What is the law,if there is one,on overtaking someone from the middle lane,when you are in the left?

Question

on a motorway.

and would there be a fine,if caught??

Answer 1

What country are you in? What side of the road?

In the UK it is illegal to undertake! UNLESS the lane is going slower due to congestion!

Answer 2

Ice Queen: Wherever did you get such a scrambled idea of lane discipline from? Consult a driving instructor or one of the motoring organisations for a definitive answer.

Answer 3

You can overtake on the nearside of ANY road only when:-

1. The traffic to your right is moving slowly in a queue, or

2. The vehicles to your right are turning right.

If some dawdling blockhead is clogging the overtaking lane of a motorway for no reason, pull out behind him and flash your headlamps until the cretin wakes up and moves left into the driving lane.  Or speeds up.

Ignore Ice Queen's wild gibbering!  It is wrong!  (I bet she drives a Ford Ka or a Fiesta...)

Answer 4

It is called undertaking, it is illegal and if you get caught a fine is probable as are points on your license.

Answer 5

The law is there to stop people from passing on the left, but I completely ignore that rule.

If there is space to pass on the left, the car in front should be occupying that lane, unless they are turning right, ni which case it is perfectly acceptable to pass on the left.

Thinking of when there are two queues of traffic waiting at a set of traffic lights, if the left lane has 2 cars and the right has 5 cars in it, you can go in the left lane and you are technically undertaking. But that isn't illegal.

To pass on the left on a motorway is illegal, but other people should learn which lane to use to promote safe driving throughout.

Answer 6

It's nicknamed "Undertaking" because you pass on the inside instead of outside, ie not overtaking.  It is also very dangerous as it is not expected and if someone pulls in as you pass there would clearly be an accident.  

Put your indicator on, wait for a space, pull out, go round them, pull back in again - really not worth the hassle of points or death!

Answer 7

Lane 1 is the driving lane, lane 2, 3 and if there 4 are overtaking lanes. Undertaking is an offence and can lead to points and a fine.

Lane discipline

238: You should drive in the left-hand lane if the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower moving vehicles it may be safer to remain in the centre or outer lanes until the manoeuvre is completed rather than continually changing lanes. Return to the left-hand lane once you have overtaken all the vehicles or if you are delaying traffic behind you. Slow moving or speed restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by signs.

and here is the whole motorway section in the highway code for you to read:

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/23.htm#227...

Answer 8

It's not a wise move to make. I know it's frustrating when a 'middle lane hogger' is just stuck there, totally oblivious to all other motorists. I usually give them enough time to hopefully see you (if they ever check their rear view mirror) and if they ignore a flash (which they usually do) I move over to the overtaking lane, and give them a dirty look (which of course they don't see)!!

Answer 9

In the UK and Ireland it's illegal except when traffic is moving slowly in lanes and the lane to your right is moving more slowly than you are.  If you were caught, you would be charged with driving without due care and you could face a large fine and a ban depending on what mood the magistrate is in.

Answer 10

Hi,well i know some times it cannot be helped has some people like to be in the middle lane.We on many occasions have been in the inside lane & over took the same car a few times.I would not worry about it.

Answer 11

You can only overtake on the left (on RHD roads) where there is traffic queuing, so you are in a line of cars travelling faster than the line of cars in the outside lane.

The police can prosecute you for dangerous driving if they catch you doing it, so a fine and points.

Answer 12

in the UK there are 3 lanes the inside middle lane and outside lane which is the fast lane you can over take from the first lane into the middle lane and vice versa

you cant speed along in the inside lane and pull out infront of them but you can indicate and pull out behind them as that is 50mph and the middle lane is 60mph if caught by the police you would be in trouble

Answer 13

Judging by the terminology you use ("motorway" etc - AND this being the UK/I site!) I assume you're in GB, in which case overtaking on the left is very much an offence, and the penalties have this very day been increased to six points on your licence plus a hefty fine. It's highly dangerous (even IF it's an O.A.P. in the proverbial cloth cap driving an Austin A40 sedately at 27 mph in the middle lane!) and is commonly called "undertaking" which is what it could lead to - by somebody else, professionally ! ! !

Answer 14

yep its illegal

Answer 15

yes you would get a fine and if the police caught you they may charge you with dangerous driving which could get you banned ... If you are blatentley trying to overtake someone on the inside lane they will charge you but if you just kinda creep past them you should be ok ... Use the outside lane undertaking can cause some really bad accidents ...

Answer 16

Most of what has been written is correct but I would be curious to try the following defence in court. Highway code states you should only pass on the right unless in queueing traffic etc. One exception is overtaking in a one way street,when you are allowed to pass on the left.I would contend that a motorway carriageway is a one way street. Yes? No? Maybe?

Answer 17

The definitions are:

You may overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right and it is safe to do so, though this won't apply on a motorway.

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

Apart from the examples quoted, it's a serious offence and will certainly result in deep doo-doo if you're caught!

Take no notice of the dangerous and erroneous information given by Ice Queen.

Answer 18

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DMV OFFICE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL BE GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.

Answer 19

You can't, and yes you would get a fine and points.

Here is the highway code text:

Overtaking

241: Do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe to do so.

Overtake only on the right. You should

check your mirrors

take time to judge the speeds correctly

make sure that the lane you will be joining is sufficiently clear ahead and behind

take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area to verify the position of a vehicle that may have disappeared from your view in the mirror

remember that traffic may be coming up behind you very quickly. Check your mirrors carefully. When it is safe to do so, signal in plenty of time, then move out

ensure you do not cut in on the vehicle you have overtaken

be especially careful at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance.



Here is the motorway section of the highway code:

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/23.htm#227

Eric C appears to have cut'n'pasted an answer i gave earlier today ".....and here is the whole motorway section in the highway code for you to read:...."

I don't care, but the answer that was cut'n'pasted wasn't about overtaking, it was about lane disipline,t he highway code has more detail about overtaking as i've quoted above.