Overtaking on the left - I'm slipping into

[joebongo]

I live in Epping Forest and for work tend to need to use the M25 and M1. The level of total fkittery in lane discipline is leading me to do more overtaking in L1, almost exclusively due to MLM's who are blocking to road for no good reason.

I'm undecided as to whether this is a stupid thing or an inevitable thing (cf Australia/US) as the country is reduced to a lowest common denominator sub-120 IQ sheeple mongs populating our roads.

[FraserLFA]

I see it on the M25 all the time. People seem scared of lane 1, especially with the road works around the north-east. However, with the lower speed limits in place there at the moment, and the bunched up traffic, if lane 1 suddenly turns into a slip road, you have no chance of moving over.

[MagicalTrevor]

I was coming back from London, along the M4 and a huge number of peoole were just dawdling in Lane 2. I had the cruise control set to 70mph so I wasn't going too fast.

Well one particular occasion I had a police car behind me and I slowly edged past somebody in Lane 2 (I stayed in Lane 1).

Result? Nothing! Police car overtook in Lane 3 and didn't give me any bother at all.

[cheadle hulme]

There's nothing wrong with it, so the Police would leave you alone.

Using L1 to deliberately undertake is wrong; being already in it as you approach people who are incorrectly in L2 is not.

[6potdave]

It's hard not to these days if you're driving properly. IMO if you have been undertaken you're in the wrong lane, simple.

[Bonefish Blues]

FraserLFA said:

I see it on the M25 all the time. People seem scared of lane 1, especially with the road works around the north-east. However, with the lower speed limits in place there at the moment, and the bunched up traffic, if lane 1 suddenly turns into a slip road, you have no chance of moving over.

Off and on again - works fine around many stretches like the Staines junction amongst others.

[northandy]

I used to think that people that flashed people to move over were tossers, but I just seem to see more and more mindless driving.

Classic example last week, I'm plodding along to work doing probably 70-75' roads were quiet as it's 7am. I catch a car relatively quickly who's doing 60 in the outside lane on the dual carriageway, I approach on the inside lane indicate and move behind him (well back but obviously wanting to overtake) after a mile or so where he isn't passing anything I give one flash if the lights (to alert him I'm there), he indicates and moves over, I pass and he the indicates and moves straight back to the outside lane even though there's nothing for him to overtake, fecking unbelievable.

[Jagmanv12]

MagicalTrevor said:

I was coming back from London, along the M4 and a huge number of peoole were just dawdling in Lane 2. I had the cruise control set to 70mph so I wasn't going too fast.

Well one particular occasion I had a police car behind me and I slowly edged past somebody in Lane 2 (I stayed in Lane 1).

Result? Nothing! Police car overtook in Lane 3 and didn't give me any bother at all.

What should have happened next is that the Bib pulled the car in lane 2 and given him a severe lecture on lane discipline. If these lane hoggers are not told they are driving badly how are they going to learn.

[Acheron]

People who flash their lights trying to get me to pull over are fking wkers. No excuse, every single one of them.

I had it a few months back on the M6. Im in Lane 3 during busy traffic doing about 80-85.

Some asshat comes hurling up behind me in his stty suzuki 4x4 flashing his lights like there's a fire somewhere. tt.

Anyway, i will never flash lights. its distracting, annoying and agressive.

i'll sit behind someone but not tailgate them and creep the car over to the right a bit so much o/s headlight is right in their door mirror. most people usually get the idea i want to pass and move over without the need for me having to act like a knob.

Edited by Acheron on Monday 7th February 20:22

[shovelheadrob]

northandy said:

after a mile or so where he isn't passing anything I give one flash if the lights (to alert him I'm there), he indicates and moves over, I pass and he the indicates and moves straight back to the outside lane even though there's nothing for him to overtake, fecking unbelievable.

I have experienced this same scenario myself, I used to let it bother me, but since reading on P/H that it's not illegal to stay in lane 1 or 2 to pass slower traffic (having been driving since a time where undertaking was frowned upon), I tend to just stay in the lane I am in & give them a shrug when they glare at you or even a cheery wave.

[joebongo]

Acheron said:

People who flash their lights trying to get me to pull over are fking wkers. No excuse, every single one of them.

I had it a few months back on the M6. Im in Lane 3 during busy traffic doing about 80-85.

Some asshat comes hurling up behind me in his stty suzuki 4x4 flashing his lights like there's a fire somewhere. tt.

Anyway, i will never flash lights. its distracting, annoying and agressive.

i'll sit behind someone but not tailgate them and creep the car over to the right a bit so much o/s headlight is right in their door mirror. most people usually get the idea i want to pass and move over without the need for me having to act like a knob.

Edited by Acheron on Monday 7th February 20:22

I tried that today on the M6 and M1 - I'd get so far then some nobber in a diesel crapwagon would be sitting there at 68.9mph just hogging L3. I stuck back and waited patiently, although a number of people got the arse and really did intentionally overtake in L2.

But somehow, I feel like I'm betraying the "British Motoring Spirit" by assisting in the normalisation of left overtaking. My parents and grandparents would be shocked at such unruly behaviour, and I fear it's a slippery slope towards the shoddy approach to life of dirty greasy foreigners, like in Spain and Italy.

[Mr. Potato Head]

Jagmanv12 said:

What should have happened next is that the Bib pulled the car in lane 2 and given him a severe lecture on lane discipline. If these lane hoggers are not told they are driving badly how are they going to learn.

There's no money in that though.

[FraserLFA]

Bonefish Blues said:

FraserLFA said:

I see it on the M25 all the time. People seem scared of lane 1, especially with the road works around the north-east. However, with the lower speed limits in place there at the moment, and the bunched up traffic, if lane 1 suddenly turns into a slip road, you have no chance of moving over.

Off and on again - works fine around many stretches like the Staines junction amongst others.

I agree, but most people don't want the hassle of going off and on again, so tend to avoid the left hand lane. I think it's just the massive stretch of road works at the moment, with a few miles of 50MPH average speed limits that make people try and avoid the potential stresses.

[MagicalTrevor]

cheadle hulme said:

There's nothing wrong with it, so the Police would leave you alone.

Using L1 to deliberately undertake is wrong; being already in it as you approach people who are incorrectly in L2 is not.

I should of course point out that I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong

I didn't 'manoeuvre' and deliberately kept my speed differential low so as not to be seen as 'dangerous' or to cause alarm

[alcovrugbyfan]

It should be an offense to use the wrong lane. £60 fine and a few points would soon cut out these idiots that sit in the middle and outside lanes.
I also think there should be a minimum speed limit. They should up the national speed limit on motorways to say 80/85 and set a minimum of 70 (except lorries etc that are restricted). If you are not comfortable doing the appropriate speed then you shouldn't be driving.

[ridds]

IMHO the sooner overtaking on the left becomes common place here in the UK the better.

It will free up a LOT of space on motorways and will cause people to be much more attentive when moving back into a left hand lane.

[sploosh]

What about indicating to overtake?

Always notice this on French roads on way to LM.

Less agressive than flashing.

[frontbum]

sploosh said:

What about indicating to overtake?

Always notice this on French roads on way to LM.

Less agressive than flashing.

Yes, and leaving it on whilst over taking reminds the driver to pull back in after overtaking.

[6potdave]

frontbum said:

Yes, and leaving it on whilst over taking reminds the driver to pull back in after overtaking.

Do you really think people will notice? The blithering idiots on our roads don't even notice when there is a police car behind them flashing blue and white as well as a siren!

If someone is in the wrong lane I will come up behind them and stay there for a while, give them the opportunity to realise they're being a moron. However if they still don't move they get the flashing light treatment I don't care if it's considered aggressive it's the only way to shift some people.

I don't understand why it cannot be regarded as driving without due care and attention which carries up to 6 points. It's dangerous, it clogs up motorways, infuriates drivers which causes them to take evasive action. If I was doing 100mph and used "I didn't realise" as my excuse it would be severely frowned upon so what is the difference?

[Welshbeef]

northandy said:

I used to think that people that flashed people to move over were tossers, but I just seem to see more and more mindless driving.

Classic example last week, I'm plodding along to work doing probably 70-75' roads were quiet as it's 7am. I catch a car relatively quickly who's doing 60 in the outside lane on the dual carriageway, I approach on the inside lane indicate and move behind him (well back but obviously wanting to overtake) after a mile or so where he isn't passing anything I give one flash if the lights (to alert him I'm there), he indicates and moves over, I pass and he the indicates and moves straight back to the outside lane even though there's nothing for him to overtake, fecking unbelievable.

I too have seen this countless times. Really pisses me off.
Also these same people when entering a lower say 50mph limit don't slow just keep going idiots.

Sorry if this next statement offends anyone but this is in my experiance these people seem to be Asian indian Pakistani eastern European - with all the CDs hanging from the rear view mirror.
Also last week I was in a 40mph dual carrideway and then this idiot cuts me up forcing me to swerve into next lane to avoid them they came from the slip road note nothing behind me and slip road is also 40mph clearly. Then a mile later I see this one of our colonial friends swerve without indicating to the front of the line of traffic on an exit slip road. Now some may say they don't know the road but I've had the displeasure of seeing this person a number of times on my commute so no excuses.

I don't care if people want to go faster than me I'll pull in when it's fine and they can go as fast as they like but cutting up and being totally unaware makes me wish I had a webcam in my car and a £100 banger then opps they drove into me insurance claim get them off the roads