The Undertaker

[DonDino]

Yes... horrible word isn't it?
So why do people keep using it?

'He was undertaking another driver'... really? was he burying him after cutting his throat?

There is no such thing as 'undertaking' on the roads!!!!
There is only 'overtaking', and you can do this on the right or on the left, so you can overtake on the right, and you can overtake on the left. But, 'undertaking'? Leave that to the funeral homes.

With that one settled, what of the famously dangerous 'overtake on the left'? Why is it somehow dangerous by definition? It's not! It shouldn't be!! It should be taken on its merit, judged according to each case.
Why is overtaking on the right not inherently dangerous but overtaking on the left is? The only reason I can think of is because there might be a general admission that all drivers are idiots and won't check their left mirror before changing course to the left. But then that's the idiot driver's fault, if something happens, and not the overtaker's.

I remember being on the middle lane in town, on a bike lesson, with a big white van going rather slowly on the right lane. I wouldn't overtake on the left, so my bike instructor made a run for it and flew past us on the left lane.
When I asked him about it later, quoting the HC ("you can only overtake on the left, blah blah, and in queues where the queue on the right is moving slower than your queue"), he said "the van was the queue, and it was going slower than us", so overtake was perfectly valid.
I wish everybody could open their eyes and see it like that.

Rant over!
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First bike: CBF125, Feb. - Oct. 2012
Currently riding: ER-6N since Oct. 2012

[G]

Note that the police may use an undertake as evidence towards without due care or dangerous offences - that's certainly the view they gave when their radar gun got me doing it at 119mph.

Me, I don't see the problem with the word - it usefully differentiates the manoeuvre from another without verbosity.

[daemonoid]

It's been done to death, to summarise:

It's not illegal on its own.
It can be used as evidence for other offences.
Take care whilst doing it.
Filtering is not undertaking/overtaking (only really needs to be said on a car forum though).
It really is a word - https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/undertaking (even if it weren't in a dictionary it would still be a word - there's a common understanding of it so you're stuck with it whether you like it or not).
____________________
current: ducati monster 750
past: hyosung gt250r, bajaj pulsar 180, hyosung gt 125 comet
@thomasgarrard | www.straitjkt.com | www.racingseven.com

[J.M.]

It's only really dangerous because everyone thinks it's illegal so they never check for anyone doing it before moving in to a lane on their left.

I had a very close call with it the other day. Completely unexpectedly the driver whom I was following and was now in his blindspot picking up speed (on a road with no turnings off) indicated left and moves left all in one move, as I'm occupying that space.

Locked both wheels up braking and the bike was at an angle at one point after the front wheel had stopped shaking in both directions. I knew that I wasn't going to hit him due to losing enough speed quickly enough, but I was convinced that the bike was going to hit the deck.

Somehow it didn't and somehow I stayed on. I think that was more down to luck than skill though, that's for sure.

I still class it as my fault for putting myself in that situation even though if the cager had checked his blindspot before moving he would have seen me.

I do it all of the time on the motorway. I find it almost comical how I can sit in lane 1 at 100mph passing tens or hundreds of vehicles to my right before ever having to move. Then it's just one quick lane split and again, back in lane one at 100mph passing all of the cars just sitting in lanes 2 and 3. If they're not going to use lane 1, I might as well!
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[goto10]

[J4mes]

I prefer "passed on the inside" and I do it all the time when people are in the middle lane.

But only if I'm not over the speed limit, you don't really have much defence if you are I don't think

[janner_10]

Thought it would be an interesting and topical discussion about the wrestler.

I am disappoint
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[mentalboy]

OP - J.M's post demonstrates the classic understanding of the motoring term, it's hazards and, quite aptly, refers to the services you'll be needing if you do this too often.
I agree entirely with the usage of the first lane, if more people learnt to use the carriageways as the Highway Code prescribes then motorway traffic would move far more smoothly and there'd probably be fewer irate cagers getting upset at being stuck in traffic.
I should imagine that getting booked whilst overtaking on the left has more to do with the associated speeds usually involved rather than the manoeuvre.
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Make mine a Corona.

[mossi123uk]

i got told that if the vehicle in the right hand lane is going 10 mph below the speed limit you can undertake them but if there not you cant

[T.C]

[cimbian]

AFAIK 'undertaking' is used as an ironic term.

I once saw a lorry with an arrow at the rear pointing to the right saying overtakers and one to the left saying undertakers.

Someone did say the other day on BCF that irony is a lost art (or WTTE).
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22PlusY
Current: Moto Guzzi 1100 Breva. Previous: Honda XL650V TransAlp
Bearded, Balding, Born again Buddhist Biker

[69.9mph]

[st3v3]

[mossi123uk]

[Noxious89123]

[pits]

https://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/q/image/1348/10/1348105690997.gif
You know what Don, couldn't care less, there are zero fucks given, go post this shit on PH where people will actually care and create a 40 page on how awesome you're because you understand a bit of the wording on the highway code and start noshing each other off
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Stinkwheel: You have no right to free speech
00:32:08 Blau Zedong: yes, i am a massive CB400 fan and collector
00:33:00 Blau Zedong: the CB400 is my favourite road bike

[J.M.]

[Boxing]

[Irn-Bru]

Well if someone describes the maneuver as undertaking, at least you will know it was to the left, at least that's how I see it. I undertake all the time, will continue to do so, it is much safer than the alternative you see Audi drivers do. That is, drive 2cm away from the car in front whilst flashing/beeping at them.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[Rogerborg]

[Turkish]

Language is defined by its usage. The dictionary is just a record of that process, that's the reason it has changed over time. New words are added and removed as are definitions.
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ZX-6R G2
CBR125R RW6

[Docker]

[goto10]

[J.M.]

[G]

I read that as "doing it online" as in "Yes, I undertook the car at 119mph online officer - it was just a simulation of course, just as I would never call in a drone strike on my mates" .