Overtaking In the Outside lane of a Motorway In Ireland
There is a rule in the rules of the road that states that a vehicle limited to 90Kph or less is prohibited from driving in the outside lane of a motorway. The penalty is one penalty point or three on conviction, plus an €80 fine if paid within 28 days or €120 if paid in the next 28 days
We are unable to get figures from the RSA after 2009 but rest assured that there are Fixed Charge Penalty Notices (FCPN’s) issued across the motorway network to Drivers in breach of this rule.
It has been said that the rule is there to ensure that Drivers who can travel at the maximum speed of 120 kph do not suddenly find themselves having to reduce speed to 90 kph because of a truck in the outside lane. However this reason does not factor in a car driver overtaking at a speed of 82 kph in the outside lane a vehicle traveling at 80 kph, which they are entitled to do so. So why are trucks banned from overtaking and why do so many HGV drivers overtake in the outside lane at the risk of prosecution? Some Drivers say that they are safer overtaking than sitting behind a vehicle traveling at a much lesser speed. This is because of the level of stress placed on them traveling behind a slower moving vehicle. If you have an opinion on this matter or any other please go to the blog page and let us know what you think.
