Turbo2

Just got to get this off my chest:

Why is it now deemed socially irresponsible by other road-users to overtake anyone on a single carriageway road? How many times have you come up to the back of a queue of traffic doddling along behind some slowcoach at 45mph on a 60mph road? No-one shows the slightest interest in overtaking him, they just follow like sheep.

This leaves you with 2 options:
1) trundle along behind the rest of them, or
2) start picking them off when safe to do so.

Heaven forbid you choose option 2): nowadays this represents the most evil crime since the World Trade Centre attacks. Your actions will be met by flashing lights, honking horns, swerving and blocking cars, hand gestures and god knows how many expletives.

Why is this? When I started driving 20 years ago, practically everyone knew how to overtake safely. OK, traffic is heavier these days, but you can bet your life that the road will be completely clear for at least 2 miles in front of the dawdlers, so there's still plenty of space left on the road for us all. You don't even need a fast car to overtake someone doing less than 60mph.

What do you lot think?

53

iTrader: (41)

Spot on, and they bunch so close together you have no option but to take them all out in one hit.

mikey2

iTrader: (1)

I say go for it, if you can do it safely and quickly then why not.

Mew

i think that the irresponsible ones are the slow people... 45 on a 60?? maybe 55 if there was a large L sticker on the car... but 45 on a 60 is like doin 50mph on the motorways... and thats not safe....

unless people are overtaking in dangerous conditions (blind corner coming up etc) then i see no fault with overtaking..

they must "think" they are safe drivers in reality they are over cautious which leads to being hesitant and they are the worser drivers

Blueblaster

As a rule I agree with you. However, if I'm in a queue of traffic and someone overtakes me and slots into a gap a left between me and and car in front and subsequently forces me to brake then I would happily see that driver lose his/her licence. And by brake I mean brake at all. If you are going to overtake then other road users should have to make no adjustment whatsoever as a result of your actions. Regardless of what speed you think they should be doing you have to remember they are doing nothing wrong and seeing a bewinged Subaru squeeze in and out of traffic as it leapfrogs it's way to the head of a queue is not going to look good however safely you do it.

Just to turn your argument around have you considered sitting in the queue with the other cars? Unless it is a very long road you will probably save a minute at most by putting everyone at an increased risk of an accident by overtaking. And before everyone jumps down my throat for saying that make sure you read exactly what I said. I did not say overtaking causes accidents. What it does do is increase the chance of an accident, especially when dealing with other motorists who are not as competent/confident as you.

Blueblaster

Sorry, but that is total rubbish. 45mph in a 60 is perfectly acceptable. 60mph is the limit. The absolute maximum speed you should be travelling at. 45mph is 75% of the maximum speed for the road. I'd love to see you stand up in court and put forward a coherant, fact-based case for why it is too slow.

Driving slowly has nothing to do with being overcautious. They may have a small baby sleeping in the back or be carrying an elderly passenger or one with an injury that reacts badly to crashing over bumps at speed or they may just be out for a drive and not want to zoom along at the maximum speed for the road. Overcautious people do sometimes drive slowly, but slow drivers are not necessarily overcautious. I drive at 55-60mph on the motorway because it saves me a fecking fortune in petrol costs and I am probably the most relaxed, chilled out driver I know. I am not overcautious.

Turbo2

Blueblaster, as for part one of you reply: if someone else has just safely overtaken you into the gap in front, then there will be no need for you to brake. He will need to brake to get down to the speed of the vehicle in front, but as you are already travelling at that speed, then you shouldn't be affected. If you want to brake that's up to you, but shouldn't be necessary and shouldn't cost the other driver his licence!

Your second point: why should I have to wait for other people travelling at well below the legal speed limit? I am well within my legal rights to carry out a safe overtaking manoeuvre, without risking an accident. The risk of the chance of an accident increases from the moment you set off on your journey. Best for everyone that they stay at home if you're not competent/confident.

C17RPA

lol ...........yep i'd go for it if it was safe to do so two at a time if need be (if i can see whats comming and its safe to carry on)

abc

Agreed -- but if I have to brake when an overtaking car slots in in front of me, it could be that they have overtaken dangerously, or it could be that I haven't left enough space between me and the car that was ahead of me. In the latter case, I bear some responsibility for driving dangerously insofar as I am travelling too close to the car in front.

bencs1

You have to ask yourself how much time it's gonna take off your journey and if it's gonna take quite a bit of time off your journey and it's safe go for it.
Since owning a scooby I must admit I overtake more frequently, but I do get quite a kick when I overtake and the turbo kicks in and you're off.
Just my opinion though...

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

Or option

3) wait till a big enough straight and overtake the lot

Blueblaster

Right, I'll disagree with you first because you were polite. If I haven't left enough space in front of me for an overtaking car to slot in then there was not enough room to overtake and the manouevre was dangerous. I am obligated to leave enough space in front of me to stop safely in the event of an unforeseen incident. I have no responsiblity to leave extra room on top of that should an inpatient, inconsiderate driver decide he would rather barge his way through than wait with everyone else.

On to the next...

vindaloo

I think....
Roads are more crowded so there's more chance of EVERYONE getting held up by SOMEONE.

The average Fiesta, Corsa or Punto couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding and their drivers know it. They won't overtake because for them, it's NOT safe to do so.

Overtaking a long line of slower moving cars.... Can of worms... If anything happens it's going to be your fault. The perceptions of the average joe wombling along frustrated but bored by being held up will be a very loud noise (Impreza exhaust) accompanying a (usually blue) fast moving projectile. The usual reaction is shock or a fright followed by irritation or anger.

J.

Mew

hi im sorry but thats ridiculous 45 in a 60 is 75% like u say. so 75% on a motorway is 52.5mph.... unless im driving a big lorry or a coach or minivan something other than a regular person car or motorbike i would never drive 52.5mph on the motorway simply because in free flowing conditions every1 else is driving a minimum of 70mph.

i totally agree with your other point about not bothering to overtake if it saves you 30secs off your travel time, how many times i see idiots overtake in a tight spot then stop for the traffic lights ahead just makes the mind wonder "where are they getting free petrol to burn??"

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

Brage in ??? Its called overtaking and people like you probably close the gap up when you see someone overtaking forcing them to squeeze in

Blueblaster

Your first paragraph is wrong. If I have left the recommended braking distance between me and the car in front and someone pushes in between us I will be forced to brake. This is because I no longer have that recommended distance between me and the car in front and will need to slow down, re-establish that distance and then speed up again back to my original speed.

Your second paragraph is also wrong. In the queue of traffic that the original poster describes the cars usually have no more than the recommended braking distance between them. If you are going to dodge in and out of the queue then you will continually reduce that distance thereby increasing the danger. You wouldn't overtake a marked police car in this way would you?

Also saying the risk of an accident increases the moment you start your journey is some justification for increasing the risk still further by overtaking a queue of cars is just so stupid I don't know why I am bothering to reply.

And while I'm at it. How about I pay for a driving test for you. If you get one minor error you hand back your licence and sign a legally binding document stating you will never drive again. One minor error on a highly complex one way system in peak rush hour could be interpreted as lacking competence or confidence and obviously we wouldn't want anyone like that on the road would we, Mr Schumacher?

The original poster asked why people get upset with him overtaking. Given virtually all of the "pro-overtakers" have ranted on about it being their right to drive at the maximum speed limit and how people who aren't travelling flat out should get out of their way it is hardly surprising that other more considerate motorists get so upset.

Blueblaster

No I don't. That would be dangerous. Just like overtaking into a space that isn't large enough. If I leave enough room to brake and someone sticks their car in that space can you please explain how I re-establish the required distance without slowing down?

Mew

sry about rant

back to original question, in a single lane carriageway i think its totally acceptable for a person to overtake when a safe opening becomes available.

ie on a road near me "snake pass" which goes from manchester to sheffield thru the peak district its single lane all the way and like a typical country lane this is quite narrow and twisty compared to some.... speed limit is national speeds and many many times a lorry will create a huge tail back of 10 or more cars.......... overtaking not really an option in the first half of the road from manchester to sheffield so no choice but the sit back then when road opens up u can open the taps!!

iv no issue with the lorry driving 45mph on these conditions, but a family car i would not expect to see soo many cars behind it and IF i was driving on that road with a baby on board and I wanted to drive 45mph, then i would make bloody sure that if someone wanted to overtake me then i would make it easier for them to do so in the safest manner rather than hold up X drivers

Turbo2

Blueblaster, I was right then with my original post: the mentality of many drivers regardong overtaking clearly has changed for the worst in the last 20 years. I guess my rant ain't going to change that. I just hope I never have the misfortune of safely overtaking you. Heaven forbid that you need to fractionally adjust your speed to retain your safe braking distance. The rest of your reply is just drivel.

Blueblaster

We're not talking about a motorway, we're taking about a single carriageway with a 60 limit. Two totally different roads. And while I'm talking facts, would you stand up in court and put everything you own on the line and say that everyone on the motorway does 70mph? No I didn't think so. Total overexageration to help promote an incorrect statement. I do 55-60mph on the motorway often sitting in a queue of traffic when the outside lane is fairly empty. It is only when you drive slowly do you realise how many other people drive slowly too.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I think its pretty obvious what Blueblaster is saying: If he has left adequate braking distance between him and the car in front - then an overtaking car slots into that gap, the gap is reduced meaning he will now have to slow down to recreate the correct gap.

On the other side of the coin, its the perception of speed that gets the overtaken irate. The fact that a tuned Subaru / Evo can accelerate so violently compared to the average Focus is often lost to those who have never driven such a car. That is, even though the subaru was doing the same speed monents ago, but in 5 car lengths has manages an overtaking speed of, say, +20 to 30mph beggars belief to the Focus driver. For Mr Focus, to generate such a passing speed would have required an almighty runup, committed well in advance which would have been truely (and rightly) dangerous in his book.

bish667

iTrader: (1)

Anyone who sits behind someone at the safe braking distance in a long line of traffic is asking for trouble. What if the car in front of you had a collision for an unknown (ie a deer runs onto the road,car pulls out of side road and hits car in front) reason, you cannot brake in time and will also be involved in the crash.
I personally dont sit anywhere near behind a car in front unless im about to overtake. Why the need to sit on the safe braking distance?
If somone wants to overtake me and pull in in front of me i dont care unless the overtaking they did was highly dangerous what is the point of flashing lights etc.

Blueblaster

OK, great, other "boy racer" whose driving is only going to add to the calls for more regulation and fewer opportunities to enjoy driving.

If you were behind a police car that was in a queue of traffic like you describe and that police car had left the precise distance required by the highway code between himself and the car in front would you overtake? Would you bollox. He'd pull you over and if you felt confident you'd spout the same crap as everyone else about it being your right to drive at the legal limit and he'd have you for careless driving. Of course when you're in your big, butch sports saloon and the car in front is driven by a young mum or an old chap whose primary concern is safety you will overtake because you know you can push them around. Pathetic.

Blueblaster

What?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Blueblaster: are you police? You talk like it

Alcazar

bish667

iTrader: (1)

If you read the sentence after it explains why.
I guess living in mostly non busy roads there is no need to sit near a car in front. In town fair enough but at high speeds what happens if the car in front hits something how can you stop from 60 to 0 in a split second?

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

If a police car was driving along behind someone at 45mph on a 60mph road I would have no worries about overtaking him on a suitable length of road as I would be doing nothing wrong

bish667

iTrader: (1)

Blueblaster can i ask what car you drive?

bencs1

he drives a white/silver car with blue lights on top of it.

bish667

iTrader: (1)