Overtaking Question

golfpaul

Scerario: Driving from Cork N20, 100kph zone, slow lane but not dual carriageway. Road conditions good, visibility good. No oncoming traffic.
I was driving along at 80-90 kph in slow lane (clear ahead), I come up to a line of 4 cars in right-hand lane (must be travelling at approx 70kph).
What do I do?
a) Stay in slow lane and reduce speed to 70kph so as not to undertake cars, essentially blocking two lanes of traffic?
b) Indicate into right hand lane and wait until slow lane disappears and continue travelling behind said cars at 70kph until I get a chance to overtake them legally at broken white line?
c) Undertake by argueing that Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly (don't know what speed defines slowly in a 100 kph zone but wouldn't think it's 70-80kph) and traffic in the left-hand lane is moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane.

OldmanMondeo

From what I remember of the ROTR, you may pass on the left if traffic on the right lane is moving slower.

Wait to be told it's not a slow / fast land.....

Damomayo

Does my head in as well .......... Keep left if the lane is clear FFS!!!!!! Do these ppl not realise how ignorant their driving is?????
Then if you flash at them to pull over you are ignored because they are proably talking on the phone

cashmni1

If its not a dualcarrigway, how is there 2 lanes?
Thr hard shoulder is not meant for constant traffic.

Anyway, yes, move into the "overtaking lane" and proceed as normal.

Technically, you are allowed to "undertake" if the 2 lanes of traffic are moving at different speeds and under the limit, only in traffic afaik.

golfpaul

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

From what I remember of the ROTR, you may pass on the left if traffic on the right lane is moving slower.

Wait to be told it's not a slow / fast land.....

It is actually marked as a slow lane, it's not a dual carraigeway or motorway. There is a sign that says slow lane ahead and then it's written on the road when it starts, you know the ones?

Victor_M

golfpaul wrote: »

Scerario: Driving from Cork N20, 100kph zone, slow lane but not dual carriageway. Road conditions good, visibility good. No oncoming traffic.
I was driving along at 80-90 kph in slow lane (clear ahead), I come up to a line of 4 cars in right-hand lane (must be travelling at approx 70kph).
What do I do?
a) Stay in slow lane and reduce speed to 70kph so as not to undertake cars, essentially blocking two lanes of traffic?
b) Indicate into right hand lane and wait until slow lane disappears and continue travelling behind said cars at 70kph until I get a chance to overtake them legally at broken white line?
c) Undertake by argueing that Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly (don't know what speed defines slowly in a 100 kph zone but wouldn't think it's 70-80kph) and traffic in the left-hand lane is moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane.

Yeah I can hear the clippity clop of the overtaking lane horses on the way.

Nothing much you can do OP, just suck it up and try to resist flashing the fcuk out of them (which, although I know it's wrong I am prone to doing, I think of it as continental Europe driving)

I absolutely refuse to undertake anyone at 90-100Kmph, if they are too think to notice my Xenons in their rear mirror they are probably too thick to check their wing mirrors as they change lane.

I like to make good progress, but as soon as there is an opening in the left hand lane I pull in until I need to overtake again and continue like this for the whole journey.

O/T lane hoggers annoy me as much as Ez pass lane hoggers with no Ez pass

Henry Ford III

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

From what I remember of the ROTR, you may pass on the left if traffic on the right lane is moving slower.

Wait to be told it's not a slow / fast land.....

It's a matter of interpretation but "slow moving traffic" suggests crawling stop start stuff to me. I think that'd be the attitude of the authorities too if it came to a legal situation.

It's frustrating, but in the circumstances outlined by the OP, either slowing down to match speed, or moving into right hand lane in the hope that someone would show some road manners and go back into the driving lane, would be the correct things to do.

peasant

Hello ... please pay attention!

not a DCW or motorway !

golfpaul wrote: »

It is actually marked as a slow lane, it's not a dual carraigeway or motorway. There is a sign that says slow lane ahead and then it's written on the road when it starts, you know the ones?

cashmni1

golfpaul wrote: »

It is actually marked as a slow lane, it's not a dual carraigeway or motorway. There is a sign that says slow lane ahead and then it's written on the road when it starts, you know the ones?

Oh yes, the ones for hill climbs and short stretches.
To be honest, I would just pass on the inside. The ignorance of the ROTR is frightning.
More times than not people just sit on the outside lane, with the attitude, "well If I can't pass, neither can you". The amount of times I travel to Waterford and I can think of one stretch in particular, that when someone obeys the ROTR, and pull in to let me past, I always acknowlage them for it. Sad state of affairs when you have to reward someone for driving correctly.

Wait for the "oh yeah, pass on the inside brigade", should be along shortly.:)

golfpaul

cashmni1 wrote: »

If its not a dualcarrigway, how is there 2 lanes?
Thr hard shoulder is not meant for constant traffic.

Anyway, yes, move into the "overtaking lane" and proceed as normal.

Technically, you are allowed to "undertake" if the 2 lanes of traffic are moving at different speeds and under the limit, only in traffic afaik.

Just want to clear this up, there are two lanes northbound the left hand one is marked slow lane (to the left of the slow lane there is a hard shoulder) and southbound there is one lane and a hard shoulder. This is usually reversed a few miles ahead ie two lanes southbound and one lane northbound. So technically not a dual carraigeway and no you are not driving on a hard shoulder.

Pat Mustard

I am a member of the "oh yeah, pass on the inside brigade". I know, it's illegal. I can still sleep at night despite the guilt.:)

KerranJast

The "overtaking slower traffic on the left" rule only applies to slow traffic moving in queues NOT high speed motoring. TBH I usually drive behind them until they get the hint. If they blindly cut back to the driving lane without checking their blindspot (which half the country seems to do) you're in trouble and it'll be deemed your fault in court.

Scottie99

cashmni1 wrote: »

If its not a dualcarrigway, how is there 2 lanes?
Thr hard shoulder is not meant for constant traffic.

its called a 2+1

I.S.T.

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

From what I remember of the ROTR, you may pass on the left if traffic on the right lane is moving slower.

Wait to be told it's not a slow / fast land.....

This rule only applies in slow moving traffic, i.e. a traffic jam. You are not allowed undertake under normal conditions.

hi5

Its the 'slow lane' name which seems to confuse the easily confused on our roads,'slow' conjures up images of overweight trucks ,tractors etc. So as many drive at 80 kph max anyway they consider the slow lane is not for them.
It would be much better if the Co Councils called the right lane the 'overtaking lane' and where the lanes merge at the end the arrows should point from the right lane to get back in the left lane instead of the other way around.

Hal1

This has been done to death and back to life again. ROTR on overtaking here

"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."

OldmanMondeo

Ok, I will probably get blasted for this, but, I have passed on the left, on both Motorways and Dual Carraigeways, when Traffic in the Right/Fast/Overtakening lane has been moving slower, i.e. I would be traveling say 100kph constantly on a motorway, I come to a spot where a few cars are on the R/F/O lane traveling at say 120kph, but have slowed for whatever reason. Now I am not talking about sitting in the R/F/O lane and then moving in to pass other cars because the left lane is clear and then moving back out.

peasant

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Ok, I will probably get blasted for this, but, I have passed on the left, on both Motorways and Dual Carraigeways, when Traffic in the Right/Fast/Overtakening lane has been moving slower, i.e. I would be traveling say 100kph constantly on a motorway, I come to a spot where a few cars are on the R/F/O lane traveling at say 120kph, but have slowed for whatever reason. Now I am not talking about sitting in the R/F/O lane and then moving in to pass other cars because the left lane is clear and then moving back out.

Did you have your children in the car at the time?

cjt156

KerranJast wrote: »

...it'll be deemed your fault in court.

Not a chance of it.

Despite evidence to the contrary judges do exercise a degree of common sense while applying the law.

If a driver undertakes a manouvre without ensuring it is safe to do so he will be considered at fault. Even if the other party to the incident is not adhereing to the ROTR.

"Your honour I changed into the inside lane from the outside lane and hit a car which was overtaking me illegally"

"Did you check your blind spot before doing so?"

"Ehh..."

Henry Ford III

In that instance I'd imagine any liabilty would be apportioned. Both drivers were partially the cause of the incident.

cjt156

Possibly, but I can't see any judge condoning a blind lane change.

Similar(ish) scenario;

Many moons ago I was in a collision with a car that pulled a U-turn across my path. Other side produced a witness to say I was speeding (I maintain I wasn't).
Judgement; even IF the motorcyclist(me) was speeding; that does not excuse a manouvre undertaken without due care.

100% in my favour.

Zube

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Ok, I will probably get blasted for this,

No, I think most people will admit to having passed on the left at some stage, when they came up behind a pipe-smoking hat-wearing nun driving a 1990 Mayo-reg Micra in the outside lane at 50 km/h.

People get blasted for claiming that it's legal. It isn't.

cjt156

Another point that gets raised in this debate is the idea that outside-lane drivers just "haven't noticed" that they are in the wrong lane and are liable to realise and pull in at any moment.
After 20 years on Irish roads I really don't believe this is the case. Most people I see every day in the outside lane are there through sheer bloody-mindedness; "I'm here and I'm f@*%ing staying put!"

OldmanMondeo

peasant wrote: »

Did you have your children in the car at the time?

Probably. But I keep a careful eye incase someone decides to pull in.

R.O.R

Strange occurance on the M1 Northbound last night.

All the way from the Donabate exit to where I got off at Drogheda South I was following a Goldish, Late 07 Merc E200 who was pulling out to overtake traffic, then back in to the inside lane. Both of us at the speedlimit (well 120 on the speedo, Garmin reckoned 115) without having to undertake anyone, or release the Cruise Control.

Such a rare occurance to come across anyone else who uses the 2 lanes properly on that stretch of Motorway.

cjt156

Speaks volumes about our fellow road users when being able to use a road as it was intended is a cause for comment.
Its an eye opener when you drive in the UK or on the continent and see people using motorways correctly; makes you wonder if its somewhing in the Irish psyche?

Fey!

Personally, I tend to pull into the overtaking lane behind them and flash the last car. If there's no response by the third flash, I use the horn. Generally I find that if you can get the last car in the queue to move left, then the others will spot you the first time you flash them.

And before anyone says that the flashing/horn blowing is rude and aggressive, my take on it is that "driving without due consideration for other road users" and not being aware of your surroundings or the rules of the road is rude, dangerous, and ignorant.
Also, the horn is there, and may be used, to make people aware of where you are when they are oblivious to the fact that there are other vehicles around them.

R.O.R

Fey! wrote: »

Personally, I tend to pull into the overtaking lane behind them and flash the last car.

Last time I did this, the woman in front obviously thought it was a sign to try an emergency stop in the outside lane of the M50 at 11.00pm :rolleyes:

It BeeMee

Fey! wrote: »

Personally, I tend to pull into the overtaking lane behind them and flash the last car. If there's no response by the third flash, I use the horn. Generally I find that if you can get the last car in the queue to move left, then the others will spot you the first time you flash them.

And before anyone says that the flashing/horn blowing is rude and aggressive, my take on it is that "driving without due consideration for other road users" and not being aware of your surroundings or the rules of the road is rude, dangerous, and ignorant.
Also, the horn is there, and may be used, to make people aware of where you are when they are oblivious to the fact that there are other vehicles around them.

So what do you do if the car in front doesn't move out of the way?
What if he is waiting for the guy in front of him to get out of his way?
If another car comes up behind you while you're waiting for the guy ahead to move over, will you move out of the way of the car behind you? Even if he flashes his lights 3 times then blows the horn?

Slig

It BeeMee wrote: »

So what do you do if the car in front doesn't move out of the way?
What if he is waiting for the guy in front of him to get out of his way?
If another car comes up behind you while you're waiting for the guy ahead to move over, will you move out of the way of the car behind you? Even if he flashes his lights 3 times then blows the horn?

Give him a shunt:D

Riskymove

peasant wrote: »

Did you have your children in the car at the time?

More importantly did you have a "Baby on Board" sticker?