Overtaking - how fast??
Discussion
One thing however, is that sometimes when you commit to these manoeuvres you can gauge the distance safely, it seems clear enough.
Say, your case, but the front runner is a car. You get upto 60mph and ease off while passing, but the driver see's you and decides, like they often do, to speed up.
So, what do you do now?
What is the plod's view on this. Do you
a. Speed up more, exceeding the limit to pass them?
b. slow down, but in a safe controlled manner until you find a safe place to drop back in?
c. just sit there at 60mph playing chicken with oncoming drivers hoping somehow the other person will finally let you pass?
In this case, what would the plod do?
This kind of thing happens alot to me on sundays, and I'm not daft enough to let them speed up and cut me off. I keep it going till I'm past. Otherwise I'd end up in above situation looking like the one in the wrong!
Dave
Say, your case, but the front runner is a car. You get upto 60mph and ease off while passing, but the driver see's you and decides, like they often do, to speed up.
So, what do you do now?
What is the plod's view on this. Do you
a. Speed up more, exceeding the limit to pass them?
b. slow down, but in a safe controlled manner until you find a safe place to drop back in?
c. just sit there at 60mph playing chicken with oncoming drivers hoping somehow the other person will finally let you pass?
In this case, what would the plod do?
This kind of thing happens alot to me on sundays, and I'm not daft enough to let them speed up and cut me off. I keep it going till I'm past. Otherwise I'd end up in above situation looking like the one in the wrong!
Dave
....so, you're bimbling along at 45 behind three cars (NSL). The four of you round a bend, and there in front of you is the straight of your dreams. There's an oncoming car, but there's space to spare to make the overtake, so you go for it! You've checked everything checkable, indicated, pulled out and nailed it. As you come alongside the second car with the speedo needle just departing 60, you notice the epaulettes and the scowl on the driver's face. Do you:
a. ease off and maintain 60, thus allowing the oncoming traffic to get much closer than you really want, or
b. keep it floored until you're pulling back in, then ease off from the 75-80 you've achieved back to 60?
Assuming car number 2 is an unmarked patrol car and not a security guard with an inferiority complex, would you get a tug for exceeding the limit, or would you be allowed to continue unmolested having acted in a safe manner?
As an aside, if you took option a, you would still get the tirade of abuse, coffee beans and flashing lights from the plank coming the other way, and would the officer be tempted to turn round and give the oncoming driver a bollocking for road rage?
Paul
a. ease off and maintain 60, thus allowing the oncoming traffic to get much closer than you really want, or
b. keep it floored until you're pulling back in, then ease off from the 75-80 you've achieved back to 60?
Assuming car number 2 is an unmarked patrol car and not a security guard with an inferiority complex, would you get a tug for exceeding the limit, or would you be allowed to continue unmolested having acted in a safe manner?
As an aside, if you took option a, you would still get the tirade of abuse, coffee beans and flashing lights from the plank coming the other way, and would the officer be tempted to turn round and give the oncoming driver a bollocking for road rage?
Paul
cmsapms said:
....so, you're bimbling along at 45 behind three cars (NSL). The four of you round a bend, and there in front of you is the straight of your dreams. There's an oncoming car, but there's space to spare to make the overtake, so you go for it! You've checked everything checkable, indicated, pulled out and nailed it. As you come alongside the second car with the speedo needle just departing 60, you notice the epaulettes and the scowl on the driver's face. Do you:
a. ease off and maintain 60, thus allowing the oncoming traffic to get much closer than you really want, or
b. keep it floored until you're pulling back in, then ease off from the 75-80 you've achieved back to 60?
Assuming car number 2 is an unmarked patrol car and not a security guard with an inferiority complex, would you get a tug for exceeding the limit, or would you be allowed to continue unmolested having acted in a safe manner?
As an aside, if you took option a, you would still get the tirade of abuse, coffee beans and flashing lights from the plank coming the other way, and would the officer be tempted to turn round and give the oncoming driver a bollocking for road rage?
Paul
Of course, some countries have sensible, non-nannying rules. Take Canada (where speed cameras have been found to be ineffective and have been removed): if you are creating a queue of traffic behind you, you must pull over and let them past. Excellent!
Yes some police are pathetic little pricks arn't they? (same in all walks of life really) Fancy being so immature as to feel that being overtaken is having the piss taken. 
Unforunately its a risk you take, best bet is have as little to do as possible.
The only reason the handbooks don't say exceeding the limit is OK while the overtake is on is purely political. The general consensus among the experts is it would be better to allow the limit to be exceeded. There is no real problem with your position though the prick would look very silly in court with nothing to coroborate his opinion and a very silly statement in the first place.
Unforunately its a risk you take, best bet is have as little to do as possible. The only reason the handbooks don't say exceeding the limit is OK while the overtake is on is purely political. The general consensus among the experts is it would be better to allow the limit to be exceeded. There is no real problem with your position though the prick would look very silly in court with nothing to coroborate his opinion and a very silly statement in the first place.
MrWhippy said:Clearly (b) is the approved answer ... but what's the betting that the traffic you have just overtaken closes the gap and refuses to let you back in? I'm sure many of us have seen that happen (to someone else of course!) If I know the road well, I'm inclined to wait for the 'good overtaking' stretches and nail as many vehicles as it is safe so to do. If I don't know the road, I tend to pick them off as and when possible.
One thing however, is that sometimes when you commit to these manoeuvres you can gauge the distance safely, it seems clear enough.
Say, your case, but the front runner is a car. You get upto 60mph and ease off while passing, but the driver see's you and decides, like they often do, to speed up.
So, what do you do now?
What is the plod's view on this. Do you
a. Speed up more, exceeding the limit to pass them?
b. slow down, but in a safe controlled manner until you find a safe place to drop back in?
c. just sit there at 60mph playing chicken with oncoming drivers hoping somehow the other person will finally let you pass?
Some people will sit behind a police vehicle (Panda, dog van, etc.) for ever and a day whilst the BiB bimbles along at less than the speed limit (for whatever good reason). You even see bunching across all three lanes of a motorway behind a TrafPol car in the inside lane doing 55mph. On A and B roads, I have found TrafPol generally very helpful in enabling my overtaking when they are in no hurry ... I've had quite a few wave me past and give a thumbs-up (mind you when I've been driving the Tiv rather than the Jeep
). james_j said:It does. HC145 : Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.
if you are creating a queue of traffic behind you, you must pull over and let them past. Excellent!
Streaky
Hmm, let's have a think about this for a minute...
Overtake within the law, or in safety I know which I'll choose every time.
Personally I like to have enough momentum stored to take me past by the time I reach the point of commitment. Yes it means I carry a fair bit of speed on the approach to the overtake, but if it means I get by cleanly then so be it.
Anyone looking at their speedo during an overtake deserves all they get
Overtake within the law, or in safety
I know which I'll choose every time. Personally I like to have enough momentum stored to take me past by the time I reach the point of commitment. Yes it means I carry a fair bit of speed on the approach to the overtake, but if it means I get by cleanly then so be it.
Anyone looking at their speedo during an overtake deserves all they get
Sounds to me the BiB in this case seemed to act quite reasonably.
They saw you exceeding the speed limit and decided to stop you to ensure you were aware of the fact and to educate with regard to the potential dangers (if you happened to be unaware)
If he was rude, then that is not acceptable, but there was no mention of this in the initial post – so why the “name calling” and the “God like self-image” type remarks?
If I’d been the BiB I may have thought that if the powers of observation failed to see my panda car, perhaps a word in his shell may improve the safety of his driving?
I suppose it’s a bit like petting in the swimming pool, you don’t do it in sight of the pool attendant
They saw you exceeding the speed limit and decided to stop you to ensure you were aware of the fact and to educate with regard to the potential dangers (if you happened to be unaware)
If he was rude, then that is not acceptable, but there was no mention of this in the initial post – so why the “name calling” and the “God like self-image” type remarks?
If I’d been the BiB I may have thought that if the powers of observation failed to see my panda car, perhaps a word in his shell may improve the safety of his driving?
I suppose it’s a bit like petting in the swimming pool, you don’t do it in sight of the pool attendant
Evocator said:
Sounds to me the BiB in this case seemed to act quite reasonably.
They saw you exceeding the speed limit and decided to stop you to ensure you were aware of the fact and to educate with regard to the potential dangers (if you happened to be unaware)
If he was rude, then that is not acceptable, but there was no mention of this in the initial post – so why the “name calling” and the “God like self-image” type remarks?
If I’d been the BiB I may have thought that if the powers of observation failed to see my panda car, perhaps a word in his shell may improve the safety of his driving?
I suppose it’s a bit like petting in the swimming pool, you don’t do it in sight of the pool attendant
So its not acceptable to overtake a police car at any time? Why were his actions reasonable he had nothing but his opinion with respect to the speed and he is not a traffic cop so his opinion is worthless. I dispair at some of the muppet views on here.
and now you're calling me a muppet!!
breath and relax - it's nearly the weekend
By his own admission Cheeky said he WAS speeding - That is illegal and just because it was not measured on a laser gun, does not mean that a driver can not undergo a bit of education.
If Cheeky had God forbid (and I don't mean the one in the panda car) had an accident further down the road, the public would be demanding to know why nothing was done ealier.
I'm just pointing out that we should all be willing to learn - if that makes me a muppet then I guess I'll be Animal- thanks!!
breath and relax - it's nearly the weekend
By his own admission Cheeky said he WAS speeding - That is illegal and just because it was not measured on a laser gun, does not mean that a driver can not undergo a bit of education.
If Cheeky had God forbid (and I don't mean the one in the panda car) had an accident further down the road, the public would be demanding to know why nothing was done ealier.
I'm just pointing out that we should all be willing to learn - if that makes me a muppet then I guess I'll be Animal- thanks!!
Yeah Streaky, once happened to me, was one of those roads where I slowed after a few to then drop in as I was getting towards end of straight.
Old guy with wife in car, a Golf Gti, closed the gap. So i brakes more to drop back. At this point a car was coming other way.
So, I ended up with no gap and I stopped dead in road.
Gave a friendly gesture to woman driver who stopped other way for me, and she smiled back. Away I went...
Came up behind the same 5 car group again. Wahey, my favourite straight over an open moor top. Foot down, 3 cars down, inlcuding Golf. Slight bend in road, pull in, and then when clear, away I go again... Right, out in the open now, all seems ok.
Friend with me, erm, that Golf is racing you. Golf Gti now firmly on rear bumper at 80mph ish.
OK, so at this time in my life I couldn't loose a 150bhp Golf in my car, but just went my own pace with him on bumper.
Knew the road, travelled along it every day since I was 5 to school, out in the sticks you see.
Got to a blind moortop right hander which kicks down on the apex with a wall on the inside.
Got to it, and stuck to the outside as always (dangerous to cut at any time). Said to friend, where's the Golf gone?
On my inside at 60mph round a 50mph blind bend. I crapped my pants and my friend looked on in disbelief!
Now, about 200 yards after the bend he was going 50mph again, as I caught up he trundled along slowly, and as I tried to overtake again, he sped up, so I couldn't get past.
What a nob. People like THAT cause accidents... Bad ones.
For that very reason, overtake fast, don't give them a chance to be t
ts and put your life in danger by speeding up. It's more dangerous imho to amble past at 60mph with drivers like that about, no matter what Plod might say, in my humble opinion anyway.
Hmmmmmm
Dave
Old guy with wife in car, a Golf Gti, closed the gap. So i brakes more to drop back. At this point a car was coming other way.
So, I ended up with no gap and I stopped dead in road.
Gave a friendly gesture to woman driver who stopped other way for me, and she smiled back. Away I went...
Came up behind the same 5 car group again. Wahey, my favourite straight over an open moor top. Foot down, 3 cars down, inlcuding Golf. Slight bend in road, pull in, and then when clear, away I go again... Right, out in the open now, all seems ok.
Friend with me, erm, that Golf is racing you. Golf Gti now firmly on rear bumper at 80mph ish.
OK, so at this time in my life I couldn't loose a 150bhp Golf in my car, but just went my own pace with him on bumper.
Knew the road, travelled along it every day since I was 5 to school, out in the sticks you see.
Got to a blind moortop right hander which kicks down on the apex with a wall on the inside.
Got to it, and stuck to the outside as always (dangerous to cut at any time). Said to friend, where's the Golf gone?
On my inside at 60mph round a 50mph blind bend. I crapped my pants and my friend looked on in disbelief!
Now, about 200 yards after the bend he was going 50mph again, as I caught up he trundled along slowly, and as I tried to overtake again, he sped up, so I couldn't get past.
What a nob. People like THAT cause accidents... Bad ones.
For that very reason, overtake fast, don't give them a chance to be t
ts and put your life in danger by speeding up. It's more dangerous imho to amble past at 60mph with drivers like that about, no matter what Plod might say, in my humble opinion anyway. Hmmmmmm
Dave
Evocator said:
and now you're calling me a muppet!!
breath and relax - it's nearly the weekend
By his own admission Cheeky said he WAS speeding - That is illegal and just because it was not measured on a laser gun, does not mean that a driver can not undergo a bit of education.
If Cheeky had God forbid (and I don't mean the one in the panda car) had an accident further down the road, the public would be demanding to know why nothing was done ealier.
I'm just pointing out that we should all be willing to learn - if that makes me a muppet then I guess I'll be Animal- thanks!!
You are perhaps in need of some education.
1 The law is fine unless it is going to cause me or mine harm then I ignore it. Arbitrary numbers imposed by idiots to apease the terminally bewildered is not a good reason to put yourself at risk.
2 It is doubtful judgeing by the standard of panda car driving that anything a panda car driver has to say could ever be construed as education. In general my response would be to remain silent then leave asap. If however I were pushed into a situation requireing action I would drive to the nearest police station and complain. Silly childish behaviour from young policemen is best nipped in the bud.
3 Your post inferred that overtaking a police car is somehow automatically asking for trouble. In cases like this maximum humiliation and use of official complaint channels is the best policy followed by legal action against the individual for harrassment. We pay fair wages now for police and in fairness most I have met are pretty good and deal very effectively with everything thrown at them. This sort of nonsense is however, ludicrous and should not be tollerated, ever. (unless of course he had lights and sirens going)
Hope that clarifies things.
Evocator said:
Sounds to me the BiB in this case seemed to act quite reasonably.
They saw you exceeding the speed limit and decided to stop you to ensure you were aware of the fact and to educate with regard to the potential dangers (if you happened to be unaware)
The "dangers" of what precisely?
At least i know now that the limit is "The Limit" even though various motoring organsations suggest exceeding the limit safely to ensure a minimum TED.
I was behind a porker cayenne a few months ago, he began an overtake of a lorry... Half way thru he slammed (and i mean slammed!) on the brakes - There was a Scamera van ahead!! If that isnt dangerous i dont know what is....
TBH, his lecture isnt going to change the way i overtake though - Spot the gap, check for space to pull in and nail it
I was behind a porker cayenne a few months ago, he began an overtake of a lorry... Half way thru he slammed (and i mean slammed!) on the brakes - There was a Scamera van ahead!! If that isnt dangerous i dont know what is....
TBH, his lecture isnt going to change the way i overtake though - Spot the gap, check for space to pull in and nail it
cheeky_chops said:
At least i know now that the limit is "The Limit" even though various motoring organsations suggest exceeding the limit safely to ensure a minimum TED.
I was behind a porker cayenne a few months ago, he began an overtake of a lorry... Half way thru he slammed (and i mean slammed!) on the brakes - There was a Scamera van ahead!! If that isnt dangerous i dont know what is....
TBH, his lecture isnt going to change the way i overtake though - Spot the gap, check for space to pull in and nail it
Good just put it down to, you met a
wit and forget it your life is far more important that any silly limits or lectures from egotistical halfwits.At first look you might seem to be a bit mad. But to the people who say you shouldnt have overtaken the panda car I have this to tell.
A few years ago a mate and I were following a panda car. Bib was eating some food and was driving pretty slowly.(about 20 in a 40) But there was no way we were going to overtake him, so sat back nicely and followed at a safe distance.
After a couple of miles he puts his lights on and indicates for us to pull over.
He grilled us as to why we hadnt overtaken him. Admittedly there was no way we could get a ticket for it, but it was still not a very pleasant experience being pulled and interogated.
See so it is not always as simple as it sounds
A few years ago a mate and I were following a panda car. Bib was eating some food and was driving pretty slowly.(about 20 in a 40) But there was no way we were going to overtake him, so sat back nicely and followed at a safe distance.
After a couple of miles he puts his lights on and indicates for us to pull over.
He grilled us as to why we hadnt overtaken him. Admittedly there was no way we could get a ticket for it, but it was still not a very pleasant experience being pulled and interogated.
See so it is not always as simple as it sounds
SpudGunner said:
He grilled us as to why we hadnt overtaken him. Admittedly there was no way we could get a ticket for it, but it was still not a very pleasant experience being pulled and interogated.
BiB do pull drivers that are too slow, as it is assumed the driver is impaired in some way, like eyesight,alcohol, or apple eating
Best to keep to the limits or no more than 2 or 3mph over the limit when BiB are around
I'd have been straight past him on principle alone. How would he know you broke the speed limit? Got laserguns in his eyes has he?
I think this is an extreme case of "I think its too dangerous to overtake therefore nobody else shall do so" which normally applies to civilians, but this copper obviously thought he could back it up with his uniform.
Ask him why he didn't pull the trucker over for allowing a large queue to form behind him, and not pulling aside.
I think this is an extreme case of "I think its too dangerous to overtake therefore nobody else shall do so" which normally applies to civilians, but this copper obviously thought he could back it up with his uniform.
Ask him why he didn't pull the trucker over for allowing a large queue to form behind him, and not pulling aside.
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