Driving etiquette………..

It appears to me from your comments that you are too stupid to actually hold a rational discussion. I'm signing off now.

Very grown up response...

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/man-...20150622-ghuxc3.html

Eating his wheaties? I wonder....

http://www.smh.com.au/world/po...20150622-ghuro5.html

I'd make light of this too, but there's nothing funny here. Nothing at all. Be careful out there people. Your families' lives are in your hands.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...help-drivers/6574902

Nothing funny here either......

A clear case where the judge should be removed.  There seems to be a stupendous lack of common sense by governments across the globe. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRv0xQjEQs0

But THIS is funny.

glad to see you do have a sense of humour after all, winky

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33286811

With self-driving cars seemigly just around the corner, I wonder if the proponents have considered that the cars will have to be progammed to obey traffic rules (you know, obey speed limits, stop at stop signs and not run red lights) . The occupants will presumably find this extremely unusual and frustrating. This issue may have an effect on sales

Winky - I  cannot see it happening but having driven ~30 miles on the M25 (London orbital) motorway yesterday, the level of poor lane discipline was astounding. Relatively un-busy 4-lane stretches where drivers decided the 3rd lane was 'theirs'. At one point, a bulge of traffic caught up with one of the said cars which was going relatively slowly (~60mph). What ensued was a chaos of uncertain 'under-taking'. The Police in the UK are (finally it seems) starting to prosecute drivers who do this - not before time.  

Not sure whether the police are starting to prosecute the "Undertakers" or the "Lane Hoggs"

Both.

(Actually technically the Police report them, it's the CPS who prosecute them.)

I had the same a few weeks ago,  but 55mph in lane 3 !!!

I undertook, slowly & carefully as did a stream of cars behind me.  

And I assume you mean prosecuting centre lane owners club drivers rather than undertakers

Question - is undertaking an offence ??

NO, the highway code advises against it except in variable lane speeds congested traffic & although not specific it sort of implies in 40mph zones rather than open motorway driving.

In law there is no specific offence of undertaking. The only offence that you might be committing is careless driving, but then the CPS would have to prove that your driving fell below the standard expected

Mike - yes, I refer to the prosecution of those who sit in the outer lanes in such circumstances.

I'm aware that under-taking isn't an offence but in my experience it can be very dangerous. I've had the misfortune in heavy traffic to be on the inside of a Tesco artic' on the northbound A303/M3 junction, where a new inside lane is created. I found myself in that place, knowing I was in his blind spot and strongly suspecting he was about to pull in to the new inside lane - I wasn't incorrect.

Highway Code, Rule 268:

"Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane to your left to overtake".

Highway Code, Rule 163:

"only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling right, and there is room to do so"

Ok. Huge says "both" and Mike B says "Lane hoggs"

I am aware that the first Lane Hogg was prosecuted recently (a van driver I believe) following the recent introduction of the lane-hogging rule. I am not 100% sure of the way the police/cps treat undertaking in the UK.

My view is that both Lane hoggs and undertakers should be prosecuted and the law be modified to enable this, if necessary.

Sorry Huge its only a HC rule,  its not in law

Read the rest of rule 268 were it says its permissible in certain surcumstances

Undertaking was a removed from the statute books with the introduction of the 1972 Road Traffic Act.   The Highway Code advises against it but there is no specific law that prevents it from being legal.

Bottom line is its all a mess & needs clarification IN LAW

Lane hogging needs clarifying in law

Then we need the cops on the road to catch & engage CPS to nab these offences - but thats a cops head count issue & a whole other subject

In the scenario earlier in the thread with a car travelling at 60 mph in the right hand lane, no undertaking = the entire motorway limited to 60 mph and no doubt hundreds of frustrated drivers tailgating each other. Much more dangerous than merely passing the vehicle at a sensible speed in a lane to its left surely?

What are you supposed to do if someone is doing - say - 55 mph in the outside lane of a dual carriageway in the UK where the speed limit is 70 mph (and other conditions are all fine)?

I'm not an advocate of tailgating with repeated headlight flashing - that's more my wife's style 

Due to the provisions of the Road Traffic Act the Highway code is considered to be "regulation with the force of law".  Contravening the Highway Code can be interpreted as a breach of the Road Traffic Act.  It is also prime evident in a case of Careless Driving (which is a specific Road Traffic Act offence).

Trying to rely on the Highway Code not being law, is a very shaky defence!

The RTA also specifies

"Careless, and inconsiderate, driving.

If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence."

This can easily be considered to cover both undertaking and middle lane hogging.

Officially you should remain behind them, move into the leftmost lane available to you and leave at least a 2 second gap between your vehicle and theirs.

Unofficially I would recommend at least a 15 second gap and use of a Carl Gustav M3.

 I agree its a shaky defence to rely on,  but contravening the HC can be interpreted as a breach of the RTA & can only be used as further evidence if associated with another driving offence such as without due care or dangerous driving or a statutory infringement such as speeding.

Undertaking, provided its done with due care & consideration is not a driving offence in law

There has been one prosecution of a middle lane hog (where did hogg come from?).

Undertaking is permissable on dual carriageways and motorways when there are queues in some or all lanes. It is not actually illegal anyway unless it is considered to put other road users at risk.

Is that a machine gun...?

Nothing as feeble as that ...........

A CG M3 will take out a 44ton truck if needed