Why is A Road Overtaking a Problem?
Discussion
In the Highlands of Scotland recently wanting to press on and meet the ferry to the Hebrides, a long line of cars doing 40 nice wide national speed limit roads good weather. So start overtakes to get to the camper up front nobody wants to overtake, did not cross solid lines oncoming traffic miles away, want to break line up so can get to the front people start closing gaps or flashing. Are we all expected to sit behind the slowest drivers these days?
Yes, overtaking is now looked on as dangerous driving by the majority. Combine that with the new mantra of slower is better and round my way most NSL roads are blighted by driver who do 30-40mph tops. I’ve had people regularly doing 18mph in 30zones and at least once a fortnight someone doing 20mph in NSL local to me which is a lovely road to drive unfettered by scameras.
Had a scary one yesterday. A-Road single carriageway. I am closing on three cars ahead, who are doing about 45-48 in a 60. I indicated and move out to pass in one go (visibility was there), got past tail car, almost up to 2nd car and it indicates and pulls out right in front of me! There was about half a car gap after it pulled out. A quick dab on the brakes, and a long press on the horn (that is most untypical of me, I rarely use the horn). This car then passes lead car and indicates to pull in, I continue past it. It was a large Kia saloon with a (now sheepish looking) 35-ish female driver.
Clearly she had not checked mirrors, and certainly not the driver’s side mirror, I would not have been in that mirror’s blind spot. It seemed a last minute decision on her part, as they were all spaced evenly with none closing
It has been playing on my mind what I could have done better, apart from not overtake.
My wife was with me, but she did not bend my ear after, so clearly she realised the other car was out of order. The other car had an older female in passenger seat (mother?), so I hope she gave the driver an earful.
Clearly she had not checked mirrors, and certainly not the driver’s side mirror, I would not have been in that mirror’s blind spot. It seemed a last minute decision on her part, as they were all spaced evenly with none closing
It has been playing on my mind what I could have done better, apart from not overtake.
My wife was with me, but she did not bend my ear after, so clearly she realised the other car was out of order. The other car had an older female in passenger seat (mother?), so I hope she gave the driver an earful.
People just aren't interested in getting there it would seem.
With people sitting on empty motorways at 50 in L2, There seems to be very little hope of anyone making progress on single carridgeways.
https://youtu.be/XPLnMshdoMY Is a perfect example - This truck was trawling along at 40; with a perfectly clear straight. Only a couple of people from the long queue in front decided to go; And even after they were all done there was still time for me to take the entire queue and a truck!
With people sitting on empty motorways at 50 in L2, There seems to be very little hope of anyone making progress on single carridgeways.
https://youtu.be/XPLnMshdoMY Is a perfect example - This truck was trawling along at 40; with a perfectly clear straight. Only a couple of people from the long queue in front decided to go; And even after they were all done there was still time for me to take the entire queue and a truck!
Yes, I am always wary of cars pulling out whilst I am overtaking without a mirror check, I noticed that a lot of drivers make an involuntary movement to the right before they overtake it's subtle but noticeable. I am no advanced driver but I plan overtakes and check mirrors they are never a rushed affair. I don't have supercar acceleration on tap.
Perfect storm of people too lacking in assertiveness to overtake, who then take their frustration out on the person that does, and a lunatic fringe who accelerate when being safely overtaken. I stopped going hiking in the Peak District after 2 consecutive journeys on the Snake Pass where someone got left out on the wrong side of the road by this, in one case going round a blind bend at the then limit of 60MPH on the wrong side of the road. I don't understand the mentality of any of this behaviour. That road has even more special idiots than most.
Pica-Pica said:
It has been playing on my mind what I could have done better, apart from not overtake.
Ideally a multi-car overtake is seen as a string of single-car overtakes...i.e. always look for the opportunity to abort the multi-car overtake after each car...
the minute you commit to a multi-car overtake, but without that allowance, then you are totally dependent on the observation and abilities of those other drivers...
Coin Slot. said:
I've seen too many head-ons from peoples dashcams so I'm more than happy to sit in a slow moving queue, but I will not impede anyone who wants to pass me and slot in front so they can make the next pass safely.
Not having a personal dig at you, but I'm guessing that this is what 95% of people sat in these queues are thinking - "I cant overtake, as overtaking will almost certainly result in the death of myself and however many others"If more people viewed driving as a skill rather than just a means to get somewhere I guarantee you would see less bumbling around stuck behind slow moving traffic. Fact is, some people aren't bothered if it takes them an extra half hour to get somewhere being stuck behind a motorhome and are just wanting to get there without exploding.
personally I find it infuriating being stuck in lines of traffic doing 45mph because no one dares to overtake and causes a tailback
reglard said:
In the Highlands of Scotland recently wanting to press on and meet the ferry to the Hebrides, a long line of cars doing 40 nice wide national speed limit roads good weather. So start overtakes to get to the camper up front nobody wants to overtake, did not cross solid lines oncoming traffic miles away, want to break line up so can get to the front people start closing gaps or flashing. Are we all expected to sit behind the slowest drivers these days?
Its a problem if the first 2 or 3 drivers don't overtake. You being 40 cars back would have no idea where the gaps in the traffic are if you needed to pull in suddenly, and there aren't many (any?) places where it it safe to overtake 40 cars from the back, as you would have no idea from so far back if/where any junctions are, even if you could see far enough down a straight road. 'Hopping' your way through the traffic is just a bit of a tit move.
Condi said:
reglard said:
In the Highlands of Scotland recently wanting to press on and meet the ferry to the Hebrides, a long line of cars doing 40 nice wide national speed limit roads good weather. So start overtakes to get to the camper up front nobody wants to overtake, did not cross solid lines oncoming traffic miles away, want to break line up so can get to the front people start closing gaps or flashing. Are we all expected to sit behind the slowest drivers these days?
Its a problem if the first 2 or 3 drivers don't overtake. You being 40 cars back would have no idea where the gaps in the traffic are if you needed to pull in suddenly, and there aren't many (any?) places where it it safe to overtake 40 cars from the back, as you would have no idea from so far back if/where any junctions are, even if you could see far enough down a straight road. 'Hopping' your way through the traffic is just a bit of a tit move.
Wooda80 said:
Seems people like to queue.
Similarly, I've noticed at urban traffic lights where there are two lanes in each direction traffic will queue up behind the first car rather than form 2 lanes, regardless of whether that first car is in the lh or rh lane.
Correct. It's not about people perceiving overtaking as dangerous, so much as they think you're "pushing in" when you do it. That's why they queue.Similarly, I've noticed at urban traffic lights where there are two lanes in each direction traffic will queue up behind the first car rather than form 2 lanes, regardless of whether that first car is in the lh or rh lane.
Shambler said:
Nonsense, I live in the highlands and during tourist season this is a common occurrence. Hopping through traffic is totally normal, otherwise everyone would be stuck in a queue of cars going between 15 and 40mph.
Each to their own, but if you can't complete the overtake to the front, or can't see a safe gap in the traffic to 'hop' into its not a sensible manoeuvre. Had this on the way to work this morning. JCB Fasttrack towing a full slurry tanker, long queue of cars following, come to a long hill up with good visibility but at the very bottom of the hill there is a car coming the other way, it clears and the tractor is down to 10 mph. The car immediately behind is so close it cant see it is now clear, car behind can see but takes view it is not my turn. No one goes, I am about 10 back and there are no gaps to go in. so we all crawl along.
Shambler said:
Nonsense, I live in the highlands and during tourist season this is a common occurrence. Hopping through traffic is totally normal, otherwise everyone would be stuck in a queue of cars going between 15 and 40mph.
Must drive you mad, I saw some great examples of hire cars pulling in / out of viewpoints without looking and indicating. The single-track roads were hilarious with the non-locals unable to comprehend looking ahead more than a few meters in front of their bonnets, best of all where the big white hire motor homes wedged between gateposts and anything else their cab would go through and the rear not. Pica-Pica said:
Had a scary one yesterday. A-Road single carriageway. I am closing on three cars ahead, who are doing about 45-48 in a 60. I indicated and move out to pass in one go (visibility was there), got past tail car, almost up to 2nd car and it indicates and pulls out right in front of me! There was about half a car gap after it pulled out. A quick dab on the brakes, and a long press on the horn (that is most untypical of me, I rarely use the horn). This car then passes lead car and indicates to pull in, I continue past it. It was a large Kia saloon with a (now sheepish looking) 35-ish female driver .
I am not defending her and she was clearly in the wrong for not checking her mirrors but sometimes if you are in a line of traffic and an overtaking opportunity occurs then it is very easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about what might be happening behind you. As you say you were closing on the queue so while out of the corner of her eye she would probably have been aware of the car behind still sitting there, you weren't even on her radar as part of the queue. In that sort of situation a touch on the headlamp flasher would alert the other drivers that there's a new arrival and he's coming through!
As I said I'm not defending her but in the real world the best laid plans etc.
Yes, you often find long lines of cars 10-20mph below the limit happily sat behind slower-moving ones...mildly infuriating, but I try not to get too upset.
We swapped one car for a Kona EV earlier in summer, & one thing I have noticed is how EASY it is to get past those cars with a reasonably decent EV!
I appreciate there are plenty of EV-haters about, but my oh my, the torque is immense & highly enjoyable!
Obviously only used on occasion - don't want to burn up those electrons too rapidly
We swapped one car for a Kona EV earlier in summer, & one thing I have noticed is how EASY it is to get past those cars with a reasonably decent EV!
I appreciate there are plenty of EV-haters about, but my oh my, the torque is immense & highly enjoyable!
Obviously only used on occasion - don't want to burn up those electrons too rapidly
akirk said:
Pica-Pica said:
It has been playing on my mind what I could have done better, apart from not overtake.
Ideally a multi-car overtake is seen as a string of single-car overtakes...i.e. always look for the opportunity to abort the multi-car overtake after each car...
the minute you commit to a multi-car overtake, but without that allowance, then you are totally dependent on the observation and abilities of those other drivers...
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