why is undertaking illegal?

[joko]

genuine question and just curious... it seems it is really just the manouvre of an overtake, but on the other side... so why is it so bad?

i know it is illegal so i dont need the legalities, just the actual reason why it was made illegal - why is it dangerous or bad etc?


been on the motorway a lot last few days and witnessed a few people do them, and couldnt really see a problem... they got round the person they wanted to easily enough, and perhaps its better than a bit of intimidating road rage tailgating?

or am i missing something?

thanks

[TWR]

As you may be aware! ( depending how long you have been driving) Motorway driving is totally different from you normal day roads Joko, the lanes, the traffic, the mirror, the speed is the one, accidents are caused they do not happen unless someone causes or miss judges speed or another persons maneuvers, if you are concentrating what is going on ahead of you & what's going on in the lane to your right, you then do not expect a car / HGV to come up on your left unless in a queue or slow moving traffic. If the police had to stop every motorist that does the undertaking action, they would be there all day giving out tickets. you ask the reason, overtaking is exactly what it means, It does not say to your right, but to Overtake.

[ladybirder]

You appear to have ignored my first post so I'll say it again.

It is not illegal.

http://en.wikipedia.o...Undertaking_(driving)

[LazyGun]

I am not arguing with you as such Joko - its like JtH says though - convention has dictated that you should only overtake on the right, so there are many drivers, especially from older generations, who might not expect or even look to their left when they themselves maneuver.

Given modern day driving though, I think the Highway Code should be amended to allow for such practice, and also to explicitly encourage people to check to their left....

This discussion reminds me a little about the convention of how to interact with oncoming traffic when both are waiting in the centre of a road to both turn to their right or left - should you go nose to tail, or nose to nose? ( not sure how clear this is :) )

[joko]

thats interesting ladybirder, i was underthe impression it was illegal

jth...yes but its still not actually, in itself, a dangerous manouvre is it? it is only frowned upon because people think its illegal.

[TWR]

Slow lane is known as the Inside Lane, the 2nd lane is known as the overtaking lane, the third lane is know as the outside lane.

[joko]

i did not ignore you lady birder...i was respionding to people who answered before you....i was also writing a resonse to you

lazygun, i am not arguing either...i just dont get why its considered dangerous is all...
i do think anyone who doesnt look when performing any manouvre should not be on the road... that is driver error not the manouvre thats dabgerous though...?

[in a mo]

On the Motorway it would be very dangerous since the only way off is on your left ,obviously this would cause hundreds of accidents "More Than" now .

If this is the bestest answer I would like a Blue Peter Badge and a Crackerjack Pencil Thank you.

[heathfield]

Margaret Thatcher in an interview stated that "There are no slow and fast lanes on motorways - they are the left, middle, and right-hand lanes."
Lazygun...Strictly speaking, at a crossroads, when you wish to turn right, and an oncoming vehicle wishes to turn to their right, you should pass the other vehicle on your left, keeping the other vehicle to your right. But a convention has grown up where no-one bothers with this actual rule of the road, and each vehicle just passes in front of the other.

[joko]

in a mo... hehe, sorry no prizes, as your answer doesnt even make sense... what has coming off the motorway at an exit have to do with undertaking?

[jackthehat]

It is dangerous precisely because it IS an unexpected manouevre on the road. Travelling at speed, especially, on a motorway reduces the amount of time a driver has to assess any given situation. Expecting all drivers to look out for whatever other drivers are doing to both sides of your vehicle would seriously compromise the ability to 'make good progress'.

[Zeuhl]

i myself was 'agressively' undertaken about 3 times in about the space of 5 days

joko - how was that possible?

You should have been keeping to the left - so how was there room for undertaking?

[Nibble]

As on a motorway there is ONLY a driving lane (i.e Lane 1), with an overtaking lane (Lane 2), and in some cases another lane(Lane 3).. Then there should be absolutely no room to be "undertaken" on a motorway IF the rules of motorway driving are being correctly adhered to....., but that'll never be enforced.

[jno]

singer-songwriters should be put in sole charge of traffic legislation

[joko]

how is it possible?
i myself was in the process of overtaking a row of cars on my left!
but unfortunately, for the odd few agressive idiots travelling at about 80-90, i wasnt going fast enough for them and they wanted me to move back to the left before i was ready to.

this is my point... i didnt care they undertook, didnt affect me in the least, but i was annoyed at the aggressive light flashes and tailgating - i was going 70 already!
they suddenly revved up and shot past me on the left and then went in front of me and sped off - imagine if, at that moment i had also decided to move over to the left to let them past, and ignorantly just moved over, without properly checking, because i didnt 'expect' anyone to be there...

this business of 'expectation' is crazy - you cannot expect anything like that - lanes to the left of you are perfectly entitled to travel faster that you are so to not look before moving is a sign of bad driving... not a sign of a dangerous manouvre...

[joko]

well siad catch the wind

[joko]

i mean well said about the drivers being unaware of surroundings... not the middle lane comment... i dont agree there

[cathfromsaron]

if people actually drove on the left, apart from overtaking slower vehicles, we wouldn't need to undertake!