Overtaking.

Thoroughly agree with the OP.

Drove back from Scotland the other week. single carriage way A-roads, most of the way. Queue of about 10 cars behind a van doing 35 in a 60 limit. We hit a loooong straight (a mile maybe?) with perfect visibility and zero traffic coming the other way. I sit patiently and wait for the guys at teh front to start overtaking the van in sequence.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Not a single driver attempts to overtake. Even the guy in the 12 plate Jag XK-R I’d been on the ferry with who could have dispatched the entire queue in 1/2 a second flat.

We could have all got safely past in sequence and continued at a sensible pace. But no 35mph it was. So simply because I want to get home at a sensible time (and no I couldn’t leave any earlier, I got the first and only ferry off Kintyre for 3 days), I ended up having to overtake 1/2 the queue then, and then deal with the rest over the next 10 miles of so, when safe to do so.

For me the purpose of making a journey is to get to the end of it. The quicker it’s over, the better, then you can get on with the rest of your life. Obviously failing to get to the end because you’ve crashed the car or been pulled by the plod is not an efficient way to do this, so temperance and self preservation plays a large part, but really, FFS, get yer damn fingers out and get past slow moving traffic when you can!

(Also, cars have wingmirrors, so if you’ve not spotted the guy overtaking you and haven’t allowed for the fact that he may want to pull in in front of you, then you’re a divot and shouldn’t be on the road.)

(…and another thing – you noticed how the people who do 40 in a 60 limit are also the ones who do 40 in a 30 limit…?)

Passive-Aggressive is obviously the safest way to travelN 🙄

You want to be there earlier, set off a bit sooner.

…and ‘make progress’? WTF?

Deary, deary me. 🙄
Who died and made you Elvis?
What give you the right to dictate to other road-users how they should drive?
From wrightysons’s description his driving is no different to mine, and I get these same sad individuals all the time, drivers who think that the NSL is 36mph, driving everywhere at an indicated 40mph, and getting all bent out of shape with anyone who actually wants to maintain a steady, and economical speed of around 55-60mph.
Of course there are morons who try to overtake in hopelessly inadequate situations, but that’s not what wrightysons’s talking about, and neither am I; I’ll pop my head out slightly to see if it’s clear to get past one or two vehicles in front, but if not, I’ll wait until I’ve got a long and clear enough run to do so. My 1.9TDi is quick enough to o/t safely in normal circumstances, without behaving like an arse.

Also remember , your not stuck in traffic – you are traffic

Not if you are ahead of it.

LOL @ seavers

I didn’t want to wait today as I was rather keen to get on the ski slope and had limited time. Is that a good enough reason?

If you feel its safe, it may not be the overtaking itself. Perhaps you are inadvertently tailgating beforehand, passing too close or most common, pulling in too soon. Get this a lot now, even on motorways I get cars pulling back into lane one right in front of me.

That’s more than likely me doing 40, I prefer being overtaken than having some idiot sat on my bumper because I’m not doing the limit plus 10%.

Comments like “more under the bonnet” suggest you have bought into the car marketing pitch, you have bought a car not the road. Do slowing down a bit hurt that much, unless your job or something requires you being places urgently?

My 1.9TDi is quick enough to o/t safely in normal circumstances

You go girl!

These slowcoaches should get outta the way! 😆

I have never once in 15 years had anyone flash their lights at me because I overtook them. The only time I see it is when people get stupidly close to the oncoming traffic and/or having to force themselves into gaps that are not there. If this happens to you often then I suspect you’re not driving as safely as you like to think you are.

There are people who take it as a challenge…but that’s a different thing all together.

But part of driving properly is being aware of what’s going on in front and behind. I’m assuming Mr 40 has a queue behind.

I blame the driving instructor.

A massive **** almost killed himself and the occupants of 3 other cars, including mine, on the M74 today with an almost suicidal overtaking move.

No surprise to see he was driving an Audi…

The slower driver was behind the bus so moving with the flow of traffic all ne it at 40 in 60.

Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.

Was he maintaining a steady course and speed?

Did he obstruct you?

Was he driving unpredictably?

Did you maintain a two second gap behind this driver?

OK maybe he didn’t slow doown to let you get between them and the bus but getting frustrated and bitching here indicates you need a little mmore under your hat rather than under your bonnet. He was following a bus! If the bus was not there how fast would he have driven?

Would overtaking required you to exceed the legal speed limit?

So many variable and unanswered wuestions.

One thing that boils my piss is people whoo charge through queues of traffic to make up three car lengths or accelerate on motorways as they don’t want yoou in front oof them! Ever done any of those? I probably did when I was younger.

Just try not driving like you are the most important person on the road, live and let live even if they were wrong dont be a prick about it.

“

I’ll pop my head out slightly

Pop your head utt the car! Jesus try maintaining a proper position in the road in rder t overtake and you wouldnt need to stick your head out!

Oh dear. Issues…

Hehe. Thought someone might bite, crikey.
Exactly what “issues” have you deduced from my post?

Has no one heard of the expression “put him under!” ?

Pressure. Get close, back off, return even closer. Flash your lights, sounds your horn. Lean out of the window and point at the aggressive trail bike strapped to your roof. Eventually they’ll submit and pull over to let you on your way.

hmm, with OP a bit here. We regularly travel on twisty A-roads in Scotland, that to us are a commute or a way to an appointment/after school club etc.
Regularly there are queues sat at 35-40mph in 60 zones, all bunched up and preventing us ‘picking off’ one or two cars at a time on the straights (that do exist, especially if you know the road and that they are coming).
People have little awareness of vehicles behind, or the fact that although they are out for a tootle looking at the view, others may need to get somewhere. Like OP, we regularly have cars object for no reason to overtakes – speeding up, flashing, we even had one pull out on us and sit in the middle of the road.
I too drive a family wagon with kids in. I too would think that I am a generally conservative driver, and regularly back down and sit in the 35-40 queue.
More frustrating still is the queue carries on at 35-40mph in the small villages here with 30 limits… 😈

I didn’t want to wait today as I was rather keen to get on the ski slope and had limited time. Is that a good enough reason?

Nope

Exactly what “issues” have you deduced from my post?

I’m guessing that you are either not a real Ox, or you can’t really fly.

Super fast car? Ooooh, that must help a lot from traffic lights all the way to 30 mph? 😉

(…and another thing – you noticed how the people who do 40 in a 60 limit are also the ones who do 40 in a 30 limit…?)

yes.

I can’t take this kind of conflict…I’m off to watch my Take Me Out box set.

“The bloody speed limit was 60! But he insisted at driving at 40!”

I took my car out for the first time this year, mmmmmm half tank of petrol in about 30 mins! Most spent safely overtaking. I know I was safely overtaking because 3 of my overtakees were police.

Things I realised…. I really miss the whine of a supercharger AND the roar of hitting lift when the whine runs out 🙂

Drive safely people.

PSA Moto GP is about to start 😉

I’m with the OP. I’ve also been flashed for executing a perfectly safe overtake but pulling back in part way down the “queue” rather than managing the whole lot in one go, because there simply weren’t any straights long enough. I’m pretty sure in such circumstances the people flash you because they think you’re jumping the “queue”, despite the fact they have no intention of ever overtaking the vehicle holding everybody else up.

Actually come to think of it I’ve also been flashed when overtaking a single vehicle on a long straight with nothing coming the other way and leaving plenty of space around the car I’ve overtaken. Is it really so hard to understand that some people get all upset simply because they don’t like being overtaken?

Regularly there are queues sat at 35-40mph in 60 zones, all bunched up and preventing us ‘picking off’ one or two cars at a time on the straights

There’s a problem with this ‘picking off’. The overtaking queue is a queue. You might think that everyone in it is an old granny who likes driving at 30mph. But in your haste, you are pushing in front of people who are waiting their turn and giving the people in front FAIR CHANCE to overtake.

You may be prepared to charge for death or glorly aka 2 mins saved, but I’m not. I will however take a decent opportunity when it comes along, provided some arsehole hasn’t barged in and helped themselves to it.

Yes, I do queue jump if the person in front has no desire to overtake, but only if I’m absoutely sure they arne’t just waiting for a better opportunity. Some people seem to assume that they deserve to go ahead before everyone else, because they have a fast car I suppose, I dunno.

the people flash you because they think you’re jumping the “queue”, despite the fact they have no intention of ever overtaking the vehicle holding everybody else up

The people who flash you (ie me) generally DO have every intention of overtaking, when they consider it safe. So you are definitely jumping the queue.

It’s no different to elbowing your way in front of people at the checkouts when they have more stuff than you do.

I am both Ox and have flown on a number of occasions, so nerr 😛

The car is a bit shit in town, but then I don’t find much need for overtaking there. It’s the terminally afraid out on NSL roads that generally cause the brief, mild annoyance. Why the hell should I sit behind some eejit at half the posted limit on a clear road on a sunny day when I can get past with ease and continue on my merry way? I don’t do anything illegal in getting past, but the way some folk carry on you’d think I’d taken their mother out for a nice seafood dinner and then never called her again.

I’ve got a wee little car, but you can’t legally get anywhere quicker than I can

Well…..you can if drive at 40 when it is legal & safe to drive at 60.

It must be spring. Have the usual suspects got these replies saved so they can copy/paste them in?

Quite a few on this thread would benefit from doing an Advanced Driving Course of some type.

I’m in the presence of Driving Gods, I feel so humble…

I’m also acutely aware that this middle aged Clarksonesque frustration will only ever get worse as roads become ever more crowded and the reality gap between advert and reality with regard to cars grows ever larger.

Vroom vroom!

as well as this, i regularly notice on a Mway/DC, you are driving at 65mph, you approach another car who is doing 60 or so, so, in good time you indicate right and move over into lane 2 and proceed to overtake the other car.
you continue past for a good safe distance, indicate left, and carry on with your journey.
quite regularly, about 1 minute later you will be overtaken by the same car who will then pull in front of you and slow back down to the 60 mph they were doing previously!
and they will do the same maneuver repeatedly.
seriously, i dont understand it.
ive noticed the monospeed drivers, 40 in NSL road and 40 in town.

But in your haste, you are pushing in front of people who are waiting their turn and giving the people in front FAIR CHANCE to overtake.

Indeed, hence why they are given space and time to do so by me.

Oh I don’t know. I’m pretty certain that tomorrow morning the cracking b roads that take me to work will be clear again at 6:00am, brilliant way to start the day, having FUN in the car, with some nice tunes playing. All this ‘buying into adverts’ is quite right, pick your time and place and it’s still great fun, same as it ever was. And that was never in London at 5:30!

you do know you can fail your driving test for not making progress?

40 in a 60 would probably be regarded as such,

Just saying.

Like most things there is a time and a place.

What i find most annoying is when you start to overtake and the car you are trying to overtake starts to accelerate.

Oh I don’t know. I’m pretty certain that tomorrow morning the cracking b roads that take me to work will be clear again at 6:00am, brilliant way to start the day, having FUN in the car, with some nice tunes playing. All this ‘buying into adverts’ is quite right, pick your time and place and it’s still great fun, same as it ever was.

Likewise. Some perks to commuting across dartmoor….

I’ve got a wee little car, but you can’t legally get anywhere quicker than I can.

I’m not sure size has much to do with time.

. I will however take a decent opportunity when it comes along, provided some arsehole hasn’t barged in and helped themselves to it.

How can they ‘barge in’? If you’re in front, you get first dibs at any opportunity. If you don’t take it, it’s fair enough for somebody else to.

crikey – Member
That bloke behind thought you weren’t driving safely, obviously.

Doesn’t mean he’s right though. I’ve been in a car with a chap who flashes his lights, beeps, flails his arms about like the Team America secret signal whenever he gets overtaken (even if they are totally legit). He also floors it to stop people going past him on the motorway (incidentally the middle lane the entire time).

I’m in the presence of Driving Gods, I feel so humble…

You are aware, I trust, that the attitude of: ” I drive at 40, I’m so much safer than those idiots who try to overtake me” is just as much ego driven as that of those who think they are God’s gift while speeding.

You can’t drive quickly and still be safe!

That has to be a joke, crikey?

martymac

On of the reasons for this ‘hopping’ is cruise control. When it’s set, that’s your speed but many people on motorways have their right foor fixed in one throttle position so inevitably they go quicker on the downhills and slow down on the ups.