Overtaking courtesy

Author
Discussion

MattC

Original Poster:

266 posts

276 months

Friday 30th November 2001
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[Stole this from another forum! The poster had a go at the Theory Test for fun - this is the only question he got wrong:]
quote:

You are driving along at the speed limit. A car approaches from behind going faster than you are with his lights on. What should you do?

a. maintain your current speed
b. increase your speed
c. slow down / pull over and let them past
d. (can't remember what it was!)

I put a. I was wrong, the correct answer, according to the highway code / DSA is c.



How many REAL people would do this?!? Given the rabid negative reactions normally produced by overtaking on single carriageways, I suspect nearly none.
And yet even the flippin DSA support this view!?!

It's getting repetitious isn't it - DRIVER TRAINING is what we need...

jaydee

1,107 posts

270 months

Friday 30th November 2001
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Accelerate and slalom across carraigeways without checking your mirrors isn't correct then ? Strange, seemed to be the approach taken by about half the drivers on the A52 last night...

PetrolTed

34,429 posts

304 months

Friday 30th November 2001
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LOL, I can see the logic of it but my reaction would have been 'a'. I usually flash people when I'm about to overtake. I'm sure it irritates them but at least they suddenly look in their mirrors.

smeagol

1,947 posts

285 months

Friday 30th November 2001
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I think d is

"slow down and move to the middle of the road to really p*ss them off"

Cos thats what happens to me when I approach a car on a country road.

GasBlaster

27,427 posts

280 months

Saturday 1st December 2001
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Overtook a Discovery the other day on a wet road and my 'overtaking courtesy' was to fishtail violently alongside them as I went by. They probably thought it was a special TVR wave!

hertsbiker

6,314 posts

272 months

Sunday 2nd December 2001
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ha ha! we were out on the bike, zoomed up behind Volvo, already on my way into an overtake, and the stupid idiot SLAMMED on the brakes.

This spoilt the graceful line I was taking past, and I had to go even wider.
His "thoughtful" DSA approved gesture nearly had me off !! good one DSA.

VTECDave

1,931 posts

282 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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Can only see the DSA logic in answer C if you are travelling at much less than then speed limit and generally holding up all traffic.

But if you're sitting at 60 and a crazy loon (usually me!) comes flying up behind then surely it's the problem of the faster car to get by when safe (as I usally do).

Nightmare

5,194 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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if something comes up behind me fast wanting to get past (and yes, that's pretty rare ), I tend to drift as far left as possible and lift off the gas, sometimes flick the indicator left once too, to let them know Ive seen them and they can come past.

Unlses they're driving like a compelte t*t - in which case I dont!

M-Five

11,265 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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What's the law on filter lanes when approaching roadworks?

I was travelling along a new stretch of three-lane trunk road A??(M). The signs say that it is going down to one lane in three miles. So I carry on at a reasonable speed in the outiside lane past most of the other traffic that is queued in the inside lane. I overtake a few in the middle lane and at about 1 mile from the single lane you can see a fair amount of traffic.

Now I am slowing down, but am carrying on in the outside line with the intention of starting to merge at about the 800m mark (how come the roadworks are in miles and the countdown is in metres?). I'm about to pass an artic lorry when he swerves into the outside lane making me slam on and veer towards the barrier.

I assume that he was pissed off with people overtaking, but as I wasn't doing anything dangerous or illegal what right has he to endanger me (and possibly others) like that?

PS it was a Y reg white & silver/grey Exxel Logistics wagon.

mel

10,168 posts

276 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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We had this a few months ago when then IAM issued guide lines saying pretty much what you were doing was correct. What the Lorry did was willfull and deliberate obstruction and is nickable.

pbrettle

3,280 posts

284 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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Yes, there is one advantage to the growth of the mobile phone - you get cut up by a van / truck / coach (delete as appropriate) and you can call the company there and then!!!! Done that before - rather nice when you are talking to someone telling them the numberplate and explaining what a complete twerp they are...

Interestingly my brother-in-law used to be in the logistics trade - United by the way. When they put those stickers on the trucks everyone was getting very nervous - union, drivers, management - the lot.. Turns out that something like 60%-70% of the people that call the number are praising the driver. The next highest percentage are bored people just checking if it is real. The number that complain was only small.....

Now, it was a large international logistics company that only employ professional drivers. But, seems stange in one of those "All British people do is complain" thingies...

Cheers,

Paul

pbrettle

3,280 posts

284 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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Oh, and one more thing - does anyone else get flashed by other drivers when you overtake them? Dont get me wrong, this isnt a cut up or close shave, but a drift past with an indicate out, then drift back in with an indicate back in. Lots of space, no hurry (in the TD anyway) and definately no cut up?

Keep thinking the lights are buggered, but they arent. Happened the other night again. Driver in old Escort just kept flashing and flashing - and I have checked the car for problems....

Maybe they just dont like getting passed by drivers doing 60 in a 60 zone, when they are doing 45....

Cheers,

Paul

PetrolTed

34,429 posts

304 months

Monday 3rd December 2001
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I always give them a cheery wave. I'm sure that riles them more than the finger

Fatboy

7,986 posts

273 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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If they look like old army types (you know, the stereotypical old colonel) I usually salute them - some of the looks you get are priceless

JMGS4

8,741 posts

271 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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To really P*** them off, blow them a kiss!!! Never fails!

hertsbiker

6,314 posts

272 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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I get headlight flashes too.

Funniest thing ever when I was on the 'Ace. I overtook this wrinklie in a Metro, with a speed differential of about 120.

When I was past, I looked in the mirror to see it swerve almost off the road !

Nearly wet myself laughing ! I left about 18ft gap as I went past, but the sonic boom of the race can must have been loud.

andymadmak

14,613 posts

271 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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If I am honest M five, guys like you really piss me off!
Fair enough if there is little or no warning of the need to merge lanes, but a 3 mile warning? Come on M5, when you passed all those cars patiently queueing didn't you think they were trying to get somewhere today as well? I know we all like to leave it till the last minute to merge if we can but when the queue is as long as you said it was it's just plain arse behaviour to sail along down the outside of a queue thats miles long and expect the guys at the front to let you in. I'm not surprised the lorry tried to force you off the road, I expect he had been patiently rolling along at 5mph for 10 minutes whilst guys like you make the queue ahead of him longer than it was when he started ( I know thats not possible, but you know what I mean)
It's a pet hate of mine I'm afraid.

PetrolTed

34,429 posts

304 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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It's well overdue that the merge in turn regime became standard.

smeagol

1,947 posts

285 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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Yes often get flashed or at night full beam undipped after passing. One of the funniest I had was when I overtook a car and the volvo driver coming the other way decided that it was dangerous. By the time he had found his flasher unit I was already back on the left hand side what a t*sser!

JonRB

74,754 posts

273 months

Tuesday 4th December 2001
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Couldn't agree less, andymadmak. It irritates me intensely that the traffic jam is longer than it should be because people refuse to use all available lanes until the last minute and then "merge in turn" at the end.

Yes, I agree that it is very irritating when a BMW (sorry Tony) tools down the outside lane and then cuts in at the last minute when you have been queuing for ages. But it was your choice to queue for ages.

I too used to be a "form an orderly queue immediately" proponent like you, but these days I think its more logical to use all the lanes whilst you can. I just wish everyone did it so that bad feelings like this didn't occur.