RoADAR Northeast

Bones · Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:27 pm When is an 'Undertake' not an 'Undertake'?

Highway Code 139: Overtaking.

Interpreting the clauses is mostly fine, but I'm sure we all have encountered the "Lane-2 is fine for me" people. Normally tootlingallong at maybe 50 to 80% of the speed limit.

How is this best handled?

Also, is 'undertaking'

a) Passing a vehicle that is in a higher-order lane than yours. Neither road user changes lanes in this case. The road user in the higher-order lane is simply travelling slower than you are in the lower-order lane

or

b) Passing a vehicle that is in the same lane as you, by using a lower-order lane and then returning to your original lane

or

c) both of the above

And one just for good measure...

Consider a 3+ lane motorway: You are travelling at 70mph in lane 1. The guy that is day-dreaming is in lane 3 travelling less than 70mph. No other traffic within the safe breaking distance all around.

Is this an ‘undertake’?
Is this safe?

Cheers guys!

John Steele · Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:24 am

A good set of points - got me thinking (which is one reason to have a forum!). So here's the end result of thinking process (but bear in mind I had a late gig last night........)

"How is this best handled?"

If you mean undertaking oneself, I guess you just don't do it unless traffic is "moving slowly in queues..." ["Highway Code"] - although what counts as "slowly" on a motorway is itself an interesting point of debate. If being undertaken by someone else, then, having been frequently checking mirrors, this will come as no surprise :) and you will experience that warm glow that comes with being a better driver than the other guy.....

I think all of your examples count as undertaking but in increasing order of sin magnitude:

zero for the (a) example providing traffic moving slowly

cardinal sin for (b) because most drivers don't expect other drivers to do this and don't always check their mirrors as frequently as they should, plus it's the sort of behaviour that provokes rage and even retaliation ("victim" of undertake speeds up to make sure "undertaker" can't get back into lane).

Not sure how to grade (c)

I like your extra question. I remember being on M1 in Midlands with a stream of nose-to-tail traffic all in the 4th lane, I was in the lane 1 and there was nobody else in sight in lanes 1-3. It is the sort of situation where you start to wonder about the survival prospects of the human race.
I must confess to a creeping undertake at 70 - it felt safe because the speed difference was small and (with 4 lanes) there were acres of room to manouvre. I can plead that I wasn't an advanced driver then! but whether it can be offically recommended I'm not sure. I certainly didn't want to be in that 4th lane.

If it's one guy, I'm even less sure. Most of me thinks, do it properly, get into the 3rd lane, a safe (and non-threatening) distance back and, if he doesn't move, a brief flash of the headlights may do the trick. If that doesn't work back into the middle lane and wait....... then maybe back into lane 1 for safe undertake - but it certainly doesn't come under the definition of "slowly" . So I expect to get shot down for this.
Hope you get some more input - it's a good question.
Cheers,
John.

Brit · Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:23 pm

Bones, make sure you come along to our monthly talks, this is the type of question any of the NP driving instructors or RoADAR examiners will be able to interpret with ease