Keeping Left and Undertaking

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nzkiwiman

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#208179 30-Jan-2017 15:35

Someone in my training to drive drilled it into me to a) keep left and b) do not undertake (ie, pass on the left)

Today as I was undertaking a car who was sitting in the right lane doing 90km/hr (I overtook with my cruise set to 102km/hr), I wondered if the training I had that drilled the two thoughts above were in fact incorrect.

So I went to look up the online road code ... and during a bit of searching found some rules that state

Passing lanes

When there are passing lanes, drive in the left-hand lane unless you are passing another vehicle.

If you've been driving slower than the speed limit, don't speed up when you reach a passing lane if other vehicles are following – give them the opportunity to pass you safely. See Passing for more information.

Passing on the left

You can only pass on the left when:

there are two or more lanes on your side of the centre line and you are able to pass safely by using the left-hand lane
you are directed to by a police officer
the vehicle you are passing:
has stopped, or
is signalling a right turn, or
is turning right.
At all other times, when you are passing, you must pass on the right.

Which got me thinking that a) everyone who does not keep to the left on a dual (or more) laned road is breaking the law (though there are exceptions) and b) undertaking on a dual (or more) laned road is allowed, but shouldn't be needed if everyone was following the road code.

Thoughts?

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#1712851 30-Jan-2017 15:47

I tend to avoid passing on the left simply because some one in the right lane can change lanes at any time...and if the usual tailgate stack is operating the driver on the right side of that car may not be able to see you - through other vehicles right behind him/her - approaching from behind on the left, even assuming you are doing it slowly.

I've watched enough "Russian car crash" videos to have it driven home that hooning down the left lane is begging to get hit by a car trying to get into the left lane who hasn't got a hope in the world of seeing you coming if your speed is much faster than theirs. For this reason, even if the right lane is stopped dead, I still creep along in the left lane in case someone just decides to change lanes and doesn't really check. This happens all the time.

Plus.....if there are other cars parked to the left you risk hitting an opening car door as the person exiting the vehicle will never see you unless you are approaching very slowly.....like 10kph.

Easily avoided.....if you do pass on the left, do it such that your speed is only slightly greater than the speed of those in the right lane and / or slow enough that someone seated in a car parked to the left can see you coming and has time to respond to what they see.

The same applies to passing on the right, really.....as anyone trying to move to the right lane also needs time to see you coming.....and doing (for example) 80kph in the right lane when the left lane is stopped or moving much more slowly (for example 20kph) means drivers - likely in a queue - changing lanes won't have time to see you coming even on a straight road, never mine one with any sort of curve.

Then there are the motorcyclists who lane split. They imagine its safe.....but every one of them is a funeral in waiting. I've seen 3 this week nearly taken out by drivers who didn't see them coming....and had no chance to either.

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MikeB4

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#1712852 30-Jan-2017 15:47

We are one of the few countries that allow undertaking and it's a dangerous procedure and yes should not be necessary if other rules were followed, except with the situation in Wellington when the Smart Motorway is activated where it's a matter of using the lane that best suits your exit and following the variable speed controls as displayed on the matrix signs.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

CitizenErased

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#1712856 30-Jan-2017 15:52

The part of the road code you quoted is talking specifically about passing lanes, rather than multi-lane roads.

Lane discipline is appalling in New Zealand. The Germans know how to do it. It's illegal to undertake there and everyone keeps right unless overtaking.

mdooher

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#1712882 30-Jan-2017 16:31

nzkiwiman:

Which got me thinking that a) everyone who does not keep to the left on a dual (or more) laned road is breaking the law (though there are exceptions) and b) undertaking on a dual (or more) laned road is allowed, but shouldn't be needed if everyone was following the road code.

Thoughts?

You are exactly correct.

There is no differentiation between passing lanes and multi lane roads under the law. (The road code is not the law)

Matthew

cadman

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#1712909 30-Jan-2017 16:56

I'm not sure where this ridiculous philosophy that it's somehow unsafe to pass on the left when you're in another lane started. It's effectively no different to passing on the right - idiots will still change lanes without looking regardless.

If people are dawdling in the right lane I'll pass them on the left without hesitation - I just don't leave it until I'm close to them to move just in case they're part of teh 1%ers that actually use their mirrors. I stay out of the right lane anyway unless passing except when I would be constantly changing back and forth to maintain a steady speed i.e. the dawdlers aren't far enough apart to warrant moving into that lane so I'm in effect always passing. The exception is when there's another vehicle behind me matching my speed - I will move over and slow slightly - if they make no effort to pass (or as many do, they also slow down) when I'm next in front of them I'll disregard them at the next opportunity for me to move left unless there's a large distance to the next vehicle.

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#1712921 30-Jan-2017 17:07

nzkiwiman:

Which got me thinking that a) everyone who does not keep to the left on a dual (or more) laned road is breaking the law (though there are exceptions) and b) undertaking on a dual (or more) laned road is allowed, but shouldn't be needed if everyone was following the road code.

Thoughts?

You obviously don't live in Auckland where some motorway exits are on the right. So everyone on the right lane that wants to exit and slows down will trigger a standstill in all the other lanes ...

Not to mention during traffic congestion periods if the right lane is not moving the left lane is not allowed to move?

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gregmcc

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#1712927 30-Jan-2017 17:17

I do a lot of driving, and see morons who get to the passing lane and do 1 of the following,

1) Take the left lane and straight away get to 100km/hr in the left lane after driving between 75-85 for the previous 10km

2) Take the right lane and sit at 90km/hr WTF????

3) Do a slow overtake at 101km/hr, by the time they have done their overtaking the lane has run out.

They way I look at it, if you need to overtake, do it as quickly and safely as possible and move in to the left lane ASAP to let the next person past, if you can't do it quickly and safely, stay in the left lane and let others past

cadman

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#1712941 30-Jan-2017 18:19

gregmcc: They way I look at it, if you need to overtake, do it as quickly and safely as possible and move in to the left lane ASAP to let the next person past, if you can't do it quickly and safely, stay in the left lane and let others past

But then they won't be "in front" anymore....

MackinNZ

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#1712944 30-Jan-2017 18:28

joker97:

You obviously don't live in Auckland where some motorway exits are on the right.

Which exits are these? I can't think of any motorway exits on the right. Wasn't the exit that is now the "pink cycleway" the last of the right side exits to be closed?

richms

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#1712945 30-Jan-2017 18:30

MackinNZ:

Which exits are these? I can't think of any motorway exits on the right. Wasn't the exit that is now the "pink cycleway" the last of the right side exits to be closed?

The northwestern exit to the southern leaves on the right and combines to the right of the sourthern.

Also where the right 2 lanes from the harbor bridge to go south split off the other 2 lanes that join the north western people seem to have trouble figuring that out and leave it to the last minuite to move over or just stop in the lane and wait for a gap.

Richard rich.ms

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#1712963 30-Jan-2017 20:37

MackinNZ:

joker97:

You obviously don't live in Auckland where some motorway exits are on the right.

Which exits are these? I can't think of any motorway exits on the right. Wasn't the exit that is now the "pink cycleway" the last of the right side exits to be closed?

SH20 to SH20A going south is one

i don't consider the North western to southern to be one as its essentially the end of the motorway and at that point is splits into 4-5 different directions (south, north, port, city and newton)

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Jase2985

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#1712964 30-Jan-2017 20:38

richms:

MackinNZ:

Which exits are these? I can't think of any motorway exits on the right. Wasn't the exit that is now the "pink cycleway" the last of the right side exits to be closed?

Also where the right 2 lanes from the harbor bridge to go south split off the other 2 lanes that join the north western people seem to have trouble figuring that out and leave it to the last minuite to move over or just stop in the lane and wait for a gap.

that is not an exit its a continuation of the motorway :) on the right side.

the 2 exits are both on the left, the fanshaw one and the north western one.

wellygary

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#1712979 30-Jan-2017 21:19

MikeB4:

We are one of the few countries that allow undertaking

Accorind to wiki it appears to be legal (wlthough frowned upon) on multi lane roads in NZ/OZ the US and the UK along with parts of Canada..

The largest area with objections to it is continential Europe...

Benoire

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#1712988 30-Jan-2017 21:46

In the UK, there are no explicit laws which prohibit undertaking, however you are likely to fall under careless or dangerous driving and given the road code says no undertaking, it is likely a court would find not in favour of you, more so if you moved in to that lane to pass a car deliberately rather than just stayed in it. Of course, there are exceptions, the main one being a congested slow moving motorway in which you naturally undertake due to differing lane speeds.

chevrolux

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#1713010 30-Jan-2017 22:03

We need a rule like Australia where the right hand lanes are for overtaking only and you can't sit in them. Does my head in driving through Auckland with the scum of the earth doing 85-90 in the right-hand lane.

NZers also need to check their rear-views more too. If there is a car approaching then MOVE YOUR ASS!!

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