Wide single 2 lane carriageways - overtaking

[KTMsm]

Can you not see the picture I posted above ?

The white car is overtaking the silver car, the lorry is coming in the other direction and there is room for all three with plenty of room between them - no one is having to move over

[Actual]

KTMsm said:

That's really not the case - all the traffic keeps to the left

All traffic? Good job it is all traffic because just one oncoming car correctly driving in the middle of the lane could seriously affect the outcome.

Ford Kuga using active cruise control with lane assist the lane assist correctly keeps to the middle of the lane and the driver doesn't have to accelerate or brake even steer as car drives around corners without driver steering. Driver might be watching through the windscreen but who knows?

[bigothunter]

Actual said:

Ford Kuga using active cruise control with lane assist the lane assist correctly keeps to the middle of the lane and the driver doesn't have to accelerate or brake even steer as car drives around corners without driver steering. Driver might be watching through the windscreen but who knows?

Even is the Kuga driver is looking forwards, with all that automation he won't be paying much attention. Probably distracted elsewhere.

Safer to assume all drivers are on auto-pilot.

[KTMsm]

Actual said:

All traffic? Good job it is all traffic because just one oncoming car correctly driving in the middle of the lane could seriously affect the outcome.

Ford Kuga using active cruise control with lane assist the lane assist correctly keeps to the middle of the lane and the driver doesn't have to accelerate or brake even steer as car drives around corners without driver steering. Driver might be watching through the windscreen but who knows?

You are aware that the overtaking driver can use their eyes ?

and see if all traffic is keeping left or not

No one is advocating overtaking on a bend or in fog, extremely heavy rain, if you're blind or any other weird and wonderful situation that someone wants to dream up

[captain.scarlet]

aturnick54 said:

If I were the blue car or in a situation whereby I was going to be on or straddle busy opposing traffic, I personally would keep my indicators on throughout the manoeuvre to (hopefully) alert oncoming vehicles that I'm on or straddling their side of the carriageway.

As another PHer has mentioned above, I'd also keep them on when overtaking/passing multiple vehicles on a single carriageway in any event.

[Zeeky]

captain.scarlet said:

If I were the blue car or in a situation whereby I was going to be on or straddle busy opposing traffic, I personally would keep my indicators on throughout the manoeuvre to (hopefully) alert oncoming vehicles that I'm on or straddling their side of the carriageway.

If I'm relying on 'hope' when overtaking that is an indication to me that I ought not to be doing it. I would always try to avoid being three abreast but the wider road does allow me to move out earlier and return later.

[RSTurboPaul]

bigothunter said:

Raises the old question of whether single carriageway roads should have median barriers to prevent overtaking. Relief provided when the road in widened enough for two lanes in one direction. Head-on collisions are virtually eliminated. Safety is definitely improved.

Getting more popular in Europe and worldwide.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/10696288...

So safe that someone's crashed into the central restraining device?

[romeogolf]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the A33 "The Avenue" in Southampton where this is common behaviour. The limit was changed a year or so ago down to 30mph from 40, but it seems to be routinely ignored, even by busses. The wide carriageway gets used as though it's two lanes on each side.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.9316677,-1.40598...

[OutInTheShed]

KTMsm said:

OutInTheShed said:

Last century, I think everyone would have agreed overtaking was normal on a wide two lane road.

But now, driving 'culture' seems to regard overtaking as abnormal, people who are in no hurry never think to let anyone past.

It was of course entirely normal to disregard speed limits in the interests of a swift, safe overtake

I did my motorcycle IAM on a 1000cc bike

The instructor asked me to demonstrate overtaking and I asked if I had to keep to the speed limit, he said yes

We went up the Fosse, I didn't overtake anything, he stopped to ask why and I said because the traffic was doing 50 and I didn't think 10 mph difference was adequate to safely overtake in the spaces I had seen

He then agreed to a max 30 over during the overtake. I went out and overtook loads

The Police Instructors on bikesafe gave similar instructions - it's stupid to increase your time exposed to danger

It's so annoying when no one will admit that how we actually ride / how is best to ride is not what is legal to do and what a Police Officer will (probably) allow you to do but a camera will not

When did you do your IAM?
Times have changed, attitudes have changed.
Back in the 70s, my Mum would have changed down and put her foot flat to the floor to overtake.
Even when my Dad bought 'that @@@@ Zodiac'.
These days, the public are cowed into obeying speed limits by 25 years of ever more speed cameras.
30 over the limit is asking for a ban and a Daily Mail 'boy racer' headline.

I get the impression it's being made plain to off-duty plod doing the likes of bikesafe, they don't have a remit to encourage breaking speed limits?

I think there was a short period around 2002 when I had a decently quick car and a decently quick bike and I could get away with exercising them a bit.
These days it's rarely worth the effort and worry of going more than about 10 over the limit except on a few quiet roads. Run of the mill cars and bikes are massively faster, but relatively few go past me. Lots of 130mph cars sat in 45mph queues using numpty cruise control.

[bigothunter]

RSTurboPaul said:

bigothunter said:

Raises the old question of whether single carriageway roads should have median barriers to prevent overtaking. Relief provided when the road in widened enough for two lanes in one direction. Head-on collisions are virtually eliminated. Safety is definitely improved.

Getting more popular in Europe and worldwide.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/10696288...

So safe that someone's crashed into the central restraining device?

Dominion Post said:

A southbound Toyota Hilux, driven by a 65-year-old local man, clipped two vehicles on Thursday, before mounting the barrier and taking out about 250 metres of it.

The driver, who is thought to have had a stroke, was flown by the Westpac rescue helicopter to Wellington Hospital. One lane was closed by the accident, causing long delays.

However, New Zealand Transport Agency regional performance manager Mark Owen said that, if the barrier had not been in place, "motorists travelling in the opposite direction would almost certainly have been struck head-on with serious or fatal results".

[bigothunter]

OutInTheShed said:

I think there was a short period around 2002 when I had a decently quick car and a decently quick bike and I could get away with exercising them a bit.

These days it's rarely worth the effort and worry of going more than about 10 over the limit except on a few quiet roads. Run of the mill cars and bikes are massively faster, but relatively few go past me. Lots of 130mph cars sat in 45mph queues using numpty cruise control.

Sad but true