Overtaking on a single carriageway of a public road is potentially the most dangerous manoeuvre you can make. Also, when reading this series of four chapters devoted to the topic of overtaking, it should always be remembered there is no rule or law that says you have to overtake. It is a voluntary action and one that is not to be taken lightly.
Observation is a word that you hear spoken of quite often in discussions about driving, and as general motoring conversations go, that's all it ever is – a word. However, the word Observation is really about seeing, or to be more precise, it is about the gathering of detailed visual information, which is then processed to assist in the making of decisions concerning course, action and/or speed travelled. This means getting lots of information as early as possible and then using it to plan your progress along the road.
With the greatest of respect to those motorists who are reading these pages, the range of forward observation as displayed by a driver who has received no further input since passing a driving test falls very much short of what we will try to develop within a Ride Drive customer. Advanced observation skill is something that has to be developed in a practical environment, but to make a start at giving you some idea as to what we aim for, please understand that if it is possible to see a mile into the distance on the road you are driving, then a mile into the distance is where we will be expecting you to look.
Every winter in the UK some official from a motoring body, or a police force, will make some form of statement to the media to say that motorists are a danger to themselves and others by driving too fast in the foggy conditions. However, the point that is missed here is that those who are being so blamed for their apparent foolishness actually drive in fog each and every time they take to the road. What that statement means is that when it is actually foggy, such is the short range of their normal forward vision, the fog they happen to be driving through on the day doesn’t actually impeded their ability to see. That is because the short visual distance available is only as far ahead they will look on a bright and sunny day. Frightening, but true.
However, having extended the range of visual focus on the road we then develop your ability to scan the scene and to study the detail in what you see. Visual scanning is a bit like doing the breast stroke in that you throw the vision forward and then sweep back to the car along the sides. Whilst you are looking we don’t just want to know that you have seen that the car ahead a white one, or that you have perhaps recognised it as a BMW, we want to know what type of BMW it is, what age, what condition, how many people in it, what age group is the driver, what is the demeanour of that driver, what body language the car displays (oh yes indeed, cars do display body language), how competent is the driver, is he concentrating on the road and how consistent is the speed of the car? In addition we need to know other things, such as what type of road environment are we in, is it appropriate to overtake if that were a considered option, and if we do overtake, can we do it without causing unnecessary alarm or fear to others, such as to a pedestrian or a cyclist who may be present? We need to think about third party perception, as this plays a big part here, as you can do yourself a lot of damage by how you affect the opinion others if you were to make a wrong or inappropriate move.
What is the condition of the road surface? A broken road surface, especially if there are potholes in it, apart from having the potential to damage your tyres, wheels or suspension, can cause problems with the stability of the car, as well as the deterioration in tyre grip. Standing water is a big issue, as to hit a deep puddle during an overtake, or at any time come to that, may cause a serious stability/car control problem.
What is the visibility like (weather conditions or otherwise)? Fog, mist, drizzle, spray, snow, sleet, low sunlight. This is another area to think about in terms of third party perception, because if the person that you are overtaking perceives it is inappropriate to perform such a manoeuvre, then it probably is inappropriate. Ask yourself what that person will tell a court of law if what you are doing all goes wrong for you?
Will you exceed the speed limit if you overtake? It is annoying to follow another car that is doing 55mph in a 60mph speed limit, but there are no exemptions in law that say you can exceed the speed limit to overtake, even if you do slow again immediately after. In these circumstances it is best not to attempt it at all, and certainly not try to overtake the target vehicle at a speed that is only 5mph greater as you will be there all day.
Are you about to enter a speed limit that is lower than the speed travelled by the target vehicle? Use your forward observation here, and use your common sense. You do not want to be blasting into a 30-zone at 60mph at the end of a miss-timed overtake, as that will make you look a real idiot.
What are the road markings telling you? Double solid white lines, or double white lines with a solid line next to you, is a strict NO when it comes to overtaking, unless the target vehicle is travelling at 10mph or less. Even if you start the manoeuvre before the lines begin, it doesn’t excuse you when you contravene what is regarded as a traffic sign through a mistimed overtake that puts you on the wrong side of them, or if you have to cross them. Stay off the white painted cross-hatchings at junctions as well. These are the shaded areas in the road (see above) that are typically found as a prelude to a right-turn lane. If the shaded area has a solid line border it is to be regarded the same as a centre solid double white line system. Watch out for those on motorway slip roads, as these can earn you licence penalty points if you are caught crossing them by entering the area they have been used to mark off.
In the photorgraph above, which is actually a video still, the box lorry driver obviously didn't like the idea of following the car at the approach to the 90-degree left-hand bend, and so thought he would chance his arm at the overtake on double white lines. He actually got away with this, but look up ahead at the farm tractor waiting to pull out of the lane that joins the bend. This is an occasion where it could easily all have gone horribly wrong.
On some roads you will find two parallel broken white lines along the centre, and with diagonal lines between. These are separator markings and are commonly used on wide single carriageway roads to discourage drivers from making an imaginary middle lane. As long as these shaded areas have broken white line borders it is not an offence  to enter that area, although if that action is deemed to be inappropriate, such as a right-turn lane, then driving into this area could be considered as Careless or Inconsiderate driving.
Some other factors to consider are the presence of junctions within the proposed overtaking area. Overtaking at or close to a junction is always going to be an absolute no. Even overtaking a car that is turning left is to be regarded as inappropriate. When following another vehicle, and the left hand indicator comes on, drop back and let that vehicle run clear, because until it has cleared your path you have not a clue what that driver is really going to do.
Are there commercial or domestic driveway entrances in the considered overtaking area? Again, another highly inappropriate place to overtake. If you have ever watched people emerging from entrances and driveways in their vehicles, especially when they are making a left turn, how many look to their left before they pull out? When and if they do, 9 times out of 10 it will be after they have committed themselves to emerging onto the road. Kids, dogs, cyclists, other vehicles they all have the potential to make things go horribly wrong.
What is the type of vehicle is it that you are about to overtake? Are you just behind a rigid goods vehicle, or is it one with a trailer? Could it be two travelling close together, an articulated vehicle or other truck concealing a car or two travelling ahead of it, a car full of yobs or even a stolen vehicle? Even though your car may be considerably more powerful than the car ahead it does not preclude the other driver from wanting to make life difficult for you, or even trying to have a race with you.
What sort of reaction will you get from the driver of the target vehicle when you begin to overtake? What is the manner in which the target vehicle is being driven, i.e. steady course & speed, erratic movements etc? Is the driver ahead elderly, are they driving steadily within their lane. If it is towing a trailer, is that attachment swaying about on the road? Is the driver of the vehicle ahead actually paying attention, perhaps on the phone, searching for a junction or entrance to turn into?
Can you reasonably expect to complete the manoeuvre and regain your own side of the road within the distance you can see to be clear ahead? This basically asks the question of whether you have enough road in sight to be able to complete the overtake. It may be clear when you pull out, but will it remain so for the duration of the whole manoeuvre?
Could another vehicle, as yet unseen, approach from the opposite direction, and if it does, are you likely to cause that driver to alter course or speed? Again, whilst the road ahead may be clear when you start the process of overtaking, an opposing vehicle, travelling at the same speed as yourself and suddenly coming into view, will mean that the distance you thought you had is actually closing down at double the rate giving you half the amount of time to get back to your side of the road. Even to cause another driver to alter course or speed can be enough to prove an offence of Careless Driving, besides which, it will do nothing to enhance your level of popularity with those who witness your shortcomings. If you are involved in a head-on collision, whatever the speed you are travelling, this will be added to the speed of the other vehicle at impact.
Is the overtake really necessary anyway? If you are shortly to turn off at a junction, you are approaching a roundabout, or you can see there is a long line of traffic ahead, is there any point in trying to get passed? Also, if you are not going to overtake don’t make it look like you are trying to. If there is nothing to be gained by passing the car ahead in terms of making progress then why bother, and certainly don’t try and push the car ahead along, as that will be extremely bad for your image?
Many more examples could be listed here, but after considering all the factors, and there is an opportunity to overtake the vehicle ahead, then the decision to do so will have been based upon good sound reasoning.
In terms of how you get your view, and we have already given you some advice on how you can exploit opportunities to do this, there are a few more tricks that can be used. Looking under a large vehicle, between the wheels and under the axles as it drives over a bridge is a good one. This works particularly well when travelling over a brow of a hill, but you have to be ready for it, and being ready for it means being in the right position to see it.
Exploiting your height advantage is useful, as in when you are at the top, or at least somewhere up the side of a hill, and from where you can maybe see the road stretching away across the valley. Even if you can’t see enough to overtake at this point it may well give you some information as to where a potential opportunity is going to present itself. Cross-views provide some excelletn visual opportunities, this being the view you can sometimes get across the inside of a bend, for example by looking across the fields to where the road can be seen beyond.
When you have finished reading this page, and watching the video clips, please move on to the third part of four in our series of Driving Hints and Tips on Overtaking |
