When did overtaking become anti-social and dangerous? – Fleet Voice.
Thursday 26 January 2012. Fleet Voice Column.
What has happened to overtaking? Once, not so long ago, overtaking was a way to pass slower traffic and get to your destination a little quicker at the pace you wanted to drive.
Now, it seems overtaking is anti-social, dangerous and the preserve of a few lunatics with no regard for their own safety or that of anyone unfortunate enough to be travelling in front of them.
Try an overtake now and you’re likely to be met with a shaken fist, flashing headlights from the recent overtake-ee and even a spot of road rage.
For sure, there are morons out there who will try to overtake no matter what the prevailing road and traffic conditions. Yes, there are some kamikaze motorcyclists who think their performance and width give them carte blanche to pass regardless of oncoming traffic. And yes, there are a good number of inexperienced drivers on our roads who have neither the skill nor judgement to make a safe overtaking decision.
Yet there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of drivers in the UK who are willing, able and safe at passing slower traffic. However, many feel impeded by the sense they are doing something wrong or upsetting other road users by their need to overtake.
This is clearly, patently and wholly absolute rubbish, codswallop and nonsense. A safe overtake is an art and something to enjoy, even revel in the way you can pass by other road users without impeding them or yourself.
Tractor obstructer
The art of the overtake is something sadly missing from many drivers repertoire. For example, the other day I was driving on an A road and came up behind a tractor and queue of three other cars following the agriculture obstacle.
Every driver in the queue was happy to follow at a safe, considered distance. However, when the road opened up to allow a safe view and lengthy straight, the first two cars immediately behind the tractor made no effort to pass or even take a look to see if overtaking was possible.
From my viewpoint further behind the tractor, I could see the road ahead was clear of oncoming traffic and overtaking would be easy. I delayed my manoeuvre till I was satisfied the first two cars were not going to attempt a pass of a vehicle driving at 25mph when the posted speed limit was 60mph.
The third car in the queue, which was directly in front of me, also had excellent vision and executed a text book overtake. The driver pulled out for better forward vision, established it was safe and then accelerated smooth and fast to get past the tractor with ease.
After this, I also went to make my move. However, as I accelerated towards the first car behind the tractor, I sensed it moving towards the white line and instinctively held back.
Fortunately, there was still ample distance on the straight section of road ahead for this car to pass if its driver had belatedly decided to overtake.
But no. Its driver had decided to become road monitor and prevent me from passing quickly, safely and effectively. The result of this pre-emptive blocking move was I had to fall in behind this idiot and cause the car behind to brake.
When I glared at the driver in front, I was greeted with a wave of the finger as if I was a naughty school boy.
Fury
A quick study of the car in front showed it was not an unmarked police car, so why had this driver decided to prevent me from passing when it was not only safe to do so but prudent to prevent a larger queue forming behind the slow moving tractor?
I cannot answer that poser, but what I can tell you is I didn’t waste any time performing an overtake at the next safe opportunity. Amazingly, the car that had blocked me then followed my lead and passed the tractor.
As soon as this savvy-starved individual was past the tractor, he treated me to some fancy headlight flashing, Anglo-Saxon sign language and a display of bumper-hugging dangerous driving.
What had I done to engender such fury? I had not thwarted his attempt to overtake as he was more than happy to trundle behind a tractor for miles on end. I had not been in the slightest way aggressive in my driving near or around him.
I can only conclude this was yet another example of the growing number of drivers on our roads who view overtaking as akin to driving with spikes bolted to the wheels of my car and a Viking axe swinging from the aerial.
Legit
Overtaking is dealt with in just four pages of the Highway Code and learner drivers have few, if any, chances to learn the skills needed to overtake properly during their lessons or exam.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) devotes far more space to the needs and demands of overtaking in its manual ‘How to be a better driver’. This makes more sense and, as part of the IAM’s observation process in the lead up to taking their carefully observed drive to become a full member, overtaking is included in the assessment.
As with the police, the IAM and other advanced driving bodies place great store in safe overtaking as a way to maintain a flow to any journey. When performed with consideration and skill, overtaking is unobtrusive, safe and quick whether you’re in a car or on a motorcycle.
Overtaking is not for everyone as not all drivers feel the need or have the confidence. We should be asking why drivers without the necessary confidence are allowed to possess a driver’s licence, but that’s a quandary for another day. What we should be asking right now, though, is why some drivers think overtaking is anti-social or dangerous?
It reflects much more on this group of drivers’ lack of ability and knowledge than commenting on the skills of those who seek to overtake with confidence and maturity.
If you are not keen on overtaking, the very least a driver should do is not be a hindrance to those who do want to pass slower traffic in a safe manner.
Many of you company car drivers out there will have experienced a similar situation to the one described above where another driver has decided to become a guardian of the road. We don’t need such idiots as we have a group of highly trained professionals who are far from idiots and enjoy a safe, clean overtake as much as the next skilled driver. They’re called road traffic police officers.
Next time you come upon slower traffic and there’s a safe, positive overtake to be made, do it. Don’t feel browbeaten by morons who don’t know how to overtake and are content to make like sheep and just follow the car in front.
Rise up and reclaim the art of overtaking.
Alisdair Suttie
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