Tailgating and Undertaking on Motorways

AndrewJRenko

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Maybe if we just call it the fast lane and be done with it... no 'overtaking'... just drive fast like a maniac with no limit... maybe!

So just the usual M50 offpeak experience then?

NickNickleby

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Good luck explaining to a judge that you think driving at the limit is slow-moving.

This is common enough, traffic in lane 2 slower than lane 1.
A month ago, I was driving along the M1 towards Donabate exit. After the airport, I stayed in lane 1 and was doing about 110. Came up to and passed a truck in lane 2 that was doing about 80-90, behind a little old dear in a small car. There was no need for her to be there. I don't believe I broke any laws, but I can tell you I was VERY alert to the possibility of someone swing from lane 3 to lane 1 , while not being able to see me because of the truck.

If you want to see lane hopping madness, the M1 from M50 to just after the airport is like stock car racing, fortunately without the dramatic crashes. Worst offenders are taxis coming up the outside at probably 100+ , then slamming on and crossing FIVE lanes to get to the airport. Northern reg cars are the second most obvious offenders, most of them well over the 80kph limit.

My son goes nuts when I drop him to the airport, because I NEVER exceed the speed limit. "For God's sake dad, this road is well capable of more than 80!!". So I explain that the speed limit is there for a reason, and its because of the likelihood of a sudden snarl up because of all the criss-cross routes in the couple of miles. Also, someone coming down the ramps has to be able to safely enter the motorway at the speed limit, without some clown travelling at excessive speed almost running into them. The subsequent hard breaking by the clown is then reflected all the way back through the traffic until somewhere behind him all traffic comes to a stop. I've seen this very well explained on a UK tv program.

Anyway, I'm off now for a tootle along the M50.

TimeToShine

OP if it were an experienced driver talking I would be inclined to agree with them but since it's your first week driving in Dublin I can only assume that you were the problem. In my experience guys in BMWs won't attempt an undertake that is genuinely dangerous - dodgy yes but certainly not out of the realm of possibility for a fella who bought his first 2L. Although following the correct protocol you were probably making a bit of a meal of the maneuver.

You'll get used to it fairly quickly, learn to keep a lookout in your rear view for people tearing towards you and move in good time. Driving pro-actively as opposed to reactively is the best way to deal with it.

siobhan08

TimeToShine wrote: »

OP if it were an experienced driver talking I would be inclined to agree with them but since it's your first week driving in Dublin I can only assume that you were the problem. In my experience guys in BMWs won't attempt an undertake that is genuinely dangerous - dodgy yes but certainly not out of the realm of possibility for a fella who bought his first 2L. Although following the correct protocol you were probably making a bit of a meal of the maneuver.

You'll get used to it fairly quickly, learn to keep a lookout in your rear view for people tearing towards you and move in good time. Driving pro-actively as opposed to reactively is the best way to deal with it.

Just because I've stated it was my first week of regular Monday to Friday driving on motorways in and out of Dublin every day does not mean I've never driven around Dublin and on the Motorways in and out. I have plenty of experience on driving on motorways. Some a lot busier than motorways in Ireland.

So I'm the problem not the guy carrying out two illegal Manoeuvres?

mfceiling

mfceiling wrote: »

You do know you still have to move in to the left after completing your overtaking?

galvo_clare wrote: »

You are completely wrong here. Why not just move over into the driving lane?

If there's an extended empty driving lane in front of me, often I will. If i can see the next car in the left lane, then I stay in the overtaking lane. More often than not you'll see the next car you're gonna pass before you're finished all your overtaking. Be rare to see an empty lane (unless you're out in the midlands etc. but rarely ever in dublin).

So long as I'm not obstructing anyone from passing, I see no issue with it, and will continue to do it forever more.

The Bishop Basher

siobhan08 wrote: »

So I'm the problem not the guy carrying out two illegal Manoeuvres?

As this thread is testament to and has been mentioned already..

People carry out dangerous and illegal manoeuvres all the time. It's a fact of life. Experience teaches us to predict these scenarios and respond in a proactive manner. It's part of good driving.

As my driving instructor told me many years ago, you're not just driving for yourself, your driving for everyone else sharing the road around you.

Lack of awareness and an inability to spot and avoid scenarios such as you described is usually down to lack of experience.

Driving around Dublin is a skill in itself. You'll get used to it soon enough..

inforfun

The left lane on the M50 is the one that needs resurfacing the least.
Even "professional" (trucks, taxis, buses) drivers are not using it.
The left lane is lava.

siobhan08

Swanner wrote: »

As this thread is testament to and has been mentioned already..

People carry out dangerous and illegal manoeuvres all the time. It's a fact of life. Experience teaches us to predict these scenarios and respond in a proactive manner. It's part of good driving.

As my driving instructor told me many years ago, you're not just driving for yourself, your driving for everyone else sharing the road around you.

Lack of awareness and an inability to spot and avoid scenarios such as you described is usually down to lack of experience.

Driving around Dublin is a skill in itself. You'll get used to it soon enough..

This thread has shown me that a lot of people seem to not have an issue with driver carrying out illegal manoeuvres.

The Irish seem to be too used to the lack of enforcement of the rules of the road by the traffic corps. I've been driving on motorways in Ireland for 9 years. I could count on both my hands the number of times I've seen the guards parked up in the designated ramps at the road side

GreeBo

NickNickleby wrote: »

This is common enough, traffic in lane 2 slower than lane 1.

Slower is not slow.

If the guy in lane 2 is doing 200kp/h and I'm doing 250kp/h I cant overtake him on the left, even though he is 50kp/h slower than me.

The "slow-moving" is to make multi-lane queuing traffic legal.

martingriff

Swanner wrote: »

siobhan08 wrote: »

So I'm the problem not the guy carrying out two illegal Manoeuvres?

As this thread is testament to and has been mentioned already..

People carry out dangerous and illegal manoeuvres all the time. It's a fact of life. Experience teaches us to predict these scenarios and respond in a proactive manner. It's part of good driving.

As my driving instructor told me many years ago, you're not just driving for yourself, your driving for everyone else sharing the road around you.

Lack of awareness and an inability to spot and avoid scenarios such as you described is usually down to lack of experience.

Driving around Dublin is a skill in itself. You'll get used to it soon enough..

What a load of utter bull. SHe is the problem. SHe was aware because if she was not she would have hit into an undertaking car.

You sound like an apologist for all these drivers. Should be allowed to do whatever they want and the rest should live with it.

Driving in Dublin should be no different then driving in any other motorway town or city.

And that saying your instructor told you should be thought more to these drivers than the OP as there are other drivers on the road and they should drive more appropriate.

lawred2

martingriff wrote: »

What a load of utter bull. SHe is the problem. SHe was aware because if she was not she would have hit into an undertaking car.

You sound like an apologist for all these drivers. Should be allowed to do whatever they want and the rest should live with it.

Driving in Dublin should be no different then driving in any other motorway town or city.

And that saying your instructor told you should be thought more to these drivers than the OP as there are other drivers on the road and they should drive more appropriate.

It is no different. I've driven in many many countries and see the same stuff repeated everywhere. Dublin/Ireland is not unique.

dudeeile

Just becuase the other 2 drivers pulled some illegal manoeuvres doesn't mean you were completely in the right, we've all seen it more than once on our roads.

martingriff

dudeeile wrote: »

Just becuase the other 2 drivers pulled some illegal manoeuvres doesn't mean you were completely in the right, we've all seen it more than once on our roads.

The only thing she did wrong in my view was the indicator which I hope she will take on board

BronsonTB

Invest in a dash cam, great job for seeing exactly what happened without so much room for uncertainty of what happened.
It helps spell out the good from the bad drivers.

NickNickleby

GreeBo wrote: »

Slower is not slow.

If the guy in lane 2 is doing 200kp/h and I'm doing 250kp/h I cant overtake him on the left, even though he is 50kp/h slower than me.

The "slow-moving" is to make multi-lane queuing traffic legal.

I don't understand your point here. In my own case, I was at 110 and lane 2 was at 80-90. Are you saying that I should have either slowed to match lane 2, or change lane1> lane2 > lane3, then back to lane 2 back to lane1 ?

Casey78

There's no better feeling than when someone attempts to undertake a line of cars only to get caught behind a car or bus or something in the 'slow' lane and then all the cars he undertook just whizz past him again and he has to join the line at the back again.
I just love it when that happens.. .love it I tell you.
I would actually sometimes slow down to the speed of the car slowing him up to allow the traffic to catch back up behind me to prevent him from cutting back in again. Usually happens on the M7 which I'm on alot.
Usually they keep trying it and will eventually succeed to get about 3 cars ahead.

BronsonTB

Casey78 wrote: »

I would actually sometimes slow down to the speed of the car slowing him up to allow the traffic to catch back up behind me to prevent him from cutting back in again.

Two wrongs....

NickNickleby

NickNickleby wrote: »

I don't understand your point here. In my own case, I was at 110 and lane 2 was at 80-90. Are you saying that I should have either slowed to match lane 2, or change lane1> lane2 > lane3, then back to lane 2 back to lane1 ?

Anyone like to offer an opinion on this scenario? Bear in mind the situation I'm describing is normal driving along the motorway in Lane 1, then coming up to slower moving car(s) in lane 2.

First Up

Casey78 wrote:

There's no better feeling than when someone attempts to undertake a line of cars only to get caught behind a car or bus or something in the 'slow' lane and then all the cars he undertook just whizz past him again and he has to join the line at the back again. I just love it when that happens.. .love it I tell you. I would actually sometimes slow down to the speed of the car slowing him up to allow the traffic to catch back up behind me to prevent him from cutting back in again. Usually happens on the M7 which I'm on alot. Usually they keep trying it and will eventually succeed to get about 3 cars ahead.

That doesn't compare to the pleasure of watching someone try to cut across from the outside or middle lane for their exit and find their way blocked by the cars driving in the correct lane. I just love it when they miss their exit.

NickNickleby

First Up wrote: »

That doesn't compare to the pleasure of watching someone try to cut across from the outside or middle lane for their exit and find their way blocked by the cars driving in the correct lane. I just love it when they miss their exit.

I've seen some very near misses with that behaviour. The two locations I've seen it most are: approaching the airport on the M1 northbound, and on the M50 from Blanchardstown, approaching the Finglas exit. Up to five lanes involved and some maniacs try to cross them all in one go...

Isambard

Swanner wrote: »

Fact - She wasn't even indicating..

How long does it take to "get ready" to merge back into the left lane ?

5 secs+ apparently. You travel a long way in 5 seconds in fairness.

dudeeile

martingriff wrote: »

The only thing she did wrong in my view was the indicator which I hope she will take on board

Oh yea and driving at 150km/h

First Up

NickNickleby wrote:

Anyone like to offer an opinion on this scenario? Bear in mind the situation I'm describing is normal driving along the motorway in Lane 1, then coming up to slower moving car(s) in lane 2.

If the road is otherwise clear I will go through those steps. Sometimes the middle lane hogger will wake up when they see it and move left - sometimes not.

If the road is busy I will more likely stay in the left lane rather than complicate things for those using the outside lane. That means undertaking but as I said in an earlier post, you are allowed pass on the left if "traffic" is moving faster in that lane.

Isambard

NickNickleby wrote: »

I don't understand your point here. In my own case, I was at 110 and lane 2 was at 80-90. Are you saying that I should have either slowed to match lane 2, or change lane1> lane2 > lane3, then back to lane 2 back to lane1 ?

strictly speaking option 2 would be the correct procedure. Just because the numpty in lane 2 doesn't know how to drive is no reason for you to complund that by also driving incorrectly.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

martingriff

dudeeile wrote: »

martingriff wrote: »

The only thing she did wrong in my view was the indicator which I hope she will take on board

Oh yea and driving at 150km/h

Forgot about that was really mentioning the overtaking

NickNickleby

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Which was exactly my thinking at the time. Although, as I said in my earlier post, my biggest concern was that someone flying down lane 3 might decide to head across for the next exit and not see me because of the truck. Or, I've driven up into the truck driver's blind spot and he decides to move into the left:eek::eek::eek:. Actually, the more I think about it, its likely he was trying to bully the old dear to move left.

Given that very situation above, I can see why the option to overtake across 3 lanes might be the better option.

Right, that's my motorway driving discipline sorted. Over to the roundabouts thread:)

Grolschevik

CalamariFritti wrote:

Then I thought what am I doing to myself? This is ridiculous. And I changed my driving. And it helped. I still arrived at the same time but no stress. Used less petrol too.

This. Used to do a Dublin/Limerick run years ago, before the motorways. Used to be heavy on the right foot, trying to overtake everything because, you know, my girlfriend was down there and there was stuff to be done.

Then one Friday I couldn't be arsed. Cranked up the music, elbow on the window, hung back and cruised.

The time difference? Ten minutes. And way less stress.

beauf

TimeToShine wrote: »

.... In my experience guys in BMWs won't attempt an undertake that is genuinely dangerous - dodgy yes but certainly not out of the realm of possibility for a fella who bought his first 2L.....

Can't say I agree. Seems to be mainly exec type cars and high end SUVs I see doing it. Time is money and all that.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/96663/the-top-10-cars-most-likely-to-speed

beauf

lawred2 wrote: »

It is no different. I've driven in many many countries and see the same stuff repeated everywhere. Dublin/Ireland is not unique.

Not unique. But it happens a lot more often in Dublin. Its not just the volume either. People just drive more aggressively.