ADUK Archive

Popping down the M6 this morning a car hogged lane 3 for several miles, speed varied between 60 and, barely, 70. Didn't make any difference what was in lane 1 or 2. Reasonably heavy traffic... All I felt I could do was hold back and I dropped into lane 1...plenty 'undertook'...

Opinions...advice?

I think that what you did was correct. There are a few possible alternative tactics that you can employ (in no particular order):

1. Stay in lane behind at a safe distance, alternate position nearside and offside within the lane to present yourself in their wing mirrors. Be careful not to weave too much though and allow time for them to react.

2. Position behind and next lane to the nearside - avoid sitting in their blind spot. Occasionally this will shame drivers into applying lane discipline.

3. Use another vehicle - position as per 2 to coincide with another larger/faster/bmw/audi type vehicle approaching from behind ("the barge"). Often, their aggressive approach will cause the other car to move, they also employ other non AD methods (horn, lights, fist-shaking, etc). An extra element of care is required because you are restricting the path of the barge whose can become aggressive towards you - know when to back off!! It's also perhaps [morally] questionable as to whether one should actively engineer such a situation occurring.

Of the above: 1 usually has little/no effect; 2 usually has little/no effect; 3 has the best chance of success but also the greatest risk.

Not illegal to pass SAFELY using a nearside lane - never has been

3rd attempt to post... I hate IOS 8 updates... So I'll be brief before it crashes again...

Undertake? I wouldn't have felt safe. I didn't trust him to stay where he was....

Barge? I drive a BMW318d...58 plate... I put lights on at a distance to no avail... The queue that took over from me was right on his tail. He was an accident maker...

On the way up the M6 I watched a police car in full lights and siren sit on the tail of a van which completely failed to notice his presence... So a mere black estate car is unlikely to have as much presence!

If 'several miles', what led you to believe he might move left into you?

Horse wrote:If 'several miles', what led you to believe he might move left into you?

Reasonable Q... But he seemed to show such total unawareness or care that I didnt have any reason to think he might be reliable in any way. His wobbling in the lane didn't encourage trust either.

If Bozo is in lane 3, you're in lane 1 and you've got an empty hard shoulder to your left in case he does something suicidal, the perhaps, (after a careful mirror check for BiB's), tippy toes past him on the inside, maintaining your lane 1 position for long enough after the manoeuvre to qualify as "moving ahead in my own lane"

skodatezzer wrote:If Bozo is in lane 3, you're in lane 1 and you've got an empty hard shoulder to your left in case he does something suicidal, the perhaps, (after a careful mirror check for BiB's), tippy toes past him on the inside, maintaining your lane 1 position for long enough after the manoeuvre to qualify as "moving ahead in my own lane"

/\ That

Holdback in L1, flash of full beam ('I am here'), accelerate through.

Until I became an Mway commuter I was against left side overtaking, but will now - occasionally - do it.

Happened to me on the way into work in the early hours this morning on a dual carriageway.

Car doing 10 miles an hour below speed limit in front, hogging overtaking lane, on an empty 2 lane dual carriageway. From some way back gave a long headlight flash followed by another a little later as I started to close .

No response so continued to close and just before committing to overtake momentarily matched speed followed by another flash. No response but car still steady so commenced the overtake. Back to main beam mid way through overtake when the beams would not reflect in the side mirror of car being overtaken.

Horse wrote:

skodatezzer wrote:If Bozo is in lane 3, you're in lane 1 and you've got an empty hard shoulder to your left in case he does something suicidal, the perhaps, (after a careful mirror check for BiB's), tippy toes past him on the inside, maintaining your lane 1 position for long enough after the manoeuvre to qualify as "moving ahead in my own lane"

/\ That

Holdback in L1, flash of full beam ('I am here'), accelerate through.

Until I became an Mway commuter I was against left side overtaking, but will now - occasionally - do it.

Can't argue with the logic guys... It's just so hard to change the habit of pillorying undertaking for 47 years of driving...

revian wrote:

Horse wrote:

skodatezzer wrote:If Bozo is in lane 3, you're in lane 1 and you've got an empty hard shoulder to your left in case he does something suicidal, the perhaps, (after a careful mirror check for BiB's), tippy toes past him on the inside, maintaining your lane 1 position for long enough after the manoeuvre to qualify as "moving ahead in my own lane"

/\ That

Holdback in L1, flash of full beam ('I am here'), accelerate through.

Until I became an Mway commuter I was against left side overtaking, but will now - occasionally - do it.

Can't argue with the logic guys... It's just so hard to change the habit of pillorying undertaking for 47 years of driving...

If I may take up your point..This reminds me that any definition of advanced driver should include the ability to break free from the dogma, so often taught, and learn to think for oneself. Be flexible.

You may dogma can indeed be bad but it can be a short cut from more in-depth analysis than it might seem.... And might help the less able or uncertain driver to cope reasonably safely?

As I said, only regular commuting changed my views, overcoming 1975 - 2008's worth of attitude.

Horse wrote:As I said, only regular commuting changed my views, overcoming 1975 - 2008's worth of attitude.

Having done and still doing much more motorway driving than usual I can see the pull. M5, M6, M53.... 50 mph average monitoring everywhere...it seems!

revian wrote:

Horse wrote:As I said, only regular commuting changed my views, overcoming 1975 - 2008's worth of attitude.

Having done and still doing much more motorway driving than usual I can see the pull. M5, M6, M53.... 50 mph average monitoring everywhere...it seems!

In the last couple of years one of the most selfish driving behaviours seems to be 'centre lane cruise control set to 70, I ain't moving no matter what'.