People that don't overtake.
Discussion
This is a situation that I doubt many of you will be familiar with, but is one of the most frustrating things I have to put up with in my day to day driving.
I am a farmer and spend a reasonable amount ( a lot more than I'd like to!) of my time driving tractors on the road. Nobody likes getting stuck behind a tractor, and nobody knows this more than me. I do my best to pull over when possible to let cars past, to be courteous and generally not get in people's way. However, by far the biggest frustration when driving a tractor on a road is the person that, given a perfectly safe opportunity, won't overtake.
Tonight I was driving home at 7pm on a stretch of the A47 known as the Acle straight. It's 7 miles of dead straight, laser-level single carriageway with one slight corner and one slight rise over a small bridge. On a clear night like this evening, oncoming cars headlights are visible from well over a mile away. So given the reasonably low traffic density of cars at that time of day, safe overtaking opportunities are plentiful and I wouldn't expect to be holding up any traffic for more than the time it takes for a good gap to appear in the oncoming traffic.
However, there seem to be a lot of drivers who simply will not overtake. Clear road ahead, good visibility, plenty of room as the tractor I was in was only 8ft wide and I keep to the left as far as possible, yet people insist on just sitting behind at 24mph. I don't necessarily mind this. If they want to do 24mph too that suits me fine. But as soon as you get one car sat behind, that means anyone else wanting to overtake has 2 vehicles to pass. This seems to be too big a challenge for most road users, so they sit behind too and before you know it you are driving down a perfectly clear empty road with a procession of 30 cars sitting behind getting frustrated and I have to pull over unnecessarily. I have no problem pulling over if it's the only way cars can get past, but when there's 30 seconds gaps in the oncoming traffic and you still have to pull over 3 times in 4 miles it starts to get frustrating.
To make matters worse, the 2 worst offenders this evening were a BMW Z3 and an Audi TT. Both cars I doubt would have any trouble accelerating from 24mph to pass a slow vehicle quickly and safely. Somehow lorry and bus drivers always manage to get past safely in the same circumstances. Car drivers who are on the ball take less than 5 seconds to complete a safe overtake, yet some people won't 'risk' it in a 30 seconds gap.
I know this is a pathetic rant and I haven't sworn nearly enough but I just wanted to vent a bit of frustration and get a bit of a reality check from the PH collective that it is not too much too expect someone to overtake if it's safe and in their own interest.
I am a farmer and spend a reasonable amount ( a lot more than I'd like to!) of my time driving tractors on the road. Nobody likes getting stuck behind a tractor, and nobody knows this more than me. I do my best to pull over when possible to let cars past, to be courteous and generally not get in people's way. However, by far the biggest frustration when driving a tractor on a road is the person that, given a perfectly safe opportunity, won't overtake.
Tonight I was driving home at 7pm on a stretch of the A47 known as the Acle straight. It's 7 miles of dead straight, laser-level single carriageway with one slight corner and one slight rise over a small bridge. On a clear night like this evening, oncoming cars headlights are visible from well over a mile away. So given the reasonably low traffic density of cars at that time of day, safe overtaking opportunities are plentiful and I wouldn't expect to be holding up any traffic for more than the time it takes for a good gap to appear in the oncoming traffic.
However, there seem to be a lot of drivers who simply will not overtake. Clear road ahead, good visibility, plenty of room as the tractor I was in was only 8ft wide and I keep to the left as far as possible, yet people insist on just sitting behind at 24mph. I don't necessarily mind this. If they want to do 24mph too that suits me fine. But as soon as you get one car sat behind, that means anyone else wanting to overtake has 2 vehicles to pass. This seems to be too big a challenge for most road users, so they sit behind too and before you know it you are driving down a perfectly clear empty road with a procession of 30 cars sitting behind getting frustrated and I have to pull over unnecessarily. I have no problem pulling over if it's the only way cars can get past, but when there's 30 seconds gaps in the oncoming traffic and you still have to pull over 3 times in 4 miles it starts to get frustrating.
To make matters worse, the 2 worst offenders this evening were a BMW Z3 and an Audi TT. Both cars I doubt would have any trouble accelerating from 24mph to pass a slow vehicle quickly and safely. Somehow lorry and bus drivers always manage to get past safely in the same circumstances. Car drivers who are on the ball take less than 5 seconds to complete a safe overtake, yet some people won't 'risk' it in a 30 seconds gap.
I know this is a pathetic rant and I haven't sworn nearly enough but I just wanted to vent a bit of frustration and get a bit of a reality check from the PH collective that it is not too much too expect someone to overtake if it's safe and in their own interest.
^ Yep, defo the speed kills nonsense as well as the possibility of a speed trap. You'll probably find some of these people have points for doing 35 in a 30 so now they're scared as hell. Plus they're crap drivers who probably wouldn'tunderstand a NSL sigh if it hit them. The scummers have a lot to answer for imo. Are they being made redundant yet 
?
?Hi,
I see where you are coming from. This happens in the Highlands too and probably countrywide. Some people are just too happy sitting there at tractor speed. I was always taught and still believe that it is not the front vehicle that causes a tailback but the second in line, thus making any overtake longer and more of a risk. Perhaps they think you are going to turn without signalling, or just like looking at tractors.
Andy..
I see where you are coming from. This happens in the Highlands too and probably countrywide. Some people are just too happy sitting there at tractor speed. I was always taught and still believe that it is not the front vehicle that causes a tailback but the second in line, thus making any overtake longer and more of a risk. Perhaps they think you are going to turn without signalling, or just like looking at tractors.
Andy..
I saw this recently as tractor was plodding along, less than 10mph as it was towing a massive amount of hay on a trailer. I was the second car behind the tractor and there was a bloke in a Vectra (or thelike) directly behind it for about 5 miles. There were many opportunities to overtake as the road was dead straight and there was no oncoming traffic at all!
I did overtake them both, safely. Had the driver been aware of the Highway Code, they would have too. It's muppetry at its finest.
I did overtake them both, safely. Had the driver been aware of the Highway Code, they would have too. It's muppetry at its finest.
My version of this occurs when I'm cycling in town. There I am, keeping well over to the left and staying out of the way (and often also taking advantage of the reduction in effort afforded by the lower rolling resistance of cycling along the surface of the yellow lines instead of the tarmac), with cars, Transits, and buses all passing me without any problem. Then some d
head in a Micra or Ka or other very small car turns up behind me and sits on my arse holding everybody up because they insist on waiting until there's no oncoming traffic so they can take their very small car right over onto the other side of the road, despite there being plenty of room for them to get past without even putting their offside wheels over the white line. For fk's sake just go past you aholes, if a bus can do it you bloody well can.
head in a Micra or Ka or other very small car turns up behind me and sits on my arse holding everybody up because they insist on waiting until there's no oncoming traffic so they can take their very small car right over onto the other side of the road, despite there being plenty of room for them to get past without even putting their offside wheels over the white line. For fk's sake just go past you aholes, if a bus can do it you bloody well can.I once overtook approximately 20 cars following a tractor on a stretch of the military road in Northumberland (B6318 between Whittle Dene and Harlow Hill - just over 1km between junctions http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=military... ). Perfect visibility of the arrow straight road and to either side of it. I just took it easy going past, checking I could get to the next safe gap between cars in the space left that I could see ahead until I had got past the tractor. Saw a couple of the cars follow me after I'd got past.
At least take comfort that some of us do appreciate tractor drivers like yourself that are considerate of other drivers.
At least take comfort that some of us do appreciate tractor drivers like yourself that are considerate of other drivers.
Edited by nerfherder on Wednesday 13th October 22:08
Edited by nerfherder on Wednesday 13th October 22:08
Regards fear of breaking the speed limit, whilst this may be what some drivers are thinking, it's pretty easy to pass a vehicle travelling at 24 mph safely without getting close to breaking the NSL. Even passing at 30mph wouldn't take many seconds.
andym1603 said:
Hi,
I see where you are coming from. This happens in the Highlands too and probably countrywide. Some people are just too happy sitting there at tractor speed. I was always taught and still believe that it is not the front vehicle that causes a tailback but the second in line, thus making any overtake longer and more of a risk. Perhaps they think you are going to turn without signalling, or just like looking at tractors.
Andy..
Interesting to hear, and from experience it's very true. With no cars sat behind, most vehicles just smoothly shift over to the opposite side of the road, cruise past and glide back in. Add a 2nd vehicle into the equation and it's all brake lights and angry faces!I see where you are coming from. This happens in the Highlands too and probably countrywide. Some people are just too happy sitting there at tractor speed. I was always taught and still believe that it is not the front vehicle that causes a tailback but the second in line, thus making any overtake longer and more of a risk. Perhaps they think you are going to turn without signalling, or just like looking at tractors.
Andy..
I have been a passenger in cars driven by both my father and my wife. Both will not overtake, because they believe that because you are driving a tractor, you will be turning off the main road shortly.
How far did you drive on the main road before actually turning off? Did you slow down to say <10mph so the drivers behind were forced to overtake?
How far did you drive on the main road before actually turning off? Did you slow down to say <10mph so the drivers behind were forced to overtake?
tricky1962 said:
I have been a passenger in cars driven by both my father and my wife. Both will not overtake, because they believe that because you are driving a tractor, you will be turning off the main road shortly.
How far did you drive on the main road before actually turning off? Did you slow down to say <10mph so the drivers behind were forced to overtake?
4 miles on a dead straight road with no junctions until the one I took. This is the road I was on, coming from near Great Yarmouth and turning left at branch road, the only junction on the 7 mile stretch.How far did you drive on the main road before actually turning off? Did you slow down to say <10mph so the drivers behind were forced to overtake?
I always indicate and position myself on the road in a way that makes it obvious if I am turning (eg drive on the centre line if turning right- discourages overtakers who don't realise I am turning and also increases the chance of an oncoming car letting me cross so I don't hold up the traffic for so long.)
Slowing down so they are forced to overtake seems a bit pointless when you are only doing 20mph anyway, although it is a tactic I have used.
I have an unhealthy interest in long straight roads and I think this is probably one of the longest I've seen on Google Maps! Brilliant! 
I can understand your frustration, OP. These sort of queues are caused by the overtaking (non-)ability of the car directly behind (and plenty of other imbeciles by the sound of it - SEVEN MILES FFS!) but I bet most of them will be tutting away at you...
+1 on the morons who struggle to overtake pushbikes too! Happened to me a few times today, no amount of gesturing 'GO!' or looking back to see why they weren't taking advantage of a perfectly good opportunity seemed to have any effect.
I can understand your frustration, OP. These sort of queues are caused by the overtaking (non-)ability of the car directly behind (and plenty of other imbeciles by the sound of it - SEVEN MILES FFS!) but I bet most of them will be tutting away at you...
+1 on the morons who struggle to overtake pushbikes too! Happened to me a few times today, no amount of gesturing 'GO!' or looking back to see why they weren't taking advantage of a perfectly good opportunity seemed to have any effect.
Fair enough, but both will say in the car, "He'll turn off in a minute, not worth the risk"
I think it's not your problem, you've done everything you could and they have taken the decision not to overtake.
What about one of those LED message boards that Topgear had when towing a caravan, saying "Put the kettle on, it could be a while!"?
I think it's not your problem, you've done everything you could and they have taken the decision not to overtake.
What about one of those LED message boards that Topgear had when towing a caravan, saying "Put the kettle on, it could be a while!"?
Not thread related but I was thinking about these newfangled self parking cars that measure the gap and tell you if the car fits, then stick it in reverse and it does the rest for you. One the one hand awesome. On the other hand car trickery for people who can't drive.
At least the driving test is getting harder, allegedly.
OP I feel your pain.
At least the driving test is getting harder, allegedly.
OP I feel your pain.
Dr Derek Doctors said:
There is an answer:
FASTRAC! The clue is in the name.
Look at my profile picture. We had the 7th one ever sold to public in the early 90s, which did 62mph. Our current one only does 45mph but certainly does help the situation. Unfortuately they can't do everything we need from a tractor and today I was in a JCB Loadall like this one: FASTRAC! The clue is in the name.
busta said:
Dr Derek Doctors said:
There is an answer:
FASTRAC! The clue is in the name.
Look at my profile picture. We had the 7th one ever sold to public in the early 90s, which did 62mph. Our current one only does 45mph but certainly does help the situation. Unfortuately they can't do everything we need from a tractor and today I was in a JCB Loadall like this one: FASTRAC! The clue is in the name.
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