Undertaking

DubGF

Can someone answer this to settle an argument please?

Can you undertake if you are driving less than the speed limit?

IE, on a motorway, someone is doing 100KM in the overtaking lane, you undertake them at 110KM, is this illegal?

Basically can you undertake (no matter what the road) so long as you are not breaking the speed limit?

Thanks,
Gary

Alanstrainor

DubGF wrote: »

Can someone answer this to settle an argument please?

Can you undertake if you are driving less than the speed limit?

IE, on a motorway, someone is doing 100KM in the overtaking lane, you undertake them at 110KM, is this illegal?

Basically can you undertake (no matter what the road) so long as you are not breaking the speed limit?

Thanks,
Gary

Nope. That is still undertaking. However the person who is sitting in the overtaking lane and not keeping left is also in the wrong.
This is taken from the rules of the road

You may overtake on the left when:

*You want to go straight ahead when the driver in front of you has moved
out and signalled that they intend to turn right.
*You have signalled that you intend to turn left.
*Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly and traffic in the left-hand lane is
moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane.

DriveSkill

**Seems I was beaten to it :-) **

The simple answer is No, there are only 3 occasions when you can legally 'overtake on the left' (undertaking is something that funeral directors do )

The 3 situations where it is legal to overtake on the left are :

(from the rules of the road)

You may overtake on the left when

• You want to go straight ahead when the driver in front of you has moved out and signalled that they intend to turn right.
• You have signalled that you intend to turn left.
• Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly and traffic in the left-hand lane is moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane.

The important aspect of point 3 is the 'moving slowly' piece - hence it is not legal when you are doing 100 km/hr etc. This point is there for example during heavy congestion on a dual-carriageway where it is acceptable to continue if you are in the left lane and moving faster than the right - speeds here should be in the 20-30 km/hr max (although its not defined) and queuing.

BTW this is a very common question asked during the driving test.

DubGF

Thanks for the replies, spoke about it lately and decided to get an answer.

I am a demon for doing this, especially lately on the 3 lane m50m, I swear Irish drivers dont have a clue how to drive on it. I hate to admit this but I regularly drive on the far left lane of the m50 "becasue no one else seems to"

How do so many drivers dont understand that you always drive in the left/middle lane except for overtaking is beyond me.

Old Gill

undertaking implies you move left in order to pass by. If it was just a case of being in the middle lane and as you drive along the car on the fast lane has slowed down then Id say yes its fine to keep going at the same same as pass them by (however if you were in the fast lane all along you cant then move left to overtake). Thats how I would interpret it..

Alanstrainor

Old Gill wrote: »

undertaking implies you move left in order to pass by. If it was just a case of being in the middle lane and as you drive along the car on the fast lane has slowed down then Id say yes its fine to keep going at the same same as pass them by (however if you were in the fast lane all along you cant then move left to overtake). Thats how I would interpret it..

It's called the overtaking lane, and not a "fast" lane. The above is still undertaking. However the person sitting in the overtaking lane and not keeping left is also in the wrong in that situation.

Old Gill

Alanstrainor wrote: »

It's called the overtaking lane, and not a "fast" lane. The above is still undertaking. However the person sitting in the overtaking lane and not keeping left is also in the wrong in that situation.

So if it is "wrong" to pass by on the middle lane then the right thing to do would be to slow down and keep at the speed of the car in the right hand/overtaking lane? So if some joker was driving at 50kmh in the outside lane you need to keep to that speed?

jhegarty

Old Gill wrote: »

So if some joker was driving at 50kmh in the outside lane you need to keep to that speed?

Yes, that's the law.

The joker would be committing an offence.

Alanstrainor

Old Gill wrote: »

So if it is "wrong" to pass by on the middle lane then the right thing to do would be to slow down and keep at the speed of the car in the right hand/overtaking lane? So if some joker was driving at 50kmh in the outside lane you need to keep to that speed?

If you are following the letter of the law, yes that would be correct. However, as said, the person doing 50km/h in the overtaking lane is completely in the wrong.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

MASTIE

The driving standard in this country is becoming deplorable. The 'keep left at all times rule unless overtaking' was one of the first things my instructor hammered into me. The M7 is one of the worst stretches of road I have experienced for the lane hoggers. The most frustrating thing is that it is you undertaking these planks that is more likely to get done and they will be left to drive along on there merry way. These idiots are hindering the natural flow of the traffic and emergency vehicles that should in effect have a clear run down lane 3, but have to wait for these lane hoggers to wake up and move to the left.

daveharnett

MASTIE wrote: »

The driving standard in this country is becoming deplorable. The 'keep left at all times rule unless overtaking' was one of the first things my instructor hammered into me. The M7 is one of the worst stretches of road I have experienced for the lane hoggers. The most frustrating thing is that it is you undertaking these planks that is more likely to get done and they will be left to drive along on there merry way. These idiots are hindering the natural flow of the traffic and emergency vehicles that should in effect have a clear run down lane 3, but have to wait for these lane hoggers to wake up and move to the left.

Yep. My Ireland would see the speed cameras replaced by gantries carrying men with high powered rifles for just this purpose.

Oh, and literal undertakers on standby;).

Wishbone Ash

Lads - it's "overtaking on the left". 'Undertaking' is what funeral directors do!

DubGF wrote: »

I am a demon for doing this.... ....I swear Irish drivers dont have a clue how to drive on it... ........I regularly drive on the far left lane of the m50........ ........many drivers dont understand that you always drive in the left/middle lane except for overtaking is beyond me.

Do you not think that you are totally contradicting yourself? You complain that others don't know have a clue how to drive on motorways when it is clearly obvious that you don't either!

Old Gill wrote:

So if some joker was driving at 50kmh in the outside lane you need to keep to that speed?

Yes. In the same way that truck and bus drivers are legally obliged to remain in the left lane even if the vehicle in front is doing 50kph.