Overtaking.

I was overtaken this morning. It was fine. Somehow I worked through the emotional impact of it all, don’t ask me how.

I too have broken this barrier. Sort of, but I never really got upset about being over taken. It just never really use to happen.

However, two things happened. I got older and I got cruise control.
8)

xiphon – Member
What family ‘cooking’ car does 0-60 in 8 seconds?

pretty much any modern turbo diesel will now do that or thereabouts.

Solo – Member

My answer ?, if you’ve no intention of overtaking, put 2 or 3 car lengths between you and the rear of the lorry. In other words, leave a gap. That’s then the gap those who do wish to get by.

That’s a small gap!

I think this is part of the problem, we’re a nation of tailgaters and there’s nothing a dawdler likes more than to get really close to the car in front and obstruct other people, and likewise there’s nothing a frustrated overtaker likes to do more than getting so close to the bus/truck in front that they can’t see a damn thing.

For the vast majority of people, driving is just something they do in order to go do something else, rather than a specific task in it’s own right. Hence the average driver tends to pick a speed that matches their concentration and observation level. At this speed, not thinking about driving at all, they are entirely reactive, and simple procede along in their own “bubble”. Typically they won’t have noticed say the road leaving a built up area, or better visibility that “signals” that more speed could be appropriate etc. Hence, when you overtake you “suprise” and “wake them up” and 9 times out of ten, this impetus to re-consider their surrounding makes them realise that a faster speed would have been more appropriate!
😯

Thats as may be, but there are those drivers who appear not to able to stand you passing them. Like those people who drive in lane 3, when lanes 1 and 2 are proper empty, for miles.
I’ve seen that get fruity on the Mway, early in the morning. Infact, its amazing what you see, if you just stay out the way and watch the Andy Greens’ do their thing

That’s a small gap!, we’re a nation of tailgaters
Nice try.
How about the entire sentence:
My answer ?, if you’ve no intention of overtaking, put 2 or 3 car lengths between you and the rear of the lorry. In other words, leave a gap.
😉

Indeed, i would generally use 10 car lengths as the “i’m following someone but i don’t mind” distance. It’s enough to open your sightlines fully, but small enough to quickly convert into a “close follow” position when sizing up an overtake etc. (obviously the gap should be dynamic, being velocity and situationally dependent etc)

Not really a “try”- it’s true, at 40mph say, the recommended 2 seconds minimum gap is 120 feet- more like 10 car lengths. Not for allowing overtaking, but just to allow safe stopping. Now the official stopping distances etc aren’t universally accepted but I don’t think there’s much argument that drivers tend not to leave big enough gaps (and that when you do, people tend to pull into it). I know I don’t.

2 to 3 car lengths isn’t a gap, it’s barely the highway code stopping distance at 20mph.

Unlike in Molegrips Britain, he rest of Europe just will not queue like the British? Try getting an Italian driver to do as Molegrips is suggesting.

Does this mean that the whole of Europe populated by the worst kind of selfish bast**ds?

Are we perhaps here in England perhaps superior to the rest of the world because we like to queue?

N/W.

I’m sure you’re not missing my point, but I’ll repeat it, hopefully more clearly.

Its only my opinion, but if someone isn’t interested in the overtake. Then perhaps they should leave a useful gap between themselves and the vehicle in front. So that those behind, who do wish to hurtle towards the horizon at warp speed. May do so.
🙂

Does this mean that the whole of Europe populated by the worst kind of selfish bast**ds?

Probably. Afterall, they spent all their Euros !

Are we perhaps here in England perhaps superior to the rest of the world because we like to queue?

Easy Tiger, who you accusing of liking to que ?
😉

I’m not missing that point, no- I’m saying that what your post is, well, contradictory. Leaving a bigger gap for overtaking is a very good idea, yes, but “put 2 or 3 car lengths between you and the rear of the lorry.” is what you said.

I’m not missing that point, no- I’m saying that what your post is, well, contradictory.

No its not !

I wrote.

put 2 or 3 car lengths between you and the rear of the lorry. In other words, leave a gap

I then reposted the sentence and higlighted part of it in bold. You are now deliberately missing this for a reaction.
Commonly referred to as Trolling. Quoting stopping distances for a group of vehicles who are all moving at relative speed to one another can not have static stopping distances as quoted in the H/C applied to them. I have seen much smaller gaps used, at what distance one considers this to be dangerous is open to individual interpretation.
The main point I was promoting, was to be considerate and leave a gap for others to use in order to get by. Its not my intention to succumb to the attempts to drag my comments into the analysis of the minutiae of feet and inches.
😆

Longer than they typically do, which is not at all.

Well the thing is, see, planning……
When you start planning your overtake?
I start planning mine as soon as I see a car in front. It might be half a mile or more in front, but that’s when I start planning to overtake it. If it’s a bendy road and I’m behind a slow car, I’ll be planning to execute an overtake immediately after each bend, and I’ll start the overtake before the bend. It might not be possible, so I’ll cancel and try again.
So if you’re sat waiting to see a space before you overtake, sorry, if its me behind you, you’re waaaaaay too slow sunshine. 🙂

When you start planning your overtake?

Not when there’s still windy roads and another car in front.

I’m objecting to the guy who overtakes ME, long before there’s any gap I can use.

I’ll be planning to execute an overtake immediately after each bend

That’s shit driving. So you’re the idiot sat just off the back corner of the lorry swerving in and out all the time – good job.

Who said anything about swerving in and out?

He said he was preparing for an overtake. To me, that means speeding up and moving to the white line to try and see down the road.

Or does he just mean steeling himself mentally?

You know what, this is the stupidest thread ever on STW.

No, you just don’t like being overtaken 😉

I start planning mine as soon as I see a car in front.

+1.

Vehicle.

He said he was preparing for an overtake. To me, that means speeding up and moving to the white line to try and see down the road.

Or does he just mean steeling himself mentally?

Preparing to overtake doesn’t necessarily mean speeding up and moving to the white line. If done correctly it may often require you to loose speed / not close up to give you a view past the vehicle in front or to move to the nearside to see up the inside of the vehicle in front. It is not good practice to accelerate towards the vehicle in front and then dart out and past it makes more sense to move to an overtaking position and then accelerate past if it is safe

Solo, how is it trolling? it’s just what you said, no interpretation on my part, and I quoted it in full so your suggestion’s way off.

As I said- leaving a bigger gap to allow people to overtake into is a good idea, no disagreement. But your recommendation of a suitable gap is miles off- your “bigger” gap is less than the normal recommended gap at 20mph, and less than 1/3d the normal gap at 40mph, even leaving aside the extra room you think you’re leaving. So your normal gap must be even smaller.

Leaving a safe gap between cars isn’t minutae.

I’m objecting to the guy who overtakes ME, long before there’s any gap I can use.

This is completely impossible since you come round the bend first, you see the straight clear road and overtaking opportunity first, and you have a chance to react first.

Assuming that this guy has been following at a safe distance then that’s at least 2 seconds advantage you have but probably much more than that, particularly as you’ve described the fast car is coming from a few cars back.

Sorry but the only possible solution must be that you’re late or hesitant to react, or that you’ve been positioning your car to give nowhere near enough visibility of what’s ahead. Either way you can’t really blame your frustrations on the guy behind?

This is completely impossible since you come round the bend first, you see the straight clear road and overtaking opportunity first, and you have a chance to react first.

No it’s not. I come round the bend, see a short straight that my car can’t use, but his can, so he takes it.

Then the next time there’s space for two cars, they both go (at the speed of the first one) and I can’t.

Assuming that this guy has been following at a safe distance

Why assume that?

Maybe take some in car footage and get back to us…

my car can’t use, but his can

So it’s nothing more than being jealous of his car’s performance?

molgrips – Member

This is completely impossible since you come round the bend first, you see the straight clear road and overtaking opportunity first, and you have a chance to react first.

No it’s not. I come round the bend, see a short straight that my car can’t use, but his can, so he takes it.

Then the next time there’s space for two cars, they both go (at the speed of the first one) and I can’t.

Oh so you’re saying that just because you can’t or won’t go in a certain situation then you begrudge someone else for taking the opportunity. Don’t you see how selfish that sounds?

What’s your reaction when this happens?

Maybe you could mount one of these on the side of your car that you could raise and lower as required? That would stop them in their tracks and make them aware that it’s not yet their turn!

Can I say that this evening at one point I drove like a bit of a bellend.
Needed to confess to the group.

Occasionally we all have to own up to our failings.
Dawdling or dickheading we’re all fallible.

Speedy man comes from behind in his fast car, passes me in a small space and waits behind 1st. The next gap comes, there’s space for only two cars, they both go. I’m left behind, when I should have been through. That’s the last overtaking spot for 5 miles.

But this is correct, as you are now the third car, so one and two get through where there is space for two to do so, you are third in line so must wait your turn, not expect one and two to give up what is now rightfully their turn(s) in order that you, car three, can do an overtake when it’s not your go.

thegreatape – Member

Speedy man comes from behind in his fast car, passes me in a small space and waits behind 1st. The next gap comes, there’s space for only two cars, they both go. I’m left behind, when I should have been through. That’s the last overtaking spot for 5 miles.

But this is correct, as you are now the third car, so one and two get through where there is space for two to do so, you are third in line so must wait your turn, not expect one and two to give up what is now rightfully their turn(s) in order that you, car three, can do an overtake when it’s not your go.

Pure genius 😆

Oh so you’re saying that just because you can’t or won’t go in a certain situation then you begrudge someone else for taking the opportunity.

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

What I begrudge is because of speedy man, I can not take the opportunity that I WOULD have been able to take had he waited his turn.

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

What I begrudge is because of speedy man, I can not take the opportunity that I WOULD have been able to take had he waited his turn.

Do you have a crystal ball? How do you know that *if* you were in their place, there would be a clear safe opportunity to overtake?

You don’t!

I know it when they go, and I see there’s not enough room for me.

is this still going?

is molgrips still waiting for a suitable oppurtunity to overtake and get out of here….

Molgrips incar footage – latest car episode
Still searching for a clip of an overtaking manoeuvre but I don’t think any have ever been captured.

Whatever happens, you shouldn’t be reacting emotionally either to being overtaken or to being flashed/hooted at,

Otherwise you will be in violation of Star Fleet regulation 619: “The commanding officer must relieve themselves of command if their current mission leaves them emotionally compromised and unable to make rational decisions”.

He said he was preparing for an overtake. To me, that means speeding up and moving to the white line to try and see down the road.

Seriously molgrips, you really could benefit from some additional training, as you appear to have either a very rudimentary understanding of roadcraft, or a comprehensive knowledge of trolling.

I’m still not sure which is true! Great thread though 😉

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

What I begrudge is because of speedy man, I can not take the opportunity that I WOULD have been able to take had he waited his turn.

The end result is that you’ll probably have to wait a little longer to overtake, then overtake and you have a nice clear road ahead of you since speedy man has already gone.

The other option is that you overtake before speedy man and after the car who was first in the queue meaning that you’ll still be behind someone else and then speedy man behind will probably just overtake you again anyway further down the road anyway, meaning that the result is roughly the same either way.

Isn’t this whole thing to do with you just don’t like being passed by speedy drivers?

Right. It’s come to this. I am left with no alternative.

oldnpastit
Otherwise you will be in violation of Star Fleet regulation 619: “The commanding officer must relieve themselves of command if their current mission leaves them emotionally compromised and unable to make rational decisions”.

Haa Haa Rookey Error! #619 is “Hugely well endowed female members of the ships crew must both
A): dressed in a uniform significantly too small for their bust
and
B): At times of danger be suitable protected by more expendable and “plain looking” members of the crew

😉

‘Is mesmerised by the Dancing Monkey ‘