Overtaking - Do you stay out...

[LandingSpot]

to show those behind you it's clear to pass?

Obviously dependant on the road itself and its condition to be overtaking at all; but I've noticed that very few people realise what is going on even when they are edging to the centre line to go, don't see that even though they can't see up the road, the fact that you can would mean that it is safe up to the point you are offside which means much earlier notification of traffic toward.

I don't hang around wanting to shepherd safe overtakes, but if you can help show that it's clear, why not?

[LandingSpot]

Papa Hotel said:

Are you showing that the road is clear or obstructing the view of people behind you? I come back in as soon as I'm a few car lengths in front, let anyone behind make their own informed choice whether they overtake or not, let them see the road for themselves.

I considered this when writing and thought that if I am on the offside of the road,it is quite clear that there is nothing coming. The merest hint of traffic toward and I am back to the nearside.

[LandingSpot]

davidjpowell said:

fks me off. If you have finished overtaking get out of the way so that I can see.

Will be prepared, but not go, until my own eyes confirm that you are not about to pop back and reveal some sort of nasty...

I'm not talking bout being a cars length in front. Of course one should get out of the way.

I'm talking about being 200-300 yardsmore like 1/4 mile up the road.

Edited by LandingSpot on Friday 4th February 22:33

[LandingSpot]

Papa Hotel said:

I'd say that if someone can see 1/4 of a mile up the road they don't need your help to complet an overtaking move safely.

ok maybe I should have stuck with my original distance of 200-300 yards

[LandingSpot]

davidjpowell said:

LandingSpot said:

I'm not talking bout being a cars length in front. Of course one should get out of the way.

I'm talking about being 200-300 yardsmore like 1/4 mile up the road.

Edited by LandingSpot on Friday 4th February 22:33

In which case I would be so bemused I would still not be overtaking. I would be wondering why you were doing what you are doing, and what is on the road to cause this.

OK, I hadn't thought of that.

[LandingSpot]

I think the fact that new drivers are forced to work out how to overtake for themselves makes it a vastly more dangerous manouevre than it ought to be.

ETA: I should quantify this; RSGulp's post made me think that there should be a communication protocol for drivers overtaking. However, having one would no doubt end up with complex (and probably unenforcable) insurance claims where driver of car 1 says "well driver of car 2 said it was OK and I crashed in to the oncoming car when he pulled back in".

The fact that the thought of this means we've ended up with a "we won't teach anything about it" is in my opinion, really quite poor given the vast performance gap in todays vehicles.

Edited by LandingSpot on Friday 4th February 22:46

[LandingSpot]

RSGulp said:

I appreciate that in general driving there's no way it would work. When driving with friends (to Le Mans for example) who are actively trying to help each other make progress then it works, because all drivers are concentrating on the task and are acutely aware that their indicators are 'the agreed signal'.

But should every driver be concentrating on the task at hand?? OK we know that most do not and that's why it would never work.

Therefore...

RSGulp said:

In normal day-to-day driving the safest way to overtake is to think about number one - you overtake in your own time and let the people behind you make their own decisions.

I guess the common denominator principle unfortunately applies.