A few weeks back I was driving down a dual carrige way... I was following something whilst overtaking, I forget what but it was only going a little faster than the traffic on our left.

Behind me, a little close but not stupid close was a modded mk3 golf.. black bumpers.. bit of a sleeper.

Anyway... the car that was infront of us moves over, pulling in behind a couple of bikers.. I'm already going a bit quicker than the bikes so I mantain my speed, maybe sped up a touch now I had he room, but not allot really.. not the quickest of overtaking manouvers but for the sakes of 3- 4 cars length it seemed pointless to speed up to then pull over and slow down. put it this way, it was too close to the bikes to pull back over to the left.

This wasn't really what the golf had in mind.. who boots it, flys past me on the left right up to the bikes, cuts me up moving accorss in front of me and then disapears off down the road as i move accross to the left infont of the bikes..

he, seriously.. can only have been 3-4 foot behind the bikers as he moved back out infront of me.. I flashed him as I couldn't believe he'd taken such a risk, but I think he thought I was just upset he'd blown me off as I got the finger in return.... Thanks.

Should I have done anything different?? I really couldn't believe how close to the bikers he got.

Edited 10 October, 201015 yr by Rob.

A few weeks back I was driving down a dual carrige way... I was following something whilst overtaking, I forget what but it was only going a little faster than the traffic on our left.

Behind me, a little close but not stupid close was a modded mk3 golf.. black bumpers.. bit of a sleeper.

Anyway... the car that was infront of us moves over, pulling in behind a couple of bikers.. I'm already going a bit quicker than the bikes so I mantain my speed, maybe sped up a touch now I had he room, but not allot really.. not the quickest of overtaking manouvers but for the sakes of 3- 4 cars length it seemed pointless to speed up to then pull over and slow down. put it this way, it was too close to the bikes to pull back over to the left.

This wasn't really what the golf had in mind.. who boots it, flys past me on the left right up to the bikes, cuts me up moving accorss in front of me and then disapears off down the road as i move accross to the left infont of the bikes..

he, seriously.. can only have been 3-4 foot behind the bikers as he moved back out infront of me.. I flashed him as I couldn't believe he'd taken such a risk, but I think he thought I was just upset he'd blown me off as I got the finger in return.... Thanks.

Should I have done anything different?? I really couldn't believe how close to the bikers he got.

Hmmm, this is where you should have had those blue lights fitted into the radiator grille.

Golf driver sounds like a tit!

I'm already going a bit quicker than the bikes so I mantain my speed, maybe sped up a touch now I had he room, but not allot really.. not the quickest of overtaking manouvers but for the sakes of 3- 4 cars length it seemed pointless to speed up to then pull over and slow down. put it this way, it was too close to the bikes to pull back over to the left.

If the Golf had space to undertake and out-accelerate you, I'm surprised there wasn't room for you to switch to lane 1 to allow him past and then return to lane 2 after he'd gone past without needing to change speed? His driving was poor, but if it's obvious the car behind is following closer and is not going to hold me up, I'll let them go at the first opportunity...

Chris

If the Golf had space to undertake and out-accelerate you, I'm surprised there wasn't room for you to switch to lane 1 to allow him past and then return to lane 2 after he'd gone past without needing to change speed? His driving was poor, but if it's obvious the car behind is following closer and is not going to hold me up, I'll let them go at the first opportunity...

Chris

While that's true, I still wouldn't say that he was in the wrong though. I wouldn't have moved over if I was already slightly over the speed limit and the cars in the left hand lane where moving slower than I was, I would wait till I had gone past the cars in the left then pulled in.

Plus I've seen some people that have done this and you wouldn't think there was enough room too do it, some people are dangerous on the roads.

Edited 11 October, 201015 yr by Rennie

I think the situation as you describe was fifty fifty it wasnt a big space but obviously big enough. The problem is though there are now too many people who like to sit on the overtaking lane either cos it is too much bother to pull in as they will be overtaking again in a bit or just cos they want to sit on the outside. I came up behind a car at the weekend that was driving down the outside lane there was nothing in front or behind on the driving lane for 1/4 mile I had to slow down behind wait for her to pull over then accelerate again as soon as I passed and then moved to the inside she was back to the outside lane.

However, in defence of the Golf driver there are far too many people who dont pull over when it is possible and you may have been the umpteenth he had been stuck behind.

If the Golf had space to undertake and out-accelerate you, I'm surprised there wasn't room for you to switch to lane 1 to allow him past and then return to lane 2 after he'd gone past without needing to change speed? His driving was poor, but if it's obvious the car behind is following closer and is not going to hold me up, I'll let them go at the first opportunity...Chris

I think the situation as you describe was fifty fifty it wasnt a big space but obviously big enough. The problem is though there are now too many people who like to sit on the overtaking lane either cos it is too much bother to pull in as they will be overtaking again in a bit or just cos they want to sit on the outside. I came up behind a car at the weekend that was driving down the outside lane there was nothing in front or behind on the driving lane for 1/4 mile I had to slow down behind wait for her to pull over then accelerate again as soon as I passed and then moved to the inside she was back to the outside lane. However, in defence of the Golf driver there are far too many people who dont pull over when it is possible and you may have been the umpteenth he had been stuck behind.

I can see both your points..

I wouldn't have called it a safe gap though, not at motorway speeds and especially behind 2 bikers.. they're a bit more vulnerable if something goes wrong and I like to have more space then moving over would have allowed. (I work with 2 bikes that have both had genuine non fault accidents).

I'm not one of those drivers that has a strange magnetic pull to the middle or outside lane.They hack me off as much as the next guy.

In hindsight I should have sped up a little.... It would have avoided the whole thing, but it doesn't take away the stupidity of the golf driver... but maybe I should have thought and not created the situation that made him act like a pr!ck.

Edited 11 October, 201015 yr by Rob.

The Golf driver was an impatient ****!

However, next time take a deep breath and breathe out slowly, and let him go on his way.

The Golf driver was an impatient ****!

However, next time take a deep breath and breathe out slowly, and let him go on his way.

Yeah, I know... normally I'm very calm and take the "let them go, I'll see them in a couple of miles anyway" and hope they'll clock me and think "Well that made me look like a fool".. That, And just take some comfort in knowing the idots now far away from me.

It was the risk he took with the bikers safety that got to me though.. If it had been a car most likely would have brushed it off.

If the Golfer realy had to accelerate hard to get through, then he was a t0$$er. OTOH, I can see his point a bit; I've been stuck behind way too many clowns who seem to think that a car half a mile ahead means they should enter and stay in an overtaking lane.

If the Golfer realy had to accelerate hard to get through, then he was a t0$$er. OTOH, I can see his point a bit; I've been stuck behind way too many clowns who seem to think that a car half a mile ahead means they should enter and stay in an overtaking lane.

Put it this way.. he left me thinking "WTF has he done to that?"

This thing MOVED! I'd have been supremely impressed if I hadn't been so astonished.

Aye well.. ya live and learn don't ya.. next time I'll just move on a little quicker.

Tough one to make a comment on really as one persons defenition of a safe gap to pull into and another persons are usually very different, one thing which is easy to comment on is he should not have undertaken, more and more people seem to be doing this a lot these days, i drove back up north from wiltshire yesterday and allthough yes there were a lot of lane hogs slowing the traffic down there were several drivers who were passing on the left then jumping back and forth from 1st lane to the 3rd undertaking/overtaking as if the rules of the road and everyone elses safety meant nothing, another thing that infuriates me is when i am following other vehicles in the overtaking lane i allways leave a safe distance then the car from behind pulls into lane 2 undertakes then cuts back into lane 3 in front of me, what is the point? I could speed up so i hug the bumper of the car in front, but i consider this to be unsafe.

he should not have undertaken,

Why not? There is nothing more specific in the HC than one line which says specifically that you can undertake a vehicle which is signalling a right turn.

I hate MLOCers (aka CLOGies) as much as the next man.

Why not? There is nothing more specific in the HC than one line which says specifically that you can undertake a vehicle which is signalling a right turn.

I hate MLOCers (aka CLOGies) as much as the next man.

In this instance

Why not? There is nothing more specific in the HC than one line which says specifically that you can undertake a vehicle which is signalling a right turn.

Rule 268 states

"Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake." - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069862

That seems specific?

Rule 268 states

"Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake." - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069862

That seems specific?

There's another reference too, along the lines of "when traffic is moving slowly in queues, you may pass traffic to your right". These references omit to define any of what constitutes "slowly", a "queue", "congested", or how many lane changes per mile constitute "weaving".

Edited 12 October, 201015 yr by KenONeill

But the real point of the thread is this bit.

"Lane discipline

264

You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past."

The real question is was the OP "safely past".

But the real point of the thread is this bit.

"Lane discipline

264

You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past."

The real question is was the OP "safely past".

That is another subjective. Being entirely serious, if I'd accelerated when the guy I'd been following had moved left, I'd have felt that, since I'd got an overtaking speed set up on the bikers, Unless the guy behind had caught me at a real rate of knots, I wasn't being unreasonable. OTOH, if he had really caught me fast, I'd have blended over for him, and then back out.

If the Golf had space to undertake and out-accelerate you, I'm surprised there wasn't room for you to switch to lane 1 to allow him past and then return to lane 2 after he'd gone past without needing to change speed? His driving was poor, but if it's obvious the car behind is following closer and is not going to hold me up, I'll let them go at the first opportunity...

Chris

That is another subjective. Being entirely serious, if I'd accelerated when the guy I'd been following had moved left, I'd have felt that, since I'd got an overtaking speed set up on the bikers, Unless the guy behind had caught me at a real rate of knots, I wasn't being unreasonable. OTOH, if he had really caught me fast, I'd have blended over for him, and then back out.

+1..

Personally in most cases (unless it was someone really bombing it down) I would've increased my speed enough to indicate 'i know your there, I'll move over after I overtake these bikes, (thanks?)' then slow down again to my usual cruising speed,

rather than 'I will let you pass after I've taken my sweet time to overtake these bikers'.

+1..

Personally in most cases (unless it was someone really bombing it down) I would've increased my speed enough to indicate 'i know your there, I'll move over after I overtake these bikes, (thanks?)' then slow down again to my usual cruising speed,

rather than 'I will let you pass after I've taken my sweet time to overtake these bikers'.

Yeah; I'd also contemplate honouring the speed limit in the breach, rather than the observance thereof (well unless there was a cop or Greed Scamera about).

If i read this correctly, the Golf driver undertook you and then sped off into the distance. Undertaking is illegal and dangerous, and speeding is illegal (although i am sure we are all occasionally guilty of the latter)

Complete and utter dickhead: people like that kill people :(

Should I have moved over?

Yes.

Like most posters here, I can see both sides. Clearly the Golf driver was overly impatient, but on the other hand, there's nothing more frustrationg than someone who takes all day to overtake (and remember, this may be preceived differently depending on your closing speed, driving style, etc). Personally, I always try to get out iof the way of faster traffic as I hate being held up by the MLOC etc, and if that means blending into another lane for a few seconds as Ken describes, so be it.

I see both sides, but bare in mind Rule 126 states a 2 second gap should be kept between yourself and the vehicle in front. By the sounds of the situation, moving into the slower lane would have put you either, too close to the bikes in front (less than seconds away at current speed) or you would have had to pull in right in front of the vehicle behind the bikes (squeezing into his 2 second gap) essentially cutting them up.

So should you have moved over? Technically, no. However, as others have said I often will do just so I don't have some idiot putting me in danger with tailgating.