Drivers have been urged to avoid a bad motorway habit that could put them and other road users at risk of serious accidents, in addition to eye-watering fines.
Whilst motorways are considered to be some of the easiest and safest roads in the country, there are still plenty of bad habits that drivers must avoid to prevent putting themselves in danger.
In a blog post, the driving school RED highlighted that one habit motorists should steer clear of is undertaking other road users, which can result in others being distracted.
They explained: “Undertaking is not to be underestimated. It can cause serious accidents, especially at high speeds on motorways.
“As it is not standard practice, it can take other road users by surprise and can therefore cause sudden swerving and distraction.”
Whilst almost all drivers have felt the frustration of a motorist travelling well under the speed limit in the middle lane of a motorway, it is important that they always use the correct lane for overtaking.
Undertaking, the process of passing another vehicle to their right, is not strictly illegal but goes against Rule 267 of the Highway Code, which informs motorists to ‘only overtake on the right’.
By undertaking, motorists could risk startling other road users, which could result in serious accidents, and therefore can lead to penalties including a £100 fine and three points on the offending driver’s licence.
However, the Highway Code states that there are a handful of occasions in which undertaking is acceptable, including when drivers are stuck in traffic jams.
It states: “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.”
RED recommended that drivers thoroughly check their surroundings before undertaking a vehicle in order to judge whether the manoeuvre is acceptable.
They advised: “If you find yourself needing to undertake, for example, in slow-moving traffic where you’re moving at similar speeds, be aware that the driver ahead may not be checking their inside mirror and/or blind spots before pulling in, so proceed slowly and with caution.
“Like with many situations when driving, you’ll need to lean on your previous experience to judge whether it’s safe to conduct this manoeuvre.”
