Motorway stragglers. What do you do ?

Lando Griffin

Whats the correct procedure to get someone thats doing 100kmph in the overtaking lane on a motorway to move into the left hand lane and no other cars about? I flashed four times in about half a minute then used my audible warning device ( because she was driving dangerously and incorrectly ) at which a lady in the rear seat looked back at me. I held my hand out as if to say "please move over" and she snarled at me. I then moved into the left lane to wait for someone more aggrissive to come along and she pulled into the left hand lane too! Then I passed her and increased speed to 120kmph. Is this ok to do cos I glanced at her when I passed and she looked at me with a grin on her face.

jaffa20

Couldn't you just undertake if there was no other cars about?

furiousox

I've often (and I do mean often) ''undertook'' a row of 4/5/6 cars out of pure frustration and when I look in my rear view mirror they're all still there farting along in the overtaking lane at 80-100k! :mad:

KamiKazi

Post on an internet forum, wait for responses, get the general consensus and then take that course of action.

Berty

There is what you should do and what you could do.

Don't undertake because sods law will provide you with points and a fine and hogger will keep on going.

On the continent they sit with their indicator on until you move. I resort to that when flashing and beeping does not work.

BTW, do not pull in front of them and slam on the brakes. I have seen so many hot heads do it on the roads whilst Im driving in the left lane. I have nearly been hit by shocked drivers in the overtaking lane swinging the steering wheel around.

Lando Griffin

jaffa20 wrote: »

Couldn't you just undertake if there was no other cars about?

No, i used to but once I did and this guy was doing about 80kmph and I undertook him and gradually slowed down to see how he liked it, then a load of cars started getting thick with me cos I was the one holding up the traffic so I let him at it.

jaffa20

Lando Griffin wrote: »

No, i used to but once I did and this guy was doing about 80kmph and I undertook him and gradually slowed down to see how he liked it, then a load of cars started getting thick with me cos I was the one holding up the traffic so I let him at it.

Eh? Why did you slow down? Sounds like you were the one being dangerous there just "to see how he liked it"

Lando Griffin

jaffa20 wrote: »

Eh? Why did you slow down? Sounds like you were the one being dangerous there just "to see how he liked it"

That was a while back, I didnt jam on the brakes just gradually went a bit slower than he thinking he might get the message, he didnt.

Donne

Lando Griffin wrote: »

That was a while back, I didnt jam on the brakes just gradually went a bit slower than he thinking he might get the message, he didnt.

Apart from flashing your lights, the 'grin and bear it' approach is the safest.
With a clueless lane hogger, undertaking could be dangerous.

On the Autobahn it's a convention for people to go into the slow lane, after flashing lights at the least, but we're talking about Ireland

K.O.Kiki

There is some weird stigma in Ireland about driving in the "slow" lane.

Maybe if the RSA and others got off their collective asses and started screening some "how to drive on a motorway" ads during commercials, we'd get a good thing started.
And maybe get some unmarked cars to start pulling over people, explain that you're supposed to drive in the inside lane while only using the overtaking lanes WHEN OVERTAKING.
Of course, that would require, eh, training and money :rolleyes:

thebushes

This undertaking is nonsense. Youre not undertaking if you are driving ithe left hand lane,so youre perfectly entitled to pass on the left lane if the moron driving slower in the right hand lane is obviously ignorant of motorway rules.

bad2dabone

i'm not a big fan of hip hop, but the chorus of this particular song always comes into my head when I find myself behind a chump sitting in the overtaking lane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPN5lEIWyVw

it's quite theraputic

corktina

on the N25 the other day I had the opposite. Came up behind a car in the LEFT lane doing 80 k so went to overtake (limited to 90) and once I was almost past, he accelaerated and hung me out to dry in the outside lane for miles. That sort of thing happens a lot, whats the matter with people?

Rulmeq

corktina wrote: »

on the N25 the other day I had the opposite. Came up behind a car in the LEFT lane doing 80 k so went to overtake (limited to 90) and once I was almost past, he accelaerated and hung me out to dry in the outside lane for miles. That sort of thing happens a lot, whats the matter with people?

This would appear to be the normal way for all irish drivers to react to being over taken on dual carrigway or motorway. In order to avoid speeding tickets, I use the cruise control, because I've a big engine which I'm kind of regretting, but that's a story for another day. So for nearly 90% of the people that I catch up with on cruise control (I don't touch the pedals), from the second I indicate to pull into the overtaking lane I can see the puff of smoke from the exhaust I just know they are going to accelerate.

So most of the time I pull back into the driving lane, only to end up dangerously close to their boots about 30 seconds later, so I indicate to pull out again, at this point most drivers won't repeat the earlier stunt, but some do.

I kind of wish I'd gotten the adaptive cruise control option

MarkR

thebushes wrote: »

This undertaking is nonsense. Youre not undertaking if you are driving ithe left hand lane,so youre perfectly entitled to pass on the left lane if the moron driving slower in the right hand lane is obviously ignorant of motorway rules.

You sure about that?

Overtaking

19.—(1) A driver shall not overtake (or attempt to overtake) if to do so would endanger, or cause inconvenience to, any other person.


(2) A driver shall not overtake (or attempt to overtake) unless he can clearly see a portion of the roadway which—


(a) is free from approaching traffic, pedestrians and any obstruction, and


(b) is sufficiently long and wide to permit the overtaking to be completed without danger or inconvenience to other traffic or pedestrians.


(3) A driver shall overtake on the right and shall not move in towards the left until it is safe to do so.


(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3) of this bye-law, a driver may overtake on the left—


(a) where the driver of the vehicle about to be overtaken has signalled his intention to turn to the right and the driver of the overtaking vehicle intends, after having overtaken, to go straight ahead or to turn to the left,


(b) where the driver of the overtaking vehicle intends, after having overtaken, to turn left at a road junction and has signalled this intention,


(c) in slow-moving traffic, when vehicles in the traffic lane on the driver's right are moving more slowly than the overtaking vehicle.


Turning at junctions

You can also get a penalty point and a fine.

Saying that, if flashing didn't work, and it was a single vehicle, I would pass on the inside (after checking my mirrors!)

Rulmeq

MarkR wrote: »

You sure about that?



You can also get a penalty point and a fine.

Saying that, if flashing didn't work, and it was a single vehicle, I would pass on the inside (after checking my mirrors!)

There's also points for failing to drive on the left, but I've never heard of anyone getting them.
Edit: It's only one point: http://www.penaltypoints.ie/driving_offences.php

Murt10

One of the (many) problems with Ireland is that 100kph is the speed limit on a lot of brand new motorways.

Defies belief that we only recently spent so much upgrading the M50, only to drop the speed limit from 120 to 100 kph

Bull76

I encounter this carry on on a daily basis. Driver in the overtaking lane, no one in the left lane only me as I approach the other driver, indicate and come up behind the other driver, they sometimes pretend not to see me. But it's a big and powerful car so they eventually pull over. I pass them indicate and back into the driving lane. They of course pull bvack into the overtaking lane. WHY???? nothing in the driving lane only me, and there not even doing the speed limit.
Usually get the noob, who just slows down as you approach them in the overtaking lane, woun't pull over and forces you to undertake them. Some self righteous ape who thinks he or she can drive as and how they feel.
Why don't the gardai pull them over and fine them....

opinion guy

corktina wrote: »

on the N25 the other day I had the opposite. Came up behind a car in the LEFT lane doing 80 k so went to overtake (limited to 90) and once I was almost past, he accelaerated and hung me out to dry in the outside lane for miles. That sort of thing happens a lot, whats the matter with people?

See in this situation I just put the foot down. I figure its safer for me to go faster for a limited period of time then remain driving in a situation where some numpty is being stupid unpredicatable things that could kills us both

Solair

Driving in the overtaking lane should carry a 2 penalty point & €50 fine.
It's dangerous and it causes accidents.
I saw a guy drive in the "fast lane" on the M8 at about 90kmh while an ambulance was trying to get past!
There was even slower moving traffic in the slow lane and the ambulance ended up having to undertake on the hardshouler all because the dumb driver in the fast lane wouldn't accelerate around the blockage in the slow lane and get it of the way!

corktina

you can put your foot down as far you like, but the vehicle is limited to 90..... pretty hard to get back into the inside lane in this situation with other vehicles behind you...dangerous fecker I felt like pulling in regardless of him now being up my inside and passing me by...

astrofool

We should probably go like the yanks, and remove undertaking as an offence, and make it a penalty not to use your left mirror

Abelloid

There are too many drivers that simply don't know that it is an over-taking lane, they seem to think it's just a matter of personal preference which lane they use.
I wonder how many got their full licence in '79....

corktina

JustinOval wrote: »

There are too many drivers that simply don't know that it is an over-taking lane, they seem to think it's just a matter of personal preference which lane they use.
I wonder how many got their full licence in '79....

its a matter of education I agree.Surely it would warrant a poster campaign of some sort...

peasant

This seems to be our groundhog topic lately

Mc Love

Funny thing the other day (all you can do is shake your head and laugh), driving along in the left lane, car up ahead is also in the left lane (straggler), overtake car, pull back into left lane - the car that I overtook then pulls out into the overtaking lane for some reason and continues to drive in the overtaking lane

btw the driver was a lady :eek:

djimi

Ive spent the last month actively watching how people drive motorways/dual carraigeways and really making a massive effort to ensure that I drive them properly, and Ive come to the conclusion that its nigh on impossible to drive dual carraigeways and motorways properly in this country with the way most morons act on them. I found at most I will last maybe 90 seconds in the left lane before encountering a driver going slower than me in one of the lanes to my right (Im sticking to the speed limit; its not like Im belting along). I then have to move across two lanes to overtake (assuming of course that the right hand lane is actually free of another cruiser, which it often isnt), make the pass, then move back across two more lanes to get to the inside lane again. In the course of one trip from Naas to Dublin I had to do this something like 20 times.

Begs the question is it safer to be constantly switching across three lanes to overtake idiots, or is it safer just to continue on past them in the left hand lane? Considering most of them are pretty much on rails in the middle lane anyway Im starting to think, legality of it aside, undertaking is the safer option...

Abelloid

corktina wrote: »

its a matter of education I agree.Surely it would warrant a poster campaign of some sort...

Gaybo should have a word.

corktina

he'd be too busy giving one to evryone in the audience...

djimi

JustinOval wrote: »

Gaybo should have a word.

Hes too busy trying to convince everyone that male drivers between the ages of 17 and 30 all automatically turn into murderers the minute they get behind the wheel of a car.

-Chris-

To answer the original question, I remember reading an article from some advanced driving bod that the best way to approach this was by flashing your high beam and/or putting your right indicator on.

The alternatives of undertaking or tailgating were less safe in his opinion.

Abelloid

-Chris- wrote: »

To answer the original question, I remember reading an article from some advanced driving bod that the best way to approach this was by flashing your high beam and/or putting your right indicator on.

The alternatives of undertaking or tailgating were less safe in his opinion.

Indicating seems like the best option, if they can't understand that, they shouldn't be on the road.

Mc Love

Going to try that indicator way the next time! High beam sounds good though too

corktina

Many Irish drivers shouldn't be on the road, (none of them on boards of course...)

corktina

Mc Love wrote: »

Going to try that indicator way the next time! High beam sounds good though too

the indicator thing seems to work.Ive recently been trying that and I think it makes people feel sheepish when they realise rather than annoyed and bloody-minded if you flash them.

-Corkie-

Every time (every week) one of these threads come up and my keyboard earns more teeth marks.:)

Velocitee

astrofool wrote: »

We should probably go like the yanks, and remove undertaking as an offence, and make it a penalty not to use your left mirror

I started a thread on this but general consensus was it was a bad idea (as people can't drive anyway and it's introducing more difficulty.) :rolleyes:

Velocitee

bad2dabone wrote: »

i'm not a big fan of hip hop, but the chorus of this particular song always comes into my head when I find myself behind a chump sitting in the overtaking lane

it's quite theraputic

Ha ha - I've found myself singing that (and I'm into metal :eek::p)

Velocitee

corktina wrote: »

Many Irish drivers shouldn't be on the road, (none of them on boards of course...)

the question is how to reach/ teach them!

My sister has been listening to the gospel according to Velocitee for a long time when it comes to driving in general.

Her friend (who was learning - sister fully qualified) was driving in the overtaking lane at 90kph on dual carriageway, guy in a BMW comes up behind them and flashes high beams to move.

Sister tells her move into driving lane after about a minute, the friend gives her a "he's bullying me" type answer and eventually pulls in.(the friend was supposed to have had 10 lessons!!!)

My Sister actually quoted me explaining driving and overtaking lanes, the keep left rule, and it's not the friend's business to police BMW guys speed, that she'll never have to see him again in her life!!!
cue a huff and silence from the friend.

SO PROUD!

Cuddlesworth

-Chris- wrote: »

To answer the original question, I remember reading an article from some advanced driving bod that the best way to approach this was by flashing your high beam and/or putting your right indicator on.

The alternatives of undertaking or tailgating were less safe in his opinion.

Its a generally accepted fact that if you are that agressive to feel you have to undertake then you are more likely to get into a accident. I believe Roadcraft states the figure at about 33%. It's more about your mindset overall on the road.

CrowdedHouse

Anyone know where this 'Slow Lane/Fast Lane' thing originated ?

Recently on the M6 eastbound near Galway..early morning road quiet..Ford Galaxy on the right lane doing I'd say 110 ish...me on left doing 120..I approach him and move out to the right lane..he sees me coming up behind and moves to the left lane..no problem..I overtake and return to the left lane..a while later checking my mirrors I see him out tootling along in the right lane again..

_Conrad_

Velocitee wrote: »

Ha ha - I've found myself singing that (and I'm into metal :eek::p)

metal can be a bad idea when you're driving.. nothing like being in a bad mood already then getting road rage while listening to Pantera or something equally aggressive.

But on the actual topic again, it really annoys me when people just sit in that lane. I had a train horn on one of my old jeeps though, that got their attention! I wouldnt use it if it was someone old though in case i have them a heart attack.


The worst thing is when people doing about 85-90k in the fast lane decided that preventing you from passing, at the cost of both their own life, and your life seems to be the order of the day and do things like braking, or get in line with a car in the "slow" lane and keep you blocked in behind the two cars. I've also ogt a serious problem with people who try to blok you when overtaking on a normal two lane national road, pulling out over the white line and slowing down the second they see your indicator.



If i'm going somewhere i drive with purpose, i want to get there in good time. However, i don't drive dangerously, and have never got a single penalty point, i jsut get very furstrated with people who feel the need to turn vigilante if they see someone driving any bit fast.
Particularly if you're in a car that's considered fast/flashy/expensive.
Though when driving jeeps and vans, i've also found that some people REALLY don't like to see a "slow" comercial passing them

-Corkie-

Wouldnt it be great to have some sort of a inbuilt car tazering device.

Passing lane hogger wont move over so i press my magic button. Result:

Diiiiizzzzt diiiiizzzzttt:eek::eek:. Diiiizzzttt Dizzzzttt:eek::eek: Diiiizzzzttt Dizzzttt:eek::eek:

Lane hogger returns to lane 1 out of my way never to hog lane 2 again looking like this:








Problem solved me thinks..

Mc Love

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Anyone know where this 'Slow Lane/Fast Lane' thing originated ?

Recently on the M6 eastbound near Galway..early morning road quiet..Ford Galaxy on the right lane doing I'd say 110 ish...me on left doing 120..I approach him and move out to the right lane..he sees me coming up behind and moves to the left lane..no problem..I overtake and return to the left lane..a while later checking my mirrors I see him out tootling along in the right lane again..

Thats exactly the same as my experience!

Even trying to teach this to people who have the amnesty - you are facing a losing battle once you take in the air to even speak to them!

They are right - you are wrong :mad:

sentient_6

In the last two days iv been on the M6 between Galway & Ballinasloe 4 times. For the most part i have to say it doesn't suffer as much with the stuff being talked about here as its just simply quieter. But, there is one little tiny thing that could do with being changed that might help to persuade people to move back in to the left, anybody noticed the arrows that appear in each lane every now & then? Both of them pointing straight on? Why not have the one in the right lane as a curved arrow to the left? So simple. The way it is at the moment almost suggests straight ahead in any lane. I'm tempted to email the RSA querying this.

cyclopath2001

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Whats the correct procedure to get someone thats doing 100kmph in the overtaking lane on a motorway to move into the left hand lane and no other cars about?

If you're a cop, you turn on the blue lights. If not, all the things you did were unlawful and she could have turned you in to the Gardai for trying to bully her,

An advanced driver would have backed off and waited until the way was clear and then overtaken when it was safe to so.

You are not an advanced driver.

congo_90

a how To overtake on motorway thread. how original. :rolleyes:

Anyhow rules for overtaking:
you May pass on the left if the traffic in the right lane is moving slower than the left provided its safe to do so. OR if the car in front is turning right and its safe to do so

corktina

congo_90 wrote: »

a how To overtake on motorway thread. how original. :rolleyes:

Anyhow rules for overtaking:
you May pass on the left if the traffic in the right lane is moving slower than the left provided its safe to do so. OR if the car in front is turning right and its safe to do so

no no....not right. You may pass on the left in slow moving traffic if the lane on the right is moving slower than yours. That should be taken as to mean in a partial traffic jam, NOT on the naas road at 80k

cyclopath2001

corktina wrote: »

no no....not right. You may pass on the left in slow moving traffic if the lane on the right is moving slower than yours. That should be taken as to mean in a partial traffic jam, NOT on the naas road at 80k

+1

That poster seems to have a very personal version of the overtaking regulations. What he said is way less than what is in the regulations.

Lando Griffin

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

If you're a cop, you turn on the blue lights. If not, all the things you did were unlawful and she could have turned you in to the Gardai for trying to bully her,

An advanced driver would have backed off and waited until the way was clear and then overtaken when it was safe to so.

You are not an advanced driver.

So she admits to breaking the law too, I was at no time aggrisive and at no time put either car in danger.

L1011

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

If you're a cop, you turn on the blue lights. If not, all the things you did were unlawful and she could have turned you in to the Gardai for trying to bully her,

An advanced driver would have backed off and waited until the way was clear and then overtaken when it was safe to so.

You are not an advanced driver.

What offence precisely is "trying to bully" someone, pray tell?

Failure to keep left is an offence, one I'm sure you'd willingly quote the RTA section for if you were bringing it up.