Why can nobody overtake?
Discussion
Nobody seems to leave any space between themselves and the next car, despite them having no intention whatsoever of performing an overtake. It’s almost as if they’re intentionally blocking others from safely getting by too.
You just end up with these horrible snakes of cars going up single lane A roads, with not enough space to slingshot your way up, and personally I don’t overtake more than two cars at once, because you just know if they do pull out they’re not going to check their mirrors.
People really do not seem to like being overtaken either. I even think some will speed up to try and block overtake you’re making (none have been successful yet
but some have decided to speed up and glue themselves to my rear bumper post overtake).
You just end up with these horrible snakes of cars going up single lane A roads, with not enough space to slingshot your way up, and personally I don’t overtake more than two cars at once, because you just know if they do pull out they’re not going to check their mirrors.
People really do not seem to like being overtaken either. I even think some will speed up to try and block overtake you’re making (none have been successful yet
but some have decided to speed up and glue themselves to my rear bumper post overtake). In 1973 when I learnt to drive, my instructor spent time teaching me how to overtake. I doubt they do that these days. Back then if you drove long distances, pre-motorways (mostly) you'd be stuck behind older cars, on A roads, doing 40-50 mph. To get anywhere you had to be able to overtake and people did. Times have changed and people don't expect to overtake or be overtaken. It's all rather retrograde really.
Earlier this week family day out which included going to Rye Harbour in East Sussex
There is a certain road that is long and straight we were bimbeling along at less than 40 totally clear so I went round 3 cars well below the limit the front car holding everyone up decided that being over taken was not permitted or acceptable and when I was going around him put his foot down and started to move in my path to try and block me
Total bellend
Fortunately I managed to get past him and he was raging at me and flashing his lights and hooting and sat up my rear bumper for ages until we got to Rye when he got out of his car to scream abuse at me when we stopped due to some traffic
His wife was apparently calling the police on me due to my illegal over take manoeuvre
I wasted my water bottle on him out of the window lol
There is a certain road that is long and straight we were bimbeling along at less than 40 totally clear so I went round 3 cars well below the limit the front car holding everyone up decided that being over taken was not permitted or acceptable and when I was going around him put his foot down and started to move in my path to try and block me
Total bellend
Fortunately I managed to get past him and he was raging at me and flashing his lights and hooting and sat up my rear bumper for ages until we got to Rye when he got out of his car to scream abuse at me when we stopped due to some traffic
His wife was apparently calling the police on me due to my illegal over take manoeuvre
I wasted my water bottle on him out of the window lol
M4cruiser said:
It doesn't save much time. And it costs money.
For me the benefit doesn't outweigh the risk (on a single carriageway I mean).
It depends on the traffic, sometimes you really cannot gain much and others it can be a third of the journey time. Have you considered how much risk is involved in driving on a single carriageway? After all the vehicle coming the other way could just swerve into you. For me the benefit doesn't outweigh the risk (on a single carriageway I mean).
Sleep tight.
On my commute there are a few places you can overtake but I can't be arsed unless the road is completely empty or it's something like a tractor because I know that after the traffic lights, 30 and 40 limits, roundabouts etc I will gain maybe 2 minutes on a 40 minute journey if I'm lucky. Quite often I'll be overtaken at the first long stretch of A road and I'll pass the guy as he's sitting in a queue at the last roundabout 18 miles later where the main traffic goes left and I go right.
Being overtaken doesn't bother me if it's done right, a girl in a focus passed me this morning really smooth, plenty of room and she took full advantage of it, no hassle or danger to anyone.
Being overtaken doesn't bother me if it's done right, a girl in a focus passed me this morning really smooth, plenty of room and she took full advantage of it, no hassle or danger to anyone.
M4cruiser said:
It doesn't save much time. And it costs money.
For me the benefit doesn't outweigh the risk (on a single carriageway I mean).
Doesn’t save time and costs money -- seriously get the bus you are just a hopeless driver right?For me the benefit doesn't outweigh the risk (on a single carriageway I mean).
Dawdlers are the bane of society, nothing in the rule book that says you cannot overtake f**k wits unable to drive to the NSL.
You can break this down into a few different subsections
1. Slow agri vehicles etc... Nothing wrong with that, it’s how fast they go -- good drivers just overtake them
2. Slow drivers -- learners or nuns or whatever - they always drive slow, usually in a zombie stance with hands fixed on the wheel - its what they do
3. Drivers who drive behind 1, 2 and are happy to sit <1 meter behind them with zero visibility >>> idiots
4. Due to 1, 2, and 3 -- big tail backs...
Which brings us to overtaking cars - most cars on the road - the mainstream most popular boring ones have the 30-70 overtaking speed of a Ford model T, which doesn’t help things.
I overtake slow drivers at the first opportunity but also let others overtake me, I just want to make some steady progress at the NSL
Fleckers said:
Earlier this week family day out which included going to Rye Harbour in East Sussex
There is a certain road that is long and straight we were bimbeling along at less than 40 totally clear so I went round 3 cars well below the limit the front car holding everyone up decided that being over taken was not permitted or acceptable and when I was going around him put his foot down and started to move in my path to try and block me
Total bellend
Fortunately I managed to get past him and he was raging at me and flashing his lights and hooting and sat up my rear bumper for ages until we got to Rye when he got out of his car to scream abuse at me when we stopped due to some traffic
His wife was apparently calling the police on me due to my illegal over take manoeuvre
I wasted my water bottle on him out of the window lol
Some pathetic fools just cannot accept getting overtaken, the idiots plodding along should be pulled over by the plod - that's the reality. If you are unable to drive on and make steady progress get a bus and let the road to othersThere is a certain road that is long and straight we were bimbeling along at less than 40 totally clear so I went round 3 cars well below the limit the front car holding everyone up decided that being over taken was not permitted or acceptable and when I was going around him put his foot down and started to move in my path to try and block me
Total bellend
Fortunately I managed to get past him and he was raging at me and flashing his lights and hooting and sat up my rear bumper for ages until we got to Rye when he got out of his car to scream abuse at me when we stopped due to some traffic
His wife was apparently calling the police on me due to my illegal over take manoeuvre
I wasted my water bottle on him out of the window lol
People nowadays despise being overtaken as well as other things.
We have a society which trumpets kindness and equality but the reality is people now think the world should stop for them.
I’ve seen many things that never used to happen years ago.
Cars double parked blocking main road.
Cars parked in a busy live lane with offside wheels touching white line.
People stopping on roundabouts as they’ve missed their turn and seem to think it’s ok to park there til they can swing back across traffic.
People driving at 20mph on NSL well sighted country roads for miles but should you try to overtake them will happily aim for the ton to stop you.( it’s their view that you should have to tolerate whatever they choose to do because they are the most important)
People swinging doors wide open into traffic on busy roads without even looking (it’s your problem not to hit their car)
When driving down a road with parked cars on one side but still plenty wide enough for 2 cars doing opposite ways one person will deliberately drive over the centre line meaning you have to go up the kerb or stop and reverse.
Finally, people who you flash to let past on a single track road who then stare at you like they want to kill you rather than put a hand up to say thanks.
We have a society which trumpets kindness and equality but the reality is people now think the world should stop for them.
I’ve seen many things that never used to happen years ago.
Cars double parked blocking main road.
Cars parked in a busy live lane with offside wheels touching white line.
People stopping on roundabouts as they’ve missed their turn and seem to think it’s ok to park there til they can swing back across traffic.
People driving at 20mph on NSL well sighted country roads for miles but should you try to overtake them will happily aim for the ton to stop you.( it’s their view that you should have to tolerate whatever they choose to do because they are the most important)
People swinging doors wide open into traffic on busy roads without even looking (it’s your problem not to hit their car)
When driving down a road with parked cars on one side but still plenty wide enough for 2 cars doing opposite ways one person will deliberately drive over the centre line meaning you have to go up the kerb or stop and reverse.
Finally, people who you flash to let past on a single track road who then stare at you like they want to kill you rather than put a hand up to say thanks.
A few month ago I got caught up around 7 to 8 cars behind a procession following a tractor at around 20mph along a country lane in the Yorkshire dales. They were all bunched up so close to each other that nobody would dare overtake, especially the fkwit following the tractor directly behind. I've ridden bikes for years so I'm used to forward planning overtakes so was already looking at the treelines / roads ahead over the crests etc.
Sailed by the lot of them without even breaking the limit, looked in the rear view to see them still all bunched up, even approaching a long straight!
Nobody still dated to overtake even though the road was clear and straight for the next 200 metres or so!
Sailed by the lot of them without even breaking the limit, looked in the rear view to see them still all bunched up, even approaching a long straight!
Nobody still dated to overtake even though the road was clear and straight for the next 200 metres or so!
Followed one today on the A31 heading into Dorset. Peugeot 308, right up the chuff of a tractor doing 27 mph, with no hope whatsoever of seeing around him, or making any attempt to overtake. The procession was perhaps 30 cars long by the end of it. I was six cars back, and had an opportunity to overtake all six at one point, which I didn't take because of the risk of people pulling out without checking which I have seen too many times. The point being, there were multiple opportunities for this Peugeot driver, and probably a few cars behind to safely pass the tractor. Instead, it was a slow procession until the tractor driver pulled into a layby.
Edited by Limpet on Thursday 27th August 21:52
With roads so busy now, safe chances to overtake can be few and far between, especially in less powerful cars. And even if you do overtake, you often cone across the next bit of traffic very quickly. it becomes largely pointless.
Plus, I dont think you get as much really slow traffic any more. Even some tractors are relatively quick now.
This all means people get less chance to practice overtaking, for example, judging how long an overtake may take.
Also, whilst I have no problem overtaking i definitely feel more vulnerable as i cross the white line and I'm sure there are plenty of a slightly nervous disposition who are just too nervous to do it.
Plus, I dont think you get as much really slow traffic any more. Even some tractors are relatively quick now.
This all means people get less chance to practice overtaking, for example, judging how long an overtake may take.
Also, whilst I have no problem overtaking i definitely feel more vulnerable as i cross the white line and I'm sure there are plenty of a slightly nervous disposition who are just too nervous to do it.
I don't know how recent this problem is... I passed my test in 1997 and even then "40mph everywhere driver" was already a term (I remember my dad using it), and some people got upset at being overtaken. I think the only things that have changed are:
1) there is more traffic, so the bunching is worse
2) the increased prevalence of automatic gearboxes meaning the baulkers aren't trying to scupper you in the wrong gear
3) the increased prevalence of torquey turbo'd engines meaning the baulkers aren't having to rev outside of their 2,000rpm comfort zone.
So back in the day most of the outraged people would be mashing the loud pedal of a 1600cc N/A manual car in top gear with little effect, but nowadays they've got a TDi with a DSG.
1) there is more traffic, so the bunching is worse
2) the increased prevalence of automatic gearboxes meaning the baulkers aren't trying to scupper you in the wrong gear
3) the increased prevalence of torquey turbo'd engines meaning the baulkers aren't having to rev outside of their 2,000rpm comfort zone.
So back in the day most of the outraged people would be mashing the loud pedal of a 1600cc N/A manual car in top gear with little effect, but nowadays they've got a TDi with a DSG.
A friend of mine tells a story of a long run on an A-road towing her caravan behind a lorry she knew she would never overtake.
So she hung a good distance back so other drivers could overtake her.
The man two feet behind her was going berserk, peeping and flashing, and yet making no attempt to overtake. Nor did anyone else. For miles...
So she hung a good distance back so other drivers could overtake her.
The man two feet behind her was going berserk, peeping and flashing, and yet making no attempt to overtake. Nor did anyone else. For miles...
Rojibo said:
Nobody seems to leave any space between themselves and the next car, despite them having no intention whatsoever of performing an overtake. It’s almost as if they’re intentionally blocking others from safely getting by too.
You just end up with these horrible snakes of cars going up single lane A roads, with not enough space to slingshot your way up, and personally I don’t overtake more than two cars at once, because you just know if they do pull out they’re not going to check their mirrors.
People really do not seem to like being overtaken either. I even think some will speed up to try and block overtake you’re making (none have been successful yet but some have decided to speed up and glue themselves to my rear bumper post overtake).
Yeah this is my pet hate. If someone doesn't want to overtake, that's fine. It's up to them. But at least be considerate enough to leave enough space between you and the car on front so someone else can make progress. It's not like following closer is going to get them anywhere faster.You just end up with these horrible snakes of cars going up single lane A roads, with not enough space to slingshot your way up, and personally I don’t overtake more than two cars at once, because you just know if they do pull out they’re not going to check their mirrors.
People really do not seem to like being overtaken either. I even think some will speed up to try and block overtake you’re making (none have been successful yet
but some have decided to speed up and glue themselves to my rear bumper post overtake). As thoughtless as thoughtless parking.
A nicely timmed and executed overtake is one of driving / ridings greatest pleaures...its even better if the driver you've passed flashes the lights to let you know of their disgust.
I'am sure you'll all have had some dumbf
k stab the brakes just as you pull out to pass...some old tt nearly knocked me off my bike doing this.
I'am sure you'll all have had some dumbf
k stab the brakes just as you pull out to pass...some old tt nearly knocked me off my bike doing this.My over taking technique has definitely changed over the years and I only do it now with an abundance of power.
Previously on a road I knew well, for example, I would gather speed, check the sighting, indicate and pass. Now on the same road I need to approach the precceeding car with intention (not tail gating but let him know I'm making progress) then, again well sighted take the on coming lane and check if the preceeding car is going to try a block the manoeuvre! Once I know he won't I'm passed and gone but I couldn't use this technique, nor would I need to 10/15 years ago.
Previously on a road I knew well, for example, I would gather speed, check the sighting, indicate and pass. Now on the same road I need to approach the precceeding car with intention (not tail gating but let him know I'm making progress) then, again well sighted take the on coming lane and check if the preceeding car is going to try a block the manoeuvre! Once I know he won't I'm passed and gone but I couldn't use this technique, nor would I need to 10/15 years ago.
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