People who accelerate to block overtake

People who accelerate to block overtake

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Discussion

MiseryStreak

2,929 posts

206 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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I think there is often a Knight of the Road element to their behaviour. They feel they are actively policing the roads by hindering your progress, which as they are driving what they consider to be the appropriate speed for the conditions, you are driving recklessly or dangerously to have caught up with them.

Then there are those who for whatever reason are twisted up and bitter inside and just want others to suffer in some small way at their bidding.

ScoobyChris

1,667 posts

201 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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bartelbe said:
Though I am interested what you're suppose to do if someone accelerates to block the overtake. Should you speed up to complete the overtake or pull back and abort?
If you plan to overtake and the target speeds up, is it safer to just keep accelerating (hoping you can eventually out accelerate then into a closing gap) or abort and pull in behind them because they have become unpredictable and “safe” is the top of the 4S’s?

Chris

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Tuesday 30th November 2021
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ScoobyChris said:
bartelbe said:
Though I am interested what you're suppose to do if someone accelerates to block the overtake. Should you speed up to complete the overtake or pull back and abort?
If you plan to overtake and the target speeds up, is it safer to just keep accelerating (hoping you can eventually out accelerate then into a closing gap) or abort and pull in behind them because they have become unpredictable and “safe” is the top of the 4S’s?

Chris
Depends on the situation really. Generally safer to abort, probably, particularly if there is another car in front… closing gaps make life sticky.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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carreauchompeur said:
ScoobyChris said:
bartelbe said:
Though I am interested what you're suppose to do if someone accelerates to block the overtake. Should you speed up to complete the overtake or pull back and abort?
If you plan to overtake and the target speeds up, is it safer to just keep accelerating (hoping you can eventually out accelerate then into a closing gap) or abort and pull in behind them because they have become unpredictable and “safe” is the top of the 4S’s?

Chris
Depends on the situation really. Generally safer to abort, probably, particularly if there is another car in front… closing gaps make life sticky.
Unless you have powerrr. I’ve often had people boot it mid overtake. No problem, I just boot it past also.


_Hoppers

1,176 posts

64 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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carreauchompeur said:
ScoobyChris said:
bartelbe said:
Though I am interested what you're suppose to do if someone accelerates to block the overtake. Should you speed up to complete the overtake or pull back and abort?
If you plan to overtake and the target speeds up, is it safer to just keep accelerating (hoping you can eventually out accelerate then into a closing gap) or abort and pull in behind them because they have become unpredictable and “safe” is the top of the 4S’s?

Chris
Depends on the situation really. Generally safer to abort, probably, particularly if there is another car in front… closing gaps make life sticky.
This happened to me once, unfortunately the following car closed the gap I'd just left!

mickyh7

2,347 posts

85 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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Schmed said:
Unless you have powerrr. I’ve often had people boot it mid overtake. No problem, I just boot it past also.
Got to agree with this.
It only ever gets silly if you are driving a slowish car.
(My wife's Twingo is stupidly slow).
I tend not to overtake whilst driving that.
But normally you've passed them before they really notice in a quickish car.

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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My faint hope is that the people who make a habit of this do it to someone in a large vehicle, who doesn't clock that they've sped up to stay parallel to them, and simply batters them off the road when they pull back in anyway.

Pica-Pica

13,621 posts

83 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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mickyh7 said:
Schmed said:
Unless you have powerrr. I’ve often had people boot it mid overtake. No problem, I just boot it past also.
Got to agree with this.
It only ever gets silly if you are driving a slowish car.
(My wife's Twingo is stupidly slow).
I tend not to overtake whilst driving that.
But normally you've passed them before they really notice in a quickish car.
Then there are those who tailgate you in a 30, then tempt an overtake when the NSL comes up, only for you to boot it up to 60, leaving them out on a limb.

mickyh7

2,347 posts

85 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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I find in the real World, driving nowadays is like a game of Chess.
Everybody trying to outdo everybody else.
I can't be the only one to see this 'Roadgame' taking place surely?

Pica-Pica

13,621 posts

83 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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mickyh7 said:
I find in the real World, driving nowadays is like a game of Chess.
Everybody trying to outdo everybody else.
I can't be the only one to see this 'Roadgame' taking place surely?
The counter-intuitive thing is, when it is crowded, rush-hour, when overtakes are not going to get you anywhere fast, that is when people push and chase for overtakes. When there is less traffic about, people just chill.

ShinyPsyduck

216 posts

107 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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I had one recently where I was stuck behind someone doing around 10 under on one road. We then get to a duel carriageway so I pull out and speed up to find them matching my speed. Its 8.10 in the morning and I just cant be bothered so I slam on the brakes to get behind them. They also apply the brakes not wanting to meet my side window. So we are literally both doing 30 MPH on the duel carriageway. What a joke- drive slow stay slow.

Pica-Pica

13,621 posts

83 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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ShinyPsyduck said:
I had one recently where I was stuck behind someone doing around 10 under on one road. We then get to a duel carriageway so I pull out and speed up to find them matching my speed. Its 8.10 in the morning and I just cant be bothered so I slam on the brakes to get behind them. They also apply the brakes not wanting to meet my side window. So we are literally both doing 30 MPH on the duel carriageway. What a joke- drive slow stay slow.
Truly a ‘duel’ carriageway.

ShinyPsyduck

216 posts

107 months

Wednesday 1st December 2021
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Pica-Pica said:
Truly a ‘duel’ carriageway.
Ahhh! smile

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

45 months

Sunday 5th December 2021
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It is funny.

I drive a low powered car these days which makes this all the more frustrating, if I know roads I can plan possible overtakes and position myself to make them, but often simply am outpowered by the oh it is straight now I can boot it style of driving that seems so common these days.

I also think there are other aspects, I am continually finding that people are unable to see properly, they are instantly back on the full beam the moment they can even if only for a half second, you can feel their frustration when they have to dip back, I think clear vision is also a potential reason why they slow and do not want or like it when people overtake.

and why do people think a fog light is a switch that once turned no has to be left on for hours, it is a switch, you know on or off?

Mr Miata

948 posts

49 months

Wednesday 15th December 2021
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Unless it’s some kind of optical illusion, I see this all the time on the motorway… with my cruise control set at 70ish mph (not high enough to get a NIP) I’m blatantly catching somebody up and will collide into the back of them if I don’t change lanes. Then as soon as I’m level with them, they magically match my speed. But once I accelerate even more, they revert back to doing 60 mph on the motorway. What’s going on???

Mr Miata

948 posts

49 months

Wednesday 15th December 2021
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ShinyPsyduck said:
Pica-Pica said:
Truly a ‘duel’ carriageway.
Ahhh! smile

juice

8,509 posts

281 months

Wednesday 15th December 2021
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Mr Miata said:
Unless it’s some kind of optical illusion, I see this all the time on the motorway… with my cruise control set at 70ish mph (not high enough to get a NIP) I’m blatantly catching somebody up and will collide into the back of them if I don’t change lanes. Then as soon as I’m level with them, they magically match my speed. But once I accelerate even more, they revert back to doing 60 mph on the motorway. What’s going on???
It probably goes like this.

"That car behind is getting close"

(overtake)

"How dare they "

(Speeds up)

"Maniac"

"Gerald, you're going to fast !"

"Yes dear"

(eases off)

Mercdriver

1,912 posts

32 months

Wednesday 15th December 2021
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On a motorway I set cruise to 74, on my car this is exactly 70 checked with the sat nav.

I stay in the inside lane where required or middle lane, but what really annoys me is the drivers who are behind you in outer lane and never pull in and drive with brain in neutral not realising they are blocking me in to the vehicle in front. They will sit at two MPH faster than me without looking ahead and reading the road.

Poor driving skills, poor manners

theplayingmantis

3,721 posts

81 months

Wednesday 15th December 2021
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I regularly drive the A12 from Walberswick to Essex of a Sunday or Friday evening and on the single lane Suffolk stretches you often held up by someone doing 40 or 50 in the NSL sections who then speed through the villages where its 30. A lot of the stretch is 50 now which is ridiculous in itself having always been NSL, but same folk still do 10 less in the 50.

I'm fortunate to have vehicles that can get past most creepers promptly as there are some clear straight stretches, even those who speed up to stop you (an action that is even more baffling than the flashing of headlights after an overtake), unless theirs a train formed with no gaps.
Regardless, when overtaking, inevitably the lead slow car flashes as you pull back in safely well ahead.
I simply don't understand the purpose.
Recently i was hooted as well, so, and to my shame, slowed down (not brake checking i can assure you) to a crawl myself to less than 25 (assuming something was wrong with my car given the flash and hoots....)and the flasher seemingly poops themselves and comes to a near stop so as not to get closer to me. I then boot it back to an appropriate speed in respect of the NSL and conditions. Childish and silly i know, but perhaps Mr/Mrs road captain wont create such a hullabaloo the next time someone safely overtakes them.


On safe A/B roads in NSL conditions and volume being light i typically do creep up to 65-70 at times, but scrupulously stick to the limit in 30/40's and built up areas, where often you get caught up and tailgated by those creeping about on a twisty NSL.(on the A12 stretch southbound it also switch's to a 40 DC with a camera at its end and often the creepers take it as an opportunity to cane it and brake at last minute for the camera, (whilst i stick to the limit on that section) then they get ahead of you and proceed to to do 10 -15 less than the limit again when it becomes single NSL again...baffling attitudes.

Occasionally, be it people breaking the limit by an extent to do so (when i'm making progress myself), or me driving slower due to my perception of the safe conditions but irrespective of the circumstances i don't feel any need to flash them , hoot or try to match their speed, some i think what a nice overtake, others what a crazy one.

I think the only time i may consider flashing someone in a theoretical scenario would be if they overtook me in a 30 in a built up area doing well over the limit or something as there driving would genuinely be dangerous...but then again maybe the perception of the creepers in flashing is that what those who don't want to hang around on an NSL behind them is of them being overtaken as dangerous.

I think the standard of driving has tanked in the last 3 years. I think people are scared and have no ability to overtake on single carriageways any more typically (hence the long queues of road trains on certain a/b roads that you get despite ample overtaking opportunities) and thus anyone seen to be doing it by those dawdling see it as a heinous crime.
Supporting my theory on the standards of driving, If on occasion I'm not getting a move on myself in NSL or 50's, or am and have someone up my arse who seemingly wants to get pas but isn't going by, or i can see I'm holding someone up on stretch where its tricky to overtake, i will slow down and indicate left when the road ahead is clear and safe for them to overtake, but more often than not they just slow with me and even if getting to a near stop will blindly do the same. In day light a hand out the window waving them buy has to be done if they just sit there and wont go past

I can perhaps excuse those who genuinely don't realize that they are holding others up and when overtaken wake up and do nearer the limit if safe, but those who try to police the road at what they deem a safe speed attitude is beyond me...

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Thursday 16th December 2021
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Not all doom and gloom out there…following 3 cars behind an inexplicably slow van on a rural a road. Very limited gaps so it was a ‘4 or nothing’ overtake which probably wouldn’t have been on. To my delight they ALL picked up their skirts and got by it!

I was 50/50 as to whether the Mondeo would go for it, so was in a position to get past if they didn’t. Perfect view. Lovely.

Edited by carreauchompeur on Thursday 16th December 14:23