Is it time to ban overtaking?
Discussion
If a driver is on a stretch of road (say a B road) and all the cars in front of that driver have disappeared up the road, whilst at the same time, there is a huge queue of frustrated drivers built up behind the dawdling driver, then it is easy to spot who the dangerous driver (who is the cause of people to having to overtake sometimes in less than ideal places) actually is.
Slow drivers who don't use their mirrors (or worse still, they do but don't care about the number of people they are holding up) are easily as dangerous as those who think exceeding speed limits by very large numbers is OK.
The current round of speed limits are deliberately set low (as posted earlier some of them set when cars had rod operated brakes, solid tyres, and cart suspension) to allow the widest spectrum of drivers, from the youngest to the oldest, with very different levels of driving ability, health, eyesight, and experience, not to mention the effects of weather and traffic generally, a `reasonable' expectation of safety. Occasional deviations from the posted limit either above or below are not materially going to affect road safety, and in some cases higher speeds, including during an overtake, will enhance safety, by reducing the TED (Time exposed to danger) I have seen slow idiots overtaking, an even slower idiot, at the same dawdling speed they use for travelling down the road, staying in the offside lane for what seems like an age (even when another vehicle is coming the other way), Perhaps the worst aspect of those who do not drive as fast as their vehicle, and the road weather/conditions and law allows are where a dawdler has let a huge queue of traffic build up behind them., in which is embedded an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance, or fire engine. So far back down the road are these vehicles, the dawdler is not even aware of them, especially when, like so many dawdlers, they do not use their mirrors to check on what is behind, or as posted above, they `are' aware they have held up huge numbers of other road users, but arrogantly do not care about that.
The speed limits in this country could be massively improved, to suit the (modern) situation they are intended to control, such as revising motorway limits in line with the 80 mph dry/70 mph wet road limit used on many continental motorways, but alos with 20 mph limits in some very built up areas used around schools, shopping areas etc, but for some reason they are not.
Slow drivers who don't use their mirrors (or worse still, they do but don't care about the number of people they are holding up) are easily as dangerous as those who think exceeding speed limits by very large numbers is OK.
The current round of speed limits are deliberately set low (as posted earlier some of them set when cars had rod operated brakes, solid tyres, and cart suspension) to allow the widest spectrum of drivers, from the youngest to the oldest, with very different levels of driving ability, health, eyesight, and experience, not to mention the effects of weather and traffic generally, a `reasonable' expectation of safety. Occasional deviations from the posted limit either above or below are not materially going to affect road safety, and in some cases higher speeds, including during an overtake, will enhance safety, by reducing the TED (Time exposed to danger) I have seen slow idiots overtaking, an even slower idiot, at the same dawdling speed they use for travelling down the road, staying in the offside lane for what seems like an age (even when another vehicle is coming the other way), Perhaps the worst aspect of those who do not drive as fast as their vehicle, and the road weather/conditions and law allows are where a dawdler has let a huge queue of traffic build up behind them., in which is embedded an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance, or fire engine. So far back down the road are these vehicles, the dawdler is not even aware of them, especially when, like so many dawdlers, they do not use their mirrors to check on what is behind, or as posted above, they `are' aware they have held up huge numbers of other road users, but arrogantly do not care about that.
The speed limits in this country could be massively improved, to suit the (modern) situation they are intended to control, such as revising motorway limits in line with the 80 mph dry/70 mph wet road limit used on many continental motorways, but alos with 20 mph limits in some very built up areas used around schools, shopping areas etc, but for some reason they are not.
Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Sunday 23 July 12:18
Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Sunday 23 July 12:20
Pan Pan Pan said:
Slow drivers who don't use their mirrors (or worse still, they do but don't care about the number of people they are holding up) are easily as dangerous as those who think exceeding speed limits by very large numbers is OK.
That's just b******ks though, isn't it. Someone driving a road at 40mph in a 60mph limit is clearly orders of magnitude lower risk than someone driving the same road at 120mph.The only "dangerous" thing about someone driving below the speed limit are those other people who are incapable of overtaking safely, whether they lack either ability or patience.
JimSuperSix said:
The only "dangerous" thing about someone driving below the speed limit are those other people who are incapable of overtaking safely, whether they lack either ability or patience.
No, I'd argue that's not correct. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people doddering onto a dual carriageway with nothing in front of them at around 40mph, and continue at that speed ... With cars already on the carriageway having to either slam their brakes on or take evasive manoeuvres to account for their total incompetence as they drift casually into 70mph traffic at 40mph.If you cannot / will not drive at the speed which the road (conditions and authorities) allows then for god's sake find another route to your destination.
Just been behind one of the 40 mph club. I pulled a beautiful 2nd gear overtake. Admittedly, in a 40-60 transition zone, but the next safe opportunity was several miles down the road.
Did I gain time? Probably not. Encountered a red light further up the road. But, it quite easily could have been green. The time payoff is always a gamble - but I tell you what. The overtaker will always do no worse than they otherwise would have.
Now, the far more important factor was I could drive for several miles, nothing ahead or behind. All I had to worry about was analysing the road ahead of me, for myself. I love driving when it's like that. Sitting behind somebody who does 40-50 mph in an NSL is not enjoyable.
Did I gain time? Probably not. Encountered a red light further up the road. But, it quite easily could have been green. The time payoff is always a gamble - but I tell you what. The overtaker will always do no worse than they otherwise would have.
Now, the far more important factor was I could drive for several miles, nothing ahead or behind. All I had to worry about was analysing the road ahead of me, for myself. I love driving when it's like that. Sitting behind somebody who does 40-50 mph in an NSL is not enjoyable.
Pan Pan Pan said:
If a driver is on a stretch of road (say a B road) and all the cars in front of that driver have disappeared up the road, whilst at the same time, there is a huge queue of frustrated drivers built up behind the dawdling driver, then it is easy to spot who the dangerous driver (who is the cause of people to having to overtake sometimes in less than ideal places) actually is.
Why do people "have" to overtake in less than ideal places?stuart_83 said:
JimSuperSix said:
The only "dangerous" thing about someone driving below the speed limit are those other people who are incapable of overtaking safely, whether they lack either ability or patience.
No, I'd argue that's not correct. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people doddering onto a dual carriageway with nothing in front of them at around 40mph, and continue at that speed ... With cars already on the carriageway having to either slam their brakes on or take evasive manoeuvres to account for their total incompetence as they drift casually into 70mph traffic at 40mph.If you cannot / will not drive at the speed which the road (conditions and authorities) allows then for god's sake find another route to your destination.
This. Often there are dawdlers whose defense of their driving is the bleat, I have been driving for XXX years and have never had an accident, to which the reply must be, Yes, but how many accidents have you caused?
The old saying, that if a person cannot stand the heat, they should stay out of the kitchen applies, If a person cannot drive at the same speed as the majority of those on the road around them, they really are not suited to being on the road, (Unless on a bus which often goes faster than they drive at) If the roads are the veins and arteries of the country, they are the equivalent of a thrombosis.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff