Undertaking using the emergency lane!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Kristiansand
Posts: 51
Undertaking using the emergency lane!
Visiting friends in the UK for Christmas/New Year. Returning to LGW but became stuck in stationary traffic this afternoon on M3. Is it me or does anyone else get severely hacked off with the chancers who smugly hammer it up the emergency lane to bypass the queue and then push back into the line. Pity I was returning a hire car otherwise it would have been so tempting to squeeze them out.
Surely this is totally illegal?
Surely this is totally illegal?
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: A little south of the "Black Sheep" brewery
Posts: 412
You said it all with "Returning to LGW...". What a horrible part of the world to drive in with so many unpleasant drivers. Any roads within about 100 miles of London are best avoided!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 621
Yes, Annakm, driving along the hard shoulder (unless it is signed as an open driving lane) is illegal in the UK.
Best thing to do is let the illegal drivers get on with it, the plethora of CCTV cameras should pick them up.
I made the mistake of "blocking" back in the 90's after having three cars queue-jump past me on the hard shoulder of the M4. The fourth car, which got briefly stuck behind me was actually an unmarked police car. They went past me but I felt a right idiot and wouldn't do it again.
Best thing to do is let the illegal drivers get on with it, the plethora of CCTV cameras should pick them up.
I made the mistake of "blocking" back in the 90's after having three cars queue-jump past me on the hard shoulder of the M4. The fourth car, which got briefly stuck behind me was actually an unmarked police car. They went past me but I felt a right idiot and wouldn't do it again.
Last edited by Blues&twos; 1st Jan 2018 at 18:02.
FX Guru
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Greenwich
Age: 65
Posts: 900
Happened earlier this year to a friend of mine on the South Circular when she was in a traffic jam and undertaken by a car in the bus lane. When the traffic started moving, a couple of hundreds yard further up she was delighted to see the guy had been tugged and the cop was issuing the ticket to the driver outside the car on the pavement so passing motorists could hurl abuse at the cretin.
You may like these clips. Especially the one just after 2:15.....
You may like these clips. Especially the one just after 2:15.....
Drain Bamaged
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Earth
Age: 54
Posts: 482
Originally Posted by annakm
Visiting friends in the UK for Christmas/New Year. Returning to LGW but became stuck in stationary traffic this afternoon on M3. Is it me or does anyone else get severely hacked off with the chancers who smugly hammer it up the emergency lane to bypass the queue and then push back into the line. Pity I was returning a hire car otherwise it would have been so tempting to squeeze them out.
Surely this is totally illegal?
Surely this is totally illegal?
What I’ve seen once while stuck in traffic is people trying to “squeeze” and bloc a tow truck using the emergency lane to bypass traffic!
Zero brain for doing so as tow truck was presumably trying to access an accident or broken down vehicle site causing the jam.
I also happen to know someone how drives tow trucks for a living and he said that he had this kind of situation happen a few time. Beacon lights on and honking not changing anyhing.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Thailand
Age: 79
Posts: 562
Normal practice here in Thailand ,especially during the holiday season when drivers will try and make 5 lanes!!I will post the accident stats for the new year period ,for example Friday 29th dec there were 90 deaths and 727 drunk drivers arrested!!People who die in hospital are not included in the statistics!!
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,178
Originally Posted by annakm
Visiting friends in the UK for Christmas/New Year. Returning to LGW but became stuck in stationary traffic this afternoon on M3. Is it me or does anyone else get severely hacked off with the chancers who smugly hammer it up the emergency lane to bypass the queue and then push back into the line. Pity I was returning a hire car otherwise it would have been so tempting to squeeze them out.
Surely this is totally illegal?
Surely this is totally illegal?
Commonly seen when in standing traffic and getting close to an exit, rather than wait, they will simply use the hard shoulder to get to the exit and when one does it, the herd instinct duly induces others to follow.
Can be seen UK wide, so it's far from confined to the South East ....based on the experience of somebody who "doesn't get out much "...allegedly.
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hampshire
Age: 74
Posts: 820
annakm: Which part of the M3 were you on? The last 12 miles or so, leading up to Junction 2 (M25) has no emergency lane. The old hard shoulder has been converted into a running lane and the emergency stop requirement is catered for by dedicated emergency only lay by areas.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 2,447
Originally Posted by Krystal n chips
It is totally illegal, but, here in the UK we have a surfeit of motoring morons who feel they have an exemption from the Road Traffic Act.
Commonly seen when in standing traffic and getting close to an exit, rather than wait, they will simply use the hard shoulder to get to the exit and when one does it, the herd instinct duly induces others to follow.
Can be seen UK wide, so it's far from confined to the South East ....based on the experience of somebody who "doesn't get out much "...allegedly.
Commonly seen when in standing traffic and getting close to an exit, rather than wait, they will simply use the hard shoulder to get to the exit and when one does it, the herd instinct duly induces others to follow.
Can be seen UK wide, so it's far from confined to the South East ....based on the experience of somebody who "doesn't get out much "...allegedly.
Most of us can look at the design of interchanges and in particular traffic islands that we use and ask just how people supposedly qualified in road design and traffic management can possible manufacture pigs in pokes to the extent that they appear to.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: A little south of the "Black Sheep" brewery
Posts: 412
Someone asked about 'overtaking/undertaking'. 'Undertaking' is overtaking in the wrong lane, in Britain that is the left side.
What annakm asked about is totally illegal:
UK Highway Code:
Para 264 "You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an
emergency or if directed to do so by the police, HA traffic officers
in uniform or by signs."
Para 268 "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to
overtake."
Para 269 "You MUST NOT use the hard shoulder for overtaking."
Two points on this. There are a lot of drivers (and we could 'stereotype' to makes of car if you want!) who feel that they can just do as they want. There are also a lot of drivers on the roads in Britain who have never done a British driving test and probably don't know of the existence of the British Highway Code.
What annakm asked about is totally illegal:
UK Highway Code:
Para 264 "You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an
emergency or if directed to do so by the police, HA traffic officers
in uniform or by signs."
Para 268 "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to
overtake."
Para 269 "You MUST NOT use the hard shoulder for overtaking."
Two points on this. There are a lot of drivers (and we could 'stereotype' to makes of car if you want!) who feel that they can just do as they want. There are also a lot of drivers on the roads in Britain who have never done a British driving test and probably don't know of the existence of the British Highway Code.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: England
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by KelvinD
annakm: Which part of the M3 were you on? The last 12 miles or so, leading up to Junction 2 (M25) has no emergency lane. The old hard shoulder has been converted into a running lane and the emergency stop requirement is catered for by dedicated emergency only lay by areas.
The other dangerous tactic there is to pass the gatwick taiback at high speed in the oustide lane, then swerve across the road, slam on the brakes and force a way into the front of the queue.
Está servira para distraerle.
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: In a perambulator.
Posts: 3
My goodness gracious, if you didn’t drive illegally in Johannesburg, while on the telephone, you’d never get anywhere. It doesn’t even help to wave a handgun out of the window any more, all the taxi minivan drivers and many of their passengers too are armed with AK 47s.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: England
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by Trossie
There are also a lot of drivers on the roads in Britain who have never done a British driving test and probably don't know of the existence of the British Highway Code.
Nearly 70,000 potentially dangerous unlicensed drivers have been given “pointless” penalty points, new figures show.
Obviously a lot more who haven't been caught yet.
This probably explains a lot of what we see on the roads every day.
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,178
" There are also a lot of drivers on the roads in Britain who have never done a British driving test and probably don't know of the existence of the British Highway Code.
Well of course there are. The UK does get a lot of tourists after all. And we get commercial vehicles as well. I am unaware of any requirement for these drivers to take a British driving test.
What other possible, and decidedly less than subtle inference, could you be making I wonder ?
And for ATNotts.....reference hold ups / time there's usually only one source....enter the "never fit and never will be for purpose"......the Highways Agency. Truly " World Class" when it comes to combing woeful incompetence and ineptitude..... in equal measure.
Well of course there are. The UK does get a lot of tourists after all. And we get commercial vehicles as well. I am unaware of any requirement for these drivers to take a British driving test.
What other possible, and decidedly less than subtle inference, could you be making I wonder ?
And for ATNotts.....reference hold ups / time there's usually only one source....enter the "never fit and never will be for purpose"......the Highways Agency. Truly " World Class" when it comes to combing woeful incompetence and ineptitude..... in equal measure.
Last edited by Krystal n chips; 2nd Jan 2018 at 09:59.
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 83
Posts: 55
Have to confess to using the hard shoulder once to undertake, many years ago, to access the off slip (so no pushing back in). Well, it was a genuine emergency, I was very very late to catch my plane, but I made check in with seconds to spare. Unfortunately, my utterly unbelievable secretary had failed to make out the ticket for the new departure time following arrival of BST or GMT or whatever, and the check in lassie advised that I was exactly 59 minutes too late.
The lesson learned was "Never surrender the hire car keys until after you have checked in."
The lesson learned was "Never surrender the hire car keys until after you have checked in."
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Kristiansand
Posts: 51
Originally Posted by KelvinD
annakm: Which part of the M3 were you on? The last 12 miles or so, leading up to Junction 2 (M25) has no emergency lane. The old hard shoulder has been converted into a running lane and the emergency stop requirement is catered for by dedicated emergency only lay by areas.
Hello Kelvin. I was stationary approaching Junction 4 (Camberley?) northbound. The warning displays were indicating a stranded vehicle which I would have assumed was on the emergency lane so even more reason for not using it inappropriately.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: England
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by DType
Have to confess to using the hard shoulder once to undertake, many years ago, to access the off slip (so no pushing back in). Well, it was a genuine emergency, I was very very late to catch my plane, but I made check in with seconds to spare.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 79
Posts: 16,756
Originally Posted by Sallyann1234
I suspect the OP meant the M23.
The other dangerous tactic there is to pass the gatwick taiback at high speed in the outside lane, then swerve across the road, slam on the brakes and force a way into the front of the queue.
The other dangerous tactic there is to pass the gatwick taiback at high speed in the outside lane, then swerve across the road, slam on the brakes and force a way into the front of the queue.
Years ago I was so caught with a the M25 tailback on A1M. In that case though made an instant replan to use the Woolwich Ferry.
