Why can nobody overtake?

[sixor8]

There's a section of the A14 where for a few miles, nothing over 7.5 tons is allowed in the outside lane, between 0700 and 1900 ish I think. But then is it enforced? I've seen it ignored...

[julian64]

covmutley said:

cerb4.5lee said:

vonhosen said:

An overtake such as that in the video should be planned as a number of smaller individual overtakes (without a requirement to return to the nearside materialising) rather than one overtake.

That would be my preferred way of doing it as well. The car overtaking didn't even get to the front of the traffic either, so there wasn't actually all that much point in doing it anyway for me. Usually I overtake so that I can keep driving at a higher speed with nothing in front of me if you know what I mean.

100% agree with vanhosen. that wasn't an overtake. it was a series of overtakes, with plenty of opportunities to pull back in safely, as the driver did eventually

I'm pretty sure vonhosen has never overtaken a car in his entire driving career, despite what he may say.

[AmyRichardson]

LunarOne said:

Are you local to me then? Yes, the A30 is usually an endless stream of 40mph everywhere drivers, all bunched up so you can't overtake. Well I do sometimes overtake up to 4 cars, but only in this car which has the legs for it. My other cars don't really have the power to take more than a couple before an oncoming car halts the fun.

But the council are trying to get this section reduced to a 40mpm limit. For what purpose, I have no idea. I haven't seen many accidents along it, although my mother did get her Capri written off opposite the Wheatsheaf pub in 1982 before there were traffic lights there. But that section is already 40.

Anyway, I have already objected to the speed limit change:
https://www.surreysays.co.uk/environment-and-infra...

That used to be part of my "quick 20" evening ride, but these days I'm more familiar with the rightly maligned A14 around Cambridge, which really is an awful!

That said, overtaking opportunities are more frequent and meaningful (ie. not a 200m bunny-hop onto the next bumper) up here; not that that stopped some kid in a Corsa leaving me three-abreast on a fenland road...

[M4cruiser]

5s Alive said:

Single flash from the Juke who had left plenty of space to drop into and made no attempt to close it so no idea what it was for.

Presumably because the "plenty of space" wasn't a full 4 seconds, so that gap was for the Juke, not for you.

[bigothunter]

M4cruiser said:

5s Alive said:

Single flash from the Juke who had left plenty of space to drop into and made no attempt to close it so no idea what it was for.

Presumably because the "plenty of space" wasn't a full 4 seconds, so that gap was for the Juke, not for you.

Only a Fool Breaks the Two Second Rule...

...so how is a full 4 second gap relevant? Perhaps that extra gap accommodates slow thinkers?

[vonhosen]

bigothunter said:

M4cruiser said:

5s Alive said:

Single flash from the Juke who had left plenty of space to drop into and made no attempt to close it so no idea what it was for.

Presumably because the "plenty of space" wasn't a full 4 seconds, so that gap was for the Juke, not for you.

Only a Fool Breaks the Two Second Rule...

...so how is a full 4 second gap relevant? Perhaps that extra gap accommodates slow thinkers?

I guess he is saying if the gap wasn't 4 seconds before it was entered, then a) the vehicle entering the gap would have to have been closer to the vehicle in front than 2 seconds, or b) when it entered the gap it would have forced the vehicle it had overtaken to be closer than 2 seconds to him. If the gap were less than 4 seconds it wouldn't have been possible for everyone to remain 2 seconds from each other when the overtake was completed.

[bigothunter]

vonhosen said:

I guess he is saying if the gap wasn't 4 seconds before it was entered, then a) the vehicle entering the gap would have to have been closer to the vehicle in front than 2 seconds, or b) when it entered the gap it would have forced the vehicle it had overtaken to be closer than 2 seconds to him. If the gap were less than 4 seconds it wouldn't have been possible for everyone to remain 2 seconds from each other when the overtake was completed.

Or simply accommodate the overtaking driver by backing off momentarily. But could be disturbing for those who have settled into a comfortable queue of traffic and loathe 'impatient overtakers'.

[5s Alive]

vonhosen said:

bigothunter said:

M4cruiser said:

5s Alive said:

Single flash from the Juke who had left plenty of space to drop into and made no attempt to close it so no idea what it was for.

Presumably because the "plenty of space" wasn't a full 4 seconds, so that gap was for the Juke, not for you.

Only a Fool Breaks the Two Second Rule...

...so how is a full 4 second gap relevant? Perhaps that extra gap accommodates slow thinkers?

I guess he is saying if the gap wasn't 4 seconds before it was entered, then a) the vehicle entering the gap would have to have been closer to the vehicle in front than 2 seconds, or b) when it entered the gap it would have forced the vehicle it had overtaken to be closer than 2 seconds to him. If the gap were less than 4 seconds it wouldn't have been possible for everyone to remain 2 seconds from each other when the overtake was completed.

It was a significant gap certainly more than 4 seconds and the reason I couldn't easily pass all three at the second opportunity. I could have passed all three on the first NSL straight but thought he was hanging so far back to get a view past the laden and fairly wide trailer. He made no attempt to close up or pass on the following straight so I assumed he was leaving space for others to pass. I never attempt to drop into gaps that cause others to lift or brake. I've seen that go pearshaped on numerous occasions where some poor sod ending up stationary at the end of the braking queue gets rear ended.

He then followed me past the tractor doing 60mph for a short period then dropped back to 50 or so where I lost sight of him.

[vonhosen]

5s Alive said:

vonhosen said:

bigothunter said:

M4cruiser said:

5s Alive said:

Single flash from the Juke who had left plenty of space to drop into and made no attempt to close it so no idea what it was for.

Presumably because the "plenty of space" wasn't a full 4 seconds, so that gap was for the Juke, not for you.

Only a Fool Breaks the Two Second Rule...

...so how is a full 4 second gap relevant? Perhaps that extra gap accommodates slow thinkers?

I guess he is saying if the gap wasn't 4 seconds before it was entered, then a) the vehicle entering the gap would have to have been closer to the vehicle in front than 2 seconds, or b) when it entered the gap it would have forced the vehicle it had overtaken to be closer than 2 seconds to him. If the gap were less than 4 seconds it wouldn't have been possible for everyone to remain 2 seconds from each other when the overtake was completed.

It was a significant gap certainly more than 4 seconds and the reason I couldn't easily pass all three at the second opportunity. I could have passed all three on the first NSL straight but thought he was hanging so far back to get a view past the laden and fairly wide trailer. He made no attempt to close up or pass on the following straight so I assumed he was leaving space for others to pass. I never attempt to drop into gaps that cause others to lift or brake. I've seen that go pearshaped on numerous occasions where some poor sod ending up stationary at the end of the braking queue gets rear ended.

He then followed me past the tractor doing 60mph for a short period then dropped back to 50 or so where I lost sight of him.

I wan't saying anything about your personal overtake, I have no idea how big a gap etc it was.
Just pointing out to bigothunter the general point I think M4cruiser was making.

[vonhosen]

bigothunter said:

vonhosen said:

I guess he is saying if the gap wasn't 4 seconds before it was entered, then a) the vehicle entering the gap would have to have been closer to the vehicle in front than 2 seconds, or b) when it entered the gap it would have forced the vehicle it had overtaken to be closer than 2 seconds to him. If the gap were less than 4 seconds it wouldn't have been possible for everyone to remain 2 seconds from each other when the overtake was completed.

Or simply accommodate the overtaking driver by backing off momentarily. But could be disturbing for those who have settled into a comfortable queue of traffic and loathe 'impatient overtakers'.

Well I suspect if somebody wanted to keep to the HC in those circumstances & leave a 2 second gap, they would do that.
But that wouldn't alter the fact that they would have been forced into that action in order to keep to the 2 second rule, because of the actions of another in doing their overtake into that gap.

[5s Alive]

vonhosen said:

I wan't saying anything about your personal overtake, I have no idea how big a gap etc it was.
Just pointing out to bigothunter the general point I think M4cruiser was making.

No worries Von (or M4 it's a valid point), I can only imagine he thought I ought to have passed all three at the second opportunity.

[Gary C]

5s Alive said:

I've seen that go pearshaped on numerous occasions where some poor sod ending up stationary at the end of the braking queue gets rear ended.

People just drive too close. Any time your in a train of cars and not prepared to overtake, you should always leave a gap big enough for someone to put into EVERY TIME.

Anyone who doesn't and then get annoyed when someone pulls in is a tosser. Anyone who tries to reduce the gap and force an overtaking car to drop back should be strung up and beaten and banned from ever driving again.

[KTMsm]

Gary C said:

People just drive too close. Any time your in a train of cars and not prepared to overtake, you should always leave a gap big enough for someone to put into EVERY TIME.

Anyone who doesn't and then get annoyed when someone pulls in is a tosser. Anyone who tries to reduce the gap and force an overtaking car to drop back should be strung up and beaten and banned from ever driving again.

Agreed

But the current situation tends to blame the over taker

I prefer the French approach which IIRC if you don't aid the overtake and it goes wrong you are equally culpable

Strangely when I'm on my motorcycle most cars go out of their way to aid an overtake (which I don't need) by moving over to the left etc

[LunarOne]

5s Alive said:

Viofo A119 V3?

Lunar One's post!

Que?!

[5s Alive]

LunarOne said:

5s Alive said:

Viofo A119 V3?

Lunar One's post!

Que?!

Your buzzing dashcam audio. I have the A119 V3 and Viofo sell a foam spacer that prevents this. Could be a different camera with the same issue though.


https://viofo.com/accessories/59-a119-eva-eva-foam...

[911hope]

Gary C said:

People just drive too close. Any time your in a train of cars and not prepared to overtake, you should always leave a gap big enough for someone to put into EVERY TIME.

Anyone who doesn't and then get annoyed when someone pulls in is a tosser. Anyone who tries to reduce the gap and force an overtaking car to drop back should be strung up and beaten and banned from ever driving again.

Does that mean no responsibility lies with the over-taker, to make sure he has a safe space to pull back into?
Would a person who doesn't also be described as a to$$er?

[Xenoous]

The amount of times I've overtaken cars and been flashed recently is just plain bizarre. There really does appear to be a complete hatred of people that overtake, which I just can't fathom.

Whenever I overtake, I ensure the road is clear ahead, there's ample room in front of the car ahead to pull into and indicate both in and out of the oncoming lane.

[Glenn63]

Xenoous said:

The amount of times I've overtaken cars and been flashed recently is just plain bizarre. There really does appear to be a complete hatred of people that overtake, which I just can't fathom.

Whenever I overtake, I ensure the road is clear ahead, there's ample room in front of the car ahead to pull into and indicate both in and out of the oncoming lane.

It’s a strange complex people have controlling others and when you pass they have lost that control. They spend their lives being told what to do by their boss/ wife/ other people, they are usually very un powerful soft people probably bullied at school. So that few minutes of the day in their safe metal box they get to act the boss/ controller/ bully and drive as such and when you get past and away without them ‘allowing it’ they don’t like it.

[KTMsm]

911hope said:

Does that mean no responsibility lies with the over-taker, to make sure he has a safe space to pull back into?
Would a person who doesn't also be described as a to$$er?

If the sheep are too stupid to leave a space whilst they're all following the leader

Who cares what they think ?

If they did think, the situation wouldn't occur

[bigothunter]

Xenoous said:

The amount of times I've overtaken cars and been flashed recently is just plain bizarre. There really does appear to be a complete hatred of people that overtake, which I just can't fathom.

Whenever I overtake, I ensure the road is clear ahead, there's ample room in front of the car ahead to pull into and indicate both in and out of the oncoming lane.

There are clues in previous posts of this thread...