Today I'm addressing the question are you allowed to undertake
lots of people undertake lots of people think about undertaking and lots of people
are worried about whether you are allowed to not or whether it might amount to an offence
so undertaking is what I'm talking about today but first of all if you're new to me and the barrister
who helps you understand law on this channel so hit the subscribe button and the bell icon and you
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a video like this one or they might end up being answered on blackout secrets my sister channel
linked in the description below so if you watched my previous videos on the highway code they are
generally rules and guidance but some of them are backed up by legislation and create offences
in my merging of Lane's vehicle you'll remember that I said the highway code does not grant anyone
right-of-way this is at the very outset of the highway code but the rules do indicate when you
should give way and when you must or must not do something those must and must not are often
backed up by legislation and often have associated offences so to state the obvious undertaking is
the passing of another vehicle on the left-hand side as opposed to the right hand side where you
would normally move to overtake vehicle all of the following would apply on any multilane
road whether that's a dual carriageway or motorway because after all they will be the opportunity to
pass another vehicle on the left-hand side which as we just sent would be undertaking that vehicle
the Highway code be a good place to start let's look at what the highway code says about
overtaking or indeed undertaking to starting out with overtaking so we can distinguish to rule 267
states do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe and legal to do so overtake only on the right
you should check your mirrors take time to judge the speed correctly make sure the lane you will be
joining a sufficiently clear ahead and behind take a quick sideways glance in your blind spot and so
on so overtaking as it is set out in the highway code should only be on the right but as usual it's
not quite that simple 268 leading directly onwards provides as follows do not overtake on the left
or move to a lane on your left to overtake that sounds clear enough but let's read on in congested
conditions where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds traffic in left-hand
lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right in these conditions you may keep
up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right
do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake so this is the bit that warrants a little bit more
explanation and for which you're going to see my expert drawings so we all know don't with
a typical three lane motorway you should all be in the left-hand lane however as traffic builds
up you might be overtaking in the middle lane and some people will be overtaking in the outside lane
typically overtaking slow-moving vehicles in the outside lane is perfectly normal but what happens
when the outside lane suddenly becomes packed with vehicles and the inside lane is also packed with
vehicles and the middle lane happens to be clear well this is the situation that the highway code
is talking about keeping up with traffic in your lane even if it means passing vehicles to the
right alternatively of course this vehicle could move into the outside lane but it wouldn't make
much sense if the middle lane is clear what is not acceptable however is for this vehicle to move
to the lane on the left in order to overtake the vehicles in front equally if the very inside lane
is clear there is nothing to stop this vehicle from keeping up the flow of traffic in front even
if it means passing vehicle to the right although vehicles in the middle lane should not be moving
to the inside lane in order to overtake vehicles in front as before so ultimately what that is
saying is that you may pass a vehicle on the left hand side which in the strict definition will be
undertaking the vehicle to the right however it doesn't provide that you can move to that lane in
order to carry out that undertaking manoeuvre so if you are in a position where your lane is moving
more slowly and the lane to your left is moving more quickly you shouldn't be moving into that
lane in order to pass the vehicles in front of you this would be contrary to the highway code and is
about to explain could cause you some difficulties other situations where it might be perfectly
normal to pass a vehicle on the left-hand side is if they are turning right or they are about
to perform a U-turn or perhaps when you are on an average speed check zone where you are doing the
exact speed limit but the vehicle to your right is moving very slightly slower naturally you may be
moving faster than the vehicle to the right hand lane but as I said the distinction would be is
if you moved into the left-hand lane in order to pass the vehicle that in front of you this is the
behaviour of the highway code seeks to restrict equally if there are signs that specifically
instruct you to stay in lane your lane is moving faster than the lane to the right then again you
may end up undertaking vehicle to the right but you have an excuse because you been told to stay
in lane if you are maintaining the speed limit on the vehicle to your right are moving more slowly
you have a reason and an excuse to be undertaking those vehicles so there's the situations where it
might be broadly acceptable to undertake a vehicle to the left but let's look at some situations that
would get you into some serious trouble first of all rule 269 of the highway code and in respect
of the hard shoulder you must not use the hard shoulder for overtaking this I suggest is as
clear as it gets in areas where an active traffic management scheme is enforced the hard shoulder
may be used as a running lane you will know when you can use this because a speed limit
sign will be shown above open lanes including the hard shoulder Red Cross or blank sign above the
hard shoulder means that you must not drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency
breakdown so again in the same rule must not has been emphasised twice and this rule is backed up
by legislation so it will amount to an offence if you are caught doing so so pay attention to those
signs but more generally you are likely to end up in more trouble if you are weaving in and out of
traffic in order to undertake and overtake vehicles particularly if you're doing this
dangerously or carelessly if for example you are rapidly changing lanes to undertake vehicles
and then overtake some more vehicles and then moving again to undertake some more vehicles
this is very likely to catch the attention of any passing police or traffic officer and might well
lend you with a fixed penalty or worse you could be charged with careless or inconsiderate driving
or even dangerous driving depending on the speed with which you change lanes I have personally
witnessed some driving which as a professional I would consider to be dangerous driving if you
are proud to have poor lane discipline in that regard which amounts to careless driving you
could be looking up to 9 penalty points on your driving licence a £5000 fine and discretionary
disqualification and remember if you already have three penalty points on your driving licence
nine penalty points would touch you up to 12 points if accrued within the last three years
in which case there would be a mandatory ban of a minimum period of six months unless you can show
exceptional hardship so I hope that was a useful answer as to whether or not you are allowed to
undertake and the situations when it might be permissible and in most cases when it not so
please give this video big thumbs up if you found it useful and remember stay humble and subscribe