Mastering motorway driving requires honing key skills, such as entering via slip roads, staying hyper-aware of your surroundings, and maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles. It’s also essential to observe lane discipline and steer clear of undertaking.
Undertaking is the act of overtaking a vehicle on the left on the motorway and is generally discouraged by the Highway Code due to the heightened risk of accidents.
A recent explainer video featuring Sergeant Owen Messenger from Devon and Cornwall Police, Roads Policing Unit, on the George’s Car Media TikTok page, offers clarity on when undertaking might be acceptable. .
Sergeant Messenger explains: “You can’t undertake on the motorway. The only time that you can undertake is when your lane is genuinely moving slower than the other lanes. That’s generally when you’re going through roadworks, or it’s heavy traffic, or something like that.”
He explained it’s discouraged because “people aren’t expecting you” and since motorists often return to the left lane, their “default position on the motorway”, this can result in collisions.
His cautionary advice to drivers is clear: “Please don’t undertake on the motorway, it’s really really dangerous.” George, who created the channel and works with local police forces to promote road safety education, raised the question about potential repercussions for drivers who undertake.
Owen responded: “Well, it’s just unnecessary isn’t it. The default position […] is to be in lane one, and if everyone stuck to the rules you wouldn’t have everyone darting around all over the place.”
He emphasised that it’s more about “following motorway etiquette” to ensure safety and efficiency on the roads. While not strictly illegal, the Highway Code strongly advises against undertaking, noting: “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.”
However, exceptions exist, such as when a vehicle undertakes in a slow-moving traffic lane that is moving faster than the right-hand lane.
According to Rule 268 of The Highway Code: “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.”
Undertaking might also be permissible during an average speed check, where drivers are recommended to ‘stay in lane’. Under such circumstances, it could be safe to overtake a slower-moving vehicle on your right if your lane has a quicker pace.