Threading up a chain of traffic

[DivideBYZero]

This is something that gets my goat.

Scenario:

Slow moving vehicle, say a large removals van, Caravan or any VW(jk!!), is at the head of the line. You're on a single carriageway road and have 7 cars in front of you. The road has curves, but there are ample chances for the lead car to pass the slower vehicle safely.

The Solution:

If the lead car will not pass, then you should be able to thread your way up the chain of cars and then make the pass yourself. This is because everyone is leaving a two second gap...

The problem:

People do not leave a two second gap in this situation, but this isn't such a big deal. The bigger problem is the bunch up, with each subsequent car willing the first in the queue to pass. People are actually afraid to pass unless they are at the head of the chain. The skill of the overtake is diminishing. If you do attempt it you are greeted by flashing high beams or angry gestures. IMHO, you're the good guy. You're going to make a safe maneuver and reduce the length of the chain. Not only that, but you can be the catalyst that wakes up the other drivers into passing the slower moving vehicle.

/rant

[Mars]

Solution: 244bhp Caterham.

Small enough to maximise whatever road isn't hogged.
Loud enough to scare others into not pulling out on you.
Fast enough to pass 7 cars at a mere whim.

[snuffle]

Buy a bike

[DivideBYZero]

Oh, I usually dispense 343hp of justice, I'm just saying people forget how to deal with simple overtakes and get upset when you show them how.

[heebeegeetee]

DivideBYZero said:

Oh, I usually dispense 343hp of justice, I'm just saying people forget how to deal with simple overtakes and get upset when you show them how.

There is a ginormous thread on this subject called 'Overtaking when it doesn't Get you To the Head of the Queue' where much of this is discussed.

There are rules governing these circumstances in the Highway Code, but these rules are unknown or ignored by the 'speed kills' mentalists. This type of dangerous and anti-social behaviour is encouraged by Brake, who actively encourage people to drive at below the speed limit for no good reason, which is very bad driving indeed.

[DivideBYZero]

Ahhh, thanks. Just the sort of thing I was on about. This thread can die now.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Mag1calTrev0r]

I started reading your thread thinking, I totally agree with you and then I remembered my thread

I share your pain brother

[obscene]

snuffle said:

Buy a bike

This. Buy a Fireblade.

[Rawwr]

obscene said:

This. Buy a Fireblade.

You'd be surprised that sometimes that isn't quite enough to complete safely.

[300bhp/ton]

DivideBYZero said:

This is something that gets my goat.

Scenario:

Slow moving vehicle, say a large removals van, Caravan or any VW(jk!!), is at the head of the line. You're on a single carriageway road and have 7 cars in front of you. The road has curves, but there are ample chances for the lead car to pass the slower vehicle safely.

The Solution:

If the lead car will not pass, then you should be able to thread your way up the chain of cars and then make the pass yourself. This is because everyone is leaving a two second gap...

The problem:

People do not leave a two second gap in this situation, but this isn't such a big deal. The bigger problem is the bunch up, with each subsequent car willing the first in the queue to pass. People are actually afraid to pass unless they are at the head of the chain. The skill of the overtake is diminishing. If you do attempt it you are greeted by flashing high beams or angry gestures. IMHO, you're the good guy. You're going to make a safe maneuver and reduce the length of the chain. Not only that, but you can be the catalyst that wakes up the other drivers into passing the slower moving vehicle.

/rant

I see you point, although 99.99% percent of the time and people who "thread" their way up a chain of traffic are wkers and driving in like manner.

[EDLT]

Rawwr said:

obscene said:

This. Buy a Fireblade.

You'd be surprised that sometimes that isn't quite enough to complete safely.

Since when does that stop the average biker?

Now, where are my asbestos undies?

[Spudler]

Bike with rather loud pipes=...like a parting of the seas

[Mag1calTrev0r]

300bhp/ton said:

DivideBYZero said:

This is something that gets my goat.

Scenario:

Slow moving vehicle, say a large removals van, Caravan or any VW(jk!!), is at the head of the line. You're on a single carriageway road and have 7 cars in front of you. The road has curves, but there are ample chances for the lead car to pass the slower vehicle safely.

The Solution:

If the lead car will not pass, then you should be able to thread your way up the chain of cars and then make the pass yourself. This is because everyone is leaving a two second gap...

The problem:

People do not leave a two second gap in this situation, but this isn't such a big deal. The bigger problem is the bunch up, with each subsequent car willing the first in the queue to pass. People are actually afraid to pass unless they are at the head of the chain. The skill of the overtake is diminishing. If you do attempt it you are greeted by flashing high beams or angry gestures. IMHO, you're the good guy. You're going to make a safe maneuver and reduce the length of the chain. Not only that, but you can be the catalyst that wakes up the other drivers into passing the slower moving vehicle.

/rant

I see you point, although 99.99% percent of the time and people who "thread" their way up a chain of traffic are wkers and driving in like manner.

I'm not really sure why?

If people left the correct gap and didn't react to overtaking in such a hostile way then the entire process would be safe and the people who wanted to overtake could and get on with their journey and the people not willing to overtake (for whatever reason) can merrily sit behind the slow moving vehicle.

I know, I know, an ideal world and all that. It's when they close the gap that overtaking becomes dangerous.

[Mars]

DivideBYZero said:

Oh, I usually dispense 343hp of justice, I'm just saying people forget how to deal with simple overtakes and get upset when you show them how.

With respect, my 410bhp Cerbera couldn't take as much advantage of overtaking opportunities as the Caterham could.

For example, after a 2-week tour of Europe (4000 miles) in the Caterham, I was back in the daily driver (nondescript) and actually twitched a number of times during my commute to work. During the tour, the "twitch" was an overtake. In the daily driver, it was merely the desire.


My point is that in a powerful Caterham you have overtaken and are some way up the road ahead before drivers in the line of traffic have properly woken up to what just happened. By then, you just don't care what they think. It's like an explosion.

Edited by Mars on Wednesday 11th August 21:50

[300bhp/ton]

Mag1calTrev0r said:

300bhp/ton said:

DivideBYZero said:

This is something that gets my goat.

Scenario:

Slow moving vehicle, say a large removals van, Caravan or any VW(jk!!), is at the head of the line. You're on a single carriageway road and have 7 cars in front of you. The road has curves, but there are ample chances for the lead car to pass the slower vehicle safely.

The Solution:

If the lead car will not pass, then you should be able to thread your way up the chain of cars and then make the pass yourself. This is because everyone is leaving a two second gap...

The problem:

People do not leave a two second gap in this situation, but this isn't such a big deal. The bigger problem is the bunch up, with each subsequent car willing the first in the queue to pass. People are actually afraid to pass unless they are at the head of the chain. The skill of the overtake is diminishing. If you do attempt it you are greeted by flashing high beams or angry gestures. IMHO, you're the good guy. You're going to make a safe maneuver and reduce the length of the chain. Not only that, but you can be the catalyst that wakes up the other drivers into passing the slower moving vehicle.

/rant

I see you point, although 99.99% percent of the time and people who "thread" their way up a chain of traffic are wkers and driving in like manner.

I'm not really sure why?

If people left the correct gap and didn't react to overtaking in such a hostile way then the entire process would be safe and the people who wanted to overtake could and get on with their journey and the people not willing to overtake (for whatever reason) can merrily sit behind the slow moving vehicle.

I know, I know, an ideal world and all that. It's when they close the gap that overtaking becomes dangerous.

Is it not more the norm that those overtaking do so at high risk and when not really safe to do so, and then cause near misses and cut other traffic up? If you aren't one of these, then well done for being part of the 00.01%

[Toltec]

DivideBYZero said:

People are actually afraid to pass unless they are at the head of the chain.
The skill of the overtake is diminishing.
If you do attempt it you are greeted by flashing high beams or angry gestures.

Taking the points you raised that I have snipped out above.

Speed cameras may be having an effect on willingness to overtake, the vans do have a habit of lurking on straights after all.

I have been driving/riding for just under 30 years, there were plenty of queues when I started driving and I still see cars overtaking now. Given how much better average cars handle and how much more power they have now perhaps there really should be more overtaking now than there is though.

As for the angry gestures, I think it depends how you do the overtakes.

[sebhaque]

I'm more than happy to overtake in the Impreza. Most non-PH drivers' thought processes think "OMG SUBARU SPORTS CAR, CHAV OMG TOADPOND, ttfkMUNCHER." I'm happily able to overtake without much concern at the odd jealous-type showing me how to apply my seatbelt.