Undertaking - what's the penalty?

[dyzio]

Just curious:

If you're caught undertaking on a motorway/dual carriage road, what's the penalty for it?

I don't mean doing doing 100+mph overtaking cars left and right.
I mean undertaking someone who is sitting in the overtaking lane despite the other lane (or two lanes) being empty?

I think many of us came across this and got fed up waiting behind the car occupying the overtaking lane for no reason.

Cheers
dyz

[Bluepete]

It's not a specific offence, however, it's usually dealt with under the "Due care and attention" rules.

You can end up in court and be given points and a fine. Or, you can be offered a Driver Improvement Course as an alternative to the court appearence.

Pete

as far as i am aware all they can do you for it driving without due care and attention, i dont know what the max fine and penulty that comes with this is tho, 3 points and a small fine maybe, at most.

[timwilky]

How can it be "Due care and attention", surely that charge should be thrown at the driver who unnecessarily occupies an "Overtaking" lane. We have all seen those drivers who sit in the second lane for miles without there being a vehicle in the first lane.

By their lack of care and attention they are forcing a vehicle to effectively move from lane 1 to 3 in order to overtake and return back to 1

I dont think anyone on here will agree with the penulty......but that is what is it!

Personally i would sit behind the said driver, and flash my lights until he pulls over, then once pased make a point of moving into the slow lane to show that is the right place to be!!!!

It does really annoy me!

I agree with timwilky. It shouldn't be due care and attention in my view, if anything I would have thought the police would tend to sway more to dangerous driving?
What's your opinion on this Pete? Why would it be dealt with by your above mentioned method?

I personaly, after waiting about 30 seconds, would just under take them and then move into to correct lane. Whenever I over take someone late at night sitting in the middle lane I make a huge point of moving into lane 1 quickly to make my point. Normally after seeing that they tend to move over too, but some numpties carry on regardless!

[G]

Surely it's only undertaking if you acutally undertake by definition.

If you are in lane 1, and they are in lane 2 (generic Middle Lane Moron)... you are making progress at 70mph, the speed allowed in lane 1, they are doing 60mph in lane 2. If you pass them in lane 1 and remain in lane 1 then it's not undertaking, you are just making progress.

If you are in Lane 3, they are in lane 3... lane 2 is not clear but there is adequate space to move into lane 2 to pass the person blocking lane 3, to then move back into lane 3 yourself... that is undertaking.

There is definately a difference between passing on the left and actually deliberetly undertaking.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Bluepete

It's not a specific offence, however, it's usually dealt with under the "Due care and attention" rules.

But of course you would pull the driver blocking the overtaking lane and do them for that offence.

I used to commute on the M60 a few years ago. One morning I was sat behind someone waiting for them to clear the outside lane for a few miles with no traffic on the inside (it was early) when a police Range Rover caught up... he undertook and pulled in front of the dozy driver who was holding me up and lit up his matrix sign that said

'Use correct lane discipline
<----------'

Driver cacked themselves and pulled over immediately. They obviously knew they were in the wrong...

I loved it and thought it a very effective way to get the message across without the need to do a stop.

[Bluepete]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

matrix sign that said

'Use correct lane discipline
<----------'

I do that all the time, but it makes no difference. There's no driver training on motorway use, no-one wants to cooperate with anyone else, each person is more important than any other and no-one gives a flying fornication what anyone thinks of them.

You try explaining to a middle aged man;

"I've been driving for thrity years and never been pulled over"

Why his insistence on staying in lane two for mile after mile is causing problems. It's like headbutting a brick wall. You get a headache and the wall doesn't even notice!

Pete

get one of these