I have looked up the highway code online regarding overtaking, but unfortunately it doesn't tell me if I am right or wrong. I have had a couple of incidents recently where I am driving along a road where there is no left turn, and the vehicle in front of me indicates with the left indicator and begins to slow down as if they are pulling over.
In one incident I went to overtake as this was happening, but the lady decided she didn't like the space she was pulling into so put her foot down while I was overtaking thus leaving me in the lurch as I was unable to overtake her and had oncoming traffic heading towards me. In another incident a driver also put his left indicator on, but kept driving at the same speed; fortunately there was no oncoming traffic so I was able to overtake - thinking about the incident now there was nowhere for him to go so I have no idea why he was indicating.
My question is am I wrong to overtake before they have pulled in, even if they have slowed down to a snail's pace and the only possible manoeuvre for them to make is to pull in to the side of the road??
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There's two answers to your issue, one of which is legally correct and the other is how everyone actually drives in London.
For the legal stuff, read the highway code.
Practically, in London, the person in front has the right of way, so until you can be absolutely sure that you can safely pass them, hang back a little and react to what they actually do, rather than what they indicate that they might do.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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I couldn't give you a right or wrong answer, but personally I never overtake a vehicle which is turning left (except on a multi-lane road). I always drop back so that I can accelerate as they clear the way. Too many people swerve out to widen the turn, or like you experienced they change their minds. In either case they never seem to check to see what is behind them.
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When overtaking generally (not just in London) if there is the slightest doubt, I do one of two things. I either stay behind the car in question, or give a short and non aggressive toot (or couple of flashes if it's night-time/on the motorway/raining etc. before beginning the manoeuvre, leaving myself space to pull back again just in case.
The Highway code advises the use of horn and/or headlamp flasher for just that purpose, but no one seems either to know or respect that rule - in the UK at least, a flash is 99% likely to mean "after you" and a toot is always seen as an insult/challenge.
Shame.
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I drive a lot in South London. There is no thing such as a "non aggressive toot" around here ! I would always hold back quietly and wait for the car in front to do whatever it's going to do.
I don't want to be shot.
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One thing to bear in mind, if someone is driving very slow as if to pull in on the left, they might spot a much better space on the right and suddenly swerve over there. If you're overtaking at that point there's only one outcome.
I know it's tempting to overtake if someone's going dead slow, but it just means they're much more likely to make a wild change of direction.
Your choice...
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It's been said a million times here - indicators are only indicators. They mean nothing.
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If you drive as though the other person is going to do something stupid; something far more stupid than you can ever imagine, then you will be fine. This applies in London, Skegness and on Uist.
And I agree with Duwich. There is no such thing as a non-aggressive toot. Horns are for one thing only; hooting at totty. Otherwise don't be surprised if you get driven at.
In due course you will get used to London driving; I actually enjoy it - interminable queues apart.
And I would never flash at somebody to mean 'watch out, I'm coming'. As somebody noted above, it is generally interpreted as 'you first' so to use it in any other way is a recipe for disaster. In fact, I would never flash at anybody to mean 'you first' either for that is not correct within the Highway Code and open to misinterpretation. If I cannot do it with a smile and a wave of the hand, I don't; I leave it to the other driver to make a decision.
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If you drive as though the other person is going to do something stupid; something far more stupid than you can ever imagine then you will be fine. This applies in London Skegness and on Uist.
On Uist, the other driver is probably a sheep.
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Overtaking in London is no different from overtaking in any other metropolis.
Drivers making sudden changes of direction while being overtaken are not restricted to London. They can be found anywhere.
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I feel the same as you Dulwich. I am in a not too nice part of NW London and any little toot seems to be taken as a sign of aggression. I even hesitate to toot at people who haven't seen the lights turn green when they have a clear road in front of them.
I agree with everyone that indicators are not to be trusted and I always wait when I am pulling out of a sideroad onto a main road and a car on the main road indicates that he is going to turn into that road. I never trust that other driver.
As for the indicating to pull over bit, I suppose I shouldn't have trusted those drivers either. However, another problem in London is if you do wait for someone to pull over and slow down a lot the person behind will be none too happy, but that's always the case when you seem to drive at less than 35 where I am.
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don't forget the 'Manic U Turners'....had one the other day. Was catching a van up, when it suddenly pulled in to the left for no real reason (no road junctions, no shops etc)....the alarm bells rang and instead of going for the overtake, i braked sharply....which was just as well. The van did a violent U turn.
If i'd gone for the overtake there would have been 2.5 tons of Jag in his side door, which would have woken him up.... and ruined my car.
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There's another thread about a u-turner who collected a poor fellow on a moped - perhaps going imprudently briskly down the middle of the road, but no doubt with a headlight on and so on - breaking the rider's leg, and then sued him for compensation over a scratched door. Many posters seemed to think the car driver was in the right because the court had decided in his favour. Didn't sound like it to me.
I do U-turns but I don't do them when people are bearing down briskly. That is very carp driving.
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