Discussion
I see loads of stories about how overtaking seems to be the new anti-social thing to do, and people get the high beam / horn / coffee beans treatment for executing a perfectly legal move. Shame how it has come to this.
I overtake whenever I deem possible and safe.
One thing that I think helps massively to avoid the lights / horn / beans scenario, is to try and do it so that it isn't a shock to the dawdler, and also doesn't cause any drama to them and their car.
By that I mean, I firstly move my car to a position in the road behind them, over the centre line, that hopefully makes them catch movement in their driver's side mirror, and then glance at it, to see my car there, obviously lining up a pass. This way, it's not a huge shock to them when I do.
Secondly, when you pass a car, which involves driving into the other lane, don't forget that the middle of the carriageway usually has a little detritus of stones and debris in it. Hence, if you overtake and then move back into your lane a bit sharpish, it means your car probably throws up a few small stones and some dust. If those bits hit the front and the windsceen of the dawdler's car, it will make some distressing noises as it bounces off their vehicle, and any dust will make a cloud that they will have to drive through. This is, when you think about it - a little antisocial? I mean, you wouldn't walk past someone on a pavement and then throw a load of gravel into their face, would you?
So what I do, is overtake, and then stay in the other lane for as long as possible - so I'm WAY past the dawdler, and then pull back in when I know my car won't be throwing up tons of grit at their car.
Funny, but this point never seems to come up on PH - but to me, it's good overtaking manners, no?
I overtake whenever I deem possible and safe.
One thing that I think helps massively to avoid the lights / horn / beans scenario, is to try and do it so that it isn't a shock to the dawdler, and also doesn't cause any drama to them and their car.
By that I mean, I firstly move my car to a position in the road behind them, over the centre line, that hopefully makes them catch movement in their driver's side mirror, and then glance at it, to see my car there, obviously lining up a pass. This way, it's not a huge shock to them when I do.
Secondly, when you pass a car, which involves driving into the other lane, don't forget that the middle of the carriageway usually has a little detritus of stones and debris in it. Hence, if you overtake and then move back into your lane a bit sharpish, it means your car probably throws up a few small stones and some dust. If those bits hit the front and the windsceen of the dawdler's car, it will make some distressing noises as it bounces off their vehicle, and any dust will make a cloud that they will have to drive through. This is, when you think about it - a little antisocial? I mean, you wouldn't walk past someone on a pavement and then throw a load of gravel into their face, would you?
So what I do, is overtake, and then stay in the other lane for as long as possible - so I'm WAY past the dawdler, and then pull back in when I know my car won't be throwing up tons of grit at their car.
Funny, but this point never seems to come up on PH - but to me, it's good overtaking manners, no?
Rawhide said:
trixyD said:
I hardly see anyone overtaking anymore. Even when it's perfectly safe to do so.
Case in point; I was driving my Saab 9-3 Aero home after picking it up down in Kent, I live up in Notts so it was a nice drive home. I was coming into town on the A52 from the A1 Grantham exit, and there is at least one long straight stretch of road on the way in from there.
I arrived at a line of about ten cars on one of the straights, all sat bumper to bumper behind a 40ft artic doing 45mph
Needless to say I overtook them all, and in so doing prompted two of other cars to follow. It's as if no-one dared to make the first move!
To overtake 10 cars and a lorry surely it must have crossed your mind that the gap would have been suitable for the first car following the lorry (or any of the other 10) to pull out into your path.Case in point; I was driving my Saab 9-3 Aero home after picking it up down in Kent, I live up in Notts so it was a nice drive home. I was coming into town on the A52 from the A1 Grantham exit, and there is at least one long straight stretch of road on the way in from there.
I arrived at a line of about ten cars on one of the straights, all sat bumper to bumper behind a 40ft artic doing 45mph
Needless to say I overtook them all, and in so doing prompted two of other cars to follow. It's as if no-one dared to make the first move!
I expect that most of them were waiting until safe to pass.
B'stard Child said:
Baaaaaa 
Judging by many of the overtakes I have seen - that does appear to be the average intelligence of the drivers.B'stard Child said:
Point being made was that if you sit behind cars rather than look for opportunity to pass them then you won't get any practice - if you don't practice something you don't get better at it and are less likely to attempt overtakes.
And if all you are going to do is sit behind a vehicle 50 yards in front of those you overtake until the dual carriage – it often seems a waste of effort with added risk and little, if any, gain. But the reality is most drivers aren't taught how to overtake and aren't able to workout how to do it safely – so I'd rather they stay like sheep. I especially hate those who pull out as you are approaching fast behind and slowly pass the vehicle taking the rest of road until overtaking/crawler lane disappears.
B'stard Child said:
When I was driver training if you got flashed or fingered after an overtake in an unmarked it was accepted as a good overtake with plenty of space
The way you phrase it, it sounds like over confidence to me. I do wonder how many drivers overtaking realise they only go past safely because other people took avoiding action. I have had to loose 20mph+ to ensure more than a few metres separation many times when some dopey driver overtakes directly at me.
JimmyTheHand said:
B'stard Child said:
Baaaaaa
Judging by many of the overtakes I have seen - that does appear to be the average intelligence of the drivers.
JimmyTheHand said:
B'stard Child said:
Point being made was that if you sit behind cars rather than look for opportunity to pass them then you won't get any practice - if you don't practice something you don't get better at it and are less likely to attempt overtakes.
And if all you are going to do is sit behind a vehicle 50 yards in front of those you overtake until the dual carriage – it often seems a waste of effort with added risk and little, if any, gain. Dual carriageway - few and far between round here and most aren't going where I want to go If I want to go 50 miles to a nice part of the coast it's all A and B road and progress is what you make.
JimmyTheHand said:
But the reality is most drivers aren't taught how to overtake and aren't able to workout how to do it safely – so I'd rather they stay like sheep. I especially hate those who pull out as you are approaching fast behind and slowly pass the vehicle taking the rest of road until overtaking/crawler lane disappears.
you use different types of road and we won't have the same viewpoint - no crawler lanes round hereJimmyTheHand said:
B'stard Child said:
When I was driver training if you got flashed or fingered after an overtake in an unmarked it was accepted as a good overtake with plenty of space
The way you phrase it, it sounds like over confidence to me.JimmyTheHand said:
I do wonder how many drivers overtaking realise they only go past safely because other people took avoiding action. I have had to loose 20mph+ to ensure more than a few metres separation many times when some dopey driver overtakes directly at me.
If the other driver has to brake or take avoiding action that's not a good overtakeI don't think it has anything to do with the technique to be honest, more to do with if the person being overtaken is a tool or not. Overtook a car this morning, no flash, no horn no attempt to try and stop me. Other mornings, same spot, same conditions and you get the flashing lights etc. some people just seem to take exception to being overtaken for whatever reason they come up with.
Once overtook a Z3 doing 40 in NSL in my GFs 1.0 corsa, they then tailgated and miraculously managed 60 pfft.
But I would flash at anyone I could see overtaking coming towards me, it may not be aggressive. I'd do it to make sure they've seen me, if I'm in shadow or they are focussing on the car they're overtaking then it could be worth attracting their attention, just to make sure they know you're there. Don't always assume a flash is aggressive
But I would flash at anyone I could see overtaking coming towards me, it may not be aggressive. I'd do it to make sure they've seen me, if I'm in shadow or they are focussing on the car they're overtaking then it could be worth attracting their attention, just to make sure they know you're there. Don't always assume a flash is aggressive
Due to teaching my daughter to drive, I've been overtaken a few times recently and am amused when on a single carriageway people indicate left as they pull in afterwards.
Why ffs? They probably never indicate on a roundabout when they need to, do they think we expect them stay on the wrong side of the road all day?!
Why ffs? They probably never indicate on a roundabout when they need to, do they think we expect them stay on the wrong side of the road all day?!
Benrad said:
But I would flash at anyone I could see overtaking coming towards me, it may not be aggressive. I'd do it to make sure they've seen me, if I'm in shadow or they are focussing on the car they're overtaking then it could be worth attracting their attention, just to make sure they know you're there. Don't always assume a flash is aggressive
This is interesting. Whilst you don't mean it in an aggressive way, most others do. Therefore pretty much all drivers will instantly assume that your flashing is aggressive.If anyone flashes at me more than once (in certain scenarios, such as when I'm overtaking) I turn my full beams on.
STW2010 said:
If anyone flashes at me more than once (in certain scenarios, such as when I'm overtaking) I turn my full beams on.
So you are willing to escalate the tension and aggression on the road with an illegal and dangerous action?edt: words
Edited by JimmyTheHand on Thursday 1st November 08:56
JimmyTheHand said:
So you are willing to escalate the tension and aggression on the road with an illegal and dangerous action?
It happens very very rarely (possibly twice in the last few years). But think of it as the light signal for 'p
s off'.The last time it happened someone was flashing me like mad (they may as well have put their full beams on). The only reason for this, that I could imagine, was that they thought I had my full beams on. They stopped flashing as soon as I put them on for real
I travel the A1 to Sunderland regularly now and when it's busy it's a PITA!
There're plenty of long straights and even bends with good visiblity that would allow easy overtakes except that everyone drives nose to tail whaich means that there's no place to go in a quarter of a mile of solid traffic!
And of course the guy behind the artic' at the front doesn't have the minerals to overtake, the guy behind him doesn't have the power to take both at once. the further you go back the less chance there is to get past. Very frustrating when, even in a powerful car, you've no chance of getting past even on a three mile stretch of dead straight road.
For the record, I even overtake when I'm towing my 30' caravan which raises a few eyebrows, but it's all done perfectly safely.
There're plenty of long straights and even bends with good visiblity that would allow easy overtakes except that everyone drives nose to tail whaich means that there's no place to go in a quarter of a mile of solid traffic!
And of course the guy behind the artic' at the front doesn't have the minerals to overtake, the guy behind him doesn't have the power to take both at once. the further you go back the less chance there is to get past. Very frustrating when, even in a powerful car, you've no chance of getting past even on a three mile stretch of dead straight road.
For the record, I even overtake when I'm towing my 30' caravan which raises a few eyebrows, but it's all done perfectly safely.
STW2010 said:
It happens very very rarely (possibly twice in the last few years). But think of it as the light signal for 'ps off'.
Trouble is the type of person you need to say that too - doesn't take it well (unless they are face to face, when they seem to be quiet - might be something to do with my size s off'. )STW2010 said:
The last time it happened someone was flashing me like mad (they may as well have put their full beams on). The only reason for this, that I could imagine, was that they thought I had my full beams on. They stopped flashing as soon as I put them on for real
I had that a bit on last car, but they stopped when I flashed main beam. I asked the garage to check alignment when it was in and they lowered it slightly which seemed to cure the issuesjohn2443 said:
Due to teaching my daughter to drive, I've been overtaken a few times recently and am amused when on a single carriageway people indicate left as they pull in afterwards.
Why ffs? They probably never indicate on a roundabout when they need to, do they think we expect them stay on the wrong side of the road all day?!
You might think it was a bit of consideration. It may be a reaction to passing a car with L plates and making sure that no-one is in any doubt of their intentions.Why ffs? They probably never indicate on a roundabout when they need to, do they think we expect them stay on the wrong side of the road all day?!
As you say though, you would think they'd be so considerate at all other times though wouldn't you?!?!?
Benrad said:
But I would flash at anyone I could see overtaking coming towards me, it may not be aggressive. I'd do it to make sure they've seen me, if I'm in shadow or they are focussing on the car they're overtaking then it could be worth attracting their attention, just to make sure they know you're there. Don't always assume a flash is aggressive
There's a risk (more than the likeliness of them having seen you) that the flashing makes them panic and do something stupid. What they thought was an OK overtake in progress, they now call into question mid-way through the manoeuvre as you've flashed them. They then may pull back in earlier than they intended to possibly clipping the car being overtaken, flicking up debris, pulling over too quickly and losing control etc....Either that or they see it an aggressive act, that's never a good thing to add to the roads.
Dracoro said:
There's a risk (more than the likeliness of them having seen you) that the flashing makes them panic and do something stupid. What they thought was an OK overtake in progress, they now call into question mid-way through the manoeuvre as you've flashed them. They then may pull back in earlier than they intended to possibly clipping the car being overtaken, flicking up debris, pulling over too quickly and losing control etc....
Either that or they see it an aggressive act, that's never a good thing to add to the roads.
Probably better off just turning your lights on if you don't think you've been seen.Either that or they see it an aggressive act, that's never a good thing to add to the roads.
It's all about timing the gearchange so they get a nice bang and gout of flame - people who drive slowly really appreciate the aural delights of the Zed at full chat - have been flashed and waved at numerous times - I can only assume the other driver is applauding a safe overtake and good use of hydrocarbons 
Benjy911 said:
Probably better off just turning your lights on if you don't think you've been seen.
I did that driving down the A1 a couple of weeks ago. Light was startignt to fade so had my sidelights on and there was a car overtaking towards me with plenty of room, no issues there but I noticed a car behind it pull out so I switched to dips to make sure the second driver could see me.Cue a tirade of abuse from the first car as he passed me. MEH!
Some people who do, really shouldn't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6--8DiJYXak&fea...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff