Undertaking on the road?

samanthagirl67

Undertaking is when you pass someone on an inside lane, and should not be done.

the Jamster

Undertaking is passing traffic on your left which is moving slower than you are. By law this is not an offence unless you move from the slow lane and into the middle lane or middle to fast (Motorways only) obviously. In the same way if on a motorway and in heavy traffic it is an offence to lane hop as this is a major cause of shunts on motorways.
If you simply pass someone on the left as opposed to the right and stay in your lane that is not an offence it is only if you move infront of the vehicle you have under taken. And it is the highways act of 1983 section 2 clause 4. Maximum fine is upto Â£145 and can carry upto 6points. SO BEWARE

anorack

The correct term is passing on the left the only time this is allowed is when traffic is turning right or when driving in slow moving traffic and the left lane is moving faster than the right hope this is a help

tinkicker0

You are only guilty of undertaking if passing a car on the left hand side and pulling back in front of it, such as passing a car that is in the middle lane on a motorway, by using the slow lane, then pulling back into the middle lane. If you stay in the slow lane and exit the motorway, or until the other car has overtaken you again, you have not undertaken other traffic.

AudiSpeed4

hah. this is a good one. Well first of all. Its passing a car thats in the left lane....one the right. then cutting him off.

I was driving with my firend last year and he did it. being foolish he didnt realize that there was an unmarked car behind us. so He got puulled over and the cop said the reason why im pulling you over is becuase you were passing in the wrong lane. So my friend said to him. With all due respect officer, i wasnt speeding in the right lane to pass him....he was just driving very....very slow. And of course the officer had a unpleased look on his face and my friend, being a talkitive one, starts to go on " you know how many people go the speed limit on this highway anywyas? i mean i drive it every day and i know i get passed by cars doing at least 75 mph. I think the speed limit should be 70. I mean , people are aways like well the speed limit is 60 and thats to slow so ill go 70, but people normally arent like , oh 70 is too slow im going to go 80, becuase 70 is fast enough...you know what i mean"

and then the best thing happend

the officer said to him ,
"have a nice day"
and he walked bac to his car.
but of course once again my friend pops his head out the window and says
"hey wait....are you letting my go or did what i just say make you mad or somthing"

and the officer said to us, well...im letting you go....now this doesnt mean you can go speeding around here becuase if i catch ya your getting a fine but the reason is, before i became a cop, i felt the same way.
You guys have a nice day"

true story....loved it

oh yeah and by the way the officer never said to us that we were being pulled over for "undertaking" he just said passing on the right. we were on a two lane highway. i dont think anything has changed but this wus 2 summers ago.

Colin&Yas

The only time you can legally undertake is during slow moving queuing traffic.

However you could always argue if you're being undertaken your in the wrong lane!

the term undertaking comes from the amount of fatal accidents caused whilst doing this on motorways

johnk1964

It is legal in other countries, such as America. There is a strong argument for it to be leglised in UK, but at present you may get pulled up for doing so.

Bealzebub

In Britain it's illegal, but in most other European countries it's perfectly legal. Sorry, it's only illegal in Britain if the traffic in the outside lane is travelling at a slower pace than you are. This is also applicable if the inside lane is empty and the next most outside lane is busy which is generally little known. However if both lanes are similarly busy it is illegal to undertake.

ringo711

if you mean passing on the left, then there are only certain times this can be done and is stated clearly in the high way code. the main thing is you are not allowed to overtake on the left at speed, or to gain postion in the road, if you check your high way cde again you will see it's there.

Of course this is UK law, and you don't say where you are

She_says

my brother-in-law got stopped by the police for undertaking - they let him off cos he hadn't heard of it either! the police officer said it was in the Highway code and it means overtaking a car on the left hand side.(you should overtake using the right hand lane only).......very confusing when you are in the left lane cos its going somewhere else to the other lane (like on an approach to a roundabout like he was) I think they just didn't like the look of his car.......

The Mechanic

It is know by the police as that. and is an offence that you can be prosecuted for

Candy

So many stupid drivers do this on the motorway

F650

Yes there is, its used to describe the manoeuvre when passing someone on the left, usually on the motorway and dual carriage way. It its a bit of a grey area when motorways merge as one place over here in Northern Ireland. Approaching Belfast from the north there are two, two lane motorways and a single lane side by side and in the evening rush getting out of Belfast is hair raising and you need nerves of steel. With all 5 lanes full of cars, Lorry's, motorbikes and buses all trying to swap lanes and overtake and undertake at the same time you have to keep your wits about you. Amazingly there are not that many shunts.
Very intimidating sailing along and looking left to see the road wheels of an artic two foot away.

reggie

Lots of people are doing it on the motorway...it has to be illegal but then so is hogging the middle lane.

Avalon

what?

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