Overtaking - a lost art?
08-12-2008, 04:27 AM
#1
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Overtaking - a lost art?
Driving back from Center Gravity yesterday (Chris has once again done a marvellous job BTW), I avoided the M1 and used the A413 between Towcester and Aylesbury, a fast road with lots of good corners and straight sections for overtaking.
On three occasions I caught up to a line of traffic following a 1) horse box and 2 & 3) tractors. The horse box had a maximum speed of about 35mph and the tractors 25mph. On all 3 occasions, between 10 and 20 vehicles are lined up behind.
I overtook all this traffic, safely and easily in one or two goes each time.
And yet, no-one tried to emulate my efforts, they all seemed happy enough travelling at 25mph, or unwilling to try. Ok, the S2000 is a reasonably fast car, but there were plenty of "turbodiesel overtaking monsters" there too but did they overtake, nope.
Is everyone petrified or incompetent?
On three occasions I caught up to a line of traffic following a 1) horse box and 2 & 3) tractors. The horse box had a maximum speed of about 35mph and the tractors 25mph. On all 3 occasions, between 10 and 20 vehicles are lined up behind.
I overtook all this traffic, safely and easily in one or two goes each time.
And yet, no-one tried to emulate my efforts, they all seemed happy enough travelling at 25mph, or unwilling to try. Ok, the S2000 is a reasonably fast car, but there were plenty of "turbodiesel overtaking monsters" there too but did they overtake, nope.
Is everyone petrified or incompetent?
08-12-2008, 04:30 AM
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I grew up in Lincolnshire, where overtaking is a way of life, and they teach you it in your lessons. I imagine if you learn to drive in a town, like most people do, you'd have no idea how to overtake.
08-12-2008, 04:35 AM
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I think we forget sometimes the relative power and speed our cars have against the norm.
For example, near me is the Carrington Spur Road, a pseudo 2 mile mortorway that joins the M60 from Carrington. The road is a constand flowing set of corners, however there are very high hedges on weither side so visibility is not great. I have no problem about obertaking in the M5, however in the Focus it's a lot more tricky and mostly unsafe to do.
For example, near me is the Carrington Spur Road, a pseudo 2 mile mortorway that joins the M60 from Carrington. The road is a constand flowing set of corners, however there are very high hedges on weither side so visibility is not great. I have no problem about obertaking in the M5, however in the Focus it's a lot more tricky and mostly unsafe to do.
08-12-2008, 04:39 AM
#4
Not only is it a lost art, but I think most people think it's ileagal! I drive from Herts to Gt Yarmouth regualarly and use the A505/A11, some of the sections of those roads are ideal for some overtakes. Whilst the occaisional manover may be a bit close (I've never made anyone brake when coming towards me, and I've only ever forced my way back in when people are trying to prevent me from getting back onto the right side of the road), all of my moves are safe as houses!
What amazes me is how many people flash and close up to prevent you getting back into the line of trafic (how would they feel if they actually made someone have a head on?
) or get really aggressive when they have been passed. It strikes me that people seem to see it as a challenge to them because you dare to overtake them, despite the fact taht they have exactly the same opportunity as you to overtake!
What amazes me is how many people flash and close up to prevent you getting back into the line of trafic (how would they feel if they actually made someone have a head on?
) or get really aggressive when they have been passed. It strikes me that people seem to see it as a challenge to them because you dare to overtake them, despite the fact taht they have exactly the same opportunity as you to overtake!
08-12-2008, 04:42 AM
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I was similarly stunned yesterday....
A tractor pulled off a large roundabout ahead with 4 of us quickly catching it (myself 4th) and slowing to 25mph. Tractor indicates right to enter a field, stopping for traffic coming the other way.
On the left is a large passing bay (you know the type, with parked burger van but otherwise empty). Seemed to be only me who had the sense to drop a gear, nip though the bay and round rather than waiting 5 minutes for the never-ending stream of traffic to pass in the opposite direction.
As I rounded the bend further on I looked back and they were still sat there with a clear opportunity to safely pass but seemingly happy to sit there.
Perhaps less not knowing how to overtake, but just don't care about where they're going and when they get there.
A tractor pulled off a large roundabout ahead with 4 of us quickly catching it (myself 4th) and slowing to 25mph. Tractor indicates right to enter a field, stopping for traffic coming the other way.
On the left is a large passing bay (you know the type, with parked burger van but otherwise empty). Seemed to be only me who had the sense to drop a gear, nip though the bay and round rather than waiting 5 minutes for the never-ending stream of traffic to pass in the opposite direction.
As I rounded the bend further on I looked back and they were still sat there with a clear opportunity to safely pass but seemingly happy to sit there.
Perhaps less not knowing how to overtake, but just don't care about where they're going and when they get there.
08-12-2008, 04:45 AM
#6
It's the classic petty-loser mentality. It's worse in the North than around Smoke IME.
Overtaking's actually quite a skill (it becomes subconcious with practice), although it's my automatic response. After years with the Hondas, I don't know how other people make their cars go so slowly.
Most people have barely developed since the day they passed their test and you're luck if they don't go backwards by mistake.
Overtaking's actually quite a skill (it becomes subconcious with practice), although it's my automatic response. After years with the Hondas, I don't know how other people make their cars go so slowly.
Most people have barely developed since the day they passed their test and you're luck if they don't go backwards by mistake.
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08-12-2008, 06:04 AM
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[QUOTE=lovegroova,Aug 12 2008, 01:27 PM]
On three occasions I caught up to a line of traffic following a 1) horse box and 2 & 3) tractors. The horse box had a maximum speed of about 35mph and the tractors 25mph. On all 3 occasions, between 10 and 20 vehicles are lined up behind.
I overtook all this traffic, safely and easily in one or two goes each time.
And yet, no-one tried to emulate my efforts, they all seemed happy enough travelling at 25mph, or unwilling to try. Ok, the S2000 is a reasonably fast car, but there were plenty of "turbodiesel overtaking monsters" there too but did they overtake, nope.
Is everyone petrified or incompetent?
On three occasions I caught up to a line of traffic following a 1) horse box and 2 & 3) tractors. The horse box had a maximum speed of about 35mph and the tractors 25mph. On all 3 occasions, between 10 and 20 vehicles are lined up behind.
I overtook all this traffic, safely and easily in one or two goes each time.
And yet, no-one tried to emulate my efforts, they all seemed happy enough travelling at 25mph, or unwilling to try. Ok, the S2000 is a reasonably fast car, but there were plenty of "turbodiesel overtaking monsters" there too but did they overtake, nope.
Is everyone petrified or incompetent?
08-12-2008, 06:18 AM
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Because of Notts County Councils cop out way of reducing accidents - not fixing problem junctions, but simply reducing the speed limit to 50mph, most people seem to now think that's the speed limit!
I get a lot of abuse when overtaking, it's just as bad in my white BMW as in my yellow S2000 - okay they are the colours that seem to incense people as they stand out, but I am getting fed up of getting grief and abuse for overtaking someone doing 45-50 on an NSL.
It's even worse when they are queuing, you have to be very careful and overtake defensively. I look for larger gaps and break up a particularly long overtake, and also look for:
- the driver who may reduce the gap
- the driver who suddenly overtakes because you are
- the driver who never checks their mirrors
I also try and make sure that there is plenty of area to brake if necessary, my car builds up so much speed when overtaking that you really have to be aware of the speed you are doing.
I get a lot of abuse when overtaking, it's just as bad in my white BMW as in my yellow S2000 - okay they are the colours that seem to incense people as they stand out, but I am getting fed up of getting grief and abuse for overtaking someone doing 45-50 on an NSL.
It's even worse when they are queuing, you have to be very careful and overtake defensively. I look for larger gaps and break up a particularly long overtake, and also look for:
- the driver who may reduce the gap
- the driver who suddenly overtakes because you are
- the driver who never checks their mirrors
I also try and make sure that there is plenty of area to brake if necessary, my car builds up so much speed when overtaking that you really have to be aware of the speed you are doing.
08-12-2008, 06:32 AM
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Have to agree with Fletch about the National speed limit sign. We need shot of that and have them all replaced with either 60 or 70 signs instead. So many people I talk to about it think it means 50 on either a single or dual carriage way, when as we all know it's 60 and 70..........ggggrrrrrr
I even put a woman at work straight about this and her reply was "well I'm still only going to do 50".
Yes overtaking is a dying art form. I followed a queue of six cars behind a old 1970's camper van when coming back from Oxford on Sunday night. It was single carriageway roads, but they were width and a half lanes so plenty of room for overtaking. After three miles of this I gave up waiting and blasted past everyone in one go. My life is too short to wait behind these tools. I have no problem with the camper van, as far as I coudl tell he was flat out and was well over to the left to make it easier for people to get past............just a shame no one else had the talent to get past him
I even put a woman at work straight about this and her reply was "well I'm still only going to do 50".
Yes overtaking is a dying art form. I followed a queue of six cars behind a old 1970's camper van when coming back from Oxford on Sunday night. It was single carriageway roads, but they were width and a half lanes so plenty of room for overtaking. After three miles of this I gave up waiting and blasted past everyone in one go. My life is too short to wait behind these tools. I have no problem with the camper van, as far as I coudl tell he was flat out and was well over to the left to make it easier for people to get past............just a shame no one else had the talent to get past him