Indicating after overtaking

[marcgj]

Can anyone tell me...after overtaking on a dual carriageway or motorway, is it a requirement of the highway code to indicate left to return to the left-hand lane? I'm sure it never was when I took my test fifteen-odd years ago.

[kempie]

Whenever you intend to change your direction of travel or move to another carriageway you should indicate your intention to other road users.

This from the Highway Code...

Lane discipline
112: If you need to change lane, first use your mirrors and check your blind spots (the areas you are unable to see in the mirrors) to make sure you will not force another driver or rider to swerve or slow down. When it is safe to do so, signal to indicate your intentions to other road users and when clear move over.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/11.htm

[Electrochem]

This is one thing that infuriates me. I drive on the M6 a lot and it is bad enough when other drivers don't indicate when they intend to move to the left, but when some idiot decides to overtake you without indicating, it is very dangerous. On a number of occasions I have been behind something moving slowly and have indicated that I am about to overtake, only to find the fool behind pull out without any indication of their intentions. It is a highly dangerous practice.

The other thing that really annoys me is when someone comes round a rounabout and fails to indicate properly. Their right hand indicator is flashing and they then turmn left, leaving you sitting there when you could have moved on to the roundabout.

In general I find that the standard of driving has deteriorated dramatically along with the general level of courtesey on the road.

[chazza]

I can't find anything in the highway code that relates to moving back into the lane after overtaking, only pulling out in the first place.

However when I was learning my driving instructors (I had 3 of them!) taught me that you indicate when pulling out to overtake but when moving back in you don't have to.

I always found this strange myself, but did it twice in my driving test and was not marked down for it.

[JudgeJ]

Para 112 cited by kempie refers to changing lanes. It does not specify whether it refers to pulling out or pulling back in and I assume it refers to both. In any case common sense should really rule your actions and the more you can (correctly) inform other road users of your intentions the better it must be.

Consider this scenario. Driver in lane one (of three) is about to pull out to overtake. He checks that lane two is clear for him to do so. In lane three a vehicle is travelling much faster, having passed some lane two traffic a while back and is exhibiting no signals. As lane one driver pulls into lane two, so does lane three driver with possible horrendous consequences. If lane three driver had signalled his intention to pull into lane two, lane one driver would have waited for him to pass.

Yes I know lane three driver should have pulled back into lane two (or even lane one) as soon as practical, (and it should certainly have been so if lane two was clear enough for lane one driver to move into) but that doesn�t always happen.

[perky72]

tut tut Zacsmaster....NO-ONE should EXPECT anyone to be a mind-reader on the roads!
I agree with electrochem that the general standard of road courtesy has lowered over the years. I now believe they don't put indicators on new cars anymore; particularly BMW's......
How long does it actually take for you to signal? A split second?? Not long at all really when you think of the consequences outlined in examples given of what could happen should you not...

[Panic Button]

Zacsmaster, you say you totally agree with JudgeJ, but the way I read his answer you totally disagree. He is saying you should indicate.
I believe you should indicate your intention to change lanes, whichever way you are going. Your indications are not just to tell the vehicles you are aware of that you are moving. They are also an indication to vehicles that you had not noticed, thereby reducing the risk of collision.

[silkychicken]

When I was learning to drive my instructor told me you don't have to indicate to move back into the lane to your left because it is expected that you will be heading back into the left - hand lane as soon as you have completed an overtaking move. Therefore what Zacsmaster says is correct.

[kempie]

Unfortunately nowadays, many drivers do not do what you would expect of them so likewise do not assume that they will know what to expect of you.

Mirror - Signal - Manoeuvre.

[ugly_bob]

My sister has just learnt to drive and was told not to indicate when returning to the left lane. I tried to drill it into her that you should indicate whenever changing lanes. Whether to the left or right, whether having just overtaken or not.
The only occasion for not signalling left after overtaking that I can see is when you are on a single carriage way and you are returning to the normal driving line after indicating right whilst overtaking (whether you've gone into the lane for oppposing traffic or not)

[Electrochem]

Further to my previous answer, another problem arises if a driver fails to indicate their intentions. I have, on numerous occasions, been able to go faster on the inside lane of the motorway because of all the middle lane and outside lane hoggers travelling at a slower speed.

I do not overtake on the inside, but merely go by the rule that you can pass slower moving traffic to the right.

I keep a very close eye on the traffic to my right, as on a number of occasions someone has not checked their mirror before moving into the inside lane.

Lane discipline on the motorway is an absolute farce, with cars being driven about 20 feet apart. It doesn't matter how good your brakes are if you standard of driving and or concentration are no good.

[perky72]

Zacsmaster - are you telling me that every car you have ever seen pass you or somebody else has ALWAYS returned to the left-hand lane? Have you never had someone pass you and they've stayed in the outside lane just because they appear 'to feel like it'?
Have you NEVER been annoyed at a driver who hasn't done what you thought they were going to do?
Inidcating is just common courtesy and good road manners. Use it. It doesn't cost anything.
(Oh, and it's Perky, as in 'y' not 'ie'!!)
Also, marcgj - why have you only rated some answers? Are other views not worthy???? :-)

[kempie]

Zacsmaster - I believe you have misinterpreted JudgeJ's first paragraph.

"...doesn't specify... pulling out... or in... I assume it refers to both... the more you can (correctly) inform other road users of your intentions the better it must be."

Seems self-evident to me.

As for your statement "If it's a person with good roadcraft..." well, that is the whole point - you shouldn't rely on guessing the level of ability of any other roaduser and thus what they will do next.

[derekpara]

The observer on my Advanced Motorists course said it was not necessary to indicate when returning to lane one after indicating , or necessary when joining a motorway as you have nowhere else to go. I disagree with them. My view is that you should always expect other drivers to do the unexpected and vice versa; it's called Defensive Driving. Virtually the same answer as Perky.

Also, as Kempie says, it's all a matter of courtesy, which seems to be sadly lacking on the roads today. I think you should supply other drivers with as much information of your intentions as possible so they can make their own decisions.

[marcgj]

Aside from what constitutes 'good roadcraft' or whatever, I just wanted to know what the official line was on this scenario, i.e. what is law. It seems this was answered sufficiently by

One instance where I DO indicate when moving to a left lane is when on a three-lane motorway and looking to pull in from lane 3 to lane 2. More often than not there's some d!ckhead in lane 2 who isn't moving over to lane 1 or moving at sufficient speed to pass the traffic in lane 1. This presents a hazard to anyone in lane 1 looking to pull into lane 2 to overtake. I just want to make lane 1 realise I'm moving over into the same lane he may be thinking of moving into before indicating his intention. (Apologies for rambling descriptive posting)

Now that I' ve read it again, I realise this is exactly what was being described in JudgeJ's second paragraph.

[marcgj]

...Chazza and JudgeJ.

[Panic Button]

I can't understand why there is so much discussion on this. Kempie's first answer, quoting the Highway Code, is quite clear.

You should ALWAYS indicate whenever you change lanes on a dual carriageway or motorway.

If any driving instructors are teaching differently they should be sent to retrain.

[pagey]

You are not required and should not signal when COMPLETING YOUR OVERTAKING MANOEUVRE. You are not simply 'changing lanes'. Overtaking on a motorway or dual carraigeway should be compared to driving on a single carriageway. You don't signal back in on a single carriageway, everyone knows you are going to return to the inside lane.

As for the 3rd to 2nd lane issue, the driver in the inside lane can assume the driver in the 3rd will return to the 2nd, and wait to overtake. If they have left it so late to overtake that they are panicking about losing speed they have not regulated thier speed appropriately. It is SAFE to assume they WILL RETURN with no signal. It is UNSAFE to assume they will remain in thier lane. The right hand signal in good time from driver in 1st lane will mean that driver in 3rd lane does not return to 2nd anyway.

At the end of the day though, this pales in significance to the problem of people not signalling right which is plain dangerous.

[Panic Button]

Absolute cr*p. There is no comparison to overtaking on a single carriageway. Then you are on the wrong side of the road so it is obvious you have to pull back in.

The Highway code even says on a motorway you may decide not to pull back in, if you may have to pull out again soon. How is the person to know if you are coming in again? And why do you say 'you should not...'

How do you explain rule 112? That says you should.

It is pure dangerous laziness not to indicate when changing lanes.