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Is undertaking a lane hogger on the motorway illegal?

Previously, when people ask for your advice regarding passing dawdler on the nearside, you have said that it is not illegal to undertake. Furthermore, one of your correspondents has said that the safer option is to stay in your lane to pass a middle lane dawdler on the nearside rather than go from lane 1 to 3 (or 2 to 4) and back again. I would concur with that.

However, a Big Jobber link I have seen shows dashcam footage of a driver staying in his lane and passing a lane hogger, yet he has been landed with a notice of intended prosecution (for dangerous driving) after another motorist submitted the dashcam footage to the police.

With regard to this, are you going to revise the advice you give out?

Asked on 31 July 2025 by Mattapacca

Answered by David Ross
You can read our most recent advice on this topic here - www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/everything-else/2025-03/.../ - in summary, 'we would suggest undertaking is best avoided outside of circumstances where it is accepted in the Highway Code or otherwise unavoidable, however tempting it might be.'
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