Has overtaking become illegal & no one has told me?

[shovelheadrob]

For the last couple of weeks my commute to work has been a cross country trip, single carriageway A roads & some B roads. I've been stuck behind lines of drivers who will not overtake a tractor several times. On one occasion we were on a straight level road (it's in the fens) could see nearly a mile, nothing coming the other way, yet no one would go. I eventually indicated, pulled out & passed 8 vehicles + the tractor. All without exceeding the speed limit, only concern was someone pulling out on me without looking.
Are these the same drivers that hog the middle lane?

[deltashad]

This is the norm in the UK now.

[Tonto]

I think a lot is to do with people buying cheap 1 litre town cars and then driving them in the country. To safely ovetake, you need driving skills that the majority of buyers of this type of car simply don't have.

[clare1986]

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

[Steve vRS]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

Bobbins.

[g3org3y]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

Not to my knowledge? (Unless it's raining and you're in the Ka!)

[deltashad]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

There are no rules for this. Especially if you have a fast car.

[FD3Si]

Drive the a46 past Stratford and you'll see the exact opposite of what you are complaining about. Drive it morec than once and I can pretty much guarantee you'll see some of the worst overtakes you've seen in a good while.

[anonymous-user]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

I'm sure you did not.

[shovelheadrob]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without duet care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

It wasn't a choice (other than not to overtake at all) most were tailgating so one at a time was not an option! On Friday I sat behind a queue for nearly 7 miles because of a similar scenario, I was probably 20 vehicles back from the tractor, I know that tractor drivers are supposed to pull over to allow traffic to pass, but ffs there must have been at least 20 opportunities to pass, even in an underpowered vehicle, most of the vehicles concerned I wouldn't put in that category btw.

[Cupramax]

I overtook a row of three dawdlers earlier who were doing 40 in a 60, as i came past the front driver had a full on loony fit driving in my boot with full beams on. The overtake was perfectly safe so why people think its wrong to overtake ill never know.

[s3fella]

shovelheadrob said:

For the last couple of weeks my commute to work has been a cross country trip, single carriageway A roads & some B roads. I've been stuck behind lines of drivers who will not overtake a tractor several times. On one occasion we were on a straight level road (it's in the fens) could see nearly a mile, nothing coming the other way, yet no one would go. I eventually indicated, pulled out & passed 8 vehicles + the tractor. All without exceeding the speed limit, only concern was someone pulling out on me without looking.
Are these the same drivers that hog the middle lane?

I've noted a worrying trend taking things on from the nobbers who speed up when you overtake them.....it's now to veer accross the white line or other side of the road in order to try to block the lane. Had two serious incidents of this in the last 2 months, never had it in 26 years of driving before, not serious attempts to close the lane / run the overtaken off the road. Personally, I carry on overtaking and hit the brakes / horn, but carry on.

I think it is a legacy of everyone driving st slow cars having massive chips on their shoulder and as they cannot stop you passing them as they have 70hp to play with, they veer across the road to try to stop you.

s

[s3fella]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

Ffs are you serious?

Unless you mean two side by side , but I'm not sure even that is due care etc if there is room and it is legal white line wise.

[Drive Blind]

it's the british mentality to always queue in the proper fashion and by overtaking you are skipping the queue. You wouldn't jump to the front of the queue at the autobank, would you?

This was the reply from a work colleague when they said they hated folk overtaking them.

[12v3pot]

OP, you've got to be pretty selfish to assume that the other drivers have the exact same agenda as you. There are many reasons why they may not want/bother to overtake. Some may be turning off the road in a short distance, others may not like the increased risk, others won't have cars capable of a quick overtake, some will not trust the drivers ahead of them, and others won't know the road and will opt to take a risk-averse drive.

Yes, it's frustrating, but no more than many other aspects of driving in congested traffic.

[Sump]

Drive Blind said:

it's the british mentality to always queue in the proper fashion and by overtaking you are skipping the queue. You wouldn't jump to the front of the queue at the autobank, would you?

This was the reply from a work colleague when they said they hated folk overtaking them.

I would have asked if they don't overtake on the MWAY then.

[Rawwr]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

Are you aware that all 14 of the posts you've made so far on Pistonheads sound MENTAL?

[drd63]

It's not just low powered stuff, I followed a Bentley for a couple of miles who kept looking to pass the truck but was so close he couldn't see.Finally overtook by having a perfect view up the inside of both coming out of a left hander. Do they teach positioning for overtaking anymore?

[A900ss]

Rawwr said:

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

Are you aware that all 14 of the posts you've made so far on Pistonheads sound MENTAL?

I don't think mental is the correct word, more mis-informed and naive.

[xRIEx]

clare1986 said:

As much as I agree with the OP, I'm sure I read somewhere that it's deemed "driving without due care and attention" if you're seen overtaking more than one vehicle?

I've been having a read of the Police Drivers' Handbook recently, and it has a section discussing the correct process for multiple overtakes.