under the umbrella term of Careless Driving. However, both undertaking and lane-hogging have been potentially liable to result in a charge for many decades.
@@saundersdachicken6197 Did you actually read my comment? I said that both lane-hogging and undertaking are prosecuted under the umbrella term of Careless Driving (Driving without due Care and Attention). However, although undertaking is an offence as it breaches one of the rules of the Highway Code, it is not illegal. Please indicate where I have suggested that undertaking is illegal.
@@richardsutton01 You certainly don't understand the highway code. In UK committing the offence of Careless or Dangerous is illegal. Both you and your driving instructor are talking rubbish
@@saundersdachicken6197 Indeed so. Careless and Dangerous Driving are both illegal in the UK. Please point out exactly where James or I have suggested otherwise. 🤣
"Overtaking" also needs clarifying to "actively overtaking", not "there's a car 200 yds up the road which I'll overtake in a few minutes, therefore I'm overtaking".
This year when driving down to Manchester airport. A car was sat on my left so I decided to accelerate a little to get past then as I went to move back left i noticed someone coming up the inside of the car i had gone past into my lane . I let them go past on the inside . I only seen them as I checked the blindspot area
Why wouldn't you check your left mirror and blind spot before moving to the left? You're told to do so when turning left or moving to the left on a road due to cyclists potentially passing on the left so why wouldn't you do so in case of a car? Cyclists shouldn't be passing cars about to turn, due to the risk of being clotheslined, but we're still told to check anyway. No different to a car doing the same thing.
@boostar155 I do check but all it takes is someone being in the blindspot that should not be there . People are human and mistakes happen that's why you don't do things you shouldn't
Take the two lane section of the A74M. I've seen people stuck in the outside lane below the limit not overtaking and various cars come up and sit behind them, flash several times with absolutely no reaction. There comes a point where you have to pass on the left with care because the person blocking the outside lane is never moving over. Its a 30 mile stretch of Motorway before it opens into 3-lanes. Would you in that situation sit for mile after mile after mile after mile after mile after...?
The rubbish that's spluttering around about this subject is unbelievable. According to Mr Instructor you have to move over to lane 2 and join the hogger, flash your lights for a few minutes hoping he will move back. If he doesn't then you can move back to 1 and undertake. Yet he says to do that is careless driving. All the traffic behind you has to do the same.
When learning to drive I was always taught that I could “undertake” if my lane is going to a different direction to the lane to my right. As long as I don’t then change lanes to get ahead of the driver to my right. Is that right?
@@philipwisdom7146 potentially, but the advice in the HWC under rule 160 is to only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front of you is signalling to turn right and there is room to do so. If you feel happy the vehicle is doing what you think it is, then it can be ok. I’m always thinking about people not from the area who may suddenly realise they’re in the wrong lane. Definitely agree if you don’t then change lanes to get ahead, as that get get you pulled
Worst situation I come across regularly is on dual carriageways heading towards a roundabout, of which we have loads here. People are turning right at the roundabout and move into lane 2 a mile beforehand and may get up to 60mph. They won't move over if you get behind and flash them or anything because "they are turning right in a moment". In that case I declare you are queuing for the roundabout, making you a queue of 1, so my lane can go past you 😋
🤔 A mile beforehand at 60 mph is one minute. Seems appropriate timing to get into the right lane before it gets blocked. You're not exactly going to be able to get past particularly quickly if they're going that fast, and you'd also need to still have enough time too after completing the manœuvre to be able to slow down or even stop at the roundabout yourself. 😢 They could help everyone out by signaling early for the turn, though.
3:30 The bike moves lane 3 -> 2 in order to undertake and that’s why it’s dangerous and specifically against the HC. It’s very different from cruising up lane 1 and passing a queue of lane hoggers in lane 2 at a low relative speed differential. In that scenario there is only one risk - that they pull across in front of you - and is easily dealt with by braking. If you do the same thing in lane 2 it is much more risky. Cars are likely to move out from lane 1 and drop back from lane 3 simultaneously into your path. This can happen anyway even if you are obeying the rules but is extra dangerous if you are undertaking in lane 2. At around 5:20 you talk about lane 2 and the overtaking lane (lane 3?) as if they are different in some way. They aren’t. All lanes apart from lane 1 are overtaking lanes and you’re not supposed to stay in them unless you’re overtaking. Is that where the mentality of lane 2 lane hogging starts from?
I understand why lane changes are classified as being risky, although not high risk By changing your position on the road you are in effect changing the landscape for other road users. Until they reobserve then there is that slight increase of risk. Any risk can always be mitigated by timing the lane change to be least obtrusive upon others and also allowing sufficient time for others to realise your position change - indicate first before changing lane rather than together for example and gradually accelerating to your overtake rather than immediately boot it passed In terms of remaining in the lane and passing on the left rather than performing lane changes and passing on the right, the latter has far less risk than the former
@JamesSimpkinsADI What I mean is there is risk inherent in any change of position or lane. It may be very small, almost zero even, but it will **never** be zero. There is always **some** risk.
@JamesSimpkinsADI I could also play devils advocate here and say, well most people don't appreciate the risk when overtaking. Isn't that the point of the video?
@@chrisl1797 and especially overtaking on a single carriageway road!! My dad always said that motorways are the safest roads because even though you are travelling at much higher speeds, you are all travelling in the same direction with mainly three lanes, no lights or roundabouts or sharp corners and a head shoulder (in the good old days) for refuge/emergency.
After passing my driving test, I’ve been driving past about 30 cars every day on the left for 30 years. It feels much safer to undertake (pass on the left) than to overtake (pass on the right) because there’s no hard shoulder to escape to if middle-lane drivers suddenly move into my lane. When I try to overtake these middle-lane drivers (who the police ignore even though the left lane is clear), I end up in more danger. Even if I stick to the legal speed limit, faster drivers who break the speed limit often undertake me from behind. So, trying to follow the rules actually leads to more lane changes, which makes everyone angrier and causes more dangerous situations. You say that changing lanes shouldn’t be risky, but also admit that even experienced drivers can get caught out. A more relaxed attitude towards undertaking, like in the USA, would allow more lanes to be used and reduce congestion. In the UK, everyone crams into the right lane, leaving the left lane free. The UK should respect car drivers more and adopt a system that uses all lanes effectively.
@@DeeSock I would say that even experienced drivers get caught out but much more likely that someone overtaking on the left will be more risky, especially if someone isn’t paying full attention which seems only too common. Generally I would say countries that see overtaking on the left (right if they drive opposite to us) as a non issue have much more land space. If you take the US it’s huge and so our roads are much more condensed. It’s why we have things such as flaring and filter lanes that many counties see as dangerous. To us it’s a necessity to allow large volumes of traffic across junctions etc .
@@JamesSimpkinsADIThen I would give the example of New Zealand, where undertaking is also permitted. Interestingly, their motorways and highways have a design standard of 3.5 meters for lane width, compared to the UK's 3.65 meters. Despite these wider lanes, I feel much safer undertaking because it allows me to evade inattentive drivers. In my 30 years of driving, I have never had to use the hard shoulder to escape, but it's reassuring to have that option available.
@@seankinvarra1123 I certainly wouldn’t be, but the problem is so many people drive nowadays without full attention. Some of the attitudes are genuinely worrying.
Some people don't pay full attention when overtaking. Neither do they pay full attention turning right or left, changing lanes, pulling out. Most collisions (not accidents) are caused by drivers not paying full attention. Should all those manouvers be made illegal. Go om then, prove your point is correct and ask your viewers and see how many agree with you.
I could easily be taken by surprise when someone is coming up fast on the right as I'm preparing to overtake. However, when moving back to my left I'm less likely to expect someone will be gaining on me on the left like that, so I could easily fail to notice how quickly they're coming up on me before I move in. As I've signalled my intention to move correctly back into the left lane, I'm also anticipating that I'll be able to move back in to complete my manœuvre.
@@gregoryfriston7091 If a collision was to happen it would be caused by changing lanes carelessly and not by the undertaking vehicle. If you had a good driving instructor you would have been told to always check to your left and behind when returning, thats something you shouldn't have to be told. It's not rocket science to know to check to your left. This "less likely" myth was used when not all cars were fitted with a side view mirror and for that reason it was illegal to pass on left. That was a half a century ago.
@@seankinvarra1123You're just conducting a poll. There's probably no need to write opinion pieces on the individual contributions. What do you hope to be able to do with the results of this survey?
It's not congested conditions??!! There are two cars that are blocking any car from overtaking them so, in my view that is congestion! So far, I have not been told by you as to what speed the cars in lane 2 were travelling at. So if they are travelling below the speed limit, say by 10 mph then that could be classed as slow moving traffic. There was a lot of discussion in your previous video as there being no legal definition of slow moving or congested traffic. So that needs to be cleared up of the matter of 'careless driving' was challenged and it went to court. What I am with you 100% is the potential danger of overtaking on the left is that the car on the outside may unexpectedly pull back you could to the inside/lane 1 and then there is the potential for a collision. To mitigate against that you could approach those cars in lane 2 and flash your headlights to let them know of your presence. Similarly, you could approach in lane 1, flash headlights and then when you get closer, say a few car lengths away, use your horn to again confirm your presence. If there is still no move back to lane 1 by those cars then I would undertake at a slow speed difference, say 5 mph, and keep a close eye on the movements of either car, ready to use your horn should they move over. I'm just about to watch the other video that you gave the link to. For that person to say outright that you CANNOT undertake on the motorway just simply contradicts what the Highway Code says you CAN do and this is that in congested conditions, even at 50/60 mph, you can get lanes 1 or 2 moving faster than lane 2 or 3 and that is permissible to 'undertake' in this situation. But again you need to be very vigilant aof any tendency for the car in the outer lane to move over.
@richardsutton01 then you define what is congestion and what isn't!!! For me congestion is anything that impedes your natural progression. Those two cars sitting in lane 2 with lane 1 clear is impeding the progress of someone wishing to go faster.
@richardsutton01 it takes two to tango and two to queue!!! In the graphic that was shown it was showing at least two cars in lane 2. So, to reiterate for the third time, for me, that is queuing AND congestion. And if you were asked in a court of law to define congestion, would that be your answer, "its not difficult to envisage congestion, your honour", because you would not last very long if that was your answer!!
@@johncranna9427 If I tried to suggest to the Judge that congestion could be defined as two cars travelling along, one behind the other, I would last an even shorter time. 😉 I'm not sure how you're replying to these comments but if the name of the person starting with @ is not blue in your response, they won't be notified that you have replied.
A couple of years ago, I was driving to London on the M40 in a hired Fiesta. The 3 lane motorway was busy but speeds were high (>60mph). I had just overtaken a car hogging the middle lane which was travelling at approximately 65mph. After overtaking I signalled left to go into the middle lane (lane assist was on). I then signalled left again to go into lane 1. I hadn’t spotted an undertaker speeding up lane 1. It was close! My observations should have been better so I was partly to blame for the incident as well as the undertaker and lane hogger. The rear visibility in the Fiesta was laughable but I can tell you that I now look more carefully before moving left after the incident!
When they come up behind you when you're in a line of traffic in the right lane, and pull into someone else's stopping distance in the left lane so that they can cut in front of you. Happens all the time.😢
If you are waiting to pass a lane-hogger in the right-most lane, you should not pull over to the left as you should not overtake in any those lanes. However, someone else who does not understand the Highway Code rules might well undertake both you and the lane-hogger.
@@GerardKelly-q4w Indeed so. Undertaking on any of the lanes to the left of the lane hogger is an offence against the Highway Code as it breaches one of the "should not" rules. However, it is not a legal offence, per se, as it does not breach a "must not" rule.
@@peterstarmes7110 it is, I mainly use that reference as it is applicable on Dual carriageways where there is no middle lane
7 днів тому
(right-driving country comment) When I encounter a scenario where a driver is unnecessarily keeping to the left and there is ample room in the rightmost lane, I flash my lights in two very short flashes, from afar. Typically, this cues drivers "chilling" in overtaking lanes to reconsider the traffic situation and move over. However, if the situation is a 3- or 4-lane motorway and the cruising car is in lane 2, I do the "around the world" maneuver - overtake that vehicle spanning all lanes. This requires a bit of a setup, so I yield to anyone else who wants to proceed, and as needed, perform mirror and shoulder checks for every lane I intend to cross, both directions. Important here is to keep signaling and being visible to the cruising vehicle, but *not too close nor agressively fast* . If anyone had to lift off the gas, that means I hindered them, meaning I was being reckless. These cruising cars are typically someone who set up their cruise control and is on their phone, so you have to attract their attention without forcing them into any action. Whatever it is you do, be it legal in your country or illegal, it has to be done with two priorities in mind: safety first, traffic flow second. If an officer stops me after doing "around the world" and questions my motives, I have a clear answer and justification to my actions.
In the scenario here the motorbike was in the wrong as he changed lanes to overtake on the left which was therefore technically an undertake. True the car driver should have checked the lane was clear before moving across. However, circumstances will always dictate whether or not IMO it is safe to overtake a middle-lane-hogger on the left which I will continue to do when I consider it is safe to do so. IMO it is the middle-lane-hogger who is committing the offence. I can't speak for all motorways but it seems the M4 is notorious for middle-lane-hoggers and many will simply sit for mile after mile in lane 2 or even lane 3 along the 4-lane section where there's not a hard shoulder. I've even been faced with someone out in lane 4 doing around 60mph causing mayhem behind as cars are braking and changing lanes - if lane 1 is totally clear I stay there and pass them by.
It is always wrong to overtake on the left apart from in the specific situations detailed in the Highway Code. It is an offence if you breach one of the Should/Do rules but not illegal. However, you still risk prosecution.
@@richardsutton01 I'm sorry but I disagree, it is not "always" wrong. The Highway Code states "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake" - yes, as changing lanes i.e. lane hopping is indeed driving without due care and attention. It goes on to say "traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right." Indeed, at 65mph I'm moving faster than a vehicle lane hogging at 60mph so it is permitted to "keep up with traffic in your lane" i.e. overtake the slower moving traffic on the left providing I "Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake." Having overtaken lane hoggers on the left many times I will continue to do so under certain conditions irrespective of the advice to "Overtake only on the right". Passing on the left any vehicle or vehicles doing 60mph whilst I'm doing 65mph is not as dangerous as weaving in and out of lanes lanes or being forced to join 70-80mph drivers in lane 3 simply to get past a middle-lane-hogger.
@@mda5003 Your first paragraph is describing one of the "specific situations detailed in the Highway Code" which I mentioned, often referred to as the "traffic moving in lanes" exception. Obviously, it's your decision to continue to overtake lane-hoggers on the left although, as explained by James in the video, it is never going to be as safe as following the rules. Just be aware, as James highlights, that you are risking prosecution for that manoeuvre.
@@richardsutton01 "Traffic moving in left-hand lanes" exception can also apply when there is just the one, two or more vehicles moving slower on the right which I'm passing on the left. That means I am "following the rules" and if the Highway Code says it is permitted how can weaving across lanes (from lane 1 to lane 2 then lane 3 and back across lane 2 to lane 1) be safer especially when it says do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake. In my opinion (and others) I do not believe I am risking prosecution when I am following the rules as laid out in the Highway Code when it is the middle-lane hogger who is breaking the law and it is he/she who is risking prosecution. A better solution would be to either re-write this specific condition in the HC or, as with other countries, enable over-taking on either side at all times and put an end to middle-lane hoggers once and for all!
Catastrophic. consequences could happen when overtaking too. Should we not do that either? Whatever could happen while undertaking could also happen while overtaking.
If that police officer said undertaking is committing the offence. careless driving then it must be illegal. He never even mentions congested or slow moving.
He **just said** you can undertake when **your lane** is moving **slower** than the other lanes!!!! I watched it three times to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
@@richardsutton01 No undertaking is not committing a criminal offence. If it was it would be illegal. The Highway Code is rules are not law. They are backed up by law if they are Must/Must Not rules.
Hi D I UK , this problem with unskilled inattentive drivers staying out in a lane when thee is nothing in the left hand lane has been a problem for as long as I can remember, it has always been particularly bad on motorways probably because learner driver were never allowed to drive there before passing the test and the test never investigated the real skill and confidence of candidates. Back in the old days there were not so many major dual carriageways and motorways so they played a relatively minor role in daily driving, now that has all changed so much with the added much uncreased traffic coupled with the blatant disregard for the seventy limit by a much larger proportion of drivers what I see now all too often is masses of cars in the outside lane nose to tail, none of them able to overtake. I would suggest that measures be taken to penalise any driver who drives in the overtaking lanes when there is space to the left even if sticking at the speed limit, it might also be a good idea to enforce the two second rule to ensure that all drivers leave safe spaces between themselves and other cars. If properly enforced once established the 'need' to pass on the inside should evaporate. Cheers, Richard
my annoyance is the police are more likely to go for someone overtaking on the left than someone lane hogging because it is more simple to secure the conviction as there is case law supporting them. the lane hogging law is new, comes with 3 points and £100, but it seems from what i have seen the police dont enforce it as much as they should. my dad was an advanced driving instructor back in the army in the 70s, in the 90s and early 2000s we were watching police camera action and the video was of a car overtaking 4 or 5 lorrys, in the wet, with an impatient driver behind them because the car in front was not at the speed limit, and the police car was behind both of them. they were watching the impatient car move to lane 1 of 2 lanes, then back out to lane 2, as they could not complete an overtake on the left, until eventually after the lorrys the lead car stayed in lane 2, so the impatient car overtook on the left and then the police went and pulled that driver over. my dad felt and me too, the lead car in that situation was failing to make progress and causing the problem at the end by not moving back to lane 1 and the police did nothing about it. when we were driving together and we seen lane hogging, sometimes we even seen police pull a driver over but it was not the lane hog, it was the driver overtaking on the left, and it always annoyed my dad that the lane hogs are not getting educated, they dont think they are doing a wrong, they dont realise the risks they are creating by staying in a lane when they should be moving out of it.
That police officer **just said** you can undertake when **your lane** is moving **slower** than the other lanes!!!! I watched it three times to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
Well I was just about to watch it because I could not believe that an ex police office would say carte blanche that you absolutely cannot undertake on the motorway so there is a lot of obfuscation by this instructor!! The Highway Code specifically states that you can undertake in congested conditions!!
That's correct and detailed in the Highway Code. I don't understand why you had to watch it three times as everyone should know the Highway Code rules.
@richardsutton01 because James, the driving instructor whose video it is said that the police officer said that you CANNOT undertake on a motorway without realising that the police said, quite clearly at the beginning of their video, that you CAN undertake on the inside with congested traffic, so the instructor completely shot himself in the foot and we're all waiting for him to come back and apologise for this massive gaff!!
@@johncranna9427 James is perfectly well aware of what the undertaking permitted circumstances are and has covered the rules in detail in his previous videos. He excludes the "congested conditions" scenario in this latest video but cannot be expected to repeat all the content of his other videos which address when you can overtake on the left.
He qualified his statement. He didn’t use the word “congestion” but that’s what he meant. Maybe he didn’t express himself completely clearly but it wasn’t a scripted video, so he’s going to make mistakes. The Highway Code is clear and this driving instructor is expressing it correctly.
If people can't use lanes correctly and can't maintain their speed then they will find vehicles travelling in the lane(s) to their left at a continuous appropriate for the conditions speed will pass them by, i will be one of them. This is nothing at all to do with undertaking as such, which usually means someone cutting across lanes and back again after overtaking to the nearside, it is simply maintaining normal progress when incompetent others can't won't. Long term long distance drivers are fed up to the back teeth having to fanny about trying to get around the incompetent who cause mayhem wherever they go, one of the biggest bugbears is so many now can't maintain normal progress.
Passing vehicles at a continuous speed appropriate for the conditions on the left is everything to do with undertaking, which definitely does not only mean someone cutting across lanes and back again after overtaking to the nearside, although it does include that manoeuvre.
@@richardsutton01 If we faffed around trying to move across all three lanes to overtake yet another of the thousands of lane hoggers offering their 100 miles a week display of road un-safety out there, there would be accidents galore due to the inevitable waves such maneuvers create. Apart from that artics and buses are not allowed in the 3rd lane of a motorway, so presumably half of them in a convoy behind said road hog is preferable to everyone with work to do just getting on with it. I'm beginning to see why driving standards have dropped to an all time low.
@@lewlewis6511 I agree about driving standards being low but that might well be due to drivers not following the rules laid down in the Highway Code. 😉
No, if I see someone lane hogging, I assume they're doing it deliberately to control and aggravate those behind them, because if they are doing this, they're going to try to stop anyone "undertaking" them, it depends on the car, you can just tell by the type of car, the type of driver. If it's a German car 2+ years old, then 99% they're doing it deliberately. If it's something like a Honda Jazz, doing 40 in a 70, it's an elderly driver, if the same car is doing 65, then it's a takeaway delivery driver with no UK license and no insurance. Stereotyping is generally bad, but it's a good place to start when you need to quickly assess the danger another driver poses. I would say 80% of the time, all I have to do is approach in lane 1 OR feign a left lane change and the offending driver will move over to block just as I move into lane 2 and overtake them. This idea that they're not paying attention, that they're unaware, sets you up for failure, the majority are doing it to control those behind them, because they think they're right and they want to impose their righteousness on other people. My most recent accident was caused by a van driver who thought I was in the wrong lane on a roundabout and so tried to punish me by overtaking me on the roundabout and forcing me off the road, suffice to say my front/rear dashcam setup proved very useful. The biggest problem in the UK, is the "my way code", that's the socially derived version of the highway code, a mix of bad ideas, stupidity, hearsay and habitual behaviour, combined with the latest trend of needing to be the victim all the time.
@@Tailspin80 I think i'm just trying to get to my destination without someone doing their best to make that process as hard as possible. I tend to be cutting it quite close most mornings on my drive to work, I have 30 minutes between my sons before school club opening at 7:30am and starting work at 8am, I need to be in that car park by 7:50am for the 10min walk from my car, through security and clocking in, I have 20 minutes to do what is an 11 minute drive without traffic, so I usually get there with a couple of minutes to spare, as long as people aren't lane hogging the dual carriageway at 40mph. The more of a hurry you seem to be in, the more likely you are to come across someone who wants to cause agro. Common one liners I hear: - It's a limit not a target - It's not a race - Leave earlier Yeah, next time I take my son on holiday in Wales, i'll leave 4 hours early to account for slow drivers, i'll pack lunch and a portable toilet too, god knows what i'll do with the dog, he'll have to hold it in for the 7 hour drive that Google thinks should take 3.
@@Strider9655 It does sound like you’re in a hurry, even when you’re not really in a hurry. The lane hogging problem is a motorway issue not a school run issue and the real problem with motorways as they near capacity is that they break down into chaotic stop/start traffic patterns. Under these conditions you can dart from lane to lane, play games and get angry with other drivers but it won’t make a blind bit of difference to your journey time. A 3 hour journey will still take 7 hours on a bank holiday Friday. I try and adopt more of a “go with the flow” approach. I’ll cruise up lane 1 undertaking if I can do it safely, or I’ll go with lane 2 or 3 if that’s working out. I try and avoid the temptation to compete or get wound up by aggressive and unreasonable drivers. Just let them go. Driving is boring and they are probably just trying to make it more exciting.
I was once undertaken and overtaken at the same time by 2 younger lads racing and having not long passed my test found that so scary. I did not have dash cams then but got them fitted afterwards.
In this context the spelling is correct, as used in the acting profession where your turn to speak is known as your cue. A line of people or vehicles is known as a queue.
@JamesSimpkinsADI James, what evidence do you have that proves motorists are unlikely or less likely to check to their left when moving yo a left lane.
I have overtaken on the left on motorways a few times, but generally, only after following for minutes and with an empty lane between us, e.g. I'm in Lane 1, they're in lane 3 and nobody in Lane 2. In this circumstance, I think the risk of the overtake (which is definitely not zero) is lower than being anywhere near such a bad driver paying so little attention.
I think I remember Ashley Neal say on his channel (a long time ago) that this is ok. Sadly it's quite common that people are sitting in furthest right hand lanes and not overtaking people.
The biggest problem here is of course lane hogging you can guarantee a middle lane hogger ALWAYS hogs the 3rd lane on a 4 lane motorway with usually 2 lanes empty on the inside.
Ex police, ex lots of driving and motorcycle courses… everyone is getting fed up of having to make "allowances" (myself included) for chumps who are demonstrating poor driving. I’m not advocating anything here, but having to regularly make these allowances for too many who drive badly is causing the roads to be more dangerous than they should be.
"Overtaking on the inside is not the answer". That is your opinion. Is not committing any offence by undertaking. Would you expect a driver in lane 1 to slow down to the speed of a hogger in lane 4? If so then you are in favour of traffic congestion.
"Overtaking on the inside is not the answer" is not only James opinion, it is the opinion of the Highway Code. Have you ever actually read it?
Do you believe that people should not serve long sentences in prison? If so, you are in favour of the death penalty. It's called a non sequitur. 😉
I've been on the M4 doing 70 in lane 1, no vehicles are in lane 2 but I've still been overtaking vehicles in lanes 3 & 4. Why can't these numpties get in the correct lane. Why do they pick a lane and a speed and just stick to that. Lane discipline on UK roads is an absolute joke.
Solve the problem of people hogging the overtaking lanes with nothing on their left and you also solve the problem of people overtaking on the left. You're focusing on the wrong thing...
What about the culture of lane hogging that people are becoming secure to follow and practice? No one says anything? You are right to a point! Easy to say, easy to point a finger to the second wrong but nothing is done to the first wrong!
So many times I am going 55/60 mph on a motorway on left lane, than I need to jump to the furthest right lane to overtake a slower hogger on the middle lane and come back to the left lane? Is that safe for me?? No! I have to deal with the lanes changes and faster cars!!!! You still will say I am the dramatic one
I'm usually 55-60 on a motorway and have encountered the same. I usually give a couple of flashes of headlights which sometimes works.
I think one thing this debate shows is that drivers that do hog overtaking lanes should be charged more frequently than they are. Too many times I see vehicles traveling in the right hand lane, significantly below the speed limit, failing to move over to the left. If this has been going on for sometime it does encourage overtaking on the left.
In the situation you described the motorcyclist was definitely in the wrong, they should have anticipated that the overtaking car ahead of them would be moving over after completing the overtake and waited longer. It is the vehicles hogging an overtaking lane and you have been slowly catching them up for miles with no sign of the driver ahead making any attempt to move back to the left hand lane that causes the most problems.
But generally i do not like overtaking on the left and i am never in such a rush that i feel the need to do so.
Always find that, if anyone types a message and it’s not liked, all will jump on the bandwagon and be silly with comments. Problem is, it’s always the person undertaking that’s the subject and not the people lane hogging.
Absolutely agree with you but what is the best course of action. Wait in lane one until the lane hogger moves to lane one or go in behind and add to the lane of hoggers?
@@billhambelton7698 a definite conundrum! With my learners we wait in lane 1 at a distance that if they suddenly move back in it’s no problem. If it’s really bad there’s no issue with positioning behind the lane hogger and a quick flash of the headlights. It’s different to intimidating and forcing someone to give way. I’ve not felt the need to do it but it’s another option, admittedly only more confident drivers seem to like that option
@@JamesSimpkinsADI If your lane 1 is totally empty ahead but you decide to move over behind the hogger then you are equally at fault for lane hogging. I've often came across lanes 2 and 3 doing around 50mph with lane 1 empty. Its you and drivers like you are the cause of this.
@ that’s your opinion , backed up by no facts. The facts state otherwise.
It's a no win situation here. If you move to lane 2 flash the hogger and they don't move over you become part of the same problem. If you stay in lane 1 in a staggered formation you are blocking other drivers from undertaking. Additionally you will eventually get lorries tailgating you. Would you also be deemed by the police for not making proper progress by holding up traffic in lane 1?
@@JamesSimpkinsADI Slowing down for no reason is driving without reasonable consideration for other road users which is Careless Driving. Moving over to a lane on your right to become another hogger is committing the same offence.
Your idea of undertaking outside congested traffic being Careless Driving has no backup.
I don't give two hoots. I agree with your "correspondent". I'm sick and fed up of lane hoggers impeding my progress. I recently did 5 miles (ish) in lane 1 of the 4 lane M6 in Cheshire at a steady 75 and must have undertaken 200 vehicles. Crazy.
YOU are focussed on the wrong problem,.
It is obviously your decision, and yours alone, to not follow the Highway Code rules and thereby risk a prosecution.
Rubbish, he would not be committing any offence. If you think otherwise what law has he broken?
@@GerardKelly-q4w The prosecution would be for Careless Driving / Driving Without Due Care and Attention. Please actually watch James' video before you rush to comment. 😉
Doing something dangerous so your progress is not impeded makes you the problem. Better five minutes late than permanently late.
@@bobjohnbowles with only 2 cars on the carriageway of a motorway the one in lane 1 is doing 70mph and passing a hogger doing 60 in lane 4. Are you trying to say the one in lane 1 is committing the offence of Dangerous Driving??????
I was travelling to Sheffield on the M67 this week I'm in the left lane there's a car ahead in the middle I over took on the right ,signalled then moved left signalled and move left again he got the message and moved left. It's not hard and it's safer
What about rule 264 "keep in the left lane unless you are overtaking" what if I'm in left lane going the speed limit no one a head of me to miles and because drivers in the middle and right lane aren't keeping up with the speed limit I'm now "over taking on the left" how is that my fault when I'm going by the rlues and other drivers are the reason this is happening? Like your content keep up the great work
I don't quite follow. If there is no one ahead of you for miles then who are you overtaking?
@@MarvinV180 I agree that’s the tricky scenario and bad lane discipline is of course the problem. But yes you would still be overtaking on the left, I do feel in these sorts of situations if there was a traffic officer in sight they will weight up who is essentially doing the ‘more wrong’. Is it the person that overtakes on the left or is someone needlessly staying right and causing problems
James I use a major dual carriageway coming out of Manchester. Most of the major housing areas are off on the right hand side. Drivers adopt the right hand lane miles before their junction. I would prefer not to overtake on the left. On the rare occasions I've undertaken (overtake on the inside, quite a good term considering the consequences) I've flashed and horn sounded first. I know it's wrong but sometimes you are limited to the least worst action.
@COIcultist in a separate combent Ivexsaid wxactlyvthe same thing ie using lights and horn to let the cars in outer lanes aware of where you are. If they stay in outer lanes then cautiously overtake on the left.
@@Mrhullsie2I think he means he is in lane 1 and that lane is empty ahead of him as far as he can see because everyone else is travelling in lane 2 and 3 etc.
Drivers seem to be unaware that on many dual carriageways, there are right turns or the 2 lanes take different routes.
Nearly all dual carriageways except motorways have right turns.
@GerardKelly-q4w Some motorways have exits / entrances on the right. 2 in Greater Manchester on the M60 and M61.
For those who think undertaking is Careless Driving which is illegal btw, have any of you ever come across a sign on any road that said *No Overtaking On Left*?
There may have been signs saying that or similar when undertaking was illegal way way back pre 1972.
If the muppets in the outside lane moved over when the inside lane is clear, then we would not have a problem. They are the problem and somehow they need educating.
Overtaking on the left often occurs in congested traffic; where is the difference between congested and flowing? We have all witnessed (and likely taken advantage of) better flowing lanes and moved lanes accordingly. Does this mean we are flouting the law when moving from lane 2 to lane 1 because lane 1 is moving better (faster)?
If you are just under the speed limit in lane 1 but encounter slower traffic bunching up in lanes 3 and 4 (M25, between J15-J16), do you seriously slow your progress to manoeuvre around the hazard or maintain your safe, legal speed and continue on your journey?
Video appreciated but for me, the 'changed attitude' shows no difference to poor spatial awareness; when people dive in after an overtake, forcing you to brake sharply or pull out in front of you to overtake you just as you were about to pass them.
The real issue and focus should be implementation of the law with lane hoggers. I personally have no problem with this form of revenue collection- alas, we do not have the personnel to implement the law.
Please please don't speak common sense. He's confused between changing lanes and overtaking on left. He thinks they are both the same.
It's about time the Highway Code is changed in this regard.
The ambiguity leads people to not know when passing on the left is or isn't acceptable and clearly leads to some people not understanding that vehicles may pass them on the left. This is what causes accidents, not the act of passing on the left, which is not an inherently more dangerous manoeuvre than passing on the right.
If people expect that traffic may pass them on either side, the risk evaporates.
Where's the ambiguity?
Ye, people do know there could be a car coming up on their left hand side. If they are in lane 2 of a single or dual carriageway and a bus lane comes to an end do you seriously think those in lane 2 that want to take the next left don't check to their left?
@@seankinvarra1123 there should not be a car coming up on the left hand side.
The HC allows undertaking of slow moving traffic but it’s impossible to define the difference between this and normal traffic conditions. That’s why it’s ambiguous and why they can’t make undertaking an RTA offence.
@@Tailspin80 I'm going to imagine you are an an intelligent and observant driver (however unlikely that is given you think it is impossible to define congestion) and ask if you are being followed by a marked police car where would you pass a traffic on the left?
Rule 163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should
only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
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. 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.
With the congested roads we have the U.K., moving from outer lane to the inside lane, you invariably have to slow down to the traffic speed in the lane you have moved into. You then have to wait patiently for the traffic in the outside to pass which may be a steady stream of traffic. Indicating right doesn’t seem to make a blind bit of difference to the traffic in the outside lane and you can almost sense they are saying mug for moving into the inner lane as they pass.
If you pull out to overtake, while someone is catching up in the outside lane (which you are moving in to), you will hold them up. Essentially, you don't want to wait, but prefer to make someone else hold back for you.
From an insurance point of view, the insurance company of a policyholder changing lanes resulting in a collision will take 100% liability, regardless of the direction of lane change.
This is true even if someone else is not 'in the correct lane' since changing lanes is an active decision at the time of the collision, rather than a passive cause, and needs to be done with due care and attention.
From a police point of view, maybe a left overtaker will be given a careless driving. The problem here is that there _are_ circumstances under which you can overtake on the left, including:
On Non-Motorways: Remain in the lane and overtake if there is a queue moving more slowly on your right.
On Motorways: Remain in the lane and overtake if there is congestion on lanes to the right.
For a dual carriageway, the question then becomes is two (or more) cars on the lane to your right moving slower than you 'a queue moving more slowly on your right'?
I think most would say yes, and the dictionary definition would agree (a line of people or vehicles).
Of course, the stupidity comes when there is just one person on the right lane having a 'go slow' day - is that a queue? If not, you could have 50 cars in the left lane not able to overtake the one car in the right lane - until someone moves over to right to make it a queue.
Rules need an update to remove the restriction. The overtaking rules already require care and due attention when doing so. Furthermore, the changing lanes also require care and due attention when doing so. The motorbike example provided here was the car's fault for changing lanes without due care and attention.
I had an experience of this. I was on motorway in right lane, went to move in but a car had come up on inside without me seeing them only just see them as it appeared in my mirror. He waved his arms at me.
I’ve just bought a Lexus with adaptive cruise control. It maintains a set distance to the vehicle ahead. However if you are in lane 2 and conditions allow you to drop to lane 1 it will happily charge off undertaking all the cars hogging lane 2! I imagine the system is the same for all countries the car is sold in and in most undertaking is acceptable. However in the U.K. it encourages you to pick a lane (typically lane 2) and stay there. Is this part of the reason that lane hogging is now so common?
4:58 I had someone undertake someone I had just overtaken and they then moved to lane 2 as I was also trying to move to lane 2. I sensed they were there, but they were completley in my blind spot and I could very easily have stuffed them into the central reservation.
Anyone puzzling over must not, should not and do not. Well don't do any of them and you'll be OK!
if the bike went to pass on the left when the vehicle they were about to pass was indicating left prior to changing lane then the biker is an idiot, but this is also why you check your mirrors when changing lanes and also check over your shoulders to check the blind spot, yes then the biker is causing the issue, you still check before changing lane
I would suggest this is also a somewhat different situation to say if the car had been in lane three for quite some time and the bike had been following had seen them there - not having seen them pull out to pass traffic in lane two with the presumption they will at some point move back.
for reference this is also why bikes "filtering" at motorway speed is dangerous
keep in mind also the highway code itself also specifically notes when you *can* pass on the left, so there is no blanket ban.
as always context matters, specifically what the other vehicles around you are doing, speed, lane keeping, as far as you can tell spatial awareness, closing velocities etc
for reference a family member is ex-police and when asked if you would get pulled for this noted "only if you were driving like a d^&k", the police are too busy, if you get pulled over its not for this, its the manor of your driving generally
How many people have been prosecuted for lane hogging?
How many people have been prosecuted for undertaking?
Since both restrictions were introduced.
Records are not kept for the separate offences under the umbrella term of Careless Driving. However, both undertaking and lane-hogging have been potentially liable to result in a charge for many decades.
@@richardsutton01
Undertaking is not an offence. The law that prohibited it was removed from the Statute Book over 50 years ago.
@@saundersdachicken6197 Did you actually read my comment? I said that both lane-hogging and undertaking are prosecuted under the umbrella term of Careless Driving (Driving without due Care and Attention).
However, although undertaking is an offence as it breaches one of the rules of the Highway Code, it is not illegal. Please indicate where I have suggested that undertaking is illegal.
@@richardsutton01 You certainly don't understand the highway code. In UK committing the offence of Careless or Dangerous is illegal. Both you and your driving instructor are talking rubbish
@@saundersdachicken6197 Indeed so. Careless and Dangerous Driving are both illegal in the UK. Please point out exactly where James or I have suggested otherwise. 🤣
"Overtaking" also needs clarifying to "actively overtaking", not "there's a car 200 yds up the road which I'll overtake in a few minutes, therefore I'm overtaking".
Do not overtake on the left (unless you're a cyclist, then you can fly past at any speed you want).
This year when driving down to Manchester airport. A car was sat on my left so I decided to accelerate a little to get past then as I went to move back left i noticed someone coming up the inside of the car i had gone past into my lane . I let them go past on the inside . I only seen them as I checked the blindspot area
@@wrightwoodwork good observations, silly on their part as you say they can be so easily missed
Why wouldn't you check your left mirror and blind spot before moving to the left? You're told to do so when turning left or moving to the left on a road due to cyclists potentially passing on the left so why wouldn't you do so in case of a car?
Cyclists shouldn't be passing cars about to turn, due to the risk of being clotheslined, but we're still told to check anyway. No different to a car doing the same thing.
@boostar155 I do check but all it takes is someone being in the blindspot that should not be there . People are human and mistakes happen that's why you don't do things you shouldn't
Dashcam? You can report that sort of thing.
The more people that do, the fewer idiots there will be 'undertaking'.
Take the two lane section of the A74M. I've seen people stuck in the outside lane below the limit not overtaking and various cars come up and sit behind them, flash several times with absolutely no reaction. There comes a point where you have to pass on the left with care because the person blocking the outside lane is never moving over. Its a 30 mile stretch of Motorway before it opens into 3-lanes. Would you in that situation sit for mile after mile after mile after mile after mile after...?
The rubbish that's spluttering around about this subject is unbelievable. According to Mr Instructor you have to move over to lane 2 and join the hogger, flash your lights for a few minutes hoping he will move back. If he doesn't then you can move back to 1 and undertake. Yet he says to do that is careless driving. All the traffic behind you has to do the same.
When learning to drive I was always taught that I could “undertake” if my lane is going to a different direction to the lane to my right. As long as I don’t then change lanes to get ahead of the driver to my right. Is that right?
@@philipwisdom7146 potentially, but the advice in the HWC under rule 160 is to only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front of you is signalling to turn right and there is room to do so.
If you feel happy the vehicle is doing what you think it is, then it can be ok. I’m always thinking about people not from the area who may suddenly realise they’re in the wrong lane.
Definitely agree if you don’t then change lanes to get ahead, as that get get you pulled
5:47 It is our duty of care not to put ourselves in harms way every time we go out on the road.
Worst situation I come across regularly is on dual carriageways heading towards a roundabout, of which we have loads here. People are turning right at the roundabout and move into lane 2 a mile beforehand and may get up to 60mph. They won't move over if you get behind and flash them or anything because "they are turning right in a moment".
In that case I declare you are queuing for the roundabout, making you a queue of 1, so my lane can go past you 😋
🤔 A mile beforehand at 60 mph is one minute. Seems appropriate timing to get into the right lane before it gets blocked. You're not exactly going to be able to get past particularly quickly if they're going that fast, and you'd also need to still have enough time too after completing the manœuvre to be able to slow down or even stop at the roundabout yourself. 😢 They could help everyone out by signaling early for the turn, though.
That's all now perfectly clear.....
Other countries allow under taking with no extra crashes.
3:30 The bike moves lane 3 -> 2 in order to undertake and that’s why it’s dangerous and specifically against the HC. It’s very different from cruising up lane 1 and passing a queue of lane hoggers in lane 2 at a low relative speed differential. In that scenario there is only one risk - that they pull across in front of you - and is easily dealt with by braking.
If you do the same thing in lane 2 it is much more risky. Cars are likely to move out from lane 1 and drop back from lane 3 simultaneously into your path. This can happen anyway even if you are obeying the rules but is extra dangerous if you are undertaking in lane 2.
At around 5:20 you talk about lane 2 and the overtaking lane (lane 3?) as if they are different in some way. They aren’t. All lanes apart from lane 1 are overtaking lanes and you’re not supposed to stay in them unless you’re overtaking. Is that where the mentality of lane 2 lane hogging starts from?
Passing on the left is different from overtaking.
"Passing on the left" is generally regarded as being the same as "overtaking on the left", and is often colloquially referred to as "undertaking".
@@richardsutton01 No passing on the left is what happens when in heavy traffic lanes move at different speeds
@@andrewgilbertson5356 Indeed. The cars in the faster lane on the left overtake the cars in the slower lane on the right. 👍
6:12 ANY lane change and ANY position change risky by definition.
@@chrisl1797 I’m trying to think of the last risky lane change I did, but can’t think of one even with learners 😅
I understand why lane changes are classified as being risky, although not high risk
By changing your position on the road you are in effect changing the landscape for other road users. Until they reobserve then there is that slight increase of risk. Any risk can always be mitigated by timing the lane change to be least obtrusive upon others and also allowing sufficient time for others to realise your position change - indicate first before changing lane rather than together for example and gradually accelerating to your overtake rather than immediately boot it passed
In terms of remaining in the lane and passing on the left rather than performing lane changes and passing on the right, the latter has far less risk than the former
@JamesSimpkinsADI What I mean is there is risk inherent in any change of position or lane. It may be very small, almost zero even, but it will **never** be zero. There is always **some** risk.
@JamesSimpkinsADI I could also play devils advocate here and say, well most people don't appreciate the risk when overtaking. Isn't that the point of the video?
@@chrisl1797 and especially overtaking on a single carriageway road!! My dad always said that motorways are the safest roads because even though you are travelling at much higher speeds, you are all travelling in the same direction with mainly three lanes, no lights or roundabouts or sharp corners and a head shoulder (in the good old days) for refuge/emergency.
After passing my driving test, I’ve been driving past about 30 cars every day on the left for 30 years. It feels much safer to undertake (pass on the left) than to overtake (pass on the right) because there’s no hard shoulder to escape to if middle-lane drivers suddenly move into my lane.
When I try to overtake these middle-lane drivers (who the police ignore even though the left lane is clear), I end up in more danger. Even if I stick to the legal speed limit, faster drivers who break the speed limit often undertake me from behind. So, trying to follow the rules actually leads to more lane changes, which makes everyone angrier and causes more dangerous situations.
You say that changing lanes shouldn’t be risky, but also admit that even experienced drivers can get caught out.
A more relaxed attitude towards undertaking, like in the USA, would allow more lanes to be used and reduce congestion. In the UK, everyone crams into the right lane, leaving the left lane free. The UK should respect car drivers more and adopt a system that uses all lanes effectively.
@@DeeSock I would say that even experienced drivers get caught out but much more likely that someone overtaking on the left will be more risky, especially if someone isn’t paying full attention which seems only too common.
Generally I would say countries that see overtaking on the left (right if they drive opposite to us) as a non issue have much more land space. If you take the US it’s huge and so our roads are much more condensed. It’s why we have things such as flaring and filter lanes that many counties see as dangerous. To us it’s a necessity to allow large volumes of traffic across junctions etc .
@@JamesSimpkinsADIThen I would give the example of New Zealand, where undertaking is also permitted. Interestingly, their motorways and highways have a design standard of 3.5 meters for lane width, compared to the UK's 3.65 meters. Despite these wider lanes, I feel much safer undertaking because it allows me to evade inattentive drivers. In my 30 years of driving, I have never had to use the hard shoulder to escape, but it's reassuring to have that option available.
@JamesSimpkinsADI.
Poll for all drivers - If you decide to move to a lane to your left, are you less likely to chech its safe to do so?
@@seankinvarra1123 I certainly wouldn’t be, but the problem is so many people drive nowadays without full attention. Some of the attitudes are genuinely worrying.
Some people don't pay full attention when overtaking. Neither do they pay full attention turning right or left, changing lanes, pulling out. Most collisions (not accidents) are caused by drivers not paying full attention. Should all those manouvers be made illegal.
Go om then, prove your point is correct and ask your viewers and see how many agree with you.
I could easily be taken by surprise when someone is coming up fast on the right as I'm preparing to overtake. However, when moving back to my left I'm less likely to expect someone will be gaining on me on the left like that, so I could easily fail to notice how quickly they're coming up on me before I move in. As I've signalled my intention to move correctly back into the left lane, I'm also anticipating that I'll be able to move back in to complete my manœuvre.
@@gregoryfriston7091 If a collision was to happen it would be caused by changing lanes carelessly and not by the undertaking vehicle. If you had a good driving instructor you would have been told to always check to your left and behind when returning, thats something you shouldn't have to be told. It's not rocket science to know to check to your left. This "less likely" myth was used when not all cars were fitted with a side view mirror and for that reason it was illegal to pass on left. That was a half a century ago.
@@seankinvarra1123You're just conducting a poll. There's probably no need to write opinion pieces on the individual contributions. What do you hope to be able to do with the results of this survey?
It's not congested conditions??!! There are two cars that are blocking any car from overtaking them so, in my view that is congestion! So far, I have not been told by you as to what speed the cars in lane 2 were travelling at. So if they are travelling below the speed limit, say by 10 mph then that could be classed as slow moving traffic. There was a lot of discussion in your previous video as there being no legal definition of slow moving or congested traffic. So that needs to be cleared up of the matter of 'careless driving' was challenged and it went to court.
What I am with you 100% is the potential danger of overtaking on the left is that the car on the outside may unexpectedly pull back you could to the inside/lane 1 and then there is the potential for a collision. To mitigate against that you could approach those cars in lane 2 and flash your headlights to let them know of your presence. Similarly, you could approach in lane 1, flash headlights and then when you get closer, say a few car lengths away, use your horn to again confirm your presence. If there is still no move back to lane 1 by those cars then I would undertake at a slow speed difference, say 5 mph, and keep a close eye on the movements of either car, ready to use your horn should they move over.
I'm just about to watch the other video that you gave the link to. For that person to say outright that you CANNOT undertake on the motorway just simply contradicts what the Highway Code says you CAN do and this is that in congested conditions, even at 50/60 mph, you can get lanes 1 or 2 moving faster than lane 2 or 3 and that is permissible to 'undertake' in this situation. But again you need to be very vigilant aof any tendency for the car in the outer lane to move over.
Definitely not congested conditions which involves traffic moving in lanes.
@richardsutton01 then you define what is congestion and what isn't!!! For me congestion is anything that impedes your natural progression. Those two cars sitting in lane 2 with lane 1 clear is impeding the progress of someone wishing to go faster.
@@johncranna9427 It's not that difficult to envisage what congested conditions are and it certainly involves traffic moving in queues in each lane.
@richardsutton01 it takes two to tango and two to queue!!! In the graphic that was shown it was showing at least two cars in lane 2. So, to reiterate for the third time, for me, that is queuing AND congestion.
And if you were asked in a court of law to define congestion, would that be your answer, "its not difficult to envisage congestion, your honour", because you would not last very long if that was your answer!!
@@johncranna9427 If I tried to suggest to the Judge that congestion could be defined as two cars travelling along, one behind the other, I would last an even shorter time. 😉
I'm not sure how you're replying to these comments but if the name of the person starting with @ is not blue in your response, they won't be notified that you have replied.
How can you be undertaken if you are driving correctly? If the left most lane has space you should be using it
A couple of years ago, I was driving to London on the M40 in a hired Fiesta. The 3 lane motorway was busy but speeds were high (>60mph). I had just overtaken a car hogging the middle lane which was travelling at approximately 65mph. After overtaking I signalled left to go into the middle lane (lane assist was on). I then signalled left again to go into lane 1. I hadn’t spotted an undertaker speeding up lane 1. It was close! My observations should have been better so I was partly to blame for the incident as well as the undertaker and lane hogger. The rear visibility in the Fiesta was laughable but I can tell you that I now look more carefully before moving left after the incident!
When they come up behind you when you're in a line of traffic in the right lane, and pull into someone else's stopping distance in the left lane so that they can cut in front of you. Happens all the time.😢
If you are waiting to pass a lane-hogger in the right-most lane, you should not pull over to the left as you should not overtake in any those lanes. However, someone else who does not understand the Highway Code rules might well undertake both you and the lane-hogger.
@@richardsutton01
Like the way you use "should not" overtake in any of those lanes 0:55 rather than "must not".
@@GerardKelly-q4w Indeed so. Undertaking on any of the lanes to the left of the lane hogger is an offence against the Highway Code as it breaches one of the "should not" rules. However, it is not a legal offence, per se, as it does not breach a "must not" rule.
Several times you refer to middle lane OR overtaking lane. Surely the middle lane is aslo an overtaking lane.
@@peterstarmes7110 it is, I mainly use that reference as it is applicable on Dual carriageways where there is no middle lane
(right-driving country comment)
When I encounter a scenario where a driver is unnecessarily keeping to the left and there is ample room in the rightmost lane, I flash my lights in two very short flashes, from afar. Typically, this cues drivers "chilling" in overtaking lanes to reconsider the traffic situation and move over.
However, if the situation is a 3- or 4-lane motorway and the cruising car is in lane 2, I do the "around the world" maneuver - overtake that vehicle spanning all lanes. This requires a bit of a setup, so I yield to anyone else who wants to proceed, and as needed, perform mirror and shoulder checks for every lane I intend to cross, both directions. Important here is to keep signaling and being visible to the cruising vehicle, but *not too close nor agressively fast* . If anyone had to lift off the gas, that means I hindered them, meaning I was being reckless.
These cruising cars are typically someone who set up their cruise control and is on their phone, so you have to attract their attention without forcing them into any action.
Whatever it is you do, be it legal in your country or illegal, it has to be done with two priorities in mind: safety first, traffic flow second. If an officer stops me after doing "around the world" and questions my motives, I have a clear answer and justification to my actions.
In the scenario here the motorbike was in the wrong as he changed lanes to overtake on the left which was therefore technically an undertake. True the car driver should have checked the lane was clear before moving across. However, circumstances will always dictate whether or not IMO it is safe to overtake a middle-lane-hogger on the left which I will continue to do when I consider it is safe to do so. IMO it is the middle-lane-hogger who is committing the offence. I can't speak for all motorways but it seems the M4 is notorious for middle-lane-hoggers and many will simply sit for mile after mile in lane 2 or even lane 3 along the 4-lane section where there's not a hard shoulder. I've even been faced with someone out in lane 4 doing around 60mph causing mayhem behind as cars are braking and changing lanes - if lane 1 is totally clear I stay there and pass them by.
It is always wrong to overtake on the left apart from in the specific situations detailed in the Highway Code. It is an offence if you breach one of the Should/Do rules but not illegal. However, you still risk prosecution.
@@richardsutton01 I'm sorry but I disagree, it is not "always" wrong. The Highway Code states "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake" - yes, as changing lanes i.e. lane hopping is indeed driving without due care and attention. It goes on to say "traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right." Indeed, at 65mph I'm moving faster than a vehicle lane hogging at 60mph so it is permitted to "keep up with traffic in your lane" i.e. overtake the slower moving traffic on the left providing I "Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake."
Having overtaken lane hoggers on the left many times I will continue to do so under certain conditions irrespective of the advice to "Overtake only on the right". Passing on the left any vehicle or vehicles doing 60mph whilst I'm doing 65mph is not as dangerous as weaving in and out of lanes lanes or being forced to join 70-80mph drivers in lane 3 simply to get past a middle-lane-hogger.
@@mda5003 Your first paragraph is describing one of the "specific situations detailed in the Highway Code" which I mentioned, often referred to as the "traffic moving in lanes" exception.
Obviously, it's your decision to continue to overtake lane-hoggers on the left although, as explained by James in the video, it is never going to be as safe as following the rules. Just be aware, as James highlights, that you are risking prosecution for that manoeuvre.
@@richardsutton01 "Traffic moving in left-hand lanes" exception can also apply when there is just the one, two or more vehicles moving slower on the right which I'm passing on the left. That means I am "following the rules" and if the Highway Code says it is permitted how can weaving across lanes (from lane 1 to lane 2 then lane 3 and back across lane 2 to lane 1) be safer especially when it says do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
In my opinion (and others) I do not believe I am risking prosecution when I am following the rules as laid out in the Highway Code when it is the middle-lane hogger who is breaking the law and it is he/she who is risking prosecution. A better solution would be to either re-write this specific condition in the HC or, as with other countries, enable over-taking on either side at all times and put an end to middle-lane hoggers once and for all!
Usually not replying is the closest people get to admitting they were wrong on here.
@@ChrisCaaa that’s exactly it!
Catastrophic. consequences could happen when overtaking too. Should we not do that either? Whatever could happen while undertaking could also happen while overtaking.
One manoeuvre is approved by the Highway Code and the other is not and potentially risks a prosecution. Is that not sufficient justification?
@@richardsutton01
Give an example of what a driver that's undertaking do to receive a prosecution?
@@GerardKelly-q4w Careless Driving / DWDCA would be the charge brought under the Road Traffic Acts.
If that police officer said undertaking is committing the offence. careless driving then it must be illegal. He never even mentions congested or slow moving.
He **just said** you can undertake when **your lane** is moving **slower** than the other lanes!!!! I watched it three times to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
Undertaking is committing an offence in relation to the rules in the Highway Code. However, that does not necessarily mean that it is illegal, per se.
@@chrisl1797 That is permitted under the Highway Code rules, although he obviously misspoke "slower" rather than "faster".
@@richardsutton01 No undertaking is not committing a criminal offence. If it was it would be illegal. The Highway Code is rules are not law. They are backed up by law if they are Must/Must Not rules.
@@RodrigoMandagus Please show me where I have ever said that undertaking is committing a criminal offence?
Hi D I UK , this problem with unskilled inattentive drivers staying out in a lane when thee is nothing in the left hand lane has been a problem for as long as I can remember, it has always been particularly bad on motorways probably because learner driver were never allowed to drive there before passing the test and the test never investigated the real skill and confidence of candidates.
Back in the old days there were not so many major dual carriageways and motorways so they played a relatively minor role in daily driving, now that has all changed so much with the added much uncreased traffic coupled with the blatant disregard for the seventy limit by a much larger proportion of drivers what I see now all too often is masses of cars in the outside lane nose to tail, none of them able to overtake. I would suggest that measures be taken to penalise any driver who drives in the overtaking lanes when there is space to the left even if sticking at the speed limit, it might also be a good idea to enforce the two second rule to ensure that all drivers leave safe spaces between themselves and other cars.
If properly enforced once established the 'need' to pass on the inside should evaporate.
Cheers, Richard
my annoyance is the police are more likely to go for someone overtaking on the left than someone lane hogging because it is more simple to secure the conviction as there is case law supporting them. the lane hogging law is new, comes with 3 points and £100, but it seems from what i have seen the police dont enforce it as much as they should.
my dad was an advanced driving instructor back in the army in the 70s, in the 90s and early 2000s we were watching police camera action and the video was of a car overtaking 4 or 5 lorrys, in the wet, with an impatient driver behind them because the car in front was not at the speed limit, and the police car was behind both of them. they were watching the impatient car move to lane 1 of 2 lanes, then back out to lane 2, as they could not complete an overtake on the left, until eventually after the lorrys the lead car stayed in lane 2, so the impatient car overtook on the left and then the police went and pulled that driver over. my dad felt and me too, the lead car in that situation was failing to make progress and causing the problem at the end by not moving back to lane 1 and the police did nothing about it. when we were driving together and we seen lane hogging, sometimes we even seen police pull a driver over but it was not the lane hog, it was the driver overtaking on the left, and it always annoyed my dad that the lane hogs are not getting educated, they dont think they are doing a wrong, they dont realise the risks they are creating by staying in a lane when they should be moving out of it.
That police officer **just said** you can undertake when **your lane** is moving **slower** than the other lanes!!!! I watched it three times to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
Well I was just about to watch it because I could not believe that an ex police office would say carte blanche that you absolutely cannot undertake on the motorway so there is a lot of obfuscation by this instructor!! The Highway Code specifically states that you can undertake in congested conditions!!
That's correct and detailed in the Highway Code. I don't understand why you had to watch it three times as everyone should know the Highway Code rules.
@richardsutton01 because James, the driving instructor whose video it is said that the police officer said that you CANNOT undertake on a motorway without realising that the police said, quite clearly at the beginning of their video, that you CAN undertake on the inside with congested traffic, so the instructor completely shot himself in the foot and we're all waiting for him to come back and apologise for this massive gaff!!
@@johncranna9427 James is perfectly well aware of what the undertaking permitted circumstances are and has covered the rules in detail in his previous videos. He excludes the "congested conditions" scenario in this latest video but cannot be expected to repeat all the content of his other videos which address when you can overtake on the left.
He qualified his statement. He didn’t use the word “congestion” but that’s what he meant. Maybe he didn’t express himself completely clearly but it wasn’t a scripted video, so he’s going to make mistakes. The Highway Code is clear and this driving instructor is expressing it correctly.
To be honest I was really hoping that this was the yellow zigzag lines video.
If people can't use lanes correctly and can't maintain their speed then they will find vehicles travelling in the lane(s) to their left at a continuous appropriate for the conditions speed will pass them by, i will be one of them.
This is nothing at all to do with undertaking as such, which usually means someone cutting across lanes and back again after overtaking to the nearside, it is simply maintaining normal progress when incompetent others can't won't.
Long term long distance drivers are fed up to the back teeth having to fanny about trying to get around the incompetent who cause mayhem wherever they go, one of the biggest bugbears is so many now can't maintain normal progress.
Passing vehicles at a continuous speed appropriate for the conditions on the left is everything to do with undertaking, which definitely does not only mean someone cutting across lanes and back again after overtaking to the nearside, although it does include that manoeuvre.
@@richardsutton01
If we faffed around trying to move across all three lanes to overtake yet another of the thousands of lane hoggers offering their 100 miles a week display of road un-safety out there, there would be accidents galore due to the inevitable waves such maneuvers create.
Apart from that artics and buses are not allowed in the 3rd lane of a motorway, so presumably half of them in a convoy behind said road hog is preferable to everyone with work to do just getting on with it.
I'm beginning to see why driving standards have dropped to an all time low.
@@lewlewis6511 I agree about driving standards being low but that might well be due to drivers not following the rules laid down in the Highway Code. 😉
No, if I see someone lane hogging, I assume they're doing it deliberately to control and aggravate those behind them, because if they are doing this, they're going to try to stop anyone "undertaking" them, it depends on the car, you can just tell by the type of car, the type of driver.
If it's a German car 2+ years old, then 99% they're doing it deliberately.
If it's something like a Honda Jazz, doing 40 in a 70, it's an elderly driver, if the same car is doing 65, then it's a takeaway delivery driver with no UK license and no insurance.
Stereotyping is generally bad, but it's a good place to start when you need to quickly assess the danger another driver poses.
I would say 80% of the time, all I have to do is approach in lane 1 OR feign a left lane change and the offending driver will move over to block just as I move into lane 2 and overtake them.
This idea that they're not paying attention, that they're unaware, sets you up for failure, the majority are doing it to control those behind them, because they think they're right and they want to impose their righteousness on other people. My most recent accident was caused by a van driver who thought I was in the wrong lane on a roundabout and so tried to punish me by overtaking me on the roundabout and forcing me off the road, suffice to say my front/rear dashcam setup proved very useful.
The biggest problem in the UK, is the "my way code", that's the socially derived version of the highway code, a mix of bad ideas, stupidity, hearsay and habitual behaviour, combined with the latest trend of needing to be the victim all the time.
I think you may be “over-interacting” with other drivers. Just do whatever is easy and lowest risk to avoid them and get on with your day.
@@Tailspin80 I think i'm just trying to get to my destination without someone doing their best to make that process as hard as possible.
I tend to be cutting it quite close most mornings on my drive to work, I have 30 minutes between my sons before school club opening at 7:30am and starting work at 8am, I need to be in that car park by 7:50am for the 10min walk from my car, through security and clocking in, I have 20 minutes to do what is an 11 minute drive without traffic, so I usually get there with a couple of minutes to spare, as long as people aren't lane hogging the dual carriageway at 40mph.
The more of a hurry you seem to be in, the more likely you are to come across someone who wants to cause agro.
Common one liners I hear:
- It's a limit not a target
- It's not a race
- Leave earlier
Yeah, next time I take my son on holiday in Wales, i'll leave 4 hours early to account for slow drivers, i'll pack lunch and a portable toilet too, god knows what i'll do with the dog, he'll have to hold it in for the 7 hour drive that Google thinks should take 3.
@@Strider9655 It does sound like you’re in a hurry, even when you’re not really in a hurry. The lane hogging problem is a motorway issue not a school run issue and the real problem with motorways as they near capacity is that they break down into chaotic stop/start traffic patterns. Under these conditions you can dart from lane to lane, play games and get angry with other drivers but it won’t make a blind bit of difference to your journey time. A 3 hour journey will still take 7 hours on a bank holiday Friday.
I try and adopt more of a “go with the flow” approach. I’ll cruise up lane 1 undertaking if I can do it safely, or I’ll go with lane 2 or 3 if that’s working out. I try and avoid the temptation to compete or get wound up by aggressive and unreasonable drivers. Just let them go. Driving is boring and they are probably just trying to make it more exciting.
I was once undertaken and overtaken at the same time by 2 younger lads racing and having not long passed my test found that so scary. I did not have dash cams then but got them fitted afterwards.
This would not have been possible if you were in the left hand lane!!
@ was a 3 lane ring road.
You spelt queue wrong. Cue is pool or snooker spelling.
In this context the spelling is correct, as used in the acting profession where your turn to speak is known as your cue.
A line of people or vehicles is known as a queue.
@ ok you’re right. Now I know. Sorry
@JamesSimpkinsADI
James, what evidence do you have that proves motorists are unlikely or less likely to check to their left when moving yo a left lane.